Hello, I've been making electronic music for a few years. I love every minute of it. One of the first rules I learned about making music was "Forget what you've learned and experiment." I take this to heart, and it's great.

Anyways, I was just curious where everyone starts on a new track. I've heard people say start with the drums, the rest will come naturally. Other people say start with a melody, the rest will come naturally. I guess it just comes down to preference and the situation.

So how do you start a new track? Do you start by absentmindedly humming something? Think of a good drum beat?

Thanks!

You heard correct, everyone starts different. [Calvin Harris mentioned he starts with a preset. Sasha said in some Youtube video he loads a bunch of tunes in Mixed in Key the same key he wants to write and quickly listens to many of them to steal some ideas, grooves, etc] I'm sure Chemical Brothers love their wall of modulars so they fuck with them til good sounds come out. Etc.

Myself - I'm a preset whore. Open some VSTi wasting HD space, browse presets, jam on the keyboard for a long time, change this and that, filters, envelopes, whatever, add a bunch of effects. Sometimes good sounds start coming out.

quote:

Originally posted by vercetti You heard correct, everyone starts different. [Calvin Harris mentioned he starts with a preset. Sasha said in some Youtube video he loads a bunch of tunes in Mixed in Key the same key he wants to write and quickly listens to many of them to steal some ideas, grooves, etc] I'm sure Chemical Brothers love their wall of modulars so they fuck with them til good sounds come out. Etc. Myself - I'm a preset whore. Open some VSTi wasting HD space, browse presets, jam on the keyboard for a long time, change this and that, filters, envelopes, whatever, add a bunch of effects. Sometimes good sounds start coming out.

I see. Thank you for your input! I figured everyone starts their own way, I'm just curious as to how everyone else does it.

The question has been asked a billion times and has a billion answers. You can start wherever you want, and not even in the same place on different tracks. It really makes no difference and is down to personal preference and should be led by inspiration and not planned structure.

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start with a 909 open hihat between the kicks and you got trance already.

I like to start by taking other people's tracks and putting my name on them a la will.i.am.

I personally go melody first.. the melody is most important.. music and emotions go hand in hand so the melody has to be right to erect an emotion so melody, layer ... do pads.. go through samples create intro, drums transition fx.. then im good.. that simple

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I start my tracks at measure 2 so that there is some blank lead-in time.

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usually frame 234.

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chords & melody

i find it significantly easier to write a melody over a chord progression than chords under a melody – but i think those are the only elements i always do in that order.

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Chronology – a wayfinder discography in progress. Roughly sorted by date of creation.

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder i find it significantly easier to write a melody over a chord progression than chords under a melody – but i think those are the only elements i always do in that order.

I'm the opposite. I hum a melody, get that down, then work out what bass notes the melody seems to want, then build up the chord progression from there.