How do I make catchy melodies? - FamiTracker

# FamiTracker

FamiTracker Support Forums

Skip to content

## How do I make catchy melodies?

General discussion about tracking, help and support.
Post Reply

- Print view

7 posts • Page 1 of 1

Drillimation
  Posts: 124
  Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:22 pm
  Location: Kozankyo, Gensokyo
  Contact:
  Contact Drillimation
  Website Twitter

### How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Drillimation » Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:05 pm

Hey drillers!
I just want to ask you a question here. I'm making an indie arcade shmup series called Chuhou Joutai (which translates to "the middle state"), which combines the gameplay elements of Touhou Project and Bloons Tower Defense. The default soundtrack will be in NES style, but will also have options to play the music in the formats similar to what you'd hear on home computers in the late 1980s, such as the IBM PC as well as the computers manufactured by NEC, such as the PC-88 and PC-98, which use the same sound chips.
Enough of that, I want to know how you can make melodies sound good. I was creating some of my own tunes for the game, although they don't sound that great. I want them to be better, and not at full volume like a few said. I know many melodies from the Touhou Project games commonly use this type of pattern:
A#2
-
-
A#2
-
-
A#2
-
C-5
-
-
C-5
-
-
C-5
-
I also feel the songs need to sound Touhou-like. Can anyone help me here?
It's the Drillimation Guy!
Musical influences come from Skaven of Future Crew and ZUN.
https://drillimation.com/
Top

Teuthida
  Posts: 536
  Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:25 am

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Teuthida » Fri Jul 14, 2017 12:54 am

If you want to make a Touhou esque melody, the best thing to do would be to make covers(or just find transcriptions) of ZUN's work and analyze its qualities. I'm not a super-fanantic of Touhou music, so I can't help you there.
A squid with a higher post count than the NES can handle.
I'm on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX87jJAJ3LPezjkWIk2TWEg
Top

Drillimation
  Posts: 124
  Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:22 pm
  Location: Kozankyo, Gensokyo
  Contact:
  Contact Drillimation
  Website Twitter

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Drillimation » Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:11 am

I've made a lot of covers of themes from Touhou games, I was just simply testing them to see how it would sound on the Namco C140, which is a sound chip found in the Namco System 2 arcade board.
It's the Drillimation Guy!
Musical influences come from Skaven of Future Crew and ZUN.
https://drillimation.com/
Top

Teuthida
  Posts: 536
  Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:25 am

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Teuthida » Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:37 am

It's not just making covers, it's analyzing them. Do you notice any note patterns that ZUN uses? Any forms or structures? Study your covers and answer questions like those.
A squid with a higher post count than the NES can handle.
I'm on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX87jJAJ3LPezjkWIk2TWEg
Top

Drillimation
  Posts: 124
  Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:22 pm
  Location: Kozankyo, Gensokyo
  Contact:
  Contact Drillimation
  Website Twitter

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Drillimation » Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:40 am

I often recognize the leitmotifs of Theme of Eastern Story and some melodies of Love-Colored Magic. His more common note patterns such as the one I listed above and a large majority of his songs are written in A Major.
It's the Drillimation Guy!
Musical influences come from Skaven of Future Crew and ZUN.
https://drillimation.com/
Top

Xyz
  Posts: 297
  Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:36 pm

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Xyz » Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:40 am

Learn to sing. Then start saying lots of things in a singsongy fashion e.g. "Guess who's got PIIIIEEE~IEEEE?!" "Good niiiight, Good NIIIGHT, GOOOOD NIIIIIIGHIIGIGIHIIGHIGIIGHIT!"
Then start recording yourself and transcribing them.
The benefit AND drawback is that you'll make melodies that are very close to your native language. And different peoples' languages heavily influence their melodies.
>:( Fuck you hentai boy i hate you squid anus
Top

Potentialing
  Posts: 67
  Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:50 am

### Re: How do I make catchy melodies?

- Quote

Post by Potentialing » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:23 pm

I don't think there's any better way I can put this.... so I'll just share these words from Toby Fox, the guy who created UNDERTALE (and its soundtrack): http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sothcs
Top

Display posts from previous:
Sort by

Post Reply

- Print view

7 posts • Page 1 of 1

Return to “General Talk”

Jump to

- Rules
- Wiki
- FamiTracker
- General Talk
- Bug Reports
- Feature Requests
- Source and development
- Music
- Original Music
- Cover Music
- Other
- Site Issues & Suggestions