This article breaks down how to make cool R&B melodies in FL Studio 20. It covers picking the right sounds, building chords, layering instruments, and mixing your tracks so they sound good. You'll learn some simple steps to create your own R&B piano melodies.
Getting Started: Picking Your Sounds
When you're making R&B melodies, the sound you pick first is pretty important. It sets the whole vibe. For R&B, a Rhodes piano is a classic choice. You can find a good one in FL Studio's Flex plugin, like the Essential Pianos section. The Rhodes MK1 is a solid option.
Building Your Melody: Chords and Layers
Start with chords. For R&B, playing three notes at once often works well. You can just play around until you find something that sounds good. Aim for at least eight bars of melody to keep things interesting and add some variety.
Once you have your basic chord progression, you can start layering. This means adding other sounds on top of your main piano. A pad sound is a good choice for layering. You can copy your piano pattern and paste it onto a new instrument track. Citrus can be useful for finding new sounds, but it doesn't always work out perfectly. Just shuffle through presets until you find something that fits.
Key Takeaways
- Start with a Rhodes piano: It's a classic R&B sound.
- Play chords: Three notes at a time is a good starting point.
- Aim for eight bars: This adds variety to your melody.
- Layer with pads: This makes your sound fuller.
Adding a Counter Melody
After you have your main chords and layers, you can add a counter melody. This is like a second melody that plays along with your main one. You can clone your Rhodes track and create a new pattern for the counter melody. This makes it sound like you're playing with both hands, with the chords as your left hand and the counter melody as your right. Just experiment until you find something that sounds good.
Mixing Your Melody
Mixing is where you make sure all your sounds work well together. Here are some tips:
- Check for peaking sounds: Use the mixer to see which notes are too loud. You can turn down the volume of specific chords or notes that are sticking out too much.
- Cut the low end: Always cut off the low end of your melody. This leaves room for the kick drum and bass in your beat.
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Experiment with effects:
- Fruity Love Filter: Go through the presets to find cool effects.
- Gross Beat: This can really make a beat pop.
- Convolver: This adds reverb, which is a classic effect for R&B.
Adding More Instruments
If you want to add even more to your melody, a guitar is another classic R&B sound. Take the guitar sound off the mixer track while you're playing it so you can hear it clearly. Just like with everything else, play around until you find something that fits your melody.
By following these steps, you can create some cool R&B piano melodies in FL Studio 20. Keep practicing and experimenting with different sounds and effects to find your own unique style.
