Looking for help on my first song

[iridescent 0]

Hi everyone!

 

I rewrote the lyrics to an orchestral song a while back, and I would like some advice on how to move forward. The song is about Luna's role as a dream mentor and is inspired by the episode Sleepless in Ponyville.

 

Here's the original song (please skip to 0:37). It's from an old Pokemon movie, but the song itself has nothing to do with Pokemon. It's quite different from most songs these days, although maybe that's a good thing? The part that I'll be using lasts from 0:37 to 2:16.

 

And here's a nice instrumental version of the song. I'll probably use this as a baseline and rework it to better suit the rewritten lyrics.

 

Here are the original lyrics, followed by the rewritten ones. (The melodies are more or less the same.)

 

--- Original ---

 

When daytime turns to night

When the moon shines bright

When you're tucked in tight

And everything's alright

 

Slip softly to that place 

Where secret thoughts run free

There come face to face

With who you want to be, so

 

Swim across the ocean blue

Fly a rocket to the moon

You can change your life 

Or you can change the world

 

Take a chance, don't be afraid

Life is yours to live

Take a chance

And then the best is yet to come~

 

Make a wish! It's up to you

Find the strength inside, and watch your dreams come true

You don't need a shooting star

The magic's right there in your heart

Close your eyes, believe, and make a wish...

 

--- Rewritten, sung by Luna ---

 

When darkness takes the light

When the day turns to night

When your fears take flight

And nothing is alright

 

Slip softly to that place

Where secret thoughts run free

There come face to face

With your greatest fear and misery

 

And take a stand, don't hide away

For if you do it's here to stay

Learn to face your fears

But don't you be afraid

 

For I'll be there, to guide the way

For you to see the light of day

Face your fears

Until the darkness disappears~

 

Dream away! I'll be there soon

Find the calm inside, and gaze up to the moon

I'll come down to guide the way

For you to see the light of day

So close your eyes, and sleep, and dream away...

 

Unfortunately, I'm new to audio editing and music production in general, so I would like some advice on what steps I should take next, like what software would be ideal for composing and editing an orchestral song. Oh, and I'll also need a singer for Luna. The community here seems really friendly, so I look forward to getting to know more about the music side of the fandom, and also about how music production works here.

 

If everything works out, this will be my first song ever released, so I'm willing to put as much effort into it as possible. (I'll also have the time for that.)

 

Also, here's a tentative introduction to the song. Is it too verbose? Feel free to comment on it.

 

As the reformed Luna adjusts back to her role in Equestria, the struggles of the past return to haunt her present. For while the ponies of Equestria thrive under her sister's guiding light, still nopony seeks her help in the lonely night. How can she live up to her role as the ruler of the night, if nopony is there to seek her guidance?

 

But fortunately, there is a way: for while the ponies might sleep at night, they remain troubled in another world, another place. And it shall be her duty, as ruler of the night, to guide them through...

 

Thanks for reading!

[BlueBrony 388]

It looks like you have the beginnings of a nice project. How much general music training do you have? It is very hard to write or transcribe music if you don't know some of the basics of music itself, like scales and chords. There is a helpful guide here put together by C.Thunder dash.

There are a couple of ways you can approach this: since this is orchestral, you could use a formal composition software like Finale (they have a free version) that will allow you to write out parts in a score format, or you can look into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Fruity Loops, Logic Pro, or Studio One, which have more functionality for overall music production. DAWs are used for everything from Acoustic to EDM.

 

Pros of Finale: If you have formal musical training, its a little easier to understand and adjust things such as dynamics and employ musical effects like sfz, articulations, etc. It is also likely to be a cheaper option

 

Cons of Finale: the sounds are not the most reallistic, and there is not much you can tweak about it

 

Pros of DAW: a DAW gives you more control about how a note or instrument sounds on your computer. You can specify the specific sounds through a wealth of libraries and plugins. Its also easier to add in recorded vocals

 

Cons of DAW: with the exception of a few free feature-limited versions, most DAWs are expensive. Also, with more functions comes a VERY steep learning curve

 

I hope that I'm not scarring you away. Making music is not easy, but it is worth it if you are willing to put in a LOT of time.

 

Also, your description is just fine :grin2:

Of course, take my opinions with a grain of salt

[SticksLikeGlue 91]

Make a wish, its your birthday par- oh...wrong song. Lol!

[iridescent 0]

It looks like you have the beginnings of a nice project. How much general music training do you have? It is very hard to write or transcribe music if you don't know some of the basics of music itself, like scales and chords. There is a helpful guide here put together by C.Thunder dash.

There are a couple of ways you can approach this: since this is orchestral, you could use a formal composition software like Finale (they have a free version) that will allow you to write out parts in a score format, or you can look into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Fruity Loops, Logic Pro, or Studio One, which have more functionality for overall music production. DAWs are used for everything from Acoustic to EDM.

