Anyway, sorry for not having written. You can subscribe to my feed, so that, when I post the new articles you will be informed immediately

Thank you for the support, thus far. I am planning to come back

If you choose to use a piano and a violin, you will never be able to play rock. If you choose to play a distorted guitar, you’re probably off in a different direction.

However, most of us, think only about music by using instruments, and not sounds in general. I myself have written music using mainly electric or electronic instruments. What happens, however, when you start using sounds from nature?

This is where it gets interesting. Every sound around us can be used in a musical setting. There are three main ways to do that:

1) Use a sound as an oscillator in a synthesizer

2) Sample it a use it rythmically

3) Use it as it is

Out of the 3 choices, I am currently used the 3rd one. It is a very artistic choice. I am taking urban samples, from highways and airports to train stations, and I am using them as the background noise of my tracks. It is strange, how the ambient noise can "fill" the sound of a musical piece. It’s also very strange, how non-musical sounds can be used in a musical setting.

The two best sources of ambient samples I have found are these: The free sound project and a plugin called Speakerphone Cabinet by AudioEase. You can download some urban noise from the free sound project and add it into the background of your track. You can also use noise as an introduction or as an outro to your track.

Of course, this is my way of doing music. Aphex Twin, has created an experimental masterpiece, called Bucephalus Bouncing Ball, where he uses a sampled bouncing ball as a special rythmic effect

Link: www.youtube.com

On the other hand, Native Instruments’ Absynth has many programs that use experimental sampled oscillators. I have used one of these on my track "Gabriel". It’s a sound that uses a tibetan voice. I leave it to you to find which of the sounds it is

Anyway, once you allow ambient noises into your tracks, you’ll enter a new world of inspiration. Matthew Herbert creates pieces that are mainly focused around sounds he has recorded himself. Check out "Yesness" for example, where it has used countless recorded "Yes" from people. The possibilities are endless.

When I’m saying capitalize, I mean promote your music through myspace and make money out of it. So, let’s take a look to what happened with my project: Raskolnikov’s Dream.

My MySpace is http://www.myspace.com/raskolnikovsdream I joined it at January 11 2009. The day of this article is March 4 2009. This makes 52 days. In 52 days I had 8339 views and 2750 as of the time of writing.

This isn’t a bad number is it?

However, the other statistics are discouraging. I sold only 7 albums, I got only one friend on last.fm and 18 fans on facebook.

So, what is going on here?

My opinion is that these stats reflect the psychological profile of the average MySpace user. And let me tell you why. On CD Baby where I sell my CD, I checked the incoming links. Not one of them was from MySpace. Actually, not even one person in MySpace even tried to enter my CD Baby page. I had some people telling me that they would buy my album, but they didn’t.

On the other hand,on CD Baby i got about 200 visits and sold 5 albums there (the other 2 from a total of 7 were from my site). This comes to a whooping 2.5%, which doesn’t actually sound like a big number, but think for a moment that if, for example, I had the means to promote my music to 10.000 people (which actually isn’t such a big deal), I would sell 250 albums. If I had the the means to promote it to 100.000 people, then I would sell 2500 albums.

These numbers might not  look like a big deal, but if you are an independent artist, they are. It is very difficult to promote your music to such a big audience, yet, if you sell albums, you get most of the profit yourself. Actually, if I sold 2500 or more albums a year, I could make a living, even though these numbers would be considered a failure if the album was released by a record label.

But, what causes the difference between CD Baby and MySpace? It’s simple. As I mentioned above, it all depends on the psychological profile of the average MySpace or CD Baby user. In MySpace, people are looking not to buy music, but to find and listen to music. On CD Baby, people go to buy music.

So, while I have only 200 CD Baby hits, I sold 5 albums, while on MySpace I have 8400 hits and I haven’t sold an album.

So, it all depends on the user profile. Surely MySpace is a great way to promote your band. Possibly, the greatest. It’s a good way to gain internet fame, and fans for your live shows. But, maybe, if you want to gain money from MySpace, maybe you should look elsewhere.

