I typically start with strings and build around that. No formal musical training.

Jarrod DMFH

I typically start with strings and build around that. Is there a better method? I have no formal musical training. Is there a method that trained musicians prefer?

JesterMgee

You are likely starting with the harmony of your idea, playing string chords and then adding in other instruments like an orchestral arrangement. Personally I will start this way if I have a harmony in mind, usually if I watch a movie or a documentary that has a piece of music or just a simple melody I like, I get that melody and a variant of it down first. HOwever, I change this approach completely if I wanted to look at something based around samples or something more electronic or percussion based.

If you wanted to make something much more driven by drums such as Dance/DnB then you may first start with a simple beat and play a bassline or lead synth to start your idea. For this I will usually load up a drum loop or a template kit with a basic pattern to get started and after I have a bassline or a synth line I will usually start trying to make a decent drum track for it, sometimes tho I may start searching for new elements. Once you have a starting point you can loop the rest is mostly just experimentation of ideas.

If you work within a band you may have the singer start with some lyrics and maybe a basic guitar riff or an idea on the piano while the others start filling in what they hear as their parts.

Really not any rules when it comes to music and it will differ between the styles you want to play. I'd suggest looking into some documentaries on your favourite artists and how they compose tracks. I've watched everything from how Queen and Pink Floyd worked to Fat Boy Slim, Prodigy, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pantera, Metallica.... Each is different and each group/solo/duo approach how they write songs different and that can also change over time as musicians learn new skills and discover different ways to work.

LostInFoundation

About where to start….it really is just a matter of what fits better with you.

Some swear starting from drums is better, some others start from melody…

I think no one can really tell which is the “right” way…because there is none…apart from the “right” one for you

JesterMgee

You are likely starting with the harmony of your idea, playing string chords and then adding in other instruments like an orchestral arrangement. Personally I will start this way if I have a harmony in mind, usually if I watch a movie or a documentary that has a piece of music or just a simple melody I like, I get that melody and a variant of it down first. HOwever, I change this approach completely if I wanted to look at something based around samples or something more electronic or percussion based.

If you wanted to make something much more driven by drums such as Dance/DnB then you may first start with a simple beat and play a bassline or lead synth to start your idea. For this I will usually load up a drum loop or a template kit with a basic pattern to get started and after I have a bassline or a synth line I will usually start trying to make a decent drum track for it, sometimes tho I may start searching for new elements. Once you have a starting point you can loop the rest is mostly just experimentation of ideas.

If you work within a band you may have the singer start with some lyrics and maybe a basic guitar riff or an idea on the piano while the others start filling in what they hear as their parts.

Really not any rules when it comes to music and it will differ between the styles you want to play. I'd suggest looking into some documentaries on your favourite artists and how they compose tracks. I've watched everything from how Queen and Pink Floyd worked to Fat Boy Slim, Prodigy, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pantera, Metallica.... Each is different and each group/solo/duo approach how they write songs different and that can also change over time as musicians learn new skills and discover different ways to work.

DunedinDragon

I agree with @JesterMgee in that it depends on the type of production you're dealing with as to what will be the key driving instrument of that specific song. For example my most recent project was really based around a very dominant piano track throughout the song in which drums didn't even come into the picture until maybe halfway through the song and strings were only really evident to build the finale of the song, while a multilayered synth based pad would be coming in and out throughout the project as dynamic content changed in different song sections, so my baseline track was the piano and I filled in the other instruments based on the movement and dynamics of the song.

I think people that come from a more formal music training background are more prone to approach it that way because that's what we hear in our heads as we formulate the production we're going to create. It's just naturally how we think about music production. A more rock oriented track would likely drive me to focus in on drums initially because everything is built on top of that.

Jarrod DMFH

That makes a lot of sense. I think I might try and approach my next project like that and just see if I can even get my brain to think that way. Thanks!