Tag Archives: song form

Top 5 Rejamming Tips to Be Our Christmas Star

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We all love Christmas songs. But, after hearing the same recordings year after year, it’s time to spice things up. With UJAM’s “Be Our Christmas Star” Contest this year, you have a chance to rejam a Christmas classic and spread some new holiday cheer this season! The Top 10 songs will become our UJAM Christmas Album, downloadable by anyone with a UJAM account.

There’s no pressure here, of course, but we decided it may help to give you what we think are the Top 5 Rejamming Tips to make the most of your Christmas carol rejamming. Keep these tips in mind, and you just may make it into the Top 10 and the very first UJAM Christmas Album!

Tip 1: Styles

After you’ve chosen which song you want to rejam for Christmas, a fun way to start spicing things up is by listening to a few different styles. Feeling laid back and folksy? Try a Country style like Laid Back Country or Americana. Feeling like this Christmas song needs a dose of heavy action? Try a Dance style like Tek Noize. You’ll be amazed at how much you can change the feel of the song by simply changing the style. Listen to several different ones to help make your own unique Christmas Rejam. You can spice up the styles even more by customizing them – add and remove instruments to your liking to make something truly unique that you can call your own. Click “Edit Style” and you’ll see the list of current instruments being used in your track. Click the “X” next to any of them to remove them, and use the list above the instruments to select new instruments. The columns start with the instrument family on the left, the style in the middle, and the particular instrument on the right. (See the Tips & Tricks section for more helpful hints on editing and customizing styles.)

Tip 2: Vocals vs. Instrument

Feel confident about your vocal cords? Then go for it and belt out your tune. Want to use the pre-made vocals? That’s fine too. Shy about your vocal abilities? Then choose an instrument instead. This is one of the most handy rejamming tools in UJAM. Changing the instrument from Glockenspiel to Grand Piano can make a world of difference, and may just be the key to making your Christmas Rejam winner-worthy. Click on “Vocals” or “Instrument” to determine which melody type you want in your track. When you’re editing your track in Vocal mode, you have the option to change the Vocal FX. When you’re editing in Instrument mode, you have the option to change the melody instrument.

 

Tip 3: Vocal FX

This may be one of the most underrated features in UJAM, but it can packs a powerful punch when used well! Enhance the sound of your Rejam by choosing from an extensive list of Vocal FX – from Lush and Multiplier to Psychedelic or Romantic, Vocal FX are sure to give your Christmas Rejam a special sound.

Tip 4: Chords

Ever thought about what Jingle Bells may sound like in a minor key? Here’s where you can take your Christmas Rejam to a whole new level – try some wacky, wild, and unexpected chord changes by customizing your chords or choosing from different presets. Too Happy and Jazz are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to chord presets and possibilities – but keep an eye on the chord matrix to help you figure out which chords will still sound the best with your track.

Tip 5: Song Form

Song Form is the most important tool that makes UJAM tracks into meaningful pieces of music. Intros, verses, and choruses are essential to making a great song. Take some time to listen to what an extended intro can do for your Christmas Rejam, and be sure to add some Variations to see if they make your Christmas Rejam a winning-worthy track. Click & drag song parts into your track (where the other song parts are listed automatically) and see what happens when you spice up your Rejam. When you want UJAM to do the work for you, simply click “Create Form” and UJAM will take care of it.

That’s it for this session of Tips & Tricks for your Christmas Rejam. Good luck, and have fun!

This Christmas, UJAM invites you to create your own – beautiful or quirky – version of Christmas carols and songs. Pick from the most popular Christmas songs and spread some musical holiday cheer this season! Make your own Christmas Rejam. Get your friends and fans to vote for your song to make it into our Top 10 for the chance to win great prizes like an Avid home studio setup!

Tips & Tricks: How does Song Form work?

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What are some common features of the tunes we like the most? Well, for one, they probably have catchy melodies, and especially catchy choruses – sometimes so catchy we can’t get them out of our heads. And that’s one of the recipes for success in a great song.

Song Form in UJAM makes it possible to make meaningful songs with distinct sections – i.e. intros, verses, choruses, and endings. As we all know, this makes a world of difference in producing great music.

But how does Song Form work? What makes up each part within Song Form, and how do you make the most of it? We’ll break it down for you here so you can put Song Form to its best use in your next track.

For each style, there are five different song parts: Verse 1, Verse 2, Variation 1, Variation 2, Chorus 1, Chorus 2. From left to right, these parts have increasing intensity, from light (Verse 1) to full (Chorus 2). “Variation 1″ is usually a breakdown, “Variation 2″ is usually a bridge or solo part. In addition, there is a short and long intro as well as a short and long ending.

Don’t worry – you need not know the musical theory behind these sections to get the most out of using Song Form.

By default, a basic song structure is automatically added to any new recording after choosing a style. For short recordings, “Chorus 1″ will be selected, as well as a short intro and ending. For long recordings, UJAM tries to pick and add a matching selection of song parts, as well as short intro and ending.

It doesn’t stop here. At any time, you can edit the song form to your taste by adding or removing song parts. You get to choose whether you want a short or long intro and ending – or no intro and ending at all. You can change your mind and try out different ones by clicking and dragging them while you’re in the UJAM Studio.

Tip: Listen to some of your favorite songs and take note of what song parts they use – how long is the intro, and what’s the chorus like? It may be simpler than you think to pick out the parts of a song that make it distinct, and you can apply the same ideas to your own track.

Trick: It’s always a good idea to experiment with different song parts to see what works best for your track. You may think a short ending is perfect, but end up finding that a long ending makes the song that much sweeter. Give it a try, and share your tracks with us!

We’ll have more on Song Form, editing, and all sorts of musical tips & tricks in future posts. Tell us what you want to learn more about and we’ll create a post on it. Have fun with your next session!