The Chorus

As of Friday we have learned the basics of how to make drum beats in Reason using the Redrum. Adding Loops from Dr. Rex. And creating melodies and bass lines using Soft Synths and the Matrix and the Keyboard.

Today, we are starting a new section of the class. We will be turning our beats into full songs, converting them into mp3 format, and then posting them on our blogs.

But first we have to understand the different parts of a song. We will start with the chorus.

The chorus is the theme of a song, where the idea is delivered. Melodically, the chorus is the catchy, repetitious part of a song that you can sing along with. The chorus is also called the Hook because it's the part of the song that "hooks" you in. Lyrically, the chorus' job is to summarize the idea and emotion of the song in a general way and to hammer home its title.

The chorus is typically 8 or 16 bars long, which is 4 or 8 lines of lyrics.

The most important part for the chorus is to have the same melody and the same lyrics each time the chorus is repeated.

1. Open Reason.
2. Create an M-Class Mastering Suite Combi
3. Create a Mixer 14:2
   
4. Make a beat that would be the chorus of a song.
5. Start with your Redrum Drumbeat.
6. Make it either a 16 step or 32 step drum pattern with...
7. A clap, snap, or snare drum on 5 and 13
8. A Bass Drum on 1 and a few other boxes
9. At least two other sounds from the High Hat folder, Percussion Hi, Percussion Other, FX, or Glitch.
10. Copy the Pattern to Track.
11. Create one of the Soft Synth Instruments (Subtractor, Malstrom, NN19...) and either the Keyboard or the Matrix.
12. If you use the keyboard move the Right Loop point to R3.
13. Make a melody, record it and quantize it.
    
14. If you use the Matrix, make a melody with the volume up on between 3 and 7 notes. Make the melody in either Octave 4 or 5.
15. Copy Pattern to Track.
16. Create a Dr. Rex and load a loop to go with your beat.
    
17. Copy Pattern to Track.
18. Add either another part using the Dr. Rex or another Soft Synth with a Keyboard or Matrix using the lower octaves.
19. Record or Copy Pattern to Track.
20. Save the beat in your folder as (Your Name) First Chorus.
    
21. Now, go online and find a song that you like.
22. Open your email, compose a new email, and answer the following questions.
23. What is the title of your song?
24. Write the lyrics of the chorus.
25. Where does the title appear in the chorus?
26. How many lines are there in the chorus?
27. How many bars are there in the chorus?
28. What are the different instruments you hear in the chorus?
29. Send your email to mrprice@ccpaedu.com

Keyboard Quiz

Today we are going to have a quiz on the Keyboard.

I want you to make a 2 bar melody using between 3-5 notes with a Redrum drum beat...and then add the secret loop and remix it in the Dr. Rex using the keyboard.

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Set Tempo between 70-110 bpm
   
4. Create a Redrum and make a 32 step drum pattern using a Clap or Snap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion. Make sure you put the sounds on appropriate boxes!
5. On the Redrum, Copy Pattern To Track.
6. Now Create a Malstrom: Malstrom Patches: choose Mono Synths: And choose any sound in the Mono Synths folder.
   
7. Move the Left loop point to L3
   
8. Create a melody using notes from the C minor scale. Use between 3 and 5 different notes
9. When you have finished making your melody, hit the quantize button and record it.
   
10. Check your email and download the secret loop.
11. Create a Dr. Rex and load the secret loop.
12. Don't copy it to track! Play the different slices using the keyboard. When you have something cool, record it.
13. Save your beat as (YOUR NAME) Quiz 51608.

Keyboard Melody

Today we are going to make our own melodies using the Keyboard.

Did you notice that the keyboard looks like the Matrix?

I want you to make a 2 bar melody using between 3-5 notes with a Redrum drum beat.

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Set Tempo between 70-110 bpm
   
4. Create a Redrum and make a 32 step drum pattern using a Clap or Snap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion. Make sure you put the sounds on appropriate boxes!
5. On the Redrum, Copy Pattern To Track.
6. Now Create a Subtractor: choose Mono Synths: And choose any sound in the Mono Synths folder.
   
7. Move the Left loop point to L3
   
8. Create a melody using notes from the C minor scale. Use between 3 and 5 different notes
9. When you have finished making your melody, hit the quantize button and record it.
   
10. Check your email and download the secret loop.
11. Create a Dr. Rex and load the secret loop.
12. Don't copy it to track! Play the different slices using the keyboard. When you have something cool, record it.
13. Save your beat as (YOUR NAME) 51508.

Baby Don't Go Bass Line

Today we're going to continue with our Baby Don't Go Beat. Last Time we added the melody, if you didn't do that assignment do it first: http://bumpccpa.blogspot.com/2008/04/baby-dont-go-part-2.html

Today we are going to make the Bass Line. The bass line is the low part of the song, kinda like the boomer bass drum.

1. Open your Baby Don't Go file.
2. Create an NN19.
3. Click on the Folder.
4. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank>NN19 Sampler Patches>Bass>Fingerbass.
5. You now need a keyboard to play the BASS LINE, raise your hand and ask me or Ian for a keyboard.
6. Ask us about how to Quantize too!
   
