Ableton Forum

MMM...
Since i started producing music i had this problem: i can write good loops (4 bars-8 bars etc) but i have got problems when i start to arrange things..
i will explain myself better...i would like to do some instrumental hip hop stuff (blockhead, boom bip etc.)...so basically something that evolves more through time and changes melody and patterns...but when i have got to build intros/melody changes and build ups i find some great difficulties...
it seems like i try to glue together two different things...
sometimes i even know what kind of sound i want or the climax i want to build up..BUT i don't have a clue of how obtain that sound or that combination..so basically it is a hit or miss strategy, until i find something that fits ok with it...
what about you?

I'm into that style of music as well. When I listen to artists like blockhead it "feels" like the entire song fits together although the loops all "sound" different and build on each other. I've just started messing with ableton but what I usually do is created a bunch of loops that "feel" right together. So when they are all playing together there are no major key clashes or awkwardness. Then I just strip that clump of loops down to create different section of the song.

Try building the climax first, I allways start a new track with finding the hook or main melody, then chords etc.. for the hook/melody part, so I have the part that the track will build up to before anything else as an anchor and that makes everything else I come up with fit together so it won't sound like bits of different tracks stuck together.

It also makes it easier to have the track build better, you have the climax so you know that, then instead of building UP to a climax you don't know yet, you can build DOWN from the climax that you know allready, way easier imo.