I give my take on the Cycle of Fifths - what is it, how do we compose with it and how do we practice it?

In this episode I breakdown a recent composition and talk about the arrangement, orchestration and music theory.

5 psychological tricks I often use to listen to my work-in-progress track with 'fresh ears' - and decide if it's any good or not!

I talk about the journey of creating 'Classical Passion' - a production music album for Reliable Source which features a live string orchestra.

Writing music for fun isn't always fun - it's easy to lose faith in what you're doing.

I break down the ridiculously fast string writing in the opening of the main theme from Harry Potter.

I look at the first couple of bars of the famous Prelude in Eminor by Chopin and try to extract some useful harmony concepts to use when improvising or composing.

I break down the harmony of a cue from The Wizard of Oz in attempt to show how you can access a similar sound world in your own compositions.

I discuss different kinds of 'sus' chords and how I tend to deploy them in my work as a professional composer.

I breakdown a recent game trailer I worked on as an example of how to arrange music which is particularly dense and busy.

What is a half diminished chord and how can it be used in the context of composing media music?

A keyboard-specific technique for coming up with cool complex sounding patterns that still make musical sense.

I discuss 5 mistakes I've made in the past when composing professionally in a DAW. All of these issues highlight to me the important of choosing the right kind of process or tool for the job. --------------- Many of these videos are also available in PODCAST form 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3uTqtVI Velocity Curve Generator https://sumire-io.gitlab.io/midi-velocity-curve-generator/ Astronimo https://store.steampowered.com/app/1808640/Astronimo/ Astronimo Soundtrack https://youtu.be/I9-GjIOkCPg?si=7juF5HicuoiarJeh Chris Whiter Music https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisWhiterMusic Unless otherwise stated (or it's obvious) all of the music in this video was composed by me. If you enjoyed, you could: 📣 Sign up to my occasional newsletter - https://vincewebb.substack.com/ ☕️ Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/vincewebbmusic I can also be found at: 🏠 Home - https://www.vincewebb.com 🐦 Twit - https://twitter.com/vincecomposer 📱 Insta - https://www.instagram.com/vincecomposer/ ♪ Tik - https://www.tiktok.com/@vincecomposer

While sitting at the keyboard I show you some of my favourite harmony voicings in all of music.

I continue my breakdown of how I personally use block chords in the context of writing music for media.

In this two-parter I discuss block chords - a powerful way to add chunkiness to your arrangements. This episode is mostly about parallel motion and inversions.

Here's a classic chord progression that I find useful when composing music.

I take a classic tune and arrange it in a bunch of different ways while talking about some general principles you can apply to your own work.

What do you do when you're creatively BLOCKED? Let me know by leaving me a review or posting in the comments section on YouTube.

An attempt to express what goes on in my head when composing music.

I talk about the use of virtual instruments in modern music making and consider the differences in mindset as a composer.

I do a retrospective on a recent sample-based string production and share some of the techniques I used.

I talk about 5 different types of briefs I receive as part of my professional composing work.

I discuss the 5 main minor scales I use and demonstrate them in a variety of musical contexts.

I look at some famous classical melodies in an attempt to improve my own compositional skill.

I breakdown ‘Black Rock Blues’ from Rock Legends: Stadium Rock Impact a production music album aimed at extreme sports and promos. We discuss song structure, harmony and the playback some of the layers which make up the track.

Available as a video on YouTube.

Check out the production music album on Full Fat Music here.

I chat to one of the UK’s finest brass players to go through the score of my 1950’s style orchestral track, prior to recording some trumpet parts. Check out the video version on YouTube here.

I’m joined by London-based pianist and songwriter Christian Prior to jam on some silly song title suggestions suggested by friends of the podcast. This episode is also available as a video on YouTube.

This week I share a few of my favourite harmonic motions to use when writing music. Featuring a whole lot of piano noodling and two unexpected LOTR quotations.

This week I share some of my favourite sounds for composing music. Featuring a cameo from harpist, Catrin Meek! This episode is also available as a video here.

