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Making a typical trance song

Hi Guys,
I've been trying to make trance music (im just using reason) but every time I try it never comes out as trance. I think part of my problem is that I dont really know what makes a trance song so I was wondering if people could explain to me how typical trance song works (by breaking it down to typical samples and sequences). ie how do you create a build up? what would you do with your drums and synths to make the build up work?
I've listened to a lot of trance and I thought that I knew all this stuff from listening but obviously I havent got it so it would be great if someone could spell it out for me.


Thanks in Advance!

Man I have the same problem...let's see if one can answer our quesitons???
I use Reason too and my producitons also don't sound like Trance....
If you want you can check the best I did
Together Faraway

what do they come out sounding as?

For me, off beat percussion is what builds the track, but i do hard trance, so it might be different.

Try startingout with just the beat and bassline. Then after 32/64 beats, add a snare on the off beat. Then, add a delayed snare or a more complex percussion pattern.

This is a pretty simple way off increasing the intensity with out the need to alter the actual synth sounds at all.

Ummhh... Stupid question, but how goes the off beat percussion? Is it something like:

k---k---k--- <-kick
--p---p---p- <-some percussion

Or am I totally wrong now?

And the snare on the off beat is like:

k---k---k--- <-kick
--s---s---s- <-snare
--b---b---b- <-bass

quote:

Hi Guys, I've been trying to make trance music (im just using reason) but every time I try it never comes out as trance. I think part of my problem is that I dont really know what makes a trance song so I was wondering if people could explain to me how typical trance song works (by breaking it down to typical samples and sequences). ie how do you create a build up? what would you do with your drums and synths to make the build up work? I've listened to a lot of trance and I thought that I knew all this stuff from listening but obviously I havent got it so it would be great if someone could spell it out for me. Thanks in Advance!

Hi,

Usually hard kickdrums are used(kicks that have enough low frequenties), leads are used to play different melodies, a fat bas, percussion and pads, and other sounds that fill up the song. I usually use quite hard leads for playing the main melodies, and the bas plays a melody too, but it should be quite monotoneus in the intro of the song. You can fill up the song with pads that play melodies and other sounds that play in the background too.

Maybe if I could hear a song from you, I can tell you what you can change. I don't use Reason though.
I have made an example song for DjAhter(another Trance Addict) and added some explanation to it in a topic he made. Maybe it helps if you have a listen to it. Here is the link to the topic where you can download the track also:

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forum/s...&threadid=63741

quote:

Originally posted by Joi Lamusic Ummhh... Stupid question, but how goes the off beat percussion? Is it something like: k---k---k--- <-kick --p---p---p- <-some percussion Or am I totally wrong now? And the snare on the off beat is like: k---k---k--- <-kick --s---s---s- <-snare --b---b---b- <-bass

Yeah, that's right. But remember, snares are a form of percusion. A basic snare pattern would be how you've done it in the second example. But percussion can be more complex, with three different percussion hits to make a good sounding rythem. Listen to some techno songs to get an idea of good percussion. You can also put them on beat. If you put a symbol on each beat, but have symbol a on beats 1 and 3 and symbol b (have this a little lower in pitch) on beats 2 and 4, then you will get that beat that goes up and down a little each quarter note, which can sound really nice, but the symbols or snares need to be very soft, don't make them too loud. they should just be enough to create a slight change in the pitch of the beat

Why would you want to make a typical trance tune anyway?

Originality is always good

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery Why would you want to make a typical trance tune anyway? Originality is always good

Because my tunes dont even sound like trance. Before I can make an origainal trance tune I need to understand how a typical trance tune works

I know a good link where U can download some pretty good trance-tracks (they are for Reason). From those songs U can see how the buildups and breakdowns are made and so on

http://www.reasonstation.net/

quote:

Originally posted by tristan_vdv Because my tunes dont even sound like trance. Before I can make an origainal trance tune I need to understand how a typical trance tune works

Yeah, but if they sound good do they need to be trance?

Mystery, U are so damn right

just learn how to listen... its a wonderful skill

Add some reverb, delay and sum kind of flanger/phaser effect

Ok... first u need 2 build a drum kit...

start with bs drum, then hihat, then clap, then add some other sounds and patterens ( go 2 exclusiv drums in the reason database )

for example :

B=B=B=B=
=H=H=H=H
==C===C=

B = bs drum (kick)
H = hihat ( or OH )
C = Clap

that is the very basic trance patteren ...

then u can add some more soft hihats like ;

B=B=B=B=
=H=H=H=H
==C===C=
HHHHHHHH

it sounds good... now a build up u make using a snare drum usualy that just continus but gos up in volium. when your done with your drum kit ( o .. u can add some reverb 2 the clap and 3 step deley to the hihat it sounds good ) build a bass line, it usually gose

B=B=B=B=
=H=H=H=H
==C===C=
=B=B=B=B .... u can play around with it...............

next step is to start building, trance usually starts simpel and gets more complicated... ass a start add your drums one after the other ( usually after each 8 bars ) then when u got them all in with your bass 2 make a build up and start your melody, then another build up when the melody is at its peek and put in the drums... at the end start removing the drums one by one

OK !! I hope i helped that is the very basics, ull get it in time !

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