thanks very much juho and ledge...
much appreciated!!!

ok, can i ask your opinions on the mp3 i uploaded? .. (not on the song tho, it was just something i was pissin around with tonite)...

the soft pad is a preset i had that ive tweaked alot...
i have osc1 set to 0 semitones, osc 2 to + 7, and osc 3 to +14
now i been looking through that site and trying to find what chord that relates too, but im kinda lost, it sounds like a major..
anyway.. that was just single keys i was recording so do you think that its best to set the oscillators semitones to an octave and then then work out the chords from there?
i.e. from the osc settings i have?
cheers

[ok,i just realised i cant upload files]
so http://www.aqrp01.dsl.pipex.com/

If C is the basenote, Osc1 = C, Osc2 = G, and Osc 3 = D on the next octave.
... I haven't a clue what that is, but I'd probably only use that as a transitory chord (ie. used inbetween main chords when changing key)

A major chord would have semitone values of 0, 4, and 7.
Minors would be 0, 3, 7.

However, once you have programmed the patch to be a major/minor/whatever "chord", you're stuck with it, which would make for very restrained playing... You would be very restricted in what you could play, without it sounding like a right dirge.

As much as your programming techniques are resourceful in the short term, I'd advise going back to the usual 0, 12, 24, semitones for your patches, and then learning to play chords (ie. three-fingered notes, as opposed to using just one-finger at a time) to make up the layers.

First though, I'd ignore chords and using several oscillators all together - just concentrate on playing a simple one-oscillator melody using your right hand, and get to know the notes you're playing.

cheers timo..
yeh, im starting to realise that now..
ive booked myself on some keyboard lessons from next week though, coz if i dont ill end up just chucking it!!

"Sharp" keys (commonly denoted by a "#" symbol) keys are the BLACK keys.

"C" is the WHITE key to the left of the first group of two black keys.

So the black key to the right of C is C# - ie. C sharp.

The white key to the right of "C" is "D".

I think we need a picture..... brb

lol...
u not working tomorrow either then :)

its ok though, i know the layout of a keyboard.. i just need to change the way i do things, coz its obviously wrong !!

Nice one. :) I started out by playing music by ear, but after I eventually took keyboard lessons I then learnt a lot more very quickly! It opens up a new world, and you'll look back on it and not regret it, even though you learn from simplistic songs in the beginning. It gives you a really good boost. Once you eventually build up the knowledge of chord patterns, you'll be knocking out cheesy arpeggios on your Virus in no time. ;)

Those are the names/letters of the white keys.

C# is therefore the black key to the right of C.
D# the black to the right of D.
etc...

While "#" is used to denote "sharp", the lower-case symbol "b" is also used to denote "flat". A "flat" just means a black key to the left of a white key, instead of to the right (which you already know is a "sharp")...

Convention usually dictates that D# (D-sharp) is actually called Eb (E-flat), and similarly A# (A-sharp) is Bb (B-flat). The rest of the black keys C#, F#, G# are all referred to as sharps, but you don't need to know that yet. Just think of all the black keys as sharps, and ignore the term "flat" for the time being.

I got the above pic from here:

http://www.pianoworld.com/keyboard.htm

cheers again

like i say.. i got a keyboard book here but never invested much time in it..
ive spent the last 3 yrs intending to get lessons because i know ive just been muddling around in dark till its got to this point where i either do it, or chuck it in....
so ill cut back on the beer for a bit :D

youd be timo from sos i presume then eh ?

Anyway, you said you made a patch with the semitones 0, +7, and +14...

... so as an example, if you pressed just the note "C" on the keyboard to play this patch, your first oscillator would be a C, then the next oscillator would be 7 keys to the right (include both white and black) = G.
The third oscillator, +14 semitones from C. would then be D on the next octave (the next repeated set of notes).