Article's on Structure

VinylJunkie

Hey im looking for articles on the internet for the basic structure of electronic music.
At the moment im using Reason4 to make drum loops. Im wondering how to build the loops, then where to add the synth's etc..

Im a noob at this but I really want to learn the ropes!

Neurojazz

How basic are your skills? - can you get a '4 to the floor' bass drum looped in reason so it repeats all the time?

That's usually the foundation most start from, then adding the basic sounds (hi-hats, claps, snares) in certain places that you think they should be.

There are 'typical' patterns people make and then you learn to break those rules later on when you've nailed your skills.

The synths... normally i'd get a pupil to make a basic bass line and learn to vary the sounds to see what happens.

Since the forum is just starting i need to get some resources up together to help people like yourself - so bear with me.

But i have little midi files you can drag and drop into reason and then assign sounds to mess about with - and i might sit down and make a basic prefab file for reason with these basics to help.

Just need a few people to do the same with fruity loops etc... and we'd be set for life

romarr

not really an article but "The Dance Music Manual" by Rick Snoman excellent sections on structure ... and dance production in general

also good to do is disassemble your favorite tunes, and literally write out their structure - reverse engineering if you like - then use that structure or a version of it on whatever your working on ...

VinylJunkie

Neurojazz wrote: »

How basic are your skills? - can you get a '4 to the floor' bass drum looped in reason so it repeats all the time?

Yeah that is about it I can make the drum loops on the redrum then I have them in sample blocks (1-8) I can also make basic synth's with my keyboard. I need a basic tutorial to nail down the basics and I can improvise from there.

jtsuited

simple answer - your record collection.

get your ten favourite tracks, take out a pen and paper and jot down the structure: will look something like

intro for the first 2 minutes
small break
main section
big break
main section a bit bigger
small break
outro


you would be shocked to realise how standard this type of arrangement is.

Neurojazz

VinylJunkie wrote: »

Yeah that is about it I can make the drum loops on the redrum then I have them in sample blocks (1-8) I can also make basic synth's with my keyboard. I need a basic tutorial to nail down the basics and I can improvise from there.

Are you able to get those patterns into the arranger screen? - if you can then what jtsuited would mean you can then move/copy and delete these patterns you make to copy those patterns other records have.

VinylJunkie

Neurojazz wrote: »

Are you able to get those patterns into the arranger screen? - if you can then what jtsuited would mean you can then move/copy and delete these patterns you make to copy those patterns other records have.

Yeah I need to learn how to do that next so I can build up the tune. Im messing with it here and its not too bad.

ICN

Its all about the Bars.

Normally there is a change / new element added every 32.

Lesser elements can be added / faded in every 16.

Dance tracks are made up in blocks of these.


Play a track you like in your media player.

Open up Reason, and in the sequencer - make a blank track & make regions as you listen to the Bars in your chosen track.

Colour them in as you go.. 1 - 16 etc..

If you really want to understand.. Work out the length of the track.

Then map out each of the elements, with a blank track for each..

Name them:

Kick
Hat 1
Hat 2
Clap
Bassline 1
Bassline 2
Noise / FX Buildup
Main Riff
etc..

You should have an entire song's worth of info there by the end! :pac:

SteveDon

Structure is very important

Of course there are lots of varieties in structure to tracks but heres a basic example that a lot of modern tracks use

Intro

Think about how a dj would mix in a track, i like to try to make my tracks very dj friendly.

Start off with light drums then build them up a bit, introduce new drum sounds at the 8 or 16 bar mark. Maybe drop the bass drum for the last few steps before you introduce something new. Maybe chuck in a background type synth, but dont show your full hand yet, no need to bring in the main melody at this stage. Also it might be a good idea to hold back on the snare drum at this point.

First Break

This is the point where a dj might switch the bass off the tracks as the bass line and low end frequencies of the track start. This is why a good solid bassline is so important cause this is peoples first main impression of the track. This normally builds up a bit over 32 bars or so, synth sounds are introduced but its not the full whack of the track quite yet.

First breakdown

This shouldnt be too long, maybe around 16 bars or so, but this is the point where your track should really start to get going.

Second break

Introduce something new here that will start to get people moving, again build things up if nessecary ever 16 bars or so, make this bit longer than the first break, you could release you full hand of synths during this part or what until the third break depends on what suits the track.

Second breakdown

Draw this breakdown out alot more than the first one, think of the first breakdown as a bit of a taster and this one as the full meal. Build it up using all the modulation and effects you can muster slowly but surely.

Third Break

This is that moment in the track where that everyone in the club thats listening is waiting for after the breakdown, its got to be a big release of energy that the breakdown built up to. Its arguably the bestpart of any given track.

Outro

Do the same as the intro but in reverse

Sorry about last night my laptop completely crapped out on me, i had to do a system restore, ill hopefully do a set on the sync this weekend.

Terry Cotta

basic structure of electronic music.

Don't think about how tunes should be. If you just try to make tunes to a certain standard you'll get bored very quickly. Get a drum synth VST or slice some breaks...........you'll never know what you'll come out with.

If people stuck to a certain standard we would never have the huge range of genres we have...........how could we have gotten from House to Jungle.....

Well thats just my opinion..........but sure enjoy it anyway.

Neurojazz

Terry Cotta wrote: »

Don't think about how tunes should be. If you just try to make tunes to a certain standard you'll get bored very quickly. Get a drum synth VST or slice some breaks...........you'll never know what you'll come out with.

If people stuck to a certain standard we would never have the huge range of genres we have...........how could we have gotten from House to Jungle.....

Well thats just my opinion..........but sure enjoy it anyway.

I believe that hearing and being influenced current genres is important (more so these days) for getting into 'clubland' - but for anything else 'electronica' is definitely a case of being creative/inventive/unique - but the dancefloor music has some very common areas which work for certain reasons.

jtsuited

yeah. it's only when ya sit down and really analyse anything dancefloor, from funky house to minimal/tech house that you realise that there is a common structure to the tracks.

there are a few reasons for this :

1-2 minutes intro - makes it easy to mix for the dj
first small break - define to the dancefloor what the track is about
main section - get them moving
big breakdown/buildup - hands in the air for trance/heads looking down for ketamine fuelled techno/catch your breath.
main section but bigger and heavier - get them moving again (it's gonna take more to move them after the break - like trying to get up out of bed on a monday morning)
outro - mixing out.

there are obviously deviations from this formula but in general most tracks in most 4 to the floor generes follow something like this.