First of all, everything depends on the kind of music you want to write. Pop and rock music for example have pretty standard structures, while IDM electronica, for example, does not.

Secondly, it all depends on your method of working. Some people like to improvise on loops, other want to write music while they alreay have in their mind how the piece should go.

Additionaly, you have to know that the structure interacts with the length of the song. The standard pop form will work nice for small length songs, no matter the genre. However, it might not work too well for epic 12-minute progressive metal songs .

Not your average pop band

So, let’s take a look at some musical forms.

The pop form that we mentioned above is the following: Intro – Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus x 2 – Bridge- Chorus. Almost all pop songs ever written are built upon this form or variations of it. Also, it is very important the the chorus comes before the first minute and the song doesn’t last more than 4 minutes. You will notice that most pop songs go like that.

This form, however, is not only for pop songs. You can listen for example my piece ‘Gabriel’ at http://raskolnikovsdream.com/discography.html. It follows the same form, but in no way you can call it ‘pop’.

Another form, that is never used in pop music is the form A-B-C-D-etc. It’s actually a series of parts that are not directly connected to each other. This form is popular among metal bands, be it classic heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden, or black metal like Cradle of Filth. Listen for example to Afraid to Shoot Strangers. While there is some repetition inside the parts, thus making the parts something like (a-b-a-b)-(c-c)-etc., the large form is actually A-B-C-etc. The parts between them are completely different, even having abrupt changes in the tempo.

Link: www.youtube.com

Another very useful form that is used very much in ambient music is A – A+B – A + B + C – etc. This means that you start on a loop, and you add subsequent loops thereafter. Because this form doesn’t have any great fluctuations in intensity, it is very soothing. You can hear this in my track ‘Horse’ at http://raskolnikovsdream.com/discography.html. You can also hear it in Boards of Canada (my favorite ambient group) Amo Bishop Rodden.

Link: www.youtube.com

So, that was it for today! Of course, these are not the only musical forms in existence. These are just 3, that can be very useful in your musical compositions. We will cover more forms in future articles.

When most people start learning about music, they usually start learning about music theory. However, what people don’t understand, is that in these days, music genre is not just about music theory, but about music production as well.

I have received many times the question: "How can I sound like band X ?" . These can be bands like Nirvana, Rolling Stones or The Prodigy.

It is important to note that music defined not only by what you play, but also, by how it sounds. This might seem self-evident, but then again, why don’t people understand that the guitars and amplifiers that Rolling Stones use, are completely different from the effects that they are using in their effort to imitate them?

The Prodigy

So for example, let’s take Nine Inch Nails. Their sound is driven by digital distortion. There is no way ever you can imitate their sound, if you don’t use this kind of distortion. 80s bands used a lot the chorus and flanger effects. And classic rock bands, used a lot analog distortion.

Sound design is an essential ingredient of modern music. So, you should always take in into account when you are writing and recording music.

It isn’t rare to write a tune using a dry guitar signal, that outright sucks, and then add distortion, to find it sounds like a hit. Additionaly, effects, not only alter the sound, but they can alter the notes as well. For example, if you use delay, you are adding a rythmic element that didn’t excist previously. The same happens with flanger and phaser.

If you think about it, it’s pretty much like when you are listening to a beethoven sonata on the piano, and then some guy plays in on his guitar. It’s not the same thing. Actually, it’s not even close, no matter how good the guitarist is.

This could be due to wrong choice of effects

This is why learning how to use effects for sound design is important.

First, define your genre and your goals.

Secondly, listen to artists of the style you are trying to imitate.

Third, experiment with effects, to try to recreate the desired sound.

Once you master this, the next step would be to try and make your "own" sound. Like all instruments have a sound of their own, the same is true for the effects.

I am planning to include tutorials on specific effects and VSTs so that you can get started somewhat easier

The circle of 4ths and 5ths is a very easy method to learn the scales of western music. Take a look at the picture below

We begin at C. If go clockwise, we are moving in 5ths. A 5th is 7 semitones. If we go counterclockwise we are moving in 4ths. A 4th is 5 semitones. Now, if we move in 5ths, we get the scales that have sharps. If we move in 4ths, we get the scales that have flats. Take a look at that picture.

