HOW TO WRITE ELECTRONIC MUSIC? | 424recording.com

How to write electronic music? How do you write electronic music? I'm reaching out to the channel community to see what tips you have for writing and composing electronic music. I seem to always hit an impasse when trying to complete a song and get stuck on one endless loop looping forever. Thanks in advance for watching and giving any advice. Hopefully, the video will help people find some tips for writing electronic music as well.
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[@andrewmazzolin4471]

electronic music is cool... but the real star of the show is that sweater you are wearing. (2000% a compliment)

[@424Recording]

Hahahaha my wife knitted it for me!

[@andrewmazzolin4471]

@@424Recording merch idea? (i smell money)

[@424Recording]

A sweater for your 4-track?

[@andrewmazzolin4471]

@@424Recording That totally works! But I feel there is also a major opportunity for those artisan sweaters to be sold across globe. What red blooded human being wouldn't want to rock something like that? (I'm happy to continue this chat for the sake of the almighty youtube algorithm... though I do have things to do tomorrow hahaha)

[@424Recording]

Hahaha I could see that. Maybe she can knit one with a cassette on it or something... the wheels are turning...

[@karlmontenegro]

Well, from a background in house and electronic music, a good way to compose this is laying out themes (groups of layers, ambiences and motifs) and take them in and out of the track. The easiest way to start or end a track is to take stuff in and out and present it in different ways. I always try to think about it as a center stage where characters enter, evolve, then leave. That for like 2 or 3 minutes. Also, are you trying to compose for listening purposes, for dancing purposes, for scoring purposes? That can help you narrow down the direction of the track that you are making. Also, its better to start with presets on your hardware/softsynths, since those will trigger creative ideas right away, without thinking too much into sound design. Separating sound design from composition is probably the biggest challenge when writing electronic music.

[@Psztyk236]

Karl Montenegro This is a great answer, especially about using presets

[@424Recording]

Thanks for this, Karl! That's a fascinating methodology and philosophy. I definitely need to think about the purpose as well; there seems like there is so much you can do and explore. I really do like the presets. I find the sound design aspect to be too overwhelming; even with guitar pedals, I opt for the ones with 3 knobs or less usually. I like to keep it simple. Sound design seems like an entirely other ocean to explore! Thanks again, Karl. I really appreciate this!

[@karlmontenegro]

424 Recording Anytime man, hit me up if you need more tips. You already give us a lot through your channel 😃

[@424Recording]

Haha sounds good, Karl. It's been my pleasure of course!

[@SilentTravelers]

@@Psztyk236 I agree, this is a killer response. All really good points and things to think about.

[@BackMaska]

You’ve been blessed my friend. The greatest musician in the world has stumbled upon your channel. Some good advice my friend: Keep it simple and sweet. When it comes to electronic music... less is oftentimes more. You’ve made some banging tunes in the past. You know the score. Play, play and play some more. Run it like a tap. Splash! Electronic music is the tonic. Behind classical and jazz it is the best genre of music ever. Better than rock ‘n roll even. Space... time. Exploration of the mind. Shape-shifting and reptilian android beats. Marshmallowing bass. Far out synth waves... destroying the mind cheese. Destroying the real enemy... who is...? Worth thinking about. I enjoy your videos immensely. God bless you and yours.

[@bmxsummer6888]

If you figure it out let me know.

[@424Recording]

Hahaha will do, Jody!

[@kunaikai]

Check out nine inch nails albums. I know they’re not exactly electronic music but I still think with how much of their production is electronic there’s a lot to learn from them

[@424Recording]

Awesome recommendation. Going to queue up some albums right now!

[@tomblaze2]

very cool i dig both indie rock and electronic music

[@BugzKiller]

Hey! You stole my Grandma's sweater!! Someone broke into her house years ago and Just stole that sweater! Why Mike...Why the sweater?? Anyway I am telling her, she is 93 and she Will come after you......still! Nice video Mike. Another right up my alley video from you. Thanks! Like Brian and Karl says.....Presets start it all!

[@424Recording]

I just had to have it, JPC! +1 for presets!

