Demo 5 - Save Your Tears

Skills Focus: Structuring Music 2

Save Your Tears - The Weeknd

About the song and Artist

"Save Your Tears" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his fourth studio album, After Hours (2020). It was released to Dutch contemporary hit radio on August 9, 2020, as the album's fifth and final single. The song was written and produced by the Weeknd, Max Martin, and Oscar Holter, with Belly and DaHeala receiving additional writing credits. (source Wikipedia)

Look at the official music video below for how it sounds:

How do we recreate this on Logic?

To recreate this, I am using inspiration from this YouTube Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdLxnJFFYvQ

Feel free to copy from there or continue below for step by step instructions.

Here is a Hooktheory in case you want to learn it yourself

https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/the-weeknd/save-your-tears

Step 1: Setting up your project

Open Logic
Create a new project
Select MIDI - Software instrument
Click Create

The Weeknd's song "Save Your Tears" is in the key of C major.

The song has a tempo of 118 beats per minute (BPM)

You will need to change this at the top (see image on left)

Step 2: Adding the drums

You will need a MODERN 808. Search for this and change it. In the image, you can see many different 808's, but you will need the one that says simply Modern 808

Changing Effects

EQ is short for Equalisation. It is a process for adjusting the volume of different frequencies in a sound, so you can hear every instrument in the mix. In this example, we want to turn up the TREBLE of the drums (the higher frequencies

Click the X on the keyboard to bring up the mixer
Click the EQ bar which is a blue line at the moment
The image below comes up.
Lets use a preset as we are a beginner:
1. Click where it says custom,
2. go down to where it says Drums
3. click on Brighten Overheads.

Step 3: Adding the drum pattern

Adding the drum pattern can be easier than inputting it as a MIDI region.

Right click in the dark grey area
Click Create Pattern Region
A Purple region comes up with squares.
This is where you are going to input this pattern below from the YouTube video

This is the image from the YouTube Video...

Teachers thoughts: I was not happy with the snare sound so I changed my snare sound by clicking on snare 1, then clicking on library and listening to each one.
I decided SNARE 1 - ABSTRACT CIRCUITS was the closest without playing around with the effects even more.

An example...

Here, I listened to both kicks and decided that Kick 2 was better than Kick 1.

You can use either kicks or snares, depending on what you think sounds closest to the original

This beat is then looped

Step 4: Adding the bass

This track has a prominent bassline so we will add this in next

Add a new track

Click Software Instrument then create

Search for Picked Electric Bass

Mixing and Editing the Bass

For the track, the bass is turned down to -7db. This is optional

Notes you will need for the bass

The first phrase is 4 bars long and contains these notes. Look below how to enter them in.

C2 x 8 - 2 blocks long for each

A1 x 8 - 2 blocks long each

E1 x 8 - 2 blocks long for each.

G1 x 6 - 2 blocks long for each.

The last two is a rest so we don't add any notes.

Here's how it sounds like so far

Adding the second phrase for the Bass

It's another 4 bars so here it is.

C2 x 8 - 2 blocks long for each

This is the same as before

A1 x 8 - 2 blocks long each

Again, the same as before

E2 - 8 Blocks each

This is different as it is an octave higher than before

Octave means a series of eight notes occupying the interval between (and including) two notes; One having twice or half the frequency of vibration of the other.

G1 x 6 - 2 blocks long for each.

The last two is a rest so we don't add any notes.

Here's how it sounds like so far

Added Bass layers and Effects settings

Teachers Notes: In this screenshot, the bass was duplicated by clicking the + button. Then I added in Noisy 808 bass as I couldn't find the 70's Synth bass like the video had.

After this, I copied and pasted the same phrases as the bassline above to create the same part as in the YouTube Video.

I then turned it down to -12db so it wasn't so loud

This is optional, but does give that added layer

I then repeated the same step again, but instead opted for the solid body bass.

Eq Settings and Effects

Here you can see how the channels are set out with the EQ settings and levels.

Have a go at mixing the bass yourself so it sounds balanced.

Adding in some synths

This part is easy as it is the root notes of the chords that we have done for the bass.

What are root notes?

In music, a root note is the main note that defines a chord, scale, or key. It's the foundation of the chord, and it gives the chord its name

Here is how to add it in

Add a new track

Click Software Instrument then create

Search for warm synth pad

Teachers thoughts: Why wait for the images on how to do it? Why not learn the bass clef as part of your Component 2, and find out the notes yourself?

This image is zoomed out quite a bit so follow the guide on the left!

Here is the full 8 bars for the beginning

C2 x 1 - 16 blocks

A1 x 1 - 16 blocks

E1 x 1 - 16 blocks

G1 x 1 - 16 blocks

C2 x 1 - 16 blocks

A1 x 1 - 16 blocks

E2 x 1 - 16 blocks

G1 x 1 - 16 blocks

Adding the string riff

Create a new MIDI instrument and search for hollywood sounds

Turn the volume down to -8db so it isn't too loud

Here are the notes for the String synth riff

C4 x 1 - 28 blocks (goes through nearly two bars)

D4 x 1 - 4 blocks. Notice how I did it isn't directly accurate in the picture. This is because I wanted to "humanise" the computer and make it sound less robotic

B3 x 1 - 28 blocks

C4 x 1 - 4 blocks

Again, I made it less robotic by going over the lines a little bit

Adding the Hi-Hats

We are just heading back to the drums now to add in some Hi Hats. This part can get a little complex so make sure to watch the video attached

Go back to the drum section
2Click on the Hi-hat and change it to Live Feel or any other one that you prefer

3. Input the Hi Hats. Take a look at the instructions for the pattern

It is the blue one

Why not go back over the snare and kick drum to make it sound more human? Change the velocity for those too?

4. Click the drop down arrow next to the hi-hat symbol (on the left)

5. The arrow should reveal some extra parts

6. Change the velocity so it is not all at 100%. This makes it sounds more human and not like a robot playing it

Adding some Chords

Now we are going to add in the chords that goes underneath and gives some harmonic value to the song

Before we begin though, do these steps first:

Add a new MIDI Region
Search for the KOTO
Insert a region by using CMD and clicking on the grey area

Chord 1 - G C E

Pay attention to where there are gaps for rests

You will need

G2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

C3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

E3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

Chord 2 - G C E

Pay attention to where there are gaps for rests

You will need

B2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

C3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

E3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

Chord 3 - E C E

Pay attention to where there are gaps for rests

You will need

E2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

C3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

E3 x 6 - 2 blocks each

Chord 4 - D G B

Pay attention to where there are gaps for rests

You will need

D2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

G2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

B2 x 6 - 2 blocks each

Then, repeat this again with a new MIDI Channel. Use the instrument 'Synth Piano". Alternatively, you can copy the Koto channel and paste it. The image below shows how its means to l

Adding some layers

Most pop music will have layers that aren't always heard directly in the mix. Lets add this in next.

But before you do...

Create a new MIDI region
Search for Eighties Pop Synth Bass

Changing volume and BUS's

Do this to make the reverb sound more prominent in the mix

Click x on the typing keyboard
Find the Bus in your channel (the channel is highlighted in the picture)
Turn up Bus 6. This is the large reverb that was assigned when clicking on Eighties Synth Pop Bass.
Turn down the volume fader

But what are Bus's?

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