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How to create soulful melodies

There’s no formula to creating a melody that one might consider “soulful,” but here are some things to bear in mind when composing melodies:

Working in an appropriate key helps, in this example we’re working in a minor key which is a good start. Keeping things relatively simple is a good idea too, and for this melody we used a two-bar pattern that repeats with a small variation the second time around. Passing tones (notes that aren’t in the chord but link one chord tone to another) and leading tones (notes a half-step below or above a chord tone) can be useful for achieving a soulful sound, though here our melody plays ostinato over the chords. Likewise, chromatic (notes outside the scale) and blue notes (flattened 3rds, 5ths or 7ths) can add a soulful touch when used judiciously.

2. Compose complimentary chords

Let’s derive some chords from our melody. Our melody includes A, C, and E notes (with the occasional B), so A minor is the natural starting point. Add another MIDI track, and this time select Velvet Strings from the list of Fables presets.

For thick analog bass or soaring vintage leads, Monark comes custom built to deliver the richness and warmth of the classic synthesizer it was lovingly modelled after – with a few digital enhancements under the hood. The main oscillator can be set to triangle, sawtooth, ramp up, square or pulse waveforms, while two additional oscillators offer the same shapes, along with tuning up to seven semitones above or below the incoming note, allowing for a wide range of fat detuned patches and creative voicing.

The intuitive mixer section comes with a dedicated noise oscillator that can be set to pink or white, along with a filter feedback loop and dedicated load for added grit and warmth. A sumptuous filter comes in four modes, with steep resonance and a dedicated envelope, alongside a dedicated envelope in the amp section. Beautifully designed and easy to use, Monark comes with a host of additional options on the back panel. Being monophonic it can’t play chords – but excels with bass lines, leads, tuned percussion, and more.

Download free Monark demo

Types of audio effects

Audio effects can be broadly categorized into four types: dynamic, time-based, modulation, and harmonic effects. Each type serves a unique purpose in shaping sound.

Effects are best understood when they’re heard so we’ll be comparing sounds with effects on and off. Note that when a sound does not have any effects on it, we refer to it as ‘dry’.

1. Reverb

Reverb (which is short for ‘reverberation’) simulates the natural reflections of sound in a space. It’s the difference between hearing a singer in a small room versus a cathedral. When a recording lacks reverb, it gives us the impression that it exists in a vacuum, which can feel very unnatural. It will be flat, and feel very close to the listener. Adding a bit of reverb will create a sense of depth and dimension.

Let’s listen to what reverb can do to a clap sound. Here is the dry sample with no reverb:

Leap is a Kontakt 8 feature for jamming with samples live, and in Creating beats with Leap, modern loop engine we looked at getting started using the Leap kits included with Kontakt 8.

This time, we’re going to walk through the process of importing your own samples to create custom kits, and make unique new musical ideas.

As part of this process, we’re also going to take a closer look at Leap’s sample processing and playback capabilities, giving you a more thorough idea of what Leap is capable of.

Jump to these sections:

1. Start a new Leap kit
2. Add musical loops
3. Adjust individual keys
4. Record a jam

To follow along with this tutorial, you’ll need Kontakt 8, and this free sample pack.

You can use Kontakt 8 standalone or in your DAW. In this guide, we’re going to use it in a DAW to make a beat. Using a MIDI controller is recommended, but you can also use Leap by sequencing notes in your DAW.

Discover Kontakt 8

Here we can see that the LFO is set to modulate the Pro Filter’s filter cutoff frequency. We can adjust the modulation destination with the Reassign Assignment control to the left of the horizontal fader. You can drop this onto a parameter, and it will assign the modulation source to modulate that parameter. You can adjust the modulation amount with the fader itself.

Let’s check out the initial sound of the preset on our guitar instrument. Turn the track down to -6dB otherwise we’ll clip the master, which means the signal will be distorted, and won’t give us an accurate idea about how the preset sounds.

Kontakt 8 – a load of new creative tools

This latest generation of Kontakt brings a new set of intelligent tools to change the way you generate ideas and create music. There’s so many new sound design options, intuitive, playful workflows, and fresh features that break the barriers of pure sampling.

Tools add a new layer of creative features across the platform. They work with any Kontakt instrument, old and new. There’s plenty more to come in future but for the first drop, we launched MIDI content and randomization features with Chords and Phrases, all designed to spark new ideas and get you in the zone fast. Learn more about Tools in our overview.

Leap is a fast and fun way to play and manipulate loops. Spark fresh ideas, sprinkle in expressive performance effects, or just jam. Breathe new life into your sample collection or try something totally fresh with the new Leap Expansions series. Again there is plenty more to come but we’re starting off with 12 curated packs for specific genres and styles. You can learn more about Leap in our blog.

This is an exciting one. Conflux is the first in a new breed of Kontakt instruments for experimental sound design. It’s built with a new range of Kontakt features that let you merge organic and synthetic samples and add dynamic movement to static sounds in real time – with original PPG wavetables and techniques like FM, phase modulation, and ring modulation.

Ozone will ask you to play the loudest section of your mix, so play the project back from bar 33, where all the elements are playing at once. Ozone will analyze the project, and create a custom mastering chain. You can alter the type of Target the master aims for, but as Ozone has correctly identified this piece of music as being “Cinematic,” we don’t need to change a thing

The Gain knob adjusts the overall gain of the corresponding Deck in Traktor. Auto-Gain mode can be used as an alternative gain mode. In Traktor, press the button next to the Gain to activate Auto-Gain level viewing mode. When Auto-Gain is on, the knob shows the Auto-Gain that’s stored in the Traktor song file during analysis.

The three band EQ section can be used to sculpt the sound of the low, mid and high frequencies of a track playing in the Deck. The low EQ can cut or boost the low of a track, including kick drums, bass and sub bass. The Mid EQ cuts or boosts the mid range of a track, including vocals and most instrumentation. The High EQ adds or subtracts a ‘brightness’ from a track, and the Hi EQ cuts or boosts the high frequencies, which include hi-hats, rides, cymbals or snares and the top end of synths and pads.

The EQ section can be customized in Traktor and set to different EQ types. Each type has its own sound, giving you more control in your mixes.

To select an EQ setting, open Traktor’s Preferences, navigate to the Mixer section. In the EQ/Filter Section, select the EQ type from one of six types, including Classic, P600, NUO, XONE, Z ISO and P800.  For more information, refer to our guide.

What are hip hop chords?

Hip hop chord progressions often borrow from jazz and R&B progressions that use major, minor, and seventh chords to create different moods and tones. These progressions provide a harmonic backdrop that underscores the rhythmic and melodic elements of a track. While hip hop chords can range from simple triads to complex sevenths and ninths, understanding the basics is a fundamental step in writing your own hip hop chord progressions.

You should have a bit of music theory knowledge on scales and chords to get the full picture here. If you’re not totally comfortable with that, take some time to familiarize yourself with the basics of music theory and come back later.

Chords are, simply put, two or more notes playing at the same time. The simplest chords are called triads, and they are built by stacking up three notes we find in major and minor scales (you can also build chords from modes, but we won’t focus on that here).

If we take a C major scale and use alternating notes from it, we can create a basic series of triads.