Creating your own instrumental track can seem to be a daunting task. However, with the right tools and foundational framework, you can create your own musical tracks in Logic Pro without any prior musical training or theoretical knowledge.
We’ll go over some techniques and methods you can use in Logic Pro, so you can create a basic yet quality-sounding instrumental track in less than 30 minutes.
Create Your Project and Choose a Tempo
When you create your project in Logic, save yourself some time by choosing theSoftware Instrumentoption at the top, andInput4or5in the box at the bottom. If you know how to play an instrument, by all means, record them in.
Before you start creating and composing, you’ll want to establish the tempo of your project. If you already have a tune or rhythm in your head, click/tap along, counting four beats per bar. You can try other numbers of beats per bar, but four is a good starting point.
PressKto enable the metronome in Logic and initiate playback to hear the metronome clicks. Click and drag on the tempo number in theTempodisplay along the top to change the BPM. Align the tempo until it matches your desired rhythm.
If you’re new to Logic, you may want to check outour beginner’s guide to LogicandLogic Pro’s best keyboard shortcuts.
Choose Your Key
Now, it’s time to select the key of your track. A good starting point is to begin with C major if you want a major key, or A minor for a more melancholic feel. This will help you out if you’re unfamiliar with keyboards as you only need to use the white keys.
Later on, you may always transpose your creation up or down to a different key—select your melodic MIDI regions, and click and drag them up or down to your desired key.
Build the Foundation of Your Track
To construct the provisional base of your track, click on one of your software instrument tracks and select a piano/keyboard instrument, such as the Steinway Grand Piano. PressCmd + Kto open up the Musical Typing Keyboard which will be your main tool for creating with software instruments. We’ll use C major as an example in this section.
PressRto record and play each white key for one bar’s length, starting from C and ending with C an octave higher than the first.
Then, click on each of the eight MIDI regions, pressShift + N, and rename them “1” to “8”. Use theQquantize button in the Piano Roll Editor (double-click on a MIDI region to open the editor) to make sure all are perfectly tempo-aligned. Given that your lower C is the same note as the higher C, you can delete or rename the eighth region to “1” as well.
You now have the root position of all the chords in C major. Combinations of these chords are called chord progressions and cadences.
It’s a good idea to try fleshing out the chords beyond their root position. One way you can do this is to open the Piano Roll Editor, pressAlt, and drag on the root MIDI note upwards to create a new note. You can add a third (four semitones up for major; three semitones up for minor) and a fifth (seven semitones up) to fill out a major or minor chord.
This practice will help you further on when adding other instruments and layers. Look intothe best MIDI editing tools in Logic Proto help you out in this process.
Chord Progressions and Structure
The next objective is to create combinations of these numbered MIDI regions. Start off with 1, and then try out different numbers (chords) and combinations to complete your first mini section of eight bars.
Generally, you can create your next eight-bar mini section by copying and pasting your first eight bars, but remember to add some variation. The last two chords of the now 16-bar section are of particular importance as they will prepare the way for your next 16-bar section.
While you experiment, it’s important to bear a few things in mind. Certain chord combinations or cadences have specific names that can help you know when to implement them. We’ll look at chord progression examples that apply to the last two chords of any four-bar section.
Any number followed by 5 is an imperfect cadence; this gives a sense of incompleteness. 5 followed by 6 is an interrupted cadence; a dramatic feel that again feels unfinished. 5 followed by 1 is a perfect cadence; this gives a sense of finality, perfect for the endings of some sections and tracks.
Once you’ve constructed a sequence of 16 bars, it’s time for your next 16-bar section. You could try changing the key to the relative minor (6 minor), the subdominant (4), or the dominant (5), and/or add some new patterns and rhythms.
When the second 16-bar section is done, you can return to your first 16-bar section with some added developments; and that could be that! Do so, and you’ve just built a standard ABA compositional structure.
Add Some Percussion and Groove
Now you have your chordal and melodic foundations in place, you may want to add some punch with a percussion part. You canuse the Ultrabeat Drum MachineorDrum Machine Designer in Logic Profor quick, streamlined ways of doing so.
Once you’ve found some drum kit sounds you like, start off with the kick drum on every downbeat (the first beat of the bar), and a snare drum on the upbeat (the midpoint between bars). Fill up the space between the kick and snare with some high hats. At first, this will sound bland and boring. But this is just the foundation to build off.
Use the snap-to-grid function (Cmd + G) to experiment with other tempo-aligned rhythms. Try muting notes (Ctrl + M), and shifting the placement of your kick or snare to add some movement and groove to your percussion. Experiment, remembering that less is often more. Look intohow to EQ drumsfor an added touch of refinement.
Add Layers
A quick way you can add layers to your track is to use notes from your fleshed-out chords for some other software instruments, like a guitar or two.
If you have slow-moving chords in your piano or synth part (which you made at the beginning), then add some rhythmic contrast with your additional layers—for example, some faster-moving harmonies or chords in your guitars. When starting off, try to limit your number of additional layers to one or two instruments.
To breathe life into your digital creations, add some velocity variation to each of your software instruments. This will change how aggressively/softly highlighted notes are played. You can do this by pressingCmd + Aon your selected MIDI region(s), then going toFunctions > MIDI Transform > Random Velocityalong the top of the Piano Roll Editor. Select a range of velocities, and all selected notes will be randomized between such values.
Use Loops and Samples
An alternative to writing out your own percussion line and some layering instruments is to use samples and loops (pressO) from Logic’s own library or third-party samples.
Browsethe best audio sample websitesor Logic’s loops, and use the BPM and key filters to find samples that fit your project.
Create Your Own Music in Record Time
One of the key factors to a smooth creative process is first laying out solid foundations. Select your tempo and key; then map out the chords of your chosen key. Use different combinations of chords in four-, eight-, and 16-bar sections to flesh out your instrumental track.
Then, add in variation, percussion, and layers to complete your musical arrangement. Consider using Logic’s own library of loops or third-party sites for audio samples, and you’ll create an instrumental track in no time.
