I wasn't aware such a diverse "genre" (hint: it's not a genre) has composition techniques.
It kind of does, in that you need to think about things you wouldn't otherwise while otherwise implementing the same musical vision. Things like 'Oh, I literally don't have enough open channels to dump in this chord I wanted, I need to figure out how to approximate it or maybe use an arpeggio' or 'I need a cool sounding lead but I can't just dump in a synth, I need to experiment with duty cycle changes or pitch changes or something / otherwise think at a low level'
My point was that the chiptune sound is extremely diverse. I mean, the earilier posts about using octave basslines - that's wrong on so many levels. When it comes to chiptune, you make use of your limitations to make the genre's sound that you're wanting. Make a simple house pluck with VRC6 for house music, putting that across the entirety of the VRC6 channels, or perhaps heavy guitars using only 2a03, in which case let raw power chords ring and have the triangle compliment that. But even then THIS information is worthless, as compositional techniques for a genre are only basic guidelines. Heavy metal in the 70s was rather basic and simple, before we spruced it up with thrash metal in the 80s, which then gotten more and more progressive... again, my point really is chiptune is a diverse sound with many, many genres capable of using it, each with their own basic compositional guidelines to achieve that goal.
What it really comes down to? Do whatever the fuck you wanna do. Do what's appropriate for what you think your music needs - if your music needs to stay away from octave basslines and arpeggios, then do so accordingly.
When I made my post, I was trying my best to answer the original poster's question and in doing so I copied the phrase "stereotypical technique(s)" that was in the original post over into my answer without much thought.
I should have rephrased it "some things I've seen others do in their Famitracker works."
I totally agree with the point you made that chiptune should not be limited by genre conventions, and I apologise for my carelessness.
A stereotypical technique I've seen (and shamelessly imitated) involving the bassline is to alternate two notes an octave apart in various drum rudiment patterns. These are very easy to loop and are fun to syncopate with the drums. A couple of examples:
Oh man, that's great. I've looked at so many .ftm files and never picked up on that. I just tried it in something I'm currently working on and I think it's going to stay. Thanks!
Oh man, that's great. I've looked at so many .ftm files and never picked up on that. I just tried it in something I'm currently working on and I think it's going to stay. Thanks!
If you need to spice it up, pick the note that's 7 or 5 semitones higher than the base and work it in, e.g.
C-1
C-1
C-2
C-1
G-1
C-2
C-1
C-2
G-1
C-1
C-2
C-1
G-1
C-2
C-1
C-2
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bite-sized songs inspired by rhythm game music, in Famitracker: http://soundcloud.com/patashu
I used to do that octave bass technique in like 90% of music I wrote. There are 2 reasons:
1) it sounds OK and I was pretty lazy about bass
2) it sounds good on terrible speakers as well as good ones, because triangle doesn't usually stand out at lower frequencies. Now I know the way to get around this better is to make all the other channels a lot quieter (the Konami method) but before 2008ish I just kept using octavebass partially for this reason. Basically any song that uses vrc6 doesn't really do octave bass either because saw pops out a lot more (unless it's a throwback like Return to Control.. oh hey there's another recent song that does it, whoops)
Note: attached file is the only recent song of mine I can find (barring rtc) that really really uses octavebass loops a ton, I'm sure there are a couple more but I've moved away from it more recently due to changing up how I do volumes
Can you name any good in-context examples of these techniques?
Well, I don't know about good, and anything Rushjet produces is ten times better than anything I can do, but I do have this quite good (as an elementary working example) little snippet that uses that technique. Note the cycling duty on the pulse bass. This adds a little more complexity to the tonality - and makes it sound like more notes!
I come from mainly composing and arranging metal music, and if one were to ask me what are some common techniques within the genre, I would be able to answer it pretty well. It is to my understanding through listening and reading what others have to say that Chiptune and certain metal styles are similar composition-wise. I have found that a lot of my techniques that come from the metal composer in my fit really well in a chiptune setting. I am wondering if there is anything like certain chord progs or just anything composition wise that is a staple in chiptune music? Anything that I should know that I probably don't already, or anything I should be incorporated in my songs? Like... stereotypical techniques almost!
thank ya
It really doesn't do much to discuss techniques in a forum setting. You simply need to study the masters(anything from Follin, anything from Konami, anything from Capcom, etc) or anyone else that inspires you and analyze what they do. How much you learn from them depends on how much attention you're able to pay to the details.
Also, analyzing isn't enough, it helps to cover songs that have a certain technique that you like. Covering takes all the pressure off of composing and you get to focus on the details, you really absorb them this way.
Over time, you'll get comfortable and confident and start adding your own twists to the techniques you've learned and that's where you start developing your own style.
Also, if you didn't know already, rainwarrior's nsf import..get it!
RE: Composition Techniques Specific to Chiptune?Posted: 2012-09-15 00:39
Also, analyzing isn't enough, it helps to cover songs that have a certain technique that you like. Covering takes all the pressure off of composing and you get to focus on the details, you really absorb them this way.
I actually agree with this, I noticed all of my covers were a lot easier to make than the non covers since there wasn't anything to -worry- about anymore... maybe I need to make more covers lol
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bite-sized songs inspired by rhythm game music, in Famitracker: http://soundcloud.com/patashu
