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ytace · 14 days ago

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The Unbalanced

This is a Part two of my earlier Fic that can be found here, Hopefully i can get more motivation to write.

[Song recommended to listen while reading]

Pairings: Student Reader X Leonora Lesso X Clarissa Dovey [Platonic, Can Be Parental Dovesso]

Warnings: Curse words, Slight Threats

Summary: Trying to adapt to the New environment and Place in the School You find yourself Lost in situations you're not called for...

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊

You didn’t seem to need anything. No redemption nor retribution. Just the quiet acceptance of your existence..

"Perhaps they’re just Grey... Morally Grey."

“We’ll find a place for you.. Im sure we’ll find something,” Dovey said, though the certainty in her voice had lost its edge.

You gave her a glance, unsure and lost. This was definitely not in the movie before.

“I don’t think I belong Anywhere, Professor..” You spoke softly.

Lesso chuckled, a sound that was both menacing and oddly pleased. “Not yet, you don’t.” With a delicate swift motion, she guided her cane to tilt your chin up.

Bringing her eyes to you before she Asked, "How about joining the school for Evil for a change?.."

"What? Lesso! You can't be serious!.." Dovey’s Eyes widened, Getting caught off gaurd by what Lesso had said.

"Oh you know me Dovey.. Its just that i cant bear to see such a lost cause. So much potential, but so little time. Maybe if they'd join Evil. We'd finally see Evil win after all these years.." Said Lesso, her tone hinged with competitiveness.

"Leonora, You know what the headmaster would say about this if we misplace one of the students in the wrong school."

Lesso let out heavy sigh, the sound carried the weight of annoyance and frustration. Knowing that consequences may arise from her actions.

"Very Well then.. In the meantime, I suppose the reader could stay in the extra room we have in the school of Evil, For now. Dovey will try to figure out how to talk to the headmaster about your situation."

"Lesso!- I-" Before Dovey gets to argue her statement, Lesso Cuts her off Mid-Sentence.

Arching an eyebrow as if she already knew how Dovey is going to respond, before casually raising her hand.

"Oh~ how polite of you to offer your assistance to us Dovey. Thank you so very much." Lesso’s tone drips with mock politeness, whilst giving her a slight smirk.

"As for now.. It's showtime~"

.~.

As you were walking through the hallways, You had Lesso’s Curiosity peaked. “You’re quite composed for someone entering a world where they’re expected to be molded.” Her tone was tinged with an amused mockery. “You’re not nervous? Are you.? Because if you are, there wont be anytime for you to dwell on it.”

You shook your head. “Fear is a luxury for those who have somewhere to go. I’m just… here, apparently. And topping off with studying for both school.. Nothing can really scare me." You try to cope with your dry humour, attempting to brush off the feeling of unease.

But However Without realising, your fingers gently brushed against Lesso’s. A small subconcious gesture that betrays you, As if asking for reassurance from the Dean.

Lesso feeling the slight touch of [Y/N]'s fingers, froze slightly but doesn't immediately react. Her gaze was unfaltering as if nothing has changed.

"How Careless.. As expected for beginners. Although I didn't expect you to be such a liar." Her Fingers briefly traced soft, slow circles on the back of [Y/N]'s Hands before reluctantly pulling away. As if brushing off something inconsequential.

Her tone remains cool, detached, but there's a certain rigidity in the way she moves her hand, a hint that she'd rather die than to admit that she slightly cared.

"I'll make this clear, reader. I don't have time for emotions."

Ironic enough, there's a faint tightness around her eyes—something unspoken, hidden beneath the layers of her professionalism.

“Your Lies could use more work. And so does your posture.” She lectured, Almost like how she would've addressed every other student. It didn’t matter that it was your first day—weakness had no grace period here.

Walking Further and Further into the depths of the school halls. Just at the end of the corridor, there stood a door that no one remembered — it looks almost misplaced. Like a fading memory that's Bathed in a half-lit eerie glow, waiting for someone to tell a story of its own.

[Y/N] stepped through the door expecting a cramped, dust-choked room, forgotten and decayed.

But what unfolded before [Y/N] was vast, unexpectedly so.

Inside, the space opened up in a way that defied the room's crumbling exterior. The quiet and clean ambience filled in the atmosphere, Ceiling that rose surprisingly high, smooth clean floors shining slightly under the light that snuck through from the half opened window at the side of the room. Leaving you stunned and wide eyed.

“Surprised?” Lesso drawled, the side of her lips curling up abit. “Looking at that expression of yours.. were you expecting cobwebs, perhaps even a few rats scuttling about?"

You nodded, turning back to look at Lesso. You weren’t sure if she was just pulling your legs, like who in the right mind would give up such a fine room entirely to a Year 1 who doesn’t belong Anywhere.

"Please. We may teach chaos, but we don’t live in filth. Proper villains needs to have Etiquette and Manners. That’s one of the utmost basics to being a villain."

You paused, imagining how the space will feel—not just how it will look. Inviting. Comfortable. Yours. But it all feels too good to be true..

"Thank you for letting me stay here... Though i dont think i deserve such hospitality." You said softly.

