What does take the longest for you while producing?

Nologix

Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
I'm producing at the moment and am working on the melody for about 2-3 hours now.
I really wonder if other people also spend that much time working on the melody or if they need more time for other stuff.
For me finding a melody is definitely the thing that takes the longest when I'm producing.

Curious to hear what takes the longest for you guys.
 
I'm sample based a lot of the time so I would say chopping up samples. Sample searching especially takes up 95% of my time. Finding those sweet ones
 
I usually can bang out a good melody. In fact 90% of the time that's what I start with. Sound design is a killer at times, I try not to get too caught up in it otherwise I lose that creative flow. And just arrangement takes me forever. I usually get stuck on a nice loop and then struggle to progress it into a full track. I've gotten a hell of a lot better and set out to finish what I start now, but it's still tough.
 
im a total novice but i can bang out a full tune in 8 hours , intro with a pre section before the drop, 16 bar verse, 16 bar chorus, breakdown , repeat and outro , with like 3 or 4 synths , a main bassline, sub and drums, everything from scratch except drum hits, i arrange the drum pattern myself i dont think ive ever used a loop, but for me writing chords and getting a good drop is what i spent the most time on, my eqing and mastering is rough as hell because i have no monitors or good cans so its not even worth me trying
 
Melody is usually easiest for me aswell atkes about an hour to lay out most my midi, sound design varies a fair bit, can take ages to get the sound i want or it can come together real quick. but usually what takes me the longest is my intros and mastering
 
It's making my own samples it takes most of the time, can't even create a tune if there isn't enough samples to work with.
 
A question to those who said melody is usually the easiest for them: Do you have lots of music theory knowledge?
 
If anyone has trouble coming up with melodies, learn scales!

I've learn't a few and they have helped me out a lot! If only my keyboard worked...
 
adding to that - if you like listen to this guy, best modern jazz guitarist in the world imo http://www.kurtrosenwinkel.com/

In particular his solos. they are so full of ridiculous scale patterns. also listening to pop music once in awhile keeps things in perspective, simplicity is a good thing. it's like learning how to play the guitar you learn the basics then you learn what works for you to create something original...

just thoughts.
 
also listening to pop music once in awhile keeps things in perspective, simplicity is a good thing. it's like learning how to play the guitar you learn the basics then you learn what works for you to create something original...

just thoughts.

I agree, to some extent.
Most music is built up of 3 chords if that. So I try and use more, the problem is, sometimes it sounds a lot better with just three.
I need to try and stop over complicating things, then I might actually finish something
 
Honestly for a tune to come together, I either get the basics going in an hour or two or I'm banging my head against a wall.

I have been trying to spend more time mastering and polishing a track though, doing small things like adding tasty little fills here and there.
 
Definitely layering drums. I can spend ages and sometimes not know when to stop. Then there's EQing each layer and compressing them together. I always start with drums just because I've always found it easier to work off of them. Ideas for melodies/basslines come to me more fluently when I can hear the drum pattern. I always try to mix as I go along as well, which makes the final mixdown a whole lot easier. I agree wih everything said about learning a few scales too, really helped me out.
 
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