Final Thoughts
So, hopefully, you have mastered the basics of creating tracks in Anvil Studio, and learned a little about music. Anvil Studio offers more features, and you should check out the Help files to explore these. There is a Practice mode to help you learn to read music. Also remember that all of the notes we entered on the Piano Roll can be seen as written music in the Staff view. There is also a looping feature which makes it easier to create repetitive passages. Up until now, we have been working with a recognizable melody. How will you create your own music? Everybody has a different approach, I can only offer some suggestions. If you hear that tune in your head, and it just has to escape....lucky you! You are halfway there, and only need to assemble the tracks as we have just done. But what if you need some background music for that game you just created with GameMaker and have no idea where to start? I look first at what speed or Tempo I want the music. Is it a fast moving game? Perhaps you want to set the tempo at a speed similar to a racing heartbeat. Once you have a tempo in mind, you can set down a simple drum or bass beat and work off of it. What style or feel are you trying to create? Listen to other songs of the same type, and try to see what scales they are written in. What instruments are typical of that style? Tune your ear to listen to what each instrument is playing, and how it fits into the song as a whole. (Read that last line again, it is the most important thing I've written!) Above all, just experiment. Put down some notes, see how they sound, re-arrange them, etc. Remember that, while we have worked with four basic tracks, not all of them are always necessary, and to a degree are interchangeable. For instance, a thumping bass can often keep the beat as effectively as drums. Some very beautiful music has been written for only one or two instruments. On the other hand, with Anvil Studio and midi, you can add as many tracks as you wish: you have an entire orchestra at your command. A great source for learning more about music and improvising is (and here I will plug a neighbor's book)
Music Theory Made Easy by David Harp |
available through Amazon.com ($5.95) or |
musical i press |
PO Box 1561 |
Montpelier VT 05601
Finally, if you have any questions or comments, Email Me