Using your Pak

Most of the stuff here is also in Readme-file included in Pak

General

This package contains midi files containing scale notes, chords and chord progressions. All files are plain midi files which are ready for importing them to your own DAW (digitan audio workstation). This midi pack is compatible with any DAW that can import midi files. In most DAWs this is done with some ‘import’ feature, or simply drag and drop from file browser.

Directory structure and different files

At top level you have list of contained scales as directories. To explain content of scale directory, we use C_Minor as example:

• C_Minor_Notes.mid contains notes that belong to C Minor scale. If your composition is done in C minor, using these notes and those same notes transposed any number of octaves up or down works for making ok sounding music. Octave is 12 steps in your DAWs piano roll.
• C-Minor_StackedNotes.mid contains those same notes in every octave, stacked over each other. In some DAWs it can be used to give you shadow notes that your clearly see what notes belong to scale. If needed, stretch those notes longer
• C-Minor_Notes.txt is telling note names belonging to that scale
• 01-Basic_Chords subdirectory contains basic chords for your scale. In minor scales for second chord there is few alternatives which are commonly used
• 02-Suspended_Chords contains suspended chords that can be used to replace basic chords
• 04-Extended_Chords contains chords that have more complex harmonies. Depending on music style you may want to use them replacing basic chords
• 09-All_Chords contains all chords, combined from previous directories
• 20-Basic_Progressions contains chord progressions using basic chords
• 21-Progressions_By_Mood contain progressions that have some label telling what kind of use or feeling they have.
• 22-Extended_Progressions contains mainly same progressions as previous directories but made with extended chords
• 23-Advanced-Progressions contain chord progressions which are more complex. They may use extended chords or chords that are not really belonging to your scale, but still fit there and create somehow different feeling

Different midi files in progressions and chords

When you open any progressions directory, you see midi files and subdirectories. Midi files are there for you to provide quick way to listen progressions with your DAWs preview functionality (some DAWs do have it, some others don’t). When you find progression that fits to your song, move to subdirectory with same name as progression. There is many midi files, and depending on your needs you may want to use different files. Here is some ideas how we suggest you to use them. Example is from Energetic:

• 01-Chord-Energetic.mid basic chord, without any tricks
• 02-Chord&Bass-Energetic.mid basic chord + root note as bass note
• 03-Inverted-Energetic.mid chord inverted so that all notes stay in one octave, and notes flow pleasantly
• 04-Inverted&Bass-Energetic.mid inverted chord with additional bass note. ‘Preview’ midi in upper dir is same as this
• 05-Orchestra-Energetic.mid chord ‘orchestrated’ in style used with orchestral string or similar. Use this if you want to have one synth to have lush harmonies
• 06-OrchestraInverted-Energetic.mid Orchestrated version of inverted chord progression
• 07-Bass-Energetic.mid Only bass note of chords, two octaves down. For string orchestra, use this for contra bass, and possibly for cello
• 08-Bass&Fifth-Energetic.mid Bass and fifth one octave below chord. Suggested use in string would be with cello. And this combination is also power chord, which works great with distorted sounds. And try to stack these, in 2 or 3 octaves
• 09-Fifth-Energetic.mid Only Fifth note. If using bass progression with cello, use this with viola and also on higher instruments
• 10-Third-Energetic.mid Other notes of harmony, in case you want to split different notes to different instruments

Chord directories are organized bit different way for a reason. If you are building chord progression, you certainly want to have different chords. So you select directory based on what version of our files you want to use. Naming follows same principles as with progressions, now just midi files are grouped with same type files in one directory.

See our video explaining and showing how to use those different files.

Modulations in Chord progressions

When you enter to directory of one chord progression you see few more directories. These directories contain same chord progressions modulated to different scale. Those scales are the ones that musically closest neighbours or your scale. Therefore changing to them feels smooth and easy. Each of these modulation directories also contain midi and text files telling you notes that belong to that scale so that you can adapt your melody to that modulated chord progression.

Suggested use cases for modulations:

• Bridge between verse and chorus
• Chorus
• Different part in mid-track
• At end of your track

Remember that modulations are closest neighbours of your primary scale, but not each other, so if you are using more than one modulation it may be safe to jump back to original before moving to next modulation

Known problems in this pack

• There is no flats in note names. For example you can have chords Gm and G# in same scale instead of correct Gm and Ab. However, all notes and chords are correct, naming just does not match to what music pros would prefer. G# is same note as Ab.

Have fun and keep on producing great music!