Hello there!
Today, I'm going to teach you how to make music chords on any DAW/keyboard without music knowledge (don't worry, if you are on a phone you can , also do this with a music app there is a lot of good ones like FL STUDIO MOBILE, GARAGE BAND, and many others.
If you are on a PC choose a DAW.
First, what is a DAW?
DAW: Digital Audio Workstation. What? Well, basicly is a program where you make,edit and record music.
1.Choose your favorite, this works with anything. My fav is FL STUDIO by IMAGE LINE.
2.Choose your favorite instrument. I'd suggest a piano. (Also choose your favorite tempo/bpm)
BPM: Beats per minute -> How fast it goes. For more just click over the bpm and choose more or less.
3.I choosed FL keys because is the native piano of FL STUDIO. What it means native? That comes with the program.
4.Click over FL KEYS:
(Should look like this)
5.Then, you can choose some stuff of your piano, change the decay and many others, if you want learn more of this, comment below so I can make more tutorials on my blog. Well, lets continue. After look your piano and set all the stuff you want go over the name : "FL KEYS" and right click:
6.After this, click PIANO ROLL (left click)
7.CLICK on STAMP (check the picture)
8.Then SELECT MAJOR (Which means MAJOR SCALE : C D E F G A B / do re mi fa sol la si (spanish)
I know there is a lot of options, chords and scales, but you are going to learn some of music theory and learn how it works if you follow these steps. Not also know how to make chords without learn some knowledge, but don't worry i will only take the essentials so be patient.
9.Then press Click on the PENCIL (DRAW) or press P
10.After click on DRAW, go through your piano roll (yeah the space of the keys) and click DRAW A C5 OR C4 like the picture.
11.After you DRAW C a whole C MAJOR SCALE WILL APPEAR . Why I should pick C MAJOR instead other KEY? Well, it's the most easy SCALE to learn music and also one of the most common on the pop culture, so it's always useful.
BAMM! You have the whole MAJOR SCALE, NOW WHAT?
We just started, but congrats for reach this point, seems like you are not just earning crypto, also music knowledge!
The scale you are watching is based on C D E F G A B . Take every letter as a number, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. There is only 7 keys with multiple combinations. Without much science or theory, to make it simple. The way how popular harmony works is using the numbers 1 3 5 for CHORDS
What this means?
Well, this means that you are making chords with 3 MUSIC notes . Why? Without get deep into music theory... every chord is a combination of a triad.
That is composed on triad based on : A THIRD : thatcould be : MAJOR THIRD or MINOR THIRD + 5J
( I can talk about this music theory on a second post if you want let me know but for this tutorial is not needed).
12.Let's forget about this for a second and let's keep wit the graphics, that are more intuitive and easier.
With graphics I use a simple technique that I call it : "NOTE X NOTE"
That is basically based on group the notes on pairs but letting a space between notes, and the rule for this is use only the notes of the scale.
In this case, C MAJOR: C - D - E - F - G - A - B
We are going to represent that with colors. For the first triad we going to use the light green and for the second a kindof blue one.
As you can see. In the second BEAT (look the BIG 2 over the piano roll that indicates the number of BEAT) you can recognize the 2 pairs of triads.
First one: C E G
Second one: D F A
Guess what? Yes, they are chords. Just using logic and just the notes of a key you can get all the chords.
13.Separate the chords.
First one is C MAJ ( C-E-G) and second one on the BEAT 3: Dm (D-F-A)
Now if you keep grouping the notes on triads, using the technique: NOTE X NOTE X NOTE
You will make something like
NOTE___ NOTE___NOTE ____= C-E-G / D-F-A
X X X
C E G
D F A
As you see, im grouping the notes in triads , so from C i jump to E because D is going to jump to F using the NOTE X NOTE, that means jumps.
NOTE X NOTE X NOTE X = E-G-B/ F-A-C
E F G A B C
Pretty easy right?
Yeah, only take in consideration what scale are you using. Then you are able to harmonize everything.
Without knowledge you could make a chord like C E G and if you keep messing, you can add C-E-G-B why B instead A because, NOTE X NOTE, the jumps , do you remember? Oh! ok i get it, so it's just a trick that follows a rule of music theory, yeah it is, but it's so easy... that you don't even need understand the whole theory. This is perfect for start.
HEY! Why I don't see the F - A - C Chord, and E - G# - B and not E-G-B . Well that is because the picture needs a correction.
Take in consideration that E-G#-B is also a chord, but is not included on this scale, so we need to make a correction.
How we do that?
14.Lets look again the scale : C D E F G A B : When you are working on a scale, you have to think that the only thing that exist on this composition is those notes/keys you can't use anything beside those ones. So if there is something different, you need to make a CORRECTION, like this.
This scale is our guide. Now with the comparation the allowed notes, we notice that G is the only one that works on this key, not G#, so we need to fix it.
15.After that, we do the same for the rest of the chords and we finally have the whole chords of this scale.
16.Now, some extra learning: What means the numbers beside every chord? Well that means the grade. Have you ever listened to hear about chords progression?
Well, that only means the order of the key chord on every scale. On C MAJOR : the first grade will always be the chord of C. And that's how it works. You can also compose just using numbers, not the keys. This is some producers work, because helps them to get it more easier, or is just something fresh to try. Anyways, do whatever that helps you to do it faster.
Now, i'll show you how to do this on piano.
EXTRA:
How to recognize the notes on a real keyboard? well, just look at the black keys. When you have two there is C c# D d# E
and always look the white keys that are next to each other, there is only two cases. E-F and B-C, so that's easy to remember than the whole # or whole notes. Just think on the black keys and the white continuous notes. But don't worry, i made you a picture.
There you go, like we did on FL STUDIO, now you now what to do right?
Yees! Now you are close to be ready to smash those keys without make the cats cry.
First chord : C-E-G. Now you know the rest...
Works = than computer.
This trick can be also transposed to get any chord of every key. I can make you more tutorials if you comment below and ask for more.
Also,if you wonder who made this, well let me introduce myself. Im a music producer part of "Southlights"
Here is some of my work :
https://soundcloud.com/wearebigbeat/arizona-i-was-wrong-southlights-remix : Feel free to message me through this channel to ask me how i made it. Im open to make more tutorials of this, and also more advanced ones!
Southlights - Moonlight (ft. Ryan Ellingson)
Have fun with the chords!
Brian