"Quit it."

"Quit what..?"

"Quit your having this attitude If you're going to talk to me. The most you could do is to try to keep this room clean. Helps us notice when you fall apart." Her tone is cold and firm, but you could feel her restrained fustration — As if she’s trying to pull you up out of your own shadow.

You could hear the raucous chatter and bickering outside, near the corridors that led to the grand hall. Mocking, Scheming and even screaming. I guess thats the school of Evil for you..

"They're quite a nuisance aren't they?.They never quite grasp the art of subtlety. I suppose I’ll have to remind them once class starts…"

"Am i also learning Curses?"

"It depends on what news Dovey would give me. First day or not, I expect to see you in the great hall during orientation. If you're waiting for kindness, try the other tower. Though i suppose you don't have a choice.." Her words Echoed, so did her heels as she strode away from your room, it was as if she's been busy ever since your arrival.

"Oh boy.. this is going to be a long day." You thought to yourself. From the corner of your eyes, you could see three girls scrambling stiffly just to greet the dean. One of them however, made eye contact with you. Which made her initiate An Action that was deemed as obnoxious — Rudely barging in, sprawling onto the bed that wasn't hers.

She was Curiously eyeing you like how a predator would stalks its prey.

"So. You're the Reader Lady Lesso has dragged in?"

"Excuse me? I don’t mean to be rude but just who are you..?" You Asked despite knowing damn well who she was.

"You’re excused. The name's hestor."

Her black hair fell in jagged strands, Showing off the tattoo slithering across her neck, framing a face carved with sharp angles and sharper scorn.

"Lady Lesso doesn’t bring just anyone here. If she saw something in you, it’s either brilliant… or dangerous. Maybe both."

"How did you know about me? Im pretty sure the deans wouldn't utter a single word about my arrival."

"Of course the deans won't. But we have eyes all around here in this school, word got out quick that there were sightseeing of a student who was walking alongside Professor Dovey And Lady Lesso." Barged in Anadil, stepping into the exchange uninvited.

"It was an Accident. I didn't actually intend on coming here to this school"

"But You don’t look like you came here by accident. You don’t seem like your evil neither do you pretend to be good. And that? That makes you brilliantly dangerous."

"So what is it, then? You want power? Revenge?" Asked Hestor.

"Going home Actually.."

"No way, After coming to one of the best school?! I mean, i can see that This place? It’ll try to eat you alive. Literally, in some wings. But you—" Dot spoke sporadically, before you cut her off softly.

"I don't really belong anywhere. I know, Im kind of Grey."

"Well you sure are a interesting one. Watch your back. Not everyone here finds grey interesting. Some just want to paint you white… or bleed you black."

"Oh and You'll have to meet Lady Lesso, During Orientation at the great hall Newbie. Don’t worry though, Hestor will guide you so that you wont get lost here"

Said Dot, Gently Nudging Hestor who rolled her eyes. It was clear that she wasn't willing to escort or guide you at all, if it weren't for the fact that it was the Dean's Orders.

“Lady Lesso says I have to babysit you tomorrow morning. Orientation or whatever. So don’t be late.”

Despite the fact that her voice had a trace of irritation. There was something else that crossed her face—a spark of satisfaction she quickly buried under her usual scowl. Being chosen meant something to her, especially when its by the Dean of the school for evil.

“I’ll be by the gargoyle gate at dawn. If you’re not there, I’m leaving without you. And trust me, you don’t want to find your own way around this place.”

With a curt nod toward the Reader, she turned and walked towards the door. Leaving the conversation to an end. Dot offering an awkward wave, her fingers still sticky from the caramel she’d been eating.

“You’ll be fine,” she said with a half-grin. With Anadil lingering a moment longer, giving the Reader a slow, knowing smile, “Sleep well,” she said, her voice cool and amused. “Tomorrow’s... a lot.”

And just like that, The three girls drifted out of the room together, their mismatched footsteps echoing down the corridor — Leaving you to wonder and anticipate on what’s to come forth tomorrow morning.

.~.

Night slipped away without ceremony. One moment, the world was draped in shadows and soft moonlight; the next, the morning sunlight grazed the side of your skin. It was almost bringing the same sense of deja vu when you first stepped into this place. The shift came almost unnoticed, as though time had exhaled quietly.

Now, you could only hear footsteps echoing roughly through the halls of the school..

"How do you know where to go and what to do? The School is so big and-"

"You’ll figure it out fast. There’s no map. No rules. You survive, or you don’t. And if you trip on the stairs? They bite." Hestor Spoke briskly, cutting you off. Not wasting a single minute for you to catch up.

"Just exactly, How do you know so much?.."

"You Sure ask alot of questions, Newbie. But I do respect survival. So here’s your first lesson. Learn to Keep up." She told You Cold and Blunt.

Just as you reached the great hall, It was packed with the duality of Evil and Good. It buzzed with the energy that would clash between one another — The contrast between the colour palette of each sides is almost impeccably obvious. You could see the iconic school logo from afar imprinted on the Teal drapes that drawled down all the way to the floor.

