Hello everyone,
I am brand new to Scaler 3. I have gone over some of the tutorials, but they seem focused on explaining features rather than showing how the software is used. I have a midi melody I have created in Apple’s Logic Pro X. Do I use Scaler 3 to look at the melody and use the notes of the melody to suggest chord progressions? What are the most basic steps required to use the software?
I know I can create melodies within Scaler 3 and then create chords, but is that the only way it is used? Would someone be able to show how Scaler 3 is used from a blank page?
Any help from a step one would be greatly appreciated!
The quick way would be to decide what scale you were using. If you go to the midi region in Logic, you can collapse the piano roll to just only show the notes that you have used. If you go into Scaler and select All Scales, it will present a little keyboard. Choose the notes that have been used and it will narrow down to show scales that contain those notes. (The first note you use will be the root in its scale)
My personal method is to go with selecting the scale first, then build the progression, and finally create a melody for that scale and progression.
Even if I don’t use it, I create a backing track with the progression to use for a metronome and record the individual parts on other voices. It might be block chords or some arpeggiation. (Usually the latter)
For the melody, I love to use the option to lock the keys to the scale for creating the melody notes. You can still add notes that are not in the scale either by turning that option off or just entering them with the mouse.
It is not necessarily efficient but I just duplicate the track to have an identical Scaler instance for the next voice I want to enter. You can always turn it off or remove it later. Then I change the instrument for the part and record the part.
There are a lot more sophisticated things that you can do with it but for me, that is sufficient.
Once I have the progression in Scaler, I can also choose to use scaler to propagate a chord track and have access to the regular arpeggiators, “session player” stuff, and the like.
Hi, DavidK,
I see what you’re saying. I have this project started. I chose a key (C Major), and I set the time signature to 5/4 in Logic Pro X. I then recorded some midi 4 bar simple melodies. I was thinking that I could get Scaler to listen to the midi and then suggest some chord progressions. Is this something that sounds feasible? Scaler has tons of features, but I need to start at square one so that I don’t get too overwhelmed.
Thanks, by the way, for the help!
The chord suggestions are not suggestions of progressions (although there are some common ones available along with a long list of sample progressions.). They are suggestions as to chords to replace chords with other chords that will have a different harmony. Specifically chords with extensions and chords that are borrowed from other scales.
A great way to get a chord progression is to bind the keys to the scale and noodle around a bit to see the kind of harmonic motion you want. Also, look at other chord progressions and see what they do. There are many sites around to look at when you feel at a loss for inspiration.
Honestly, don’t get too hung up about them. There are loads of songs that use a common progression and still manage to be new and interesting. Complexity is not necessarily better, just different.
The best thing you can do is to get used to the roman numeral system for the chords. That will help you get used to working in different keys. It focuses on the relationship between the chords rather than their name.
Most of the things about suggesting chords for a progression fall apart in practice. The theory was designed to allow people to talk about music, not write it. The biggest reason is that different scales can share the same chords. The only difference is what you decide to call the root of the scale. If you have the notes, CDEFGAB, that is the C major scale. If you move the root to A, you have an A minor scale. If you move the root to D, you have the D Dorian Scale. All three of those (and more) use exactly the same notes and chords. Those are modes. Each of those modes have their own relative chords and scales.
The theory can be ambiguous. Say you have the notes C E G. That’s a C major chord, right? Maybe. It can also be described as a rootless voicing of an A minor chord. It can also be an E minor chord with no fifth and a sixth added to it. Maybe it is a C/E chord (the first inversion of C major). It depends on context.
Don’t get hung up on it. The theory understanding will come with practice. You can create music without knowing what the theory says it is. It is mostly just jargon for trying to convey the idea with language.
Thanks DavidK! My idea is to start with a melody, and derive chords from that rather than starting with a chord progression and seeing what the melodic possibilities are. Music theory is indeed a way to describe how music sounds, rather than a set of rules for composition.
Hi
I don’t know every thing about Scaler 3 long from that but I don’t think it can do want you hope it can do. I know an App how can do that but it is considerably more costly. The name is Synfire. You can import midi file or record a melody into Synfire how then can give you a suggestion of chords. You can download a trial if you have an Ilok stick! Good luck!
I don’t see a clear advantage either way. Starting with either the melody or progression first is fine. Just consider either one a draft subject to change. Ideas evolve. My usual method is to do the progression first as I use that as a backing track to play against when I do the melody. I usually just get the chords and use scaler or something to give it a bit of texture and use that rather than a metronome.
More of a failing on my part to be able to hold the ideas in my head all at one time. Maybe as I progress it will be easier but I am not going to stop composing until my playing skills get built up.