Newbie Questions O.o

[AerialSnack]

I've been looking around the forums, and there seems to be quite a bit I don't understand, noow so than when I first joined.

Originally, I joined this forum in the hopes of making new friends and learning how to arrange music to contribute to this archive. In the beginning I had no clue how to do that, and assumed you all had something to the equivalent of super powers gained from toxic radiation. I started peeking around on the various threads, and found something where someone said you could learn the key signature of a piece by guessing tonic pitch (<- no clue what that is). If someone could explain what that is and how to do that, that would be awesome

Also, do you guys just listen to the pieces and put down what you hear? Because otherwise I don't see any ways of doing it, but that seems very time consuming and frustratingly difficult...

Third, who would like to adopt the task of becoming my mentor! >:O

EDIT: Thanks for answering my questions, and I can't wait to start arranging pieces! (For some reason it posted the thread when I was typing this, so it didn't get put in the post...)

[Bubbles]

In the beginning I had no clue how to do that, and assumed you all had something to the equivalent of super powers gained from toxic radiation.

this is actually exactly how I felt XD

I could give you advice but I'd probably end up just confusing you even more. I'll wait for someone else

[Dusk]

If you want to arrange, you need some requirements. Here are some of this:

- writing notes (with a notation programme -> Finale Notepad)
- playing an instrument (preferably piano)
- music theory skills (hope you know what this is)
- many time
- "Skill comes with practice."

Also, do you guys just listen to the pieces and put down what you hear? Because otherwise I don't see any ways of doing it, but that seems very time consuming and frustratingly difficult...

Yes, we do all by ear, cause there are no original sheets of video game music.

If you arranged a piece, you can open a thread in the topic "Submission" and post it.

I hope this help you.

[FireArrow]

Yeah, someone needs to write a "how to arrange" guide.

If you can't play by ear yet, you can always arrange from midi's - that's what I did when I first came here. It's a great way to get to understand how to arrange music without actually having to figure anything out.

For your specific question:

A tonic is the "main" or "home" note of a key signature (i.e. E in E major, g# in g# minor.) The tonic is usually the first and last note of a song and as a feeling of finality to it, so it's usually pretty easy to hear which note it the tonic. Unless you have perfect pitch though, you have no idea what the note actually is. So you go up to a piano and use trial and error to find that specific note. If it's D and the song sounds minor, then the key signature is most likely D minor (one flat.) Once you know the tonic, you can figure out the rest of the notes with relative pitch (or, if your relative pitch sucks like mine, then you end up using more trial and error.) 

Developing relative pitch is the hardest part of learning how to arrange, and can only be achieved with lots of practice. So go find an ear trainer you like and then just practice a lot. Don't get discouraged if your arrangements aren't good, you will only improve over time.

EDIT: Ninja'd

[MaestroUGC]

It's not magic, it's practice. The reason we've all gotten good at arranging is because we've been at it for a long time. Some of us have been doing this for years.

There's no trick to just being able to arrange, you really just need to give it a shot and ask questions along the way. How much music experience do you have?

[SlowPokemon]

The only thing you can do to learn is jump in there and start immediately, and finish things, and just keep going, and try to work on arranging or composing every day. It'll be hard at first, but little by little you'll figure things out and one day your brain will explode and you'll understand everything.

[AerialSnack]

If you want to arrange, you need some requirements. Here are some of this:

- writing notes (with a notation programme -> Finale Notepad)
- playing an instrument (preferably piano)
- music theory skills (hope you know what this is)
- many time
- "Skill comes with practice."

-I'm using Finale 2012 on my Mac
-I play Cello, saving up for a piano or keyboard.
-I think I have knowledge of music theory, I'm not exactly sure. Any help on where I can read up on it? The       music theory for dummies was already stuff I knew, and so was everything else I read, but I have this feeling that there is much more to learn on it.
-I have no life, time wont be a problem.
-Once again, no life, I will probably be doing with most my time until I find a job (or less likely yet, a girlfriend)

Oh, and I still haven't received any offers of mentorship. XD

The only thing you can do to learn is jump in there and start immediately, and finish things, and just keep going, and try to work on arranging or composing every day. It'll be hard at first, but little by little you'll figure things out and one day your brain will explode and you'll understand everything.

Any advice on how to start?

[SlowPokemon]

Nope. Just get in there and start. I'd advise beginning with piano solo arrangements and working your way up from there.

[Dusk]

-I think I have knowledge of music theory, I'm not exactly sure. Any help on where I can read up on it? The       music theory for dummies was already stuff I knew, and so was everything else I read, but I have this feeling that there is much more to learn on it.

More knowledge of music theory = better arranging skills
Go to your music school and aks, if there is a music theory teacher.

[AerialSnack]

More knowledge of music theory = better arranging skills
Go to your music school and aks, if there is a music theory teacher.

We don't have a music theory teacher, but I can probably ask my instructor for advice on learning music theory.

[FireArrow]

I'd love to be your mentor... but I'm not capable. I'm still learning how to arrange myself.

[spitllama]

Let the "help" category be your mentor. No point in limiting yourself to the knowledge of one person when you can ask everyone.

Take a piece one note at a time. Listen to the first one, hum it, find it on the piano, and count how many beats it lasts for. Eventually you'll get better at recognizing certain notes and things will get faster. Like Slow always says-- just do it. Practice is really the best tool to learn with.

[Waddle Bro]

You don't need a mentor when you have the "Help" section of these forums. It'd be silly to rely on a single person, when you have all of us.

ninja'd

Spit, you goddamn ninja.

[spitllama]

Well that was weird

[AerialSnack]

blarg. I have been using ear trainers, and I don't think it is working.

Nope. Just get in there and start. I'd advise beginning with piano solo arrangements and working your way up from there.

I would like to start with this, but I think with my bad ear combined with my inexperience, I wont be able to do it and get frustrated and give up on arranging

Not sure where to go from here, unless anyone knows of a good way to improve my ear?