Minimal theory

[Android]

2. Pass hundred hours to experiment with your synthetizers. It is the only way to get your OWN sound, your OWN universe. Record hundred of "presets" you'll have done yourself. Build your raw personal bank, and then ebgin to produce a complete track...
It's like cooking. You have to gather all kind of ingredients, sometimes you experiment, but you never cook something by choosing your ingredient by chance
It sounds like something obvious, but I think that when you are like a child behind your screen, you can forget that...

I had almost the same cooking analogy discussing production with a a friend trying to figure out Live.

it's all about growing your own plants and animals, (sounds and samples)
knowing what you fed them. harvesting them when they are ripe.

and of course in cooking presentation (arrangement) matters most!

[luminous]

so i don't know how to but it's good idea to make that topic

and removing elements/reducing yesss but still you've got to move those reduced things in 5min (i.e.) track time in non-boring attractive manner,and i was thinking about lately that tonal changes are more meaningful than the fx only (non tonal changing fx)
but there is a huge problem with adding notes that don't ruin minimal language, there's a danger of getting into to obvious melodies that trigger too obvious feelings...and i guess here is the part where your taste/intuition? goes much more into play and is watching and selecting every move really carefully filtering out tones that our minimal concept don't smile to

[FSP]

i think youll find most people rely on luck; or what i like to call it; "experimentation"

I get a lot of stuff done by this technique. yes it is "experimentation" and luck, but at the same time there is a method to the madness that can only be learned through experience I feel.

[agodi]

My problem is making minimal music. I have no issues making music, or any of the production as I'm experienced in that dept. My problem is actually making something interesting with just a few elements.

I come from being a keyboard player, theory/ chords/ scales are not the issue, the issue with me, is that I tend to make stuff that sounds 'song - like'.

Contrived maybe, or at least that's the way it feels to me. When i listen to stuff I like, it's like there was no direction musically and no point to anything but it's something i want to be able to do, the arrangements make the music point-worthy and logical.

Drawing board - back to.

You could try deleting parts of the sequence and shortening/lengthening notes, that way there is still logic to a sequence which may sound illogical.......

Another general tip is its hard to really hear your music when you can see it on a screen in front of you, so close your eyes or export it and listen to it somewhere else....

[sharkcellar]

The suggestion of doing harmonic content first and later working in the rhythmic stuff is right on. Starting with a kick and then a snare and then trying to pile a ton of other stuff on top can be the most unoriginal and boring route to go.

[lcvl]

When i listen to stuff I like, it's like there was no direction musically and no point to anything but it's something i want to be able to do

I can totally relate to that. For years I've had problems with that aspects of electronic music production, until I realized the big difference between a song and a track.

Regarding not finishing your tracks, try harder and never give up. I wasn't able to finish a track in years, seriously... Overconceptualizing the whole production process, hoping that the next piece of gear/plug-in would solve all my problems, constantly switching platforms and DAWs looking for the best workflow... You get the idea.

Then suddenly something clicked and now it seems I can't stop releasing tracks. It's almost addictive.

[Smear]

I get a lot of stuff done by this technique. yes it is "experimentation" and luck, but at the same time there is a method to the madness that can only be learned through experience I feel.

Yeah, it still involves intuition, knowledge, experience and judgement, just like any other method. It's only luck if you're not listening to what you're doing.

[tommy_fretwell]

Not read the whole thread thoroughly so forgive if already mentioned but for me critical listening is a good habit.

Take a 4 bar loop of a track you like and try to emulate the arrangement the best you can, with all the elements you can hear!

This builds a good understanding of arrangements but on a smaller scale.

Also dont be afraid to sample. Take a percussion loop, build around it then take it out.