I'm interested to know how you guys actually develop a track? Do you make it up as you go? organize the melodies separately beforehand? I've been trying to just lay down a decent beat and then improvising to that just for ideas. Its too distracting to do that though because it really goes nowhere. How do you guys get out of this rut?

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songwriting is a very skilled process. there are books on how to write lyrics that work. and also a book called the songwriters guide to rhyming words.

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I don't think Clockwork is only looking for Lyric writing advice.

I would also find it useful to her how other TA's develop tracks, i.e. do you do the "phil collins" technique of coming up with the hook and build the rest around (aka Genesis - I can't dance) it or do you do the "Dave Groll" method where the percussion is laid down and the rest of the song is built around it. I'm rubbish at thematic progression so if anyone could post up and example of a track where they developed the melody then built a progression up to it, that would be most useful.

there are a million and a half other threads about this but ill repeat my personal workflow:

generally it can be different every time but first and foremost I like to start by building a groove and making sure to have a good percussive backbone to work with. once I get the groove i'll develop a bass and typically with the bass a natural lead will come forth...naturally the track will then go with it's own flow and you just have to use your experience and knowledge as you go to make it develop into something worth while. most importantly (atleast for me) even if it's not going so well and not salvageable it's still important to finish the track. the more you abandon projects in my experience, the less you learn so its good to be in the habit of finishing things you start...even if it's not so good (also increases the likelihood of banging out "the one").

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I usualy start out by smoking 2 grams of crack, then the rest tends to sort itself out.

I usually come up with a nice melody. From there I can create the breakdown, buildup, and peak elements. I pretty much make a track from the middle and extend outwards. The intro and outro are the last things I create, and I usually have the greatest difficulty with both of them!

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i was just thinkin about this

i think its good to come up with a melody first

ive tried the drum way and it really doesnt seem taht great


but its preference imo

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A theme or two tend to present themselves first, either that or a groove. Then I expound on that. Another theme will generally arise in the process of writing, too. It's a hard thing to pin down, because my process is very organic, and tends to do things regardless of my preferred process.

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I go for the hook first, or if i'm making trance I go for the break to the breakdown.

thanks for all your replies. I'm finding that when i get stuck, trying a different approach i.e. getting down a good hook instead of starting w/ the drums or bass is turning out the most useful. the hardest part for me is not finding the immediate melodies or beats that work best, but its connecting the track together in a way thats interesting and unique - making it "progress" creatively..

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start with the melodies

i regularly resequence a track several times after the first draft

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i think sequencing melodies first is the reason most trance sounds dull and generic. seems that is the way most trance producers go about things unfortunately.

same thing i always say in these threads though so nothing new. i like to work from start to finish and let things evolve along the way...