TAXI.com

I've worked with several libraries in the last decade. My understanding was always, for instrumental cues, write a great melody because when you upload stems you will be including a "no lead" stem. Then, like a month ago on taxi tv a composer is recording an instrumental cue, and he didn't write a melody. So I asked the question of whether it should be written. Everyone attending seemed to be of the opinion that no melody was needed. So "cue" just means a "bed" then?

So yesterday I'm trying to finish this country rock cue for a taxi listing, and I just can't call it done. I'm so in the habit of making sure my melody works real well, that having no melody just feels like unfinished work. But I'm now thinking, wow I've had it wrong all this time? Maybe I'll get more stuff forwarded per submission, and maybe I can knock out WAY more music if I can just get used to not writing a melody? Anyway, give me whatever thoughts you all might have. Thanks, ,J

" some melody "....or " melody lite "...not as much melody as if you are replacing a vocal with it

Depends on the genre and the lead instrument too. Some are more palatable than others.

Hey thanks for chiming in. Now using my current dilemma as an example, my lead instrument is a clean tele through a compressor. I'm struggling with whether to go an octave lower so it's more just a part of the chords. I got it pretty simple, but it still feels like it might fight with dialog in the higher octave.

jerryjennings wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:05 pm

Hey thanks for chiming in. Now using my current dilemma as an example, my lead instrument is a clean tele through a compressor. I'm struggling with whether to go an octave lower so it's more just a part of the chords. I got it pretty simple, but it still feels like it might fight with dialog in the higher octave.

Try lower if it's reaching into the dialogue zone