[@424Recording]

Haha awesome. I've never used one of those

[@FLIRTMACHINE]

a good advice is just to randomly go at it and see what comes out; when playing guitar/acoustic instruments you always know what happens next. if you let the machines do their own thing, put some crazy settings on and let things fly, theres many elements of surprises that can happen and thats the best thing about electronic music: not having anything particular in your head, letting things happen. its pretty much a random conversation with computers where you nudge the sounds and beats into different directions!

[@424Recording]

Thanks for this, Bertomobil. I like this way of looking at it!

[@user-eg4zk5ko3o]

understanding synthesis is a major role in playing electronic. IF you get your self a nice old synth with good LFO's you can make some really good stuff man. im from an indie/post background too.. and i went back to new wave/cold wave to see how they had transitioned into electronic fully. Using noise as a rhythm with phasers is amazing the beautiful part about electronic and a major thing i think that people misunderstand is there really isnt any rules.. you have form but in that you can really mess with stuff.. you dont want to sound like anyone else you know sure there is some things you like about other peoples music but heres something i usually do.. Use your sequencer and add some flavour in there get some triggers going while your developing a melody and bring down your beat as your bringing intensity with the LFO's. having multiple synths is a major role.. bringing the volume down while you bring another synth sequncing say another verse? take a good listen around to some of the beats you like and start implementing some of those sounds. are you aware of LFO's and how to sequence? learning subtractive synthesis is really amazing man ive only recently in the last couple years got onto just buying decent synths and making sound scapes and not getting to hung up on sounding like apex twin or something.. Keyboard analogue synths are really good because its great to understand the melodies and have an arpeggiated sequence going and using noise in the back to imitate high hats like they did back in New wave its amazing stuff really.

[@JeffHendricks]

There's so many genres of electronic music now. All kinds of variations on Synthwave, EDM, house/rave/techno, pop, ambient... Figure out what kind of overall "feel" you want, and find a couple of sounds that fit it. You want Dance? Find that perfect bass/kick sound and scorching pads, 808 for drums. Maybe synthwave? FM pads with arpeggiators, some LM-1 style drums. Once you get the base sounds loaded up, you fiddle around with beats, chord changes, and melodies until you got something interesting.

[@424Recording]

Sounds good, Jeff! Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Checking out some artists and researching how they do it! Thanks for the tips!

[@jamessicilia9125]

The reason you are getting stuck might be because you are moving on too quickly from one instrument to another to create a jam loop. Instead attempt to stick with the bass first and write multiple bass lines with a basic beat, and then work on creating parts for those bass lines. I usually will go with 4-6 bass lines to start and by the time I am done working through multiple other instruments with those bass parts I will have probably reduced the amount of bass lines that i want to use to 4 of those parts in that process. I feel like approaching it this way is best because its while the idea is fresh and ready to be molded into multiple possible outcomes. When I loop parts over one phrase I have trouble moving on from that phrase because I have worked out multiple parts and now have to consider them all before making another part to it. I come from a similar starting place and am writing some electronic music. Its much different when you arent writing around guitar/bass parts. I would get stuck just like you, and the reason was because im kind of used to writing all of my song on guitar or bass, recording to that, and reworking based on those parts. I think at this point you can jam out remaining instrumentation on those parts and come up with something once you come up with bass lines, or even synth lead parts in the same method. once you have worked out all of the multiple parts to your liking you can work with arrangement. then I would rework drums based on the decided arrangement.

[@424Recording]

This is a great tip. I can see this being a helpful strategy. I usually move on to each instrument after I have one done. This makes way more sense. I'll try it out. Thanks for this, James! Happy recording and thanks for watching!

[@SilentTravelers]

I got started by sampling found sounds and then building music around those sounds. They would often help me start with a theme or setting. From there I would write different layers that would be one part and then I would have a few different parts and could definitely be like an ABABC format or verse chorus verse chorus bridge format, as you said. As Karl said, using presets is definitely a great way to start so that you can focus more on the writing instead of the sound design. As of lately, I've gotten much more into the sound design and I'm now focusing a lot more on creating different textures that blend, interact, and evolve together. Instead of really writing / composing, I often find myself improvising with these textures, as the focus is really on the sound itself and I'm really taking more of an ambient drone approach.

[@MikeFoerster]

That sweater, I don't know what to say. Just, that sweater.