In right you see the sharp scales, in the left the flat ones. Theoritically, we can create all scales with flats and sharps, but after a certain point, we get double sharps and flats, which make it cumbersome to deal with. In the bottom, we have three scales that are enharmonic. This means that they can be written either with flats or sharps, but they are the same thing.

Below each major scale, you see the relevant minor scale. This is the minor scale that contains the same sharps and flats as a certain major. To get the minor of a major, simply move down 3 semitones (that is a minor third).

The circle of fiths and fourths is one of the first thing one learns when he starts studying music theory. The reason is simple enough. You have to know all the scales. When you see a musical score, you see at the beginning the sharps and flats it uses. You have to be able to determine at once the key the piece is in. When you improvise, you have to do so on a scale. This means that you have to practice scales all day long so that you know them by heart.

However, the circle of 5ths and 4ths offers a nice way of getting harmonic progressions. Progressions in 5ths are very common in classical music. Well, not actually harmonic progressions, but modulations. You see, two scales a 5th apart, are only different by one sharp. For example C has no sharps, and G has only one. This makes it simple to change from one scale to the other.

On the other hand, in jazz, the circle of 4ths is the most common progression. It creates a feeling of a never-ending progression. Actually, if you want to improvise and you have no ideas, then just play the circle of 4ths from any key you like . It’s one of the most easily used, catchy and useful ideas ever. You can actually write whole songs based on these two progressions.

Well, that was it for today! These are the basics of the circle of 5ths and 4ths. Until next time, keep studying and be creative!

I am a musician (as it is pretty obvious from running this site), and my first project, can be found here: Raskolnikov’s Dream.

It is a melodic electronica project. In the official site you will find more information and you will be able to listen to samples of my music.

The other project I am currently running is Musikality Net, a blog with resources for independent musicians, including articles and tutorials on various, subjects like music theory, software and promotion.

I’d be very happy if you could just pay a little visit to see what these are all about

Yamaha Motif XS8

Today we are going to debate over this subject: soft synths vs hardware synths. There are many opinions, almost as many musicians, but I am going to give my view on the subject on a few lines.

First of all, you have to realize that any instrument that you are using is going to shape your sound. Like the electric guitar shaped the sound of blues, and heavy distortion shaped the sound of heavy metal, the synthesizer has shaped the sound of electronic music.

For example, the 80s have been characterized by cetain lo-fi analog sounds. The efforts of the synthesizer industry to create emulations of strings, for example, gave rise to sounds that sounded somewhat like strings, but, pretty obviously, weren’t. Nonetheless, these sounds, gave to many bands their distinct sound.

Furthermore, we can’t forget the legendary drum machines like 808 and 909.

Roland 808

The same happens with synthesizers. Soft synths and hardware synths are tools in your music arsenal.

This leads us to the point 1

1)The distinct sound that each synthesizer possesses will shape your music.

However, there are all varieties of prices. Some soft synths have really cheap sounds, some have their own distinct sound. Native Instruments and Spectrasonics are two companies that are known for making soft synths with their own signature sound. Of course, this doesn’t mean that there are not cheaper alternatives (since these companies usually move in the >$400 range). Image Line’s Toxic Biohazard is a VST synth with an excellent sound that comes in less than $100.

Image Line Toxic Biohazard

The same can be said for hardware synths.

Now, let’s get to point 2.

2)Everything depends on your goals

While expensive soft synths (like Native Instruments Absynth which is one of my favorites) have their own distinct sound, they are usually focused on certain genres of music. On the other hand, most modern synthesizers, are not presented as synths, but as "workstations", a concept that Korg founded with Triton Workstation.

This means, that synthesizers are now made as complete recording solutions, with sounds for all genres of music.

Korg Triton Studio

So, your goals will determine which one you should choose. If you are focused solely on electronic music, then going for a hardware synth might be a waste of time, since VST synths are always most easily configured through your DAW, and some of them can create unique sounds in a better price than a hardware synth.

On the other hand, a hardware synth can be a complete solution.