On the Good side, Evergirls glided gracefully, dresses that are in soft pastel colours, Hair gleaming like spun gold or polished chestnut. All neatly tucked and combed to an exceptional standard — It's as if they were trying to show off how much time they've took to maintain their hair routines.

The Nevers however, They were all gathered at the side of the hall like stormclouds, all sharp edges and darker shades. Nevergirls in jagged skirts and high boots whispered curses or insults, eyes glittering with malice or mischief. Neverboys lounged and sneered loudly on purpose at the brightness across the divide, Booing whilst pointing at the other side with distain.

The invisible line between Good and Evil held, but only just—tension shimmering.

Without Warning, Conversations were cut brief, laughter was muffled. Then—almost in unison—the students around you scattered to their seats, the shuffle of limbs oddly synchronized, as if choreographed by an unseen hand. Both the good and evil went to their respective Benches that separated between each other, leaving you the only one standing in the middle.

"Grace and Beauty First?" Asked Dovey,

"Oh if you insist, Clarissa."

"So Glad you Agree!" Dovey replied before stepping front to the centre of the Great Hall

"Shit. Maybe i should find a seat.." you thought to yourself, as you stood stiffly. Eyes darting across the hall in a frantic search for an empty seat whilst Feeling the weight of every gaze— it made you more self conscious than you already are. You were new, You were something else: unchosen, unknown, and untamed. You wanted to move but your feet said otherwise, staying planted not budging an inch. You weren’t ready to sit. You didn’t know where you belonged.

And neither did they.

Scanning row after row, Praying internally that you could quickly get out of this scenario.

Luckily as your eyes were frantically looking for a seat, it caught Lesso in the view. She was letting out a quiet, exasperated sigh— the kind that said she’d seen a thousand flustered first-years before you. Rolling her eyes to the side, Seemingly patient yet annoyed, not even giving you a glance.

But then, with a grace so fluid it might have been missed by anyone not watching closely— she shifted her cane. Making a small calculated gesture. A faint tap. A drag of polished silver against the stone floor. The tip angled deliberately, just enough to gesture to the open space beside her. She didn’t speak nor look at you, She didn’t have to.

The message was clear: Stand here, if you’ve any sense.

It was not an invitation. But instead, it was kindness disguised as a command— and the only one you were going to get.

You rushed forth from the area you were standing at and quickly positioned yourself near Lesso.

"Greetings Year ones, I am Professor Dovey the Dean of the School For Good" Said Dovey, Almost Nuturing — Warm and melodious.

In Unison, All the Evergirls that were gathers all giggled and cheered for their own.

"And I Am Lady Lesso The Dean of the School for Evil" Announced Lesso with theatrical flair and precision. Her undeniable presence filled the air as she let her title hang in the air for a moment.

Before followed by the Nevers all Hurling insults and taunting faces at the evers that were across them.

The both of them were Magnificent, Intimidating. Afterall they were the Deans who lead students to create their own fairy-tale, to pave their own story. Not just any stories, The famously well known ones..

And well You were just standing there, Beside the two figures, Awkwardly..

"What an opportunity to joke that im one of the deans as well, now that im literally standing beside them." Your Intrusive thoughts Barged in, filling your mind with all sorts of nonsense you'd pull during this scenario. It was quite hilarious thinking about it, The look you'd get on the students face if they actually believe your lies, Or the amount of chaos you'd riled up right on the first day of school orientation.

"Is there a Dean for the School For Grey as well?" You blurted out whatever was on you're mind barely above a whisper, just enough for Lady Lesso and a few others nearby to hear you.

The few students who were nearby snickered, after having caught small remark you made. Their laughs were almost poorly contained.

Lady Lesso however, doesn’t seem to budge at all. Her eyes rise, narrowing in and glancing at you with surgical precision. Surprisingly it wasn't anger you sensed… It felt like it was something more Analytical. Intrigued.

"Amusing, isn’t it? How quickly the untested find humor in centuries of consequence." Spoke Lesso.

Hearing what Lesso had said, The students who were once snickering had all gone quiet. It was as if their tongues had been dragged over by a blade.

You don't know what came over you, but you instinctively felt the need to reply back. "Well, Consequences doesn’t come when you're Grey."

She then stares at you for a long moment… then exhales a quiet, humorless laugh. "Careful, dear. Being Grey in this school is almost like welding a double edged dagger.." Lesso Said with a slight smirk.

There’s a flicker of interest in her eyes — not approval, but a spark of potential.

Before, A sharp crack slices through the murmurs as Dovey taps her staff against the floor, making the room falling silent for Orientation to begin.

"As per Tradition, the winning school from last year. Us again! Imagine that."

"Hmm, Imagine." Lesso rolled her eyes.

"Will Grace us All with their chivalrous Talents!"

"Ah.. right. Princes.." You Mumbled, squinting your eyes as you could see the slightest shining ray of light that bounces from their silvery brimmed edge of the swords to your eyes.

"Gentleman!" Dovey Calls out, Her voice brimming with Pride and Authority.