[@424Recording]

I'm going to rearrange my entire life around it

[@MikeFoerster]

@@424Recording awesome! I'm going to need a lot of images for the video

[@424Recording]

Lemme know

[@multiKslice]

I find a great way to build momentum and add variety is by adjusting the tone of high hats. Brighter = more energy. Darker = less energy. Another one I play with is having short sections where my bass or lead plays the same note for 2-4 bars, or having long drawn passages, eg if my melody is 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 2 I'll repeat each note 4-8 times as a sort of lead solo. So it becomes 11112222333322223333111122222222 Also after a break I like to increase the decay slightly on my kick, hats, sometimes lead or bass just to make things feel a little more full and then slowly bring them back after 8 bars I hope this makes sense. I'm not a classically trained musician nor do I know anything about music theory but this is what I do to add little bits of variety.

[@424Recording]

Hi, Keelan. Thanks for this. This is exactly what trips me up, the addition of variety. So thanks for these tips. They are well suited for where I'm at! Nah, I'm in the same boat re: classically trained/theory! Cheers

[@Psztyk236]

I couldn’t stop looking at that sweater lol Perfect timing with the video. I recently discovered a cool Dance producer called Never Dull (from Mexico, I think) and while listening to his awesome tracks I also found a lot of other stuff in similar style. Super cool, I was never that much into electronic music (except for The Prodigy in high school) but that jazzy-funky-dance music caught my ear instantly. In fact, I think I’ll record a song in this style for this year’s Fall Song Challenge 😅

[@424Recording]

Haha thanks, wiencheck! It's a custom knit by my wife! Awesome, re: FSC. I need to check this out, too. That's funny with the timing of the video, that always seems to happen, right?

[@mjpayne899]

Find some electronic music you like, write out their structures in some basic form (no notation or anything, just structure). Get all the parts you've got going in your loop and roughly map them out into either a direct copy of another tracks structure or just whatever general patterns you've noticed in them. Then just think about how sections can transition, drops, builds and all that. Plus most tracks don't need to do anything much at all, just build a bit, drop, build again, flow etc.

[@424Recording]

Thanks, M J. I think I'm overthinking it now that you mention it. Thanks for this

[@TheDanson000]

1. Think of the full album concept vs. a song. Mechina and Carbon Based Lifeforms do this well. 2. Listen bpm on xm for an hour each day. Write down each song. Listen to that full album or other songs from them. 3. Listen to more music. Even if it is unknown. Pop, celtic, rock 4. Listen to Victor Woten the music lesson.

[@arttheboy]

Electronic music has a specific formula for song structures. Looking at some house and contemporary edm in a djing context makes it simple everyone is made with the club/DJ in mind!! Think in energy levels for instance a chill intro build ups and super loud sections. Most things change ever 8bars or so, like a new instrument or different lines etc

[@424Recording]

This is very interesting. Is there parts that come back around again or is it more of an evolution of the structure? I might have to do some studying by the sound of it! Thanks, art

[@arttheboy]

@@424Recording Things definitely come back around again with some variation, however. A great genre to give a good cursory understanding would be deep house, listen to some disclosure for a tasteful modern look in how vocal-based electronic music is structured in terms of the industry. Also check out lofi house its a relatively "new" internet genre that may be interesting for you seeing you like your 424 recordings and all :) ALSO SIDENOTE love the channel I have a fostex260 4 track and a Zoom r8 (8track digital recorder), very inspiring stuff coming out of your channel, helped me make a lot of dawless music THANKS MY GUY

[@424Recording]

Will do! Thanks for these genre and artist recommendations. I actually stumbled across some electronic music that was all recorded on the 424 and that's one thing that started getting me really thinking about this. I think melding all of these interests could lead to making some fun music. Thanks for watching and it is really my pleasure! I appreciate the feedback. Keep rocking and electronicking haha

[@arttheboy]

@@424Recording :'))

[@YoMyNamesJakeG]

@@424Recording do you mind sharing what music you found that was recorded on the 424?

[@kadelovell3662]

please make a follow up video to this!! im very curious and get kinda stuck in a rut with electronic music when i try to write

[@424Recording]

For sure, Kade! Coming up. I'm going to be focusing on electronic music this year. Btw thanks for joining the Patreon!

