How to get good at arangement (techno/minimal/house)

bytheriver · Post by **bytheriver** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:53 pm

My biggest problem in the past has been finishing tunes, turning them from loops into tracks, so I've been really knuckling down the last two weeks and forcing myself to work on two ideas until they're finished and no more.

Problem is I'm finding it really hard, I can play around with the loops and ideas and feel the groove, but turning it into a track it keeps loosing the groove and feel and starting to sound dull and straight.

Does anyone have any tips on how to work out good techno/minimal/techhouse arangements, or pointers on common mistakes etc?

it'd be much appreciated.

mosca · Post by **mosca** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:08 pm

warp a track you like and play it under your mix - then copy the arrangement from that.

that should help get a feel for arrangement.

i thought minimal was just a kick and hat for 10mins anyway with a couple of reverbed stabs thrown in at random?

ChiDJ · Post by **ChiDJ** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:09 pm

Arrangement.

This is what separates the men from the boys.

I've said this before and I stand by it. (It's how I learned).

Load a song that you want your music to sound like and arrange your loop exactly the same way. COPY every change, drop out, transition. From mix in to mix out.

This is the best way to learn. After a few of these exercises, you will begin to intuitively understand how these songs are arranged.

It also helps to learn to DJ. To feel the groove of a good song and how the floor reacts to the songs changes.

T-

contakt321 · Post by **contakt321** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:17 pm

Tarakith has a great guide to arranging on his site - do a search for "arrangement" or "arranging" and I am sure it will come up.

It was really helpful for me!

djfm · Post by **djfm** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:19 pm

ChiDJ wrote:Arrangement.

This is what separates the men from the boys.

I've said this before and I stand by it. (It's how I learned).

Load a song that you want your music to sound like and arrange your loop exactly the same way. COPY every change, drop out, transition. From mix in to mix out.

This is the best way to learn. After a few of these exercises, you will begin to intuitively understand how these songs are arranged.

It also helps to learn to DJ. To feel the groove of a good song and how the floor reacts to the songs changes.

T-

that is a awsome tip
will be trying this

bytheriver · Post by **bytheriver** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:20 pm

Thanks thats a good tip putting a song under it to get cues for arranagement.

I DJed a long long time before I started producing, but somehow I find it really hard to capture the 'performance energy' or whatever, when i'm doing arranagements.

Today for instance, I must have spent 15 mins with a basic loop on my new electribe ER1 dropping in and out parts, effecting, modding decays etc and loving it and the thing only has 9 sounds. Then I sat down with a really good solid 32 beat techno loop in live and it was murder to make a 4 minute aranagement with it.

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:37 pm

what helps from time to time is to put off the computer screen and only listen to what you have done up until the moment. watching your clips flow through the arangement and automation curves can get distracting.

zumba · Post by **zumba** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:47 pm

so just record the er-1 and work with those loops for your arrangement!

bytheriver · Post by **bytheriver** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:54 pm

http://www.tarekith.com/assets/arranging.html

Guide mentioned above to save anyone who might want a peak some time

Nick the Zombie · Post by **Nick the Zombie** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:43 am

djfm wrote:
ChiDJ wrote:Arrangement.

This is what separates the men from the boys.

I've said this before and I stand by it. (It's how I learned).

Load a song that you want your music to sound like and arrange your loop exactly the same way. COPY every change, drop out, transition. From mix in to mix out.

This is the best way to learn. After a few of these exercises, you will begin to intuitively understand how these songs are arranged.

It also helps to learn to DJ. To feel the groove of a good song and how the floor reacts to the songs changes.

T-
that is a awsome tip
will be trying this

+1. Great tip!