At once, the grand doors swung open. In perfect formation, The Everboys stride in tall, backs straight, smiles carefully practiced, their uniforms straightened and polished. Proud like they were ready to stun everyone with their Grand opening display. They Marched in the position of two separate straight lines Facing each other off as they took their swords out,Showing off and flaunting their choreographed sword fights.

Their precise and careful meticulous swordsmanship made all the Evergirls started squealing in , Fangirling and Obsessing over their desired prince they wanted to go out with.

"Aren't they Wonderful?" Asked Dovey, as She turned to face Lesso. Fully grinning in Excitement as she clapped her hands together — Both a way to show her support and enthusiasm. But Lesso on the other hand was sighing, pinching the bridge of their temples.

The final clang of their swords rung through the hall, as they eached positioned themselves in their final pose. Breathless, but smiling effortlessly. As if on Cue, they spun around in unison before pulling out roses from their belts, Each of them tossing them into the arcs towards the Evergirls. Which drew out gasps and loud giggles, as each of them catching the rose like it was something uniquely to them.

While the Evergirls swooned, and the Princes Basking in Post performance glory. Your eyes were scanning the ground, looking at all the missed flowers that were scattered across the floor.

"Right. Roses, charmed I'm sure.. But i didn't get one." You said softly and with the pretense of nonchalance, began scooping up the roses nearby that has been forgotten tucking, them swiftly into your cloak —some slightly trampled, some still perfectly pristine.

Lesso's eyes flicked to where you were at while still having that calmly composed demeanor. However her lips twitched slightly, Almost close to a smirk. While Dovey who was beside her was pressing her lips together, hands gracefully positioned near her mouth to hide her amusement.

“Do we stop them?”

Lesso’s mouth curved faintly.

“Not Yet, I want to see just what this Grey one would bring to the school without us interfering..."

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tobyfoxfacts · 2 years ago

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How to compose like Toby Fox

I analyzed Toby's music... here's the backbones to his songs, and various Toby techniques! I included ways to get started with recording your music! Read more to see 👀

Battle themes

For the music Toby uses in his battle themes, he starts with a 1-2 measure long riff. He gradually adds in more instruments, looping the original track from the intro. A simple tune you can hum to. After adding in several instruments, he adds the bridge of the song. He removes the beginning melody and lets the background music continue for a measure. Then he slows down the song and keeps one instrument. After that he adds a buildup and changes the octave, or adds harmony to the final chorus. At the very end, he adds a finale that ties the beginning to the end of the song.

Background music

For the background music during exploring, he makes the songs easily "loopable" so the beginning fades into the end. He uses orchestra sound fonts and ambient noise. During emotional short cut scenes he uses faint opera vocals as well. Don't forget the random wind whooshing sounds.

Instruments used

Undertale mostly focused on chiptune synthesizers and 8 bit sounds. Toby branched out to orchestra instruments in chapter 1 of Deltarune, and emphasized his piano skills. In chapter 2, he fell in love with the harpsichord that he'd romanced many years ago in his homestuck side gig. Thank goodness he left the weird overused synth pitch bending in his past. Good grief, that was... creative. Toby's been experimenting with brass instruments, which makes sense. Toby played trumpet in jazz band during high school. After his work on Pokémon, Toby's music has become diverse, and each song has a unique twist. Working with other artists was definitely a great step for him! Don't be afraid to reach out to other beginner musicians and collaborate!

Making music like Toby

To make music like Toby... experiment! Create a long-term relationship with the harpsichord and mash notes together until you find yourself playing them over and over, nodding your head in satisfaction. You gotta quickly record the track and tweak it later so you remember what it sounds like.

Simple ways to record music

Music professionals will K1LL me for this one. Here's some ways to begin recording music without buying that 1999$ springo bingo synth board with the doodoofart pro vst producing sound bit 2000.

Using these tips, you can record and change sound fonts! Once you record your track, you can mess around with the sound on your recording device! That's how Toby has so many instruments 👀

Look up videos on YouTube about converting music into wav and mp3 files. Toby didn't know what a wav file was when he began music production! Don't be scared of all these fancy weird words. You'll catch on! There's no shame in going on the web for help. Music production can get very complicated with random errors and shit. (I have cried over my piano before) That's what reddit is for! Frustration is inevitable. Just take a deep breath and STAY DETERMINED. Even if you can't play piano? Watch tutorials and practice! Toby is self taught and doesn't write sheet music!

If you have an electric piano keyboard, you can hook it up to a computer with a cable that's easily found on Amazon. You can also use an iPad pro, hook THAT up and record it in a program like garage band. I recommend investing in studio one 5 on your computer! If you've got studio one... get a vocaloid software bundle and mess around with piapro studio 👀 add vocals!!! There's some cheap vocaloids out there! Toby's worked with some vocaloid producers in the past! Mess around and have fun!

Get creative!

The keyboard is your playground. Toby says that simplicity is important. He mentioned this in the annotations included on the sheet music that came with the undertale collectors edition. You don't need to go overboard with advanced shit to sound professional. Some of the best songs are simple and catchy!