7. When we bring the keyboard to your station, we'll show you how to play the BASS LINE...just remember the rhythm that we were doing at the beginning of class.
8. Push play and practice the bass line.
9. When you feel like you can play it well it's time to record.
10. Hit the record button and wait for the loop to come back to the L before you start playing!
11. Once you have it recorded, push stop and quantize it.
12. Listen back and make sure it sounds the way it's supposed to.
13. Save your beat.
14. Help a neighbor with their project.
    

The Keyboard

Today we are going to introduce a new instrument: The Keyboard

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Set Tempo to 95 bpm
4. For this exercise, let's make a 32 step beat!
   
5. Create Redrum
6. In Sound 1 on the Redrum, load a Clap and put it on 5 and 13.
7. In Sound 2 on the Redrum, load a Bass Drum and put it on 1, and a few other boxes (except 5 and 13).
   
8. In Sound 3 on the Redrum, load a Hi Hat and put it on boxes that sound good.
9. In Sound 4 on the Redrum, load a Percussion sound and put it anywhere.
10. Now, we want to edit steps 17-32.
11. Change the steps of the Redrum from 16 to 32.
12. Move the Edit Steps from 1-16 to 17-32.
13. Repeat steps 6 through 9.
14. Now that you've finished making your pattern, it's time to Copy Pattern To Track.
15. Right click on the Redrum and select Copy Pattern to Track.
16. Click on the PATTERN button on the Redrum so that they don't play at the same time.
17. Move your Right Loop point to R3
    
18. Now we want to Create a Dr. Rex instrument loop.
19. Go to the Create menu and Create a Dr. Rex Loop Player.
20. We need to load a loop, so click on the folder in the upper left hand corner of the loop player.
21. Choose one of your favorite loops.
22. Now, we're going to play the loop using the keyboard. Hear how when you play the keyboard it plays different slices of your Dr. Rex?
23. Push play and try making a new melody using the keyboard.
    
24. When you find a melody that you like, push record, wait for the cursor to get back to the L and start playing!
25. When you are done, push stop.
26. Save your beat as Keyboard Rex.
    

May Day Quiz

On today's quiz we are going to make an 8 step melody and then on a new pattern we will play the melody up an octave.

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Set Tempo to anything between 70-110 bpm
   
4. Create a Malstrom
5. On The Malstrom, click on the folder in the upper left hand corner.
6. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank: Malstrom Patches: Mono Synths: Choose your favorite sound!
   
7. Create a Matrix!
8. On the Matrix, change the steps from 16 to 8.
9. You may want to change the Matrix from Octave 3 to Octave 4, or maybe down to Octave 2.
10. Now turn the volume off on three of the steps.
11. Create a melody using 3 notes from the C minor scale on those five steps that have volume.
12. Now, move your Right loop point to R3.
13. Right Click on the Matrix and select Copy Pattern To Track.
14. Move the Right loop point to R5 and the Left loop point to L3.
15. On the Matrix, Select Pattern 2.
16. Move the Octave Switch up one Octave from the one you are on.
17. On the Matrix, change the steps from 16 to 8.
18. On the Matrix, draw in the EXACT same melody that you created in Pattern 1.
19. Right Click on the Matrix and Select Copy Pattern To Track.
20. Move the Left loop point to L1.
21. Click the Pattern Button on the Matrix.
22. Create a Redrum and make a 32 step drum pattern using a Clap or Snap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion. Make sure you put the sounds on appropriate boxes!
23. On the Redrum, Copy Pattern To Track and turn the Pattern Button off.
24. Create a Dr. Rex.
25. Click on the Folder and go to My Documents: Shared Files: Thursday, Jan 24th: SnapYoFingas
26. On The Dr. Rex, click To Track...and "push play"
27. Change the Pitch of Lil Jon's voice using the keyboard on the Dr. Rex. If you have a fast song, make the pitch higher. If you have a slow song, make the pitch lower.
28. Save your beat as (YOUR NAME) QUIZ 5108
29. Send it to mrprice@ccpaedu.com
31. Good Work!!!!!!!
    

Baby Don't Go part 2

Today we are going to continue with the Baby Don't Go beat that we started last marking period.

If you haven't made the drum beat, do that lesson first: http://bumpccpa.blogspot.com/2008/04/baby-dont-go-100-bpm.html

1. Open Reason
2. Open the Baby Don't Go beat
3. Create a Combinator
4. Click on the folder on the Combinator
   
5. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank: Combinator Patches: Bells and Mallets: Metheney Marimba
6. Create a Matrix
7. Change the Steps from 16 to 32
   
8. On the Matrix move the Octave down from 3 to 2.
9. Make your Matrix look like this:
10. Move the Octave switch back up to 3.
11. Make your Matrix look like this:
12. Move the Octave switch up to 4.
13. Make your Matrix look like this:
14. Move the Octave switch up to 5.
15. Make your Matrix look like this:
16. Save your beat