 

Pros of Finale: If you have formal musical training, its a little easier to understand and adjust things such as dynamics and employ musical effects like sfz, articulations, etc. It is also likely to be a cheaper option

 

Cons of Finale: the sounds are not the most reallistic, and there is not much you can tweak about it

 

Pros of DAW: a DAW gives you more control about how a note or instrument sounds on your computer. You can specify the specific sounds through a wealth of libraries and plugins. Its also easier to add in recorded vocals

 

Cons of DAW: with the exception of a few free feature-limited versions, most DAWs are expensive. Also, with more functions comes a VERY steep learning curve

 

I hope that I'm not scarring you away. Making music is not easy, but it is worth it if you are willing to put in a LOT of time.

 

Also, your description is just fine :grin2:

Of course, take my opinions with a grain of salt

Hey, thanks for the reply! I'm not so active on weekdays; sorry for the delay. I'll try to check back at least once a day.

 

I took classical piano lessons for 11 years and mostly grew up listening to classical music. My peak performance was in 11th grade when I was the pianist for Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto, which was five years ago. However, I don't have any formal training in music composition, so I'm not sure how much of this transfers over. I mean, I can sing orchestral arrangements in my head, but materializing them seems to be an entirely new obstacle.

 

Also, cost isn't an issue for me. I've looked at a few DAWs, and most of their perks seem to be geared towards electronic music. Is that true? I'm planning to stick with orchestral music (which is what I listen to most of the time), so if there's one out there that is mainly used for orchestral, I'd love to try it out. Finale looks cool as well; I'll check it out when I next have the chance. I do have a digital piano (Casio PX-5S) and midi cables--maybe they'll come in handy?

 

But yeah, I'm willing to spend as much time as is necessary, since I really want to make the transition to composing music.

 

ThunderDash's guide is great! Most of the chord progressions are consistent with my musical "intuition," but it's nice to see the theory behind it. Any other more detailed guides you recommend?

 

I'm wondering--is there anyone here on the same boat as I am? As in, have been playing music for many years, but is new to composition and the theory behind it? It would be great if you could share your experiences.

 

Make a wish, its your birthday par- oh...wrong song. Lol!

Lol although if you google "Make a Wish" neither song is at the top of the results. I guess it's just a popular song title.

Edited February 3, 2016 by iridescent

[BlueBrony 388]

Cool! I started writing music sort of the same way, transitioning from piano to orchestral scoring to all sorts of stuff now.

 

 

 

Also, cost isn't an issue for me. I've looked at a few DAWs, and most of their perks seem to be geared towards electronic music. Is that true?

 

DAWs definitely are strongest at making electronic music, but I've also seen/heard/used them for other genres as well. In my own music, I use a DAW for electronic, but also for piano and acoustic pieces. For another example, check out Aurelleah (He is a staff member and also has a youtube) he writes out mostly orchestral music and I believe uses the DAW Fruity Loops. I have heard plenty of people use DAWs for orchestral music.

 

That being said, I also have Finale Printmusic. in all honesty I would say that Finale is most useful for writing scores that you would have people play, rather than a computer.

 

If you aren't worried about money, I think that probably the best DAW for orchestral purposes may be Cubase. It features a score editor that has a similar feel to Finale. However, don't just take my word for it- do some research and decide for yourself!

 

 

 

I do have a digital piano (Casio PX-5S) and midi cables--maybe they'll come in handy?

 

if your digital piano has midi capability, then absolutely! Midi basically gives you the ability to input what you play directly into the computer. This makes for much easier digital recording.

 

 

 

Any other more detailed guides you recommend?

I can't think of any here, but I will say that I when I started thinking about using a DAW, I read a lot of things, including a handbook on everything I needed to know about home studio recording, which helped me understand a lot of things that go into a DAW. It was an old book so I don't think you could find it easy, but if you just look into self-help books on Home Recording Studios, Audio Mixing, or even Music Composition, you can learn a lot.

 

 

 

I'm wondering--is there anyone here on the same boat as I am? As in, have been playing music for many years, but is new to composition and the theory behind it? It would be great if you could share your experiences.

I may no longer be new to composition, but I was in a similar situation when I started. I have found personal experience to be the best teacher- so don't be afraid to dive in and start trying to write! The first time I wrote a long piece for band, I first wrote everything out with four piano parts, then I slowly began to transcribe the parts to different band instruments. I made plenty of musical mistakes, and half the time I really didn't know what I was doing, but when I finished, it felt so good, and I got better at writing music the next time I tried something.

[iridescent 0]

Hey, thanks for all the support! I think I've settled on Cubase in which to do all of my work. I've gotten the hang of recording instruments with my piano and playing them back, but it's clear I still have a lot to learn in terms of composition. So far I find watching videos of other orchestral compositions in Cubase to be the most helpful.

 

When I have a first draft ready I'll share it here

Edited February 10, 2016 by iridescent