I myself made my first steps with a Korg Triton LE (that was the light edition of the Korg Triton which was too expensive to buy at that time). I learned many, and I mean many, things from that instrument. However, now that I am writing mainly electronic music and music with my bass and guitar, I don’t really need it. I use VST synths from inside my DAW to write electronic music and the bass and the guitar have nothing to do with a Triton LE , since they are plugged in directly into the soundcard.

Roland 909

Of course, there are still some analog synths, which are a different story alltogether. Analog synths are very unique in their sound and are for purists who know that they need this distinct sound. They are a choice for professionals, and maybe, it would not be a good thing to start your career with an expensive instrument without knowing first one or two things. But, then again, who knows? Maybe this is all you need!

Anyway, to recapitulate what we said in this post.

1)Your synths shape your sound pretty much like any other instrument

2)Soft synths are easier to control and are less expensive, while hardware synths are more of a complete solution, but more expensive

I hope that this little article helps you somewhat in your quest towards the perfect sound

Today, I’ll talk about a subject that can be a little be confusing to beginners in digital music: Fourier transform and harmonics. A harmonic is defined by wikipedia as follows

In acoustics and telecommunication, the harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. For example, if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies f, 2f, 3f, 4f, etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental frequency, therefore the sum of harmonics is also periodic at that frequency. Harmonic frequencies are equally spaced by the width of the fundamental frequency and can be found by repeatedly adding that frequency. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 25 Hz, the frequencies of the harmonics are: 25 Hz, 50 Hz, 75 Hz, 100 Hz, etc.

Harmonics are what give to an organ its dinstict timbre. If you strip an instrument of all of its harmonics and leave only the fundamental frequency, it will sound the same on all instruments.

Various factors contribute to the different harmonics produced by each instrument. The end result is that two notes never sound the same on two different instruments.

A piano waveform (let) and a violin waveform (right)

But, how can we know what harmonics are included in an instrument?

To achieve this we use Fourier Trasnform.

Fourier transform is defined by wikipedia as follows

In mathematics, the Fourier transform is an operation that transforms one complex-valued function of a real variable into another. The new function, often called the frequency domain representation of the original function, describes which frequencies are present in the original function. This is in a similar spirit to the way that a chord of music can be described by notes that are being played. In effect, the Fourier transform decomposes a function into oscillatory functions. The Fourier transform is similar to many other operations in mathematics which make up the subject of Fourier analysis. In this specific case, both the domains of the original function and its frequency domain representation are continuous and unbounded. The term Fourier transform can refer to both the frequency domain representation of a function or to the process/formula that "transforms" one function into the other.

Alright, what all this means is the following.

A waveform contains many harmonics. Each harmonic can be represented by a mathematical function. The simplest wave function that can be is the sine wave. A sine wave contains only one frequency.

A sine wave along with some mathematical properties

What we do with fourier transform, is to take the function of a waveform and make it simpler, by finding the correspondent sine waves. So, we can derive the harmonic content of a waveform, and then represent it on a spectrum analyser. In the spectrum analyser we actually have each frequency that is present in the waveform and its corresponding amplitude, like shown in the picture..

Not difficult, ah?

In future articles we will write more things about spectrum analysers and fourier transform. I am also planning to include an article on Native Instruments’ Absynth, which allows you to control each individual harmonic of a waveform.

This is the first post in Musikality Net, where I’ll explain what this site is all about.

Musikality Net was created with one purpose in mind: to help independent musicians.

The dawn on the digital era and the internet revolution has caused great changes in music as we know it. Today’s musicians and music doesn’t have many things in common with the music of two centuries ago, in the way it is written, played and promoted. However, many changes occur silently through the years. Musicians find themselves unaware of them and in confusion as to what is going on and how they should adapt to this new environment of the digital era. Furthermore, many people, without any formal music education, try to write music themselves, but they are overwhelmed by the abundance of information.

I myself have struggled through all this since my childhood. What I’ll try to do in this blog, is to gather all the things I have learned in order to provide a coherent and reliable source of knowledge for all those who have tried to learn, but didn’t have any chance.

I hope I’ll make my best

So let’s get it on…