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I've downloaded loads of tunes from the forum. One thing I find common especially with new producers and that is they don't quite structure tracks well.

You gotta remember your making the tune for the DJ just as much as you are making it for the crowd. 8 bar, 16 bar, 32 bar structures, simple but very clear to follow. Something which can help with your structures is little edits in the tune which guides people through the track.

Obviously you can do what you like, I'm just not following some tracks at all and thought I'd mention this.

This is interesting... could you give some examples of the little edits? Do you mean things like buildups, or a sound that repeats like once every 4 bars?

DougD wrote:This is interesting... could you give some examples of the little edits? Do you mean things like buildups, or a sound that repeats like once every 4 bars?

A fill at the end of every other bar, or every fourth bar, for example.

Learning to DJ - if you don't already - teaches you a great deal about how tunes should be structured. Though it's not essential.

I've sketched out a template project to use each time i start a new tune (using colours and working out the number of bars etc.) and with all your VSTs/effects and that ready loaded

Helps when you're actually writing the tune as sometimes you can get carried away/not make sections long enough.

SHNYDE wrote:I've sketched out a template project to use each time i start a new tune (using colours and working out the number of bars etc.) and with all your VSTs/effects and that ready loaded

Helps when you're actually writing the tune as sometimes you can get carried away/not make sections long enough.

i have a template project also. best way to work.

Deapoh wrote:You gotta remember your making the tune for the DJ just as much as you are making it for the crowd. 8 bar, 16 bar, 32 bar structures, simple but very clear to follow.

standard.

thanks for the friendly advice there D. I have always felt that arrangement is my weakest point. But i've had a lot of help these past few months by certain people here. DJing does help too.

For me it isnt so much the basic structure of a track (16 bar intro, 16 bar break... whatever) as it is the 'little edits' that keep the track interesting, and hold the energy of the track as well.

Learn the rules, and know them so well you can confidantly break them.

Misk wrote: Learn the rules, and know so well you can confidantly break them.

for sure.

solid structure is important, but formulaicism is bad news....

BLK PLAGUE wrote:

Deapoh wrote:You gotta remember your making the tune for the DJ just as much as you are making it for the crowd. 8 bar, 16 bar, 32 bar structures, simple but very clear to follow.

standard.

get me.

anyone who dont know about dese things better start catching up lool

lol @ this thread.

I used to hate doing this but now I do it even if the track is not meant to be mixed.. can't help it now.
I think it's good to make tracks DJ friendly anyway.. and I had another point but it's gone so I'll stop typing

yeah, theres a bit of controversy about making tracks for the DJ versus, making tracks just for art's sake. but if you are going to be making a genre of music, dubstep for example, that you know is played out by DJs, i think you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didnt make it somewhat DJ friendly.

Unless your burial, that is...

i gotta say if your structure is completely random of course any dj is gonna have a shit time playing it but if everyone follows the same standard structure at all times the music becomes a bit boring and stale (kinda like what happened to drum and bass)

structure need sto make sense and be logical and progressive, as long as you follow some rough guidelines a dj should be able to work it out.

i rarely see a dj pull out a tune theyve never heard and try to mix it

How about a couple of really strong dubstep examples of the fills and structure you're talking about. I know what you're talking about (with respect to drum and bass) but I want to hear it too. Try and include the timing marks of the stuff you're talking about.

The strongest example I can think of is Skream-"Midnight Request Line" with that huge key change that lets you know everything is about to change.

perfect example is the pad fill on Reso - No Such Thing as Fate when it drops into that super bubbly trancey riff.

Misk wrote:Learn the rules, and know them so well you can confidantly break them.

thanks for this topic!!!

You ned to have a realy good reason to break the rules.
music is after all basicaly based on math. luckily we dont need to know the math ...
just feel it!!!

.spiro.

can you all put a quiet tick/beep on each beat at the start for about 16/32 beats to assist the dj matching speeds and dropping in?

something helpful like on dmz refix of Fat freddys drop

flipw wrote:can you all put a quiet tick/beep on each beat at the start for about 16/32 beats to assist the dj matching speeds and dropping in?

something helpful like on dmz refix of Fat freddys drop

Even better, put a robot voice counting down through in each measure...

two oh one wrote:

flipw wrote:can you all put a quiet tick/beep on each beat at the start for about 16/32 beats to assist the dj matching speeds and dropping in?

something helpful like on dmz refix of Fat freddys drop

Even better, put a robot voice counting down through in each measure...

top idea

also need some sort of warning for bass dropping for sure.

maybe all producers could agree on a bpm: 140 sound ok with everyone?

flipw wrote:

two oh one wrote:

flipw wrote:can you all put a quiet tick/beep on each beat at the start for about 16/32 beats to assist the dj matching speeds and dropping in?

something helpful like on dmz refix of Fat freddys drop

Even better, put a robot voice counting down through in each measure...

top idea

also need some sort of warning for bass dropping for sure.

maybe all producers could agree on a bpm: 140 sound ok with everyone?

140 is too limiting. I want to use a tempo of 133bpm going down to 116 randomly, when I see fit.