Toby would want you to be kind to yourself and your hands. Be patient. Music takes time! Make your own songs and follow your own path. Create your own style so when people hear your music they know it's you!

Good luck!

#toby fox #toby fox facts #indiedev #undertale #gamedev #video games #gaming #toby fox my beloved #tobyfox #tobyfoxfacts #musicindustry #music #musician #song #music tips #deltarune

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vgtrackbracket · 9 months ago

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Video Game Track Bracket Round 3

Castle Bleck from Super Paper Mario

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vs.

going on a walk to take my mind off things for a bit from Celeste: Strawberry Jam

youtube

Propaganda under the cut. If you want your propaganda reblogged and added to future polls, please tag it as propaganda or otherwise indicate this!

going on a walk to take my mind off things for a bit:

This is the song for one of the most impressive levels in the strawberry jam mod's beginner lobby. It's for a timing level in a city with cats, so it has to be good, clearly

I'm so glad a song from SJ got submitted! I doubt many people will know of it as it's a piece composed for a mod, but I think that it's a testament to how passionate the Celeste community is that they go to this much work for their fanmade maps. Also, it's a great song! I would recommend listening the whole way through as it only gets better as it goes on. It's chill, it's catchy, it's fun, and it's great to listen to in the background or actively. It perfectly fits the level it plays in, which I would also recommend you check out as it is a) beautifully made and b) everything is synced with the music (something really hard to code into celeste), which adds another layer to how good 'going on a walk to take my mind off things for a bit' is. I know it's very niche, but please please please don't just pass it up. Also go check out other parts of the SJ soundtrack, the whole thing is a labour of love from a really passionate community and there's something in there for everyone!!

#tournament poll #f: mario #g: super paper mario #g: celeste: strawberry jam #mario #celeste strawberry jam #mario rpg #paper mario #super paper mario #round 3 #t: castle bleck #t: going on a walk to take my mind off things for a bit

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koboldfactory · 1 year ago

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What software do you use for your music? Do you have tips and recommendations for beginners? (Also your music is wonderful, I wanna compose like you someday!)

I just use garageband because it came free with my laptop like forever ago (Along with some free plugins that came with my MIDI keyboard) and it's definitely the easiest DAW I've used. I know there's a couple web based DAWs that are like super super simple but I don't know them by name. I'd definitely recommend it to beginners if you have access to it, but obviously it's an Apple thing so that's not gonna work great for everyone. I would not recommend FLStudio to beginners but some people really gel with it (somehow) so that's up to you.

As for specific tips? (wall of text below)

Honestly my music learning process has been a lot of just trial and error. I've always been good at like "visualizing" what a song should be like, it was just a matter of figuring out how to get it out of my brain in a way that sounds good. Something that I do think is helpful is to make music on a time limit. Don't get caught up in tweaking things and getting stuck on the intro for hours and then trashing the song. Just keep it moving and then come back later if you feel like you need to and have the ideas for it.

And if you're like a complete total beginner with basically no music knowledge and you don't have the time to dedicate to studying theory like at a professional level, I would actually advise *against* trying to get into learning music theory. As you'll likely just end up limiting yourself to the few "rules" that you do have time to learn which will stifle your organic growth. I had a chunk of time where I was trying to learn proper theory and it made my music worse than when I basically first started because it became super rigid and stale. Obviously everyone is different and can learn more in less amounts of time than me, but I think it's good to avoid creating a rigid template in your mind of what a "good" song should be when you're starting out.

Something else I found very useful was to recreate songs by ear in a few hours. No downloading MIDIs to tweak, just listening to a song, trying to figure out what kind of instruments it has, and reconstructing the composition yourself. You'll pick up a lot of useful info and skills!

Hope that helps! and thanks a ton!

#koboldasks

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myfairkatiecat · 6 months ago

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How do you build up skill on the piano? I also compose, but I'm a beginner pianist and struggle with changing hand placement quickly. Is there a point when you decide that you've added enough to the instrumental? I always seem to make it too complex, then can't play it at all and default to synthesized instruments.

I’ve been playing piano my whole life and kinda learned it like a language, so I’m not sure I can fully explain what I do when I make instrumentals, cause I don’t really separately write the instrumentals. I just kinda play it and write the lyrics while I’m playing it.

However something that I DO know I do is I work around what chords I’m playing when I’m writing something with lyrics. Figure out your chord pattern for the song and where it changes. Play those chords. Then take the left hand and make it play an octave of the chord root and your right hand play whatever inversion of the chord sounds best. Play it and kind of figure out what rhythm you’re going for and add any kinds of little ornaments that can help you establish a little instrumental hook, which shouldn’t be TOO fancy, just a little earworm. I can’t completely explain what else I do with this, but I think that’s the best way I can describe it?