[@elliotttadanier5971]

I’m not sure I would call my music electronic, but I really like taking something kind of random like a reverse, slowed down cassette, then try to find a few moments in there I like, create some loops, and tell a little story. Sometimes it helps me to keep the “subject matter” really simple, like just trying to make a little song that recounts my coffee preparation routine.

[@tomblaze2]

To Arrange Electronic music I am less fluent as well - I breakdown the arrangements and instrumentation to a group of songs I dig, I then use those arrangements as a framework to build a track. After you do this for some time it will be easier to arrange electronic music from scratch... but, you can always use the reference method as a fallback. I actually take some time and write out on paper a basic outline of when certain drums and synths will enter and exit the arrangement to visualize it, it's just a guide - I can change things as I write/record and then further in the editing and mixing phase as well.

[@424Recording]

Thanks for this, tom! My inclination was to use a map/write it all out as well. I'm glad to hear this is a viable way to arrange it. EM definitely seems more math-y to me whereas with the indie stuff, it's easier to use intuition after a while or jam out when you feel proficient with a part. From your description, it sounds to me like EM music has a structure that does more evolving (start one place and end at another) rather than follow a standard structure... thanks for this. This gives me some good ideas on how to start! Cheers!

[@peterkiefel4324]

Hi Mike - interesting topic as always! Like you I'm a guitar/bass guy but I got a Minitaur bass synth and a Beatstep Pro sequencer and I really enjoy getting lost with knob twiddling a sequence, but it always feels like a noodle not a song. Even if I add a drum machine to the sequencer I get frustrated stuck inside a loop. One day I was playing a 4 step bass line and plugged midi keyboard into the Beatstep and voila' I was able to walk the bass line around and that threw a switch in my head! So I am saving for a 2nd synth and maybe an arpeggiator with the view towards having an upper voice static sequence, with a bass line shifting below to provide a chord progression. As a bass player that puts me in a comfort zone as I know how to walk a bassline, so hopefully I can find a best of both worlds scenario. As I was researching for a second synth I came across this, which is what is line with what I'm thinking about kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpC6Zmiin9igd9U

[@424Recording]

Thanks, Peter! I think I'm overthinking this after watching that video and reading your comment. It seems like following a vibe with some minimal changes and some effects and builds should start doing the trick! Thanks for sending this along and good luck with your explorations!

[@peterkiefel4324]

@@424Recording thanks Mike! As it turned out I didnt need to get another synth. I am able to run a mini moog app on my iPad alongside the Minitaur and so I have 2 separate sequences running off the Beatstep and even better, my midi keyboard will separately transpose the sequence on the Minitaur without transposing the iPad synth - which is exactly what I was trying to achieve! (i.e. I have a moving bassline progression underneath a static upper voice sequence). So I will woodshed on that setup to see where it goes and if it inspires new music. If it does I will get another synth because I want a hands on knob twiddling tactile experience which I cant get on the iPad synth! I find analog synth knob twiddling fires the same pleasure centers in my brain as does knob twiddling on my Tascam 424!!!

[@spacealienjesus709]

You can try the Mark Lanegan approach.. Write it all on guitar and transfer it to the keys..

[@424Recording]

Dang that's a cool idea! Thanks, SAJ!

[@djobnoxious6407]

Chase after those reference tracks. You remember that weird LFOd bass line from Junior Boys' "More Than Real"? I got that sound. You remember the chorused, detuned organ in "Chamber of reflection"? I got that too. Let's add a grimy Rhodes or an ambient/IDM malletty sound and do a track with those! And that,or something not much different, should be it.

[@thecozies]

Aphex Twin is a good electronic musician to check out. In a lot of his songs songs he's constantly doing different variations of drum patterns and synth lines. I'd recommend Windowlicker specifically.

[@424Recording]

Oh, yeah, awesome recommendation! I've always been blown away by Aphex Twin. Thanks, Cole!

[@thecozies]

@@424Recording he's awesome! apparently he makes his own music software so it's pretty hard to truly replicate him lol. it was cool to see this video, I've been planning on making some electronic music in that style and I might have to pick it back up!

