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Building Blocks by Audible Genius

Drum Patterns, Basslines, Chord Progressions, and Melodies: Learn how to write these four essential elements of music in a music software environment with Building Blocks.

Building Blocks is a Beat Composition and Music Theory course tailored to the needs of aspiring digital musicians. Starting from the very beginning, you'll embark on a video game-style interactive journey in our online studio (DAW). And along the way, you'll build real-life music-making skills with our intuitive step-by-step process until you're making your own original beats from scratch.

Building Blocks Volume One

In this first volume of Building Blocks, you'll learn how to write the foundational core of your song: Drums, Bass, and Chords. Using the signature DAW-based Building Blocks teaching method, you'll learn about:

drums

Using the three core drums of Kick, Snare, and Hi-Hat, to create an endless variety of patterns and rhythmic feels. Using Velocity to vary the volume of drum notes to make your drum grooves bounce and come alive.

bass

Writing Bass rhythms that feel great with the Drums, an essential relationship that is needed to set up a strong rhythmic foundation for your song.

Setting up the tonality for the Chords, and writing basslines that support the Chords' harmony.

chords

How to use different chord types to influence a song's tonality and mood.

Voicing block chords to create a variety of top-line movement.

Arpeggiating chords to excite the overall rhythm with linear movement.

all tracks

How to use Phrasing to provide conversational movement and rhythm, enabling your music to connect with the listener.

How to make the tracks work together to create a cohesive sound and feel.

music theory

Core song elements: Beat, tempo, measures, and more.

Understanding Relative Pitch and using it to determine a song's tonality and mood.

Building essential chord types and navigating their related chord tones and non-chord tones.

Rhythm: Placement, duration, how it relates to the beat, and how it determines a song's groove and feel. Tonality: How pitches and the intervals between them influence the mood of a song.

ear training

Develop and train your ear to recognize the elements mentioned above, including pitch and rhythm.

Gain the ability to start taking what you hear in your head and in the music you listen to, and translate it into your music.

Building Blocks Volume Two

In the second volume of Building Blocks, you'll go deeper into the Drums, Bass, and Chords tracks, as well as add a new one: Melody. Using the signature DAW-based Building Blocks teaching method, you'll learn all about:

melody

Writing an engaging Melody that connects with the listener.

Infusing expression into a Melody with Legato and Grace Notes.

Using speech patterns to inspire Melodic phrasing. Navigating Melodies over chord changes.

chords

Writing chord progressions with changing roots.

Anticipating chord changes to create a more fluid and flexible movement through your song's harmony.

Inverting chord voicings to make your chord progression more melodic and engaging, and less clunky. bass Writing Basslines under chord changes.

Anticipating root changes. Adding life and personality to your bassline with Legato and Grace Notes.

drums

Adding additional drums to your patterns like Open Hi-Hat, Toms, Clap, and Sidestick. Generating more rhythmic feels with Half-Time and 16th Shuffle.

Creating drum patterns without one or both backbeats to create a more low-key rhythmic foundation.

music theory

Extending the relative pitch range to a full octave.

Intentionally overlapping adjacent notes to create Legato connections.

Adding Grace Notes to create expressive bends at the beginning of a note.

Staying in Key to create Diatonic chord progressions.

Following the continually shifting chord tones and non-chord tones through chord changes.

Moving backbeats to different beat locations and how it affects a song's overall feel.

Increasing the number of beat divisions to generate a shuffled and/or triplet rhythmic feel.

ear training

Develop and train your ear to recognize the elements mentioned above, including pitch, rhythm, and chord changes.

Further refine the ability to start taking what you hear in your head and in the music you listen to, and translate it into your music.

A Guide to Synthesizers

Definition of a Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that produces sound by generating electrical signals. It is used to create and manipulate musical tones, timbres, and other sonic elements. Synthesizers are capable of producing a wide range of sounds, from realistic imitations of acoustic instruments to sounds that have never been heard before.

Types of Synthesizers

Synthesizers come in a variety of types, each with its own unique features and capabilities. Analog synthesizers use voltage-controlled oscillators to generate sound, while digital synthesizers use digital signal processing to create sound. Modular synthesizers are made up of individual modules that can be interconnected to create complex sounds. There are also hybrid synthesizers, which combine the best of both analog and digital technologies.

Parts of a Synthesizer

The main components of a synthesizer are the oscillators, filters, amplifiers, and envelope generators. Oscillators generate the basic sound waves, while filters shape and modify the sound. Amplifiers control the volume and other parameters of the sound, and envelope generators control the attack, decay, sustain, and release of the sound.

How to Connect a Synthesizer to a Computer

Connecting a synthesizer to a computer is relatively simple. First, you will need an audio interface, which is a device that allows you to connect audio devices to your computer. Once you have the audio interface, you can connect your synthesizer to it using standard cables. Then, you will need to install the necessary drivers and software for your audio interface.

How to Create Sounds with a Synthesizer

Creating sounds with a synthesizer is a process of experimentation. Start by playing with the oscillators, filters, and amplifiers to get a basic sound. Then, use the envelope generators to shape the sound and add texture. Finally, use effects to add depth and texture to the sound.

Common Synthesizer Effects

Synthesizers come with a variety of effects, such as reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, and phaser. Reverb adds a sense of space and depth to the sound, while delay creates an echo effect. Chorus adds a warbling effect, while flanger creates a sweeping effect. Phaser adds a swooshing effect.

Tips for Using a Synthesizer

When using a synthesizer, it’s important to experiment and explore. Don’t be afraid to try out different sounds and effects. Also, make sure to use headphones when playing the synthesizer, as this will help you hear the sound more clearly. Finally, take your time and have fun with it.