Sorry if this isn’t very helpful lol

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vyl3tpwny · 2 years ago

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Hello Vylet, I find your music inspiring to me. as I am beginning to get into music production myself. With that being said I find it very difficult to find a place to start and I don't really have a direction. Is there any advice that you could give beginners like me on trying to get a foothold in music? Like sources, or things that should have a higher priority in learning?

the thing i tell most ppl is to start learning with whatever interests you the most first. for example, if you rlly like drums and rhythms, start by experimenting with drum beats and programming stuff and performing things like that. if you really like the idea of arranging things into a song, get some loops and shit and just feel out how to arrange things. as you get proficient in one aspect, start throwing in more things that you're interested in.

for me, i really liked composing and arranging when i started. so i didnt care about how good the instruments were or how to mix anything or how to refine anything. i just focused on taking instruments, composing things with them, and arranging on a timeline. then i got super interested in sound design so i started to learn more about how synths ACTUALLy worked, and how to use effects to change things.

—

whats cool is you can actually find lots of old sample cd's archived on archive .org [just google archive . org sample cds]. so tons of free samples there. looperman is another classic sample resource. freesound also. you can pay splice for sample credits and u can have a certain amount of sounds for a monthly fee. but u can also just sample songs too. hey! you can sample my songs. that's always safe :3

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i always find andrew huang's videos to be great for beginners

fact magazine has a great series called against the clock where you can watch ppl make a song in a few mins and observe workflows and ideas

even if u dont use live, ableton has some great videos and seminars on making music and stuff.

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if you need a DAW, bitwig is available on rent-to-own so you dont need to commit to smth

and if you need some third party plugins, check out vital , ob-xd , klanghelm , and analog obsession for some cheap and free stuff. i say this everytime ppl ask for software recommendations but Vital is such an awesome free synth. i use it on almost every single song i make!!!!

also sylenth is one of my fav synths after over 10 years of using it and it's also on rent-to-own

everything on kilohearts is rent-to-own and i love all their shit too.

hope this helps a little bit!

#vyop

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unorcadox · 2 months ago

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hii!! ur music is super cool, how long have u been making music? and do u have any recommendations on how to start, like what software is the best for a complete beginner? thank u in advance if ur willing to help!!

hii i've been Composing (as in writing music) since i was a little kid, i started dabbling in midi players and sheet music writers as a teenager, and i got FL Studio as my first DAW in late 2017. personally i think fl's work flow is really nice for beginners and overall it's got a fuckton of tutorials and is very flexible but i also am not super experienced in other options! as for starting writing music uh you just kinda have to do it, you gotta just start scribbling shit out and seeing what sticks and what doesn't. try recreating a song you like (or at least the parts you'd wanna emulate) or write whatever's in your head. generally my other like Big Piece of advice is sketch first and polish later which is obvious but like. demo using temp instruments and basic beats if you need to, only go out of your way for sounds if they're Integral to understanding the vision at first, and then come back later to clean them up. it'll make your process a lot easier

#not edits #asks

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mayuri-manufacturer · 2 years ago

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Music & Lyrics in Pune | Monthly Lyrics in Pune | Music Composer in Pune

Saregamma Music Institute invites you to explore the world of music and lyrics with our enriching courses in Pune. Whether you aspire to be a Music Composer, Songwriter, or just want to dive into the art of Music & Lyrics, we have the perfect courses for you. Our expert instructors bring a wealth of experience and passion for music, guiding you through every aspect of your chosen course. From understanding music theory to mastering songwriting techniques, our comprehensive curriculum ensures a holistic learning experience. Join a vibrant community of music enthusiasts and aspiring musicians, and unlock your true potential as a creative artist.

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ankimodaisukiq · 9 months ago

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Unlucky Morpheus Shiren: "Advancing, even by 0.1mm" [41st Interview of People Living Through Mahjong]

Japanese:

https://mj-news.net/column/mjlife/20210821164233

The heavy metal band Unlucky Morpheus has become a hot topic in the mahjong world after releasing songs inspired by the M-League professional mahjong league. Shiren, the band leader, who was responsible for the composition and lyrics of the two songs, "Top of the 'M'" and "'M' Revolution," expressed surprise, saying, "I never expected so many mahjong fans and professional players would listen to them." We talked to Shiren about his thoughts on the M-League and music.

Shiren Profile

Born in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on March 10. As the leader of Unlucky Morpheus, he plays guitar and composes. His respected band is X JAPAN. His favorite manga are Usogui and Kakegurui. Favorite movie: Princess Mononoke. Favorite book: Murder in the Maze by Ayatsuji Yukito. Favorite mahjong hands: Seven Pairs and Full Flush.

What kind of band is Unlucky Morpheus?

"In short, we're a heavy metal band with a female vocalist and a violinist. The band started in 2008 when Fuki (the vocalist) and I arranged anime songs into metal and posted them on Nico Nico Douga as humorous cover videos. We wrote lyrics inspired by our favorite games, starting with music from Touhou Project and moving on to songs like those from Final Fantasy. As we kept building up this style, it became the foundation of the band. When violinist Jill joined in 2015, the current six-member lineup was formed, and the band’s direction became clearer."

"The band's name, Unlucky Morpheus, is often shortened to 'Ankimo' (a Japanese term for monkfish liver). I thought having a weird abbreviation would make the name more memorable, but 'Morpheus' turned out to be tricky to pronounce, which defeated the purpose (laughs). Basically, Fuki handles the lyrics, and I handle the composition, but for 'Top of the “M”' and "'M' Revolution," I did both, inspired by the M-League."

