'Test Time' - New Original Music Demo/Song Shell - HipHop/Electronic/Instrumental + Walkthrough!

grapthar (74)in #music • 6 years ago

This is NOT a complete

song, I just started it last night, and some things I like a lot, others I don't know about yet, but I think the idea works and could definitely become something cool. I figured it might be interesting to share an incomplete track, and show you guys where it's currently at, and what I may or may not do to make this an actual song. This song was kind of a test of timbres and rhythms, hence the title lol. Let's get into it!

Listen to Test Time here.

First up is Track 1

which is our main electric piano tone. It begins with an F5sus2 (G, C and F), then gets really dissonant with the passing diad of F#/A#, then plays a G5sus2 (A, D, and G), but with an extra G# on top to add a really crazy buzzy dissonance. I suppose both of these chords could be written differently, as Dom7sus4 or something, but I was picturing it starting in F, so I based the analysis on that.

Track 1, described above.

Next we have our drums

in Track 2 which are a relatively simple beat. I didn't mention above, but the whole song is similar to the previous one I shared in that each "section" is 5 measures of 4/4, giving it a slightly longer feeling before resolving. Track 3 is next, which is a 'bass' synth, but doesn't play a bass line here. It's in a higher register and has an 8th beat tremolo sort of pulse to it. It just adds a cool, strange harmony to the background, playing F, F#, D natural, and E.

Listen to Test Time here.

Track 4 is a synth pad

I've been using a lot lately, it has a great heavy, dark tone, and plays diads here to accompany what Track 3 plays. I will attach a screenshot below so you can follow along with it, I don't want to type it out and have it make even less sense when you can check the notes in a picture.

Track 4, described above.

Track 5 is a synth string

instrument that is another pretty quiet, background sort of track, and can really only be heard at certain points when Track 1 rests. It plays a little more complex harmony of what Track 3 plays: F, D, F#, A, and G. Lastly, we have Track 6, which is plays an F/B and E/C in 16th notes, but only fades in at the end of each 10 measure section at the end. It's just used to crescendo a bit into the next part.

Listen to Test Time here.

We end the song with

the 2 parts I think sound the best, the drums and Track 1's electric piano. I really like the dissonance of the second chord, and how it resolves but not in V/I sort of way each time around. I am still not particularly sure how much I like Tracks 3-6, they are good for now, as they've given me some kind of idea of what can and can't work here, but when this becomes a real song, I imagine I'll change most, if not all, of those.