How do you start working on a track?

[DannyBagodouchey]

When you first begin working on a track, do you actually start working around with an intro first? Or do you just jump right in and come up with a general idea or hook for a track before trying to come up with a proper arrangement? I think a big part of what I'm doing wrong as far as song writing goes is coming up with a basic structure. I have a tendency to start noodling around with ideas and it usually ends up just being the middle of song with no real beginning or end. Once I have my middle part I can never seem to come up with anything that sounds right before or after it. I've been doing music just purely as a hobby for about 8 years now and I think if I overcame this little boundary I'd have some semi decent tunes that have a little bit of potential to them. Maybe this topic may be better off in the technique section, but I figured I get some more responses here. Any advice would be appreciated though.

[Quiggers]

nearly always try to get a verse or chorus down straight away, then try to finish it off, speed is the key as if i don't get it down quickly i'll forget what i set out to do, intro's and structure are done towards the end of a project. oh and starting off, i use preset and replace them later if need be.

[Sporky_McGuffin]

Main bit first. That might be bass line, guitar or drums. Everything else gets built around that.

[Novata]

Originally Posted by DannyBagodouchey

Once I have my middle part I can never seem to come up with anything that sounds right before or after it.

Yep, I've got 30+ projects with just middle bits.

[Ten Flew South]

I always start with a rhythm sound, and knock out a few bars of whatever key I happen to be playing in that fits with the sound and mood that's created.
Don't limit yourself to just writing a 4bar loop, go with it more and knock out 16 or 32 bars, you'll find yourself doing little runs or making mistakes (that actually sound good and end up being a centrepoint for the track usually!), then you have a structure to look at.
You can break this up, move it around, delete it, record over, whatever, but at least you have a skeleton to work with.

If you start with drums and bass first, you don't really have the same advantage, and the bass should follow the lead anyway, not the other way round.

The track I have in the LL now (plug) is a good example of my method because I didn't do anything to the main rhythm sound, just re-arranged some parts, quantised and swung it a little, the later section is just shifted forward to change the rhythm again.

Normally it would get developed a lot more than that but basically that's what I started out with, I liked the feel of it so left it quite bare.

Most of the time though it would have got stripped down and maybe only half would survive, and get built on.

[spawn]

i just write one riff at a time...

some songs i wrote i knew what part i was going to write, other times i was intending to write a verse, ended up with a chorus and visa versa..

like i said at the beginning, i will write a riff with no passage in mind then write a few more..when i have around 2-minutes worth of riffs in no particular order just end too end..
i start thinking what the riff is, and or saying, then i make a few notes about it on to paper / into my software, but i also check my notes that i usually have like-what key-scale-tonality. then i start a completely new riff get like 2-minutes do the said above.

then start a new riff ect..ect...ect

then from there i will listen to those riffs start thinking about the arrangement..
for the most part i first think about the-key scale and tonality..all on paper..

[Ten Flew South]

notes, yes.. I make lots of notes actually, certainly not anything to do with scales and tones though, haven't a clue when it comes to that stuff, my notes are all about arrangement and anarchaic drawings of progressions and stuff.
I'm in the heathen camp whereby I don't even know what key I'm playing in until I have to write the bassline

[Hypagen]

I would normally start off with a lead line, which can sometimes be the bass. I get a beat going quickly then start on adding bits of interest and sounds to compliment what's going on.

I usually build up about 1mins worth in a loop with all the elements playing which will be the track in full swing. Then the hard part arranging it all to sound interesting for 5 mins!

[spawn]

Originally Posted by Ten Flew South

notes, yes.. I make lots of notes actually, my notes are all about arrangement and anarchaic drawings of progressions and stuff.

do tell me about the drawings MR: heathen

[stevefingers]

Normally I'll come up with a couple of riffs (usually a verse and chorus) and take it to rehearsal and see if anyone else has something we can crash into it. Then I'll take it home and try to fit some lyrics to it and that usually dictates the basic arrangemant.

Then I go back to the next rehearsal and show it to the band. Normally a few more bits get stuck in too.