Why did you make songs based on the M-League?

"Before watching the M-League, I was already into mahjong, watching professional league matches and Mahjong Strongest Battle. When the M-League started, I felt like mahjong had reached a new height. In the past, it wasn’t a profession that most could live off, except for a few pros. But when the M-League came with multiple sponsor companies supporting it, it gave me a lot of inspiration."

“Top of the ‘M’” integrates key players and teams into its storyline.

What did you focus on during production?

"I wanted the song to be enjoyable even for those who knew nothing about the M-League. I first read books by various players and noted down key phrases, then tried to figure out how to connect them into a story that worked as lyrics. I’m still inexperienced at writing lyrics, and since each keyword stands independently, I thought it was difficult but rewarding to pull it off."

"The concept behind 'Top of the "M"' was a triple meaning for the 'M' – music, heavy metal, and mahjong. The M-League aims to reach the top of mahjong, and for myself, I want to reach new heights in music. I created the song hoping that fans of Ankimo who also like mahjong would get a laugh from it. I never expected so many non-Ankimo mahjong fans and pros to listen to it. It felt like a fortunate coincidence."

"'M' Revolution," the second track, included teams and players that weren’t in 'Top of the "M"' and carried a message of revolution – both for music and for mahjong. I also wanted to introduce more mahjong fans to the essence of Ankimo’s music. Compared to 'Top of the "M",' 'M' Revolution leans more into Ankimo’s signature sound."

At concerts, audiences headbang along to “M” Revolution

What’s your recommended way to enjoy the M-League?

"Having a favorite team helps make it more fun to support. Even if you don’t fully understand the rules, or are a beginner, you can enjoy it as an entertainment sport. If you’re curious about whether a particular move is right, thinking about those things can be part of the fun. But for beginners, having a favorite team can make it feel like cheering for your home country during the Olympics."

"Personally, I often watched Tenhou Meijin-sen and Shijin Kourin, so I support U-NEXT Pirates and Akasaka Drivens, where players from those events now play."

What is "Unlucky Morpheus Presents Top of the 'M' Cup," where you played against three M-League players?

"I wanted people to see how I play mahjong, since I'm making music for the M-League. I played against pros like Hisato Sasaki (KONAMI Mahjong Fight Club), Kazunori Takizawa (KONAMI Mahjong Fight Club), and Sho Shiratori (Shibuya ABEMAS). I’m not that confident, but I once considered going pro, so I wanted people to see how much I care about mahjong (laughs). Sharing what I love is part of being a musician."

The "Unlucky Morpheus presents Top of the 'M' Cup",where Shiren faced off against three M.League players, can be watched on YouTube.

Were you nervous during your first televised match?

"When it comes to music, I don’t get nervous because I can prepare and feel confident before going on stage. But with mahjong, no hand is ever the same, and anything can happen, which brings a different kind of tension. Facing three M-League players, I focused on not making mistakes, which added pressure. People commented that my moves were slow, but playing against those three pros, it’s natural to be cautious (laughs)."

How did you start with mahjong and music?

"I started mahjong in middle school after reading the manga Tetsuya: The Man Called Mahjong King. I learned the rules, but after picking up the guitar, I lost interest until around 2013, when I was touring with several visual kei bands. Someone brought a mahjong set to kill time backstage, and I got back into it. Since then, I've been hooked."

"I got into music around age three, playing with toys that made sounds. One toy would play Beethoven’s Für Elise, and I remember thinking I wanted to make music. I started piano around age five, joined the brass band in middle school playing trumpet, and then in 9th grade, I heard X JAPAN's greatest hits and thought, 'What is this music?' That’s when I started playing guitar."

In 2017, Shiren developed tendonitis. "I focus on selective practice to avoid overdoing it, and when I'm not practicing, I compose."

What do you focus on in daily life?

"Advancing, even by 0.1mm. Whether it’s creating something new or playing better, I try to build on it little by little each day. Anyone can make a big push and advance 10cm when they're excited, but that often only lasts for three days. What matters more is consistency, even in small amounts. Like the title of the book by the Nikaido sisters from EX Furinkazan, 'Tomorrow, I’ll Be Stronger Than Today.'"

What does mahjong mean to you?

"When I'm playing mahjong, I can focus solely on that. Music is constantly on my mind, whether I’m listening to something or seeing something that might inspire a song. But when I’m playing mahjong, I don’t think about music at all. It’s a refreshing change, and the balance between skill and luck is perfect."

What’s your goal as a band?

"Long-term, we want to create music that’s timeless, not just trendy. In the short term, we aim to gain more fans as a Japanese heavy metal band."

After the Interview

About 50% of Unlucky Morpheus' music video viewers are from overseas, especially in the U.S. "There are many fans overseas who love both Japanese anime and visual kei bands. I think incorporating elements of Japanese culture, like the transformation seen in kabuki makeup, into our music and visuals helps us reach international audiences. But above all, I focus on doing things that overlap with what I enjoy and what’s expected of me. If you don’t love what you’re doing, it doesn’t come across as convincing," says Shiren.

