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I'm arranging a tune around a bassline that I made. The MIDI notes for the bassline go G-Gb-Eb-D. But the bass patch is making things tricky for me. It's a Massive patch with an envelope on pitch that has some attack & 100% decay/sustain that increases the pitch by +5 semitones over the course of the note. So, while the notes begin at G-Gb-Eb-D, they end (respectively) at C-B-Ab-G.

My other instruments sound way out of key except for like 4 notes. Any other note I try to use sticks out like a sore thumb.

This is totally throwing off the scale I thought I was working in. I thought I was in G minor, with Bb & Eb being my only black keys except for Gb, the leading tone for G. But this is a problem because B & Ab are heard significantly in the bassline (the second & third notes end at them), and those two notes are not in G minor.

So now I have no clue what key I'm in. All I know is that these are the notes I need to use, and one of them can be the leading tone:

C D G B /// Gb Eb Ab


Do I even need the notes that my bassline ends in to be a part of my key? Or conversely, do I need the notes that my bassline begins in to be a part of my key?

This is where music theory meets the 21st century I guess

Wouldn't you just write your bass part 5 semitones down if it's playing 5 semitones higher than written? (or write the rest of the track 5 semitones higher than the bass, i.e. in Cm) I guess I don't know how long your pitch envelope is. Is it just sliding up like a grace note or is it really long?

firstboyonthemoon wrote:Wouldn't you just write your bass part 5 semitones down if it's playing 5 semitones higher than written? (or write the rest of the track 5 semitones higher than the bass, i.e. in Cm) I guess I don't know how long your pitch envelope is. Is it just sliding up like a grace note or is it really long?

nah it's longer than a grace note. each note is a half note at 140 and the attack on the pitch env is long enough so that you hear both the original note and the +5 with a little bit of time inbetween.

You're in C harmonic minor.

Cm harmonic have Gb/F# though? that's one of the notes in the bassline

It's a diminished fifth / tritone which is a cool sounding accidental used all the time in dubstep.

big ups man thanks for your help, how did you make out that it's Cm?

The notes fit better than Gm.