Keeping it interesting

dranfu · Post by **dranfu** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:01 am

Hi guys/gals,

I posted a topic yesterday asking for feedback because I thought that my music was not "interesting" enough; basicaly, i think I write decent beats/melodies and what not, but the songs seem to repetitive.

I was wondering, what do you guys do to keep a song interesting? Do you constantly work on fiils? Do you "ride the faders" on all your tracks to constantly vary the dynamics of the song? Do you constatly automate with the effects in your song?

mlexicon · Post by **mlexicon** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:44 am

yo im up to my ass with this problem as well, but i think i got a solution

well...ill suggest a solution

dont lay out more than 30 seconds of a track at a time...

manipulate those 30 seconds as much as u can with whatever it is u do

then move on to the next 30....and so oon

forky forkerson · Post by **forky forkerson** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:37 am

^^^Thats pretty good advice. I recorded an 11 minute track live all at once, and went back to listen to it and realized I left the bass riff the same for like 6 minutes, enough repetition to drive one insane.

harass · Post by **harass** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:41 pm

forky forkerson wrote:enough repetition to drive one insane.

that's not a bad thing

dranfu · Post by **dranfu** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:17 am

Yeah, that is good avice, mlexicon--produce the song in :30 second bits of masterpiece.

I was thinking that If I sort of rider the faders through out the song, giving each part a different dynamic "tension," then perhaps it would be less repetitive; but I probably just need to add more variations and fills.

dncn · Post by **dncn** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:17 pm

harass wrote:
forky forkerson wrote:enough repetition to drive one insane.
that's not a bad thing

i agree, its great sometimes to have the bass hold your spine and let the rest of the track play freek on you.

plaster · Post by **plaster** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:33 pm

i've been thinking about this question for so long and i couldn't find a proper answer... but, i think the answer lies in the classic approach to arrangement. i mean, good sounds are the base of a interresting track, yet they can sound so lame if the arrangement isn't done properly. so, my point would be, make parts, study classic music and arrangement methods in them. i haven't heard much mnml artists that use chorus, bridge or anything like that. there are maybe a few of them...

qubism · Post by **qubism** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:39 pm

a friend of mine plays in a band. percussions guitar bass this kind of instruments. some call it punk but she doesnt like it to be called that.
i asked her what how they approach to make a song interesting and the answer was simple. dont let it sound too similar all over the track. maybe u can think of some real simple rules just as these. print them on a sheet and hang that up your monitor so it will allways remind u to "view" your work under this points...

i do graphic stuff as well and we had some points such as going from big brush size and a rough all over painting to finer details ... which u can forget easily and get lost in a certian segment of the whole piece and then u might have problems to get the rest to suit what u have there so polished ....

prolly just a matter of how advanced u are...

just my thoughts on the topic