The following musical examples were heard (in order of appearance):

* Real and Unreal by Vince Webb (Reliable Source Music)

* Playful Plod by Vince Webb (Reliable Source Music)

* Excerpts from Jurassic World Aftermath OST by Vince Webb (Coatsink)

* Gong Swish from East West Quantum Leap Symphony Orchestra Gold

* Anyone for Tennis by Vince Webb a.k.a. Keigo Morozum (BMG Production Music)

* Ironically Impish by Vince Webb a.k.a. Keigo Morozum (BMG Production Music)

* Join the Dots by Vince Webb (Reliable Source Music) Patterned Mind by Vince Webb (Reliable Source Music)

* Canteen by Vince Webb from They Suspect Nothing DLC (Coatsink) Get Packed (credits) from Get Packed (Coatsink)

* Japanese Jaw Harp

* Throat-singing Example from Buddah Passion by Tan Dun

* Round and About by Vince Webb

* Mango-dolin Melodies by Vince Webb a.k.a. Keigo Morozum (BMG Production Music)

* Night Thoughts by Vince Webb (Reliable Source Music)

* Jupiter from The Planets by Gustav Holst (Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra)

* Tambourine Infinity Roll by Black Swamp Percussion

* Pano by Noisemakers

I create a short piece using a fun new sound design technique in Logic Pro X.

What is a melodic sequence and how can you use them creatively in your own music? We explore a wide range of musical examples and break down some of the theory. This lesson is suitable for beginners.

For more content relating to music composition, you can find me on social media @vincecomposer

In this episode, I discuss 4 composing tricks, improvising at the piano and demonstrating how you can make use of them in your own compositions.

Creating Quirky Colourful Percussion Patterns

An in depth look at how I arranged percussion and other instruments for this fun and quirky track in 7/4 + 4/4.

Multi instrumentalist and Grammy award winning artist Jacob Collier is known for his colourful and often playful grooves - densely layering sounds in unusual time signatures.

In this podcast episode I take you through a track I created which takes inspiration from this approach, playing different parts in isolation so you can hear how they make up the track as a whole.

Free Ozone Imager plugin!

This episode is also available as a video on my YouTube channel!

I break down a recent track composed in a modern classical and cinematic style for use in TV and Film. I discuss the harmony and the arranging in the piece and demo the different stems inside Logic.

Exploring music and narrative in the Shadow Point score

In celebration of the PlayStation VR release, I thought I’d discuss the various musical themes of Shadow Point at the piano 🎹 ✨ 💫

The episode is also available as a YouTube video:

Finally, the soundtrack is available to stream or purchase.

I discuss the most common ways I create atmospheric 'pads' in the context of writing music for media.

I discuss the concept of 'composing through improvising' and the 3 main activities which have contributed to my personal development as a composer.

I chat to Kirk Hunter about his upcoming string library and the business of sampling.

I explore the new sample library from Kirk Hunter Studios via real-time improvisation and composing some test pieces.

I discuss a compositional technique I use to create a shimmering flow of notes, blurring the line between melody and accompaniment.

What is Set Theory and how can you use it to write modern media music? I breakdown my personal understanding and demonstrate how I compose with it with several orchestral music examples using virtual instruments.

I create a short example piece using a virtual percussion ensemble and share some MIDI programming tips along the way.

Velocity to Keys Logic Scripter Script (known issues with note off data when overlapping notes. For best results play staccato)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cajuum45e1dhbk2a8dfrc/LogicScripter_VelocityKeys.pst?rlkey=ves49plssw5szxu7pf2n5xvw3&dl=1

To install: move file to Music - Audio Music Apps - Plug-In Settings - Scripter

Grumpy Monky Plugins mentioned:

https://grumpymonkeyplugins.com/products/ricochet

https://grumpymonkeyplugins.com/products/roll-control

Sample Libraries Used:

World Percussion 2.0

Objekt by Reason StudiosHeavyocity Damage 2

EZ Drummer - JazzEZX expansion

I discuss the emergence of new tools for creating virtual instrument performances using AI.

Tools mentioned

https://kagura-music.jp/melisma-top

https://www.udio.com/

https://acestudio.ai/

Is it worth posting your work to social media? I share the mindset shift that helped me reframe social media as something positive rather than a burden.

💬 Join the Discord Community - https://discord.gg/GUfwVPCbET📣 Sign up to my occasional newsletter - https://vincewebb.substack.com/☕️ Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/vincewebbmusic

In this video I share my take on diatonic harmony - one of the most fundamental music systems for creating clear sounding melodies and chord progressions.