At the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, Japanese manga and anime were showcased to the world. As Ankimo continues to rise, M-League fans are sure to grow not only in Japan but internationally as well.

Photo credits: Unlucky Morpheus, Taro Kawashita (Mahjong Watch) / Interview by Junsei Fukuyama (Mahjong Hour)

#unlucky morpheus #紫煉 #shiren #mahjong #麻雀 #ankimo

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psychagoguedigitalmusical · 5 months ago

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Psychagogue rough concepts (music, characters, world)

It's Sunday, so I slept in today. Spent some time trying to find and learn some music theory. There's so much out there, and beyond just the currently tough parts of learning stuff like chords and intervals and melodies and harmonies, I also face the practical challenge of figuring out, uh, literally how do I actually write musical ideas down before they totally dissolve out of my head? I have MuseScore, FL Studio, and BoscaCeol installed on my computer from previous but I'm having trouble just getting started using the tools, honestly. On occasions where's I've had a piano in front of me, it was tough because my ear training (I think that's the right term?) is not very developed. Probably why I couldn't figure out jazz solos. But hey, down the line, I'll have picked up enough to make a halfway decent attempt. I did find a website with some nice beginner-friendly PDFs, and I think I did actually pick something up today around identifying Intervals, and having a better intuitive understanding of what Major/minor/Augmented/Diminished mean and how they can be derived in this context. Still no clue how to apply that to anything practical, but I'm sure that'll come later.

I guess even if you're drinking from a firehose, some water gets in your mouth.

For now, I'm solving the "getting musical ideas out of my head" problem by humming or whistling into voice notes on my phone. I figure I can do the analysis later to understand what I'm actually doing.

That being said, here's a taste of some rough musical ideas I've put together so far: (jank) (zeroth draft) (it was actually kinda tough to get these here. I had to open discord in my browser, get the files directly from the element, and put them through Audacity to convert the filetype. There's definitely an easier way I'm sure, but whatever)

I've got a pair of phrases here that I'm imagining would fit into a type of sea shanty or upbeat waltz type of song. The first would be the main melody, and the second would be the countermelody.

Now, as for narrative and worldbuilding, I think I gave a basic overview in a previous blogpost, but I've got some more ideas that have started forming that are more or less ready to share, even in their alpha-beta-proto stage. Let's start with a few characters:

Morvic - A sensitive boy growing up in a quiet seaside town. He hasn't exactly had the happiest adolescence so far, for various reasons. Naïve and abrasive at times, but overall trying his best.

Manor - An outgoing and kind girl from Morvic's hometown. Love of Morvic's young life, he is absolutely head-over-heels infatuated with her, and has been for as long as he can remember. Her tragic and avoidable death incites Morvic's journey into the Realm of Shades on a quest to bring her back to life.

The Psychagogue - A mysterious man rumored to be a powerful necromancer. He watches over the entrance to the Realm of Shades.

The Goddess of True Life - Not much is known about the Goddess of True Life. It is said that she resides in a temple made of horn at the far border between the real world and the Realm of Shades and has the power to bring a shade to true life.

Morvic's Shade and Manor's Shade - Morvic's companions (of a sort) on his journey through the Realm of Shades.

For worldbuilding, I have some quick sketches I put together today showing off some rough geography and my concept of Morvic's initial encounter with the Psychagogue. I'll let those speak for themselves.

Geography so basic you can find it in an elementary schooler's science textbook next to a peninsula, volcano, and diagram of longshore drifts.

A cave deep in the mountains composed of what appears to be crumbling ivory. The Realm of Shades lies behind a solid wall within the cave. In order to enter, you must cast your own shade onto the wall, and then you may pass through. More about shades in a future post.

Rough geography of the Realm of Shades located under the mountains. The cave entrance leads to the top floor of the Ivory Spire. Descend through there and there will definitely be interesting locations for Morvic to traverse through on the way to the Temple of True Life. Despite the Temple of True Life being physically very close to the Ivory Spire, there is an uncrossable gulf that separates them, making you go the long way around. From the temple, there is a 1-way climb back up to the real world.

I've got way more ideas than just what I've shared here; these are just the ones most developed and ready to share at this point. I have a private Discord server I use to take notes, and basically anytime I have an idea about Psychagogue I write it down as soon as I can before it evaporates. I have the rough shape of the story, some key moments, additional characters, and at least one song shaped out narratively so far, but those will come in due time.

I want to make sure I'm striking a good balance on this blog between Epic, Psychagogue, and various development musings, so next post will be some more Epic analysis on Just a Man. Probably starting on that after I post this, tbh.

That's it for now.

#psychagoguedigitalmusical #morvic #mooooorvic #manor #thepsychagogue #Realm of Shades #Shade Of Morvic #Shade of Manor #Goddess of True Life #Temple of True Life #Ivory Spire #concept art #music theory is hard #concept music #worldbuilding #characters #indie

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