[@424Recording]

Yeah, I remember hearing about that. Like, it seems like he's on another, untouchable level. Isn't there also a rumor that he's insane or something?

[@lightfuserunaway2508]

I hope this isn't too late for you to not see! The Digitakt is equally loved and hated for really forcing you into that "one endless loop" style of playing electronic music, so you're not really doing anything wrong just brushing up against it's limits! If you want to do song structures a bit more like your normal guitar stuff you can look into pattern chaining or trigger conditions. ALDO's "DIY Song Mode" video is pretty beginner friendly, and Ricky Tinez goes into a little more depth on the subject. This will allow you to do longer patterns and even verse/chorus structures, but it's kind of a laborious process that involves repeating yourself a lot and can be a bit of a bummer when you first start doing it. BUT! If you really want to lean into that one endless loop style you need to change the way you think about song structures a little. In a normal guitar pop song like you usually write you use chords to build tension and release, whereas a lot of electronic music relies more heavily on "vibe" to build that tension with a fairly short loop. Something like Acid Tracks by Phuture is a perfect example, that's basically just one drum and bass loop for 12 minutes but they make it work by. playing with the intensity and dynamic of the instruments. You almost want the music to disappear and instead sweep you up with the feeling of the moment, like you were saying about lyrics in your shoe gaze video. From the little bit of the song you played in this video the biggest "problem" is that the pad sound is giving a false feeling of tension and release, and because it repeats so often it gets repetitive quite quickly. The baseline is actually really good though, and if you were to just focus on that and the drumlins for a bit you'll find it much easier to get into that hypnotic kind of zone you're looking for. A few fun tricks for pulling the most out of the baseline is to put the resonance quite high on the minitaur and open the cutoff slowly over a few bars until it's really screaming, then snap it all back shut again really quickly. The EG knob will also be your friend here. Playing around with the release knob for both the filter and the amp will also give you a lot of mileage for "shaping the vibe" as it were.

[@lightfuserunaway2508]

As far as recommendations go, I think Holy Fuck would gel with your ethos really well, and bands like DAF or Add X To N are super synthy while having more of that punk and indie edge that might help bridge that gap for you. There's a lot of German stuff from the 70's you might also connect with a bit more easily, Tangerine Dream or Popul Vuh are my favourites, as essentially rock bands who started messing about with synths (and were awesome).

[@nowavecharles]

Hi Mike. You seem to be trying out new musical ideas, which is great. You've got your influences, your gear, and it's just a matter of getting to know the language of that type of music. You mentioned Tycho, who I also know and love. So if you're trying to go for more chill and ambient stuff, I suggest you look at the artists you like in the electronic genre, and identify why you like those songs and artists so much. Look at the structure, how each song is arranged. A lot of it is less about verse-chorus styles like you said, and more about the groove or a certain sound/atmosphere. There is an Andrew Huang video, you've probably already seen it, about learning music theory in 30 minutes that I recommend you watch. It has some good knowledge about chord inversions and such, which can be really helpful when writing synth/electronic music. In terms of getting stuck in loops, I recommend looking at how you can then make a variation of a loop for a different section. You could still be in the same key or scale and just switch some notes around, or even just do a different rhythm. A lot of electronic music is more repetitive than other styles, usually because a ton of it was made during a time when synths, sequencers, and samplers weren't as advanced as the modern day. Also experiment with taking away certain aspects like a lead line or the kick and snare drum to provide transitions. Even changing up the sounds, sweeping the filter cutoff, adjusting an LFO or envelope generator, etc. You could even do a bit of chorusey/flange guitar in there. Try stuff Mike, that's what I recommend. I am also diving into more electronic stuff lately, and I find just giving weird ideas a try can create really cool "accidents," and lead to some interesting parts. Good luck man! You're a great artist and I'm sure you'll come up with some dope tracks. Also get Jay or Brian to do some weird effects and synths too!

