Case Study : Kaadhal Kavidhigal Song
We can say the song is set at 180 beats per minute. Typically a beat falls on a word. Here, Kavidhaigal - 1 beat; Padithidum - 1 beat; etc. Whether that 1 beat must be assigned 1/4 (quarter note) or 1/8 (eigth note) depends on "how the word groupings" repeat. Here "(1)Kaa.(2).dhal.(3)kavidhaigal.(4)Padithidum" is a 4 beat pattern which repeats ... so We say it is 4/4. So to be more, precise, we can say that tempo: q = 90; We also say 1 bar or measure contains 4 beats.
Since there are many 1/8th note changes, the score sheet will be bit clumsy to look at. Alternatively, we can say it has 4/2 signature... i.e. 4 double beats per bar. Then the tempo would be: q = 180.
In FL Studio (and in other DAWs), you have to mark the time signature on the track. The metronome beeps every beat or double beats depending on the time signature. For 4/4, the metronome beeps every beat. For 4/2 signature, there is only 4 beats per bar, now beeping every 1/2 measure, i.e. every double quarter-beats. The tempo can be marked as q = 180 or h = 90 (better).
Let us say, it has 4/4 signature with q = 90. Then, every beat has a meter of 4 ... i.e. A beat has 4 subdivisions. The drum rhythm repeats every 2 beats. It sounds like: "Dah..da.da; Dun..da.da" ... ; In steady state, the rhythm feels like starting at weaker beat and ending at strong beat with a small rest: i.e. "da.da.Dun..da.da.Dah.." ...
Note: First, Disable touch sensitivity, so that you "listen" to the pitch, not the volume.
It is easy to get fooled that the difference in volume is the difference in pitch. Once you tune your ears to respect the pitch difference, you can turn on touch sensitivity.
Practice more on "listening" to pitch than volume. Since usually the volume raises with pitch, we tend to express higher pitch with higher volume when we can not skillfully express the heightened pitch.
The raga of the song is Maya malava gowla. The base seems to be set to key E. The scale is neither E-major nor E-minor. It is it's own. The scale is: E.F - G#.A - B.C - D#.E
Though the scale does not have G in it, G is treated almost like a key in the scale as we will see ...
Note: The primary chords used are:
Chordify:
Chord Keys Accidental
E - E G# B
C - C E G G
Em - E G B G
Cm - C D# G G D#
Fm - F G# C
F - F A C
C# - C# F G# C#
--------------------------------------
G - G B D G
G# - G# C D#
G#m - G# B D#
A - A C# E C#
RiffStation: C Fm Em G
ChordU : G C Em F Fm C# A G# G#m
The Common chord progressions used are C Fm E C ? , ...
The C to Fm transition gives a slight pitch increase in std voicing i.e. CEG and CFG#; Both share exactly one key (C) as common, and the increase in pitch is semi-tone for both other keys. For Maya Malava Gowla raga, this is favourite perfect transition.
Consider the sitar Bridge :
(All are in 6th octave unless mentioned otherwise)
Part1: C.C.C.C Fm.Fm.Fm.Fm E6+B6 (E without middle G) C+C7 (C dominating). Pitch Feel: 1 2 3 4
Part2: Fm.Fm.Fm.Fm Em.Em.Em.Em C.C.Fm.Eaug Pitch Feel: 4 3 4.4.5.4
Note: Eaug = E6 G#6 C7. The third key B is raised by semi-tone.
The CEG+C7 is just a C chord with voicing added with C7 in next octave. This projects raising pitch. You must use voicing to project pitch modulations.
The Chord part1 Fm used above has the common voicing of: C6 F6 G#6; Relative to the previous chord C (C6 E6 G6), this does project a raising pitch. If higher pitch were desired, F6 G#6 C7 would have been used.
The part2 Fm uses interesting voicing to project a raised pitch. Fm = C F G#; It duplicates C at the top: C7. Then, just to increase the spread, it lowers the G# down From 6 to 5th octave. Exact Notes: G#5 - C6 - F6 - C7
The part2 Em follows the exact voicing pattern similar to Fm so that, The entire chord of voicing used above is shifted one semitone down to get this Em. Exact Notes: G5 - B5 - E6 - B6
The part2 C.C is standard C Chord with dominating C -- i.e. E6 - G6 - C7
The second Fm appearing later in Part2 chooses all higher octave notes: F6 - G#6 - C7.
The last Eaug = E6 G#6 C7. i.e. E major key with third key shifted one semitone above: E6 - G#6 - C7
The last 3 notes in part-2 has Bass + Sitar added ...
For C.C.Fm.Eaug, the last 3 single notes added for Bass are: C F E (as
Expected)
For the purpose of discussion in this document, we will refer:
We discuss the Recorder1 piece starting at 37th Bar.
There is interesting Bass used in this piece. The Bass Rhythm repeats every 2 ticks.
Every tick is divided into 4 subdivided meter. (Or every beat is divided into half). Say 1.2.3.4, the bass pattern for the 2 ticks is: 1.2.3s.4; 1.2.3.4s; Where 3s is blank silence. It sounds like ... Da.ah...da; Da.ah.ah...; (repeat)....
Very subtle C chord (C6 E6 G6) piano (velocity is around 15 or so) repeats for every 2 ticks. Very interesting, it is almost non-existent, but seems to add value !!!
It appears in 2nd and 4th ticks in the bar. Short pulses of quarter beat (1/4 of beat or 1/8 of tick) flute and silence interleaved.
The melody is: B- C- C#- C.. ; B- C- C#- C-- G ( - is silence; .. is continuation )
Set in high octave of 7th with C touching C8.
Interesting that the flute is more melodious when there are pulses of notes than playing legato.
Note the way it falls from C8 to G7 towards end. Though it is kind of in Scale E
It is almost like a dancing expression ... You can draw inspiration for these notes directly from spontaneous dance steps. May be you can draw lot of inspiration from Salsa/Mexican beats translating into nice melodies ?
At the bottom of music is the movement and tension building and releasing in a way which is most natural to body's rhythm, not too fast to comprehend not too slow to be boring.
Can we get some geographical or otherwise mathematical forumula auto translated into melody and choose something from that ?
The bass line is more simple which sounds like: ...