By Filippetto/Vega

The Amiga scene grows every day, and much people like to compose music with the most famous programs like Noisetracker, Startrekker, Future Composer, Sidmon and others. In most cases the songs are similar, expecially the bass patterns and the melodies. The used chords are always major and minor simple chords, and this in my opinion is a big limit for the Amiga music. The funny thing is that it doesn't depend on the Amiga hardware limit, but on the lack of fantasy of the musicians. Of course it could be a problem of musical tastes and influences, but anyway in my opinion there are just a few musicians who tried to make a change to t hese Amiga-music s tandards, for example Bruno of Gate, Nightlight of Kefrens, Walkman of CRB, Romeo Knight of RSI and Zzzax of Timecircle plus others... Now why don't you try to change the style of your music? If you always put major and minors chords but you would like to change, here there are a few tips to help ya.

- If you know music, you should know that there are some really suggestive chords like 7+, m7, 7/9, 7/5b, and also 6. Now you have many chances to create such chords. The first and best way is to digitize them directly from a keyboard like M1, T3, D10 and so on. With this system you can have also the sound you prefer coz of course you can digitize the chord with piano, strings, synths and so on. If you don't have the chance to digitize chords, the most used way is generally to use the usual major and minor chords in a different way. This way is to change the bass pattern. For example, if you have a sequence with:

Bass Chord
E E maj
F F maj

Try to change it into:

Bass Chord
E E maj
E F maj

And you will see that the obtained sound is strange but effective, and different. With this system, used both with major and minor chords, you can obtain many particular chords: m7, 7+ and so on. With the combination of 2 chords and the bass you will have even more choices.

- To make an incisive tune you should take care of the rhythm section. So try to make "real" drum sequences with many fill-ins and with accents in the hi-hat sequences. Even better if you add crashes, rides and toms. Also the bass sequence should be very good. Try to balance low and high notes in the sequence, and never make sequences like E-1 --- E-1 --- E-1 --- E-1 --- and so on. Try to change the space between 1 note and the following so to obtain a various sequence.

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This article originally appeared in the Amiga diskmagazine "Freedom Crack #5" by Vega in 1991.

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Addresses and other contact information were only valid when this magazine was originally published, in march of 1991.