[@424Recording]

I think you've touched upon a big thing about Electronic music that I find overwhelming: the amount of options, seemingly endless, that you can choose. It's crazy how much you can do and how far you can go and how one small tweak can completely change the outcome of what you're working on. But that's also what's amazing about the genre. I started to feel boxed in my guitar/indie music. I know there is still a lot to learn with guitar music but a shift into synthesis seems like an exciting direction. You're literally synthesizing your own sounds; that's the big realization I've had. Thanks for these tips and ideas, Henry. I'll have to check out that video! And yeah, I definitely need to get the guys in on it. That song we all did together at Jay's studio, we were all jamming on synths and keyboards and it was a lot of fun! Good luck with your explorations as well. I saw that you were starting to head in an 80's direction!

[@dimitrioualexi]

What works for me is starting with finding a nice sound (most often I start with a synth pad) and build the song around that sound. What kind of chord progression and rhythm fits that sound? Does it call for a hard bass or a subtle one? I'd say be less concerned with the song structure and more concerned with the soundscape you create. Experiment with your drum patterns. A nice reverb for the snare, maybe a groovy delay on the hi-hat, some distortion. With electronic music you're not longer restricted by what a human could possibly play, make use of that advantage. Once you feel like you got something going, don't be afraid of repeating it. If you feel that your song lacks momentum, it often works to just hold back on the lowest/highest frequencies of your song for a while and reintrodruce them later. Don't have your frequency spectrum filled out all at once, all the time.

[@424Recording]

WOW thanks for this, Alexi. You've got me thinking completely differently about this. Also, this is a killer quote haha: "With electronic music you're not longer restricted by what a human could possibly play, make use of that advantage." 🙌💣

[@dimitrioualexi]

@@424Recording haha thanks. Glad I was able to give something back to you, keep up the good work!!

[@placetocontemplate9108]

speak of the devil - i have been messing around with some electronic tracks lately! for me, i like to listen to tracks that move me, and study which parts specifically, and then figure out what the artist is doing that worked there. i like the song "bad wings" by the glitch mob ... it creeps along in a sinister way on simple melodies and drums. -have fun with it and use your own instinctual musical sensibility... build a toolbox of your own tricks/styles --i listened to "Mezzanine" the album by Massive Attack recently... it somehow melds live music and electronic into one seamless atmosphere that reminds me of people/settings in a pulsing city while also being a cerebral world unto itself

[@placetocontemplate9108]

just re-listened to your video, here's some more response: if you're making some 4 or 16 step patterns that you like, maybe it's about crafting a way out of a pattern into the next part. you can mine electronic music for transition ideas. like maybe part A has reverb on every instrument and when it hits part B all the reverb turns off, sounding like a different part. --I think an electronic song could be composed on a lead synth, a bass, and drums, kind of like a rock song. once the whole thing rocks throughout, add more pads and whatnot. the verse/chorus recipe lets you check all your boxes and know youre done... an electronic song pretty much just has to hold your attention the whole time in any way possible a lot of songs that remain popular over time have a bunch of memorable/iconic bits. i see it almost as like the parts of the song are Memes/GIFs, like a film or TV show has insightful/fresh pieces of dialogue/jokes that can be quoted by fans again and again, and are resonant in different contexts. Maybe a good film is composed entirely of different unique/memorable memes. Like if you think of Fargo, you immediately remember the guy in the wood chipper, and some of Francis McDormands lines, and their accents. A sound effect, a specific drum fill, can be the memorable pieces that a song is built of. So, taking a personal fav of mine "A Journey To Reedham" by Squarepusher, IMO the parts, as they come through, are memorable... the 8-bit kindof sounding intro, and how all the notes in the measure are played, making it sound fast, the way the drums come in a little bit at a time, one kick, one snare... it's unusual... then the crash cymbal sound is not an ordinary crash cymbal, it's stretched out and becomes a whole motif that u listen for throughout the song. --to "finish" a song, save it as a wav and listen to it with your ordinary music listening, maybe a month later you'll hear things that you want the song to do and can go back and change it

[@placetocontemplate9108]

oh yeah - save all your jams even if it's not working or you lose interest. later when ur bored, go through and listen to 20 jams, some of them may surprise you.

[@424Recording]

Great tips, Dan. I just went through my computer and you're right. I found like 20 ideas that are interesting and I'm like, "Where did this come from?" +1 on studying tracks. I find myself pulling apart the compositions a lot, too, to see how the structure was put together

[@placetocontemplate9108]

@@424Recording Rad. I'd be interested to hear/see update videos about any new techniques you learn and/or ideas you have.

