Rhythm Notes

Overview

Notes from Mikael Baggstrom Udemy courses.

Drive Energy Course Notes

  • Rhythmic Playing Styles: Strumming, Comping, Arpeggios
  • Melodic Rhythm
  • Note timing should not be robotic. Humanization is very important to feel alive and fuller.
  • You can also humanize the note length. Logic Pro supports that. Every eigth note can be slightly different. More alive.
  • Dynamics of notes (difference in velocities) is also very important.
  • Syncopation - unexpected change in rhythmic flow. Unrobotic. More human. e.g. add a different sounding beat on every 4th beat.
  • Rhythmic Fills: small complex rhythmic pattern when you transition between verse to chorus for example.
  • Mix straight notes and triplet notes (2/3 note) for spicing the rhythm.
  • Basic components: Rhythm, Harmony, Melody
  • Layering for power: Same rhythm on multiple instruments. May be different octaves or shifted to arbitrary baseline.
  • Layering for Augmentation: Selective layering of some notes in rhythm.
  • Guitar Strumming engine plugin allows you to simulate upwards/downwards strumming, plucking, palm muting, single string etc.
  • Chugging is like strumming - specifically uses heavy palm muted distorted electric guitars.
  • Arpeggio - Broken Chord. To spice it up, replace some notes with chords.
  • Ostinato - Repeated pattern like RIFF. But you remember RIFF, not ostinato. Ostinato focuses on Rhythm not pitch. Typically uses staccatto style playing.
  • Staccato (short and punchy) and spiccato (style on strings ??
  • Comping Rhythm : Accomopanying or complementing. Basically it stays out of melody and enhances it instead of dominating.

Recording Tips

  • Step Input Recording: Use midi keyboard. Software waits for you to play. You fix the timing of keys later.
  • Step sequencer - is a beat builder.
  • Rhythmic Gate - Pass filter using envelopes or shapes.
  • Echo Effect works well with Piano and Guitar effects.