[@godofspacetime333]

I would hit record with the drum loop going and just improvise with the bassline or chord progression for 5 or 10 minutes, then improvise a melody/lead overtop that, and keep going from there. Once you finally listen back to what you have, there will probably be several parts in there that are interesting and can become their own sections or will give you new ideas to branch off from. Basically just jamming with yourself as if it was band situation. Instrumental music tends to be more interesting when it’s through-composed, maybe return to a main hook or variation of it occasionally, and you’ve got a song.

[@424Recording]

So what is your approach for switching the drums up? Or is it more of one pattern with small variations and then drops out sometimes? I mean that's where I'm really getting stuck, I have these melodies and parts I like using instruments I dig the sound of... hmmm maybe that should be the end point, the full layered loop and then I can start the song building to that...

[@godofspacetime333]

424 Recording Yeah that’s pretty much it, once you’ve got a few ideas of where the song could go you start getting ideas about the dynamics, and the drums are a big part of that. So even if it’s just switching the hi-hat sound over to a ride or crash sound, it can have a huge impact. Also dropping down to just a kick, or just kick and snare. And yeah I’ve often started with end of a song and built it up backwards, and kind of hinted at the ending earlier in the song so that when you finally get there it’s a satisfying plateau or release. Or recapitulation.. I’m a big fan of the theme-and-variation idea that comes from classical music. And the sonata form of exposition, development, and recapitulation is always interesting and fun, as a composer and for the listener.

[@424Recording]

It sounds like I've got some work to do. I've never thought about composition in these terms. I think I can make cool loops that I enjoy everyday, but, yeah, the drums to me are like, "How much variation should there be? How much is enough, how much is too much?" It almost seems like some electronic music is great because it is ignorable; it more so puts you in a mood than is something you are actively listening to, if that makes sense. Thanks for these tips. Everyone has given me so many great directions to explore. I really appreciate it!

[@godofspacetime333]

424 Recording Yeah that’s totally valid too, and I do sometimes go overboard on the time I spend on drums, just did that yesterday haha But you’re very good at that kind of minimalist thing that I never quite got down either, so maybe it’s just two totally different approaches here. But yeah no problem man I can’t wait to hear what you end up with.

[@424Recording]

Thanks for the encouragement, Godof. I always wonder if the stuff is too minimalist so Idk maybe we can meet in the middle haha. Thanks! I'll surely be working on/posting some stuff to the channel! Cheers. You got any links to what you're doing?

[@rangoononline]

Start with drums and layer shit until a song appears :D Nice set up!

[@424Recording]

Hey, Joe! Thanks! I already got a hot tip on those lights 🤓

[@jasonelambeth]

I have no idea. First step, get a dope ass sweater? ✅

[@Shrimpy08]

Jason E. Lambeth it is a great sweater

[@424Recording]

Thanks, guys! It's custom. My wife knitted it for me!

[@no_wrong_notes]

I enjoy some of the KZbin videos by FACT Magazine in their series Against the Clock in which artists have ten minutes to compose an idea. One of the videos I keep going back to is by the artist Rival Consoles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGfUlmxneb2Srs0. I think you're on to something in that you create a layered soundscape and then strip it back to a central theme, then reintroduce the layers. This is why Ableton is an effective DAW for electronic music composition in my humble opinion.

[@424Recording]

Ableton does seem to keep popping up as I delve deeper into this genre. I've never used it before and never realized what it was for! Oh, cool, re: FACT Magazine. I've seen some videos in this series. I'll check this one out now. Thanks for sending it along. I think the layered approach would work the best for me, it feels comfortable but also challenging to get it right. The composition is where I'm getting tripped up. I think the fact that there are almost an endless amount of options and things you can do is also a hurdle I need to get over. Cheers, Nick. Thanks for this!

[@maxpowers3494]

Tip 1. 4/4 Tip 2. Sample Mortal Combat

[@424Recording]

"MORTAL KOMBAAAAAATTTT"

[@Shrimpy08]

Loud drums

[@Formelyknownasnone]

Go back to the roots.