Trance Music - Perhaps this is a dumb questions. but...

W

Will_Bender

New member
So this may be a dumb question, but I am going to ask anyway.

Asking "how" in the context of music can be a bit dangerous - as sometimes there is no right answer - but how does one write Trance Music?

(As I look back at everything I wrote below - I am thinking this is more of a historical, evolutionary question than a rigorous theory question.)

I am not really very familiar with Trance music, but I like what I have heard of it. It seems to have evolved from deejays (not necessarily instrumentalists) combining different songs (not necessarily composing anything in particular for something like the piano).

My initial impression would be you just get a beat going (somehow) - say something as simple as a bass drum on a quarter note... and then you just keep noodling through different sound loops and sound bytes, cadence after cadence... I'm not really sure if it has to be in any particular key, although it seems like there is some kind of tonal center usually in effect... so what to include in the loops (pitch, time sig, etc) sounds like a good question...

Anyway, if all this is so, then I am not sure of how deejays (who probably would have started spinning vinyl records) transitioned into digital loops... Although it sounds like an interesting question...

My point here, I guess, is I would like to try writing a trance tune, but I dont know where to begin... I play heavy metal guitar and some classical piano, and I am used to just jamming out chords in progressions... how to do a trance song seems a whole other method of working?

Any ideas on how to get started?
 
trance is like regular dance music except it tends to be a bit more complex in the way of layering basslines, percussion, fx and melody layers (usually multiple of each). typically its built up & broken back down gradually over a long time rather than straight away in shorter radio edits but fits same kind of structure as extended dance remixes. a lot of the sounds are also a bit harder depending on which genre of trance youre producing but theres tons of soundbanks for the most popular plugins to get you started. go back ten years ago most trance was in around the 7-12 min mark where nowadays its kept shorter to keep people interested. check out this video for an example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZBLAiG6MYk
 
When I was producing trance a couple of years back I found that the best way to compose a piece was to start with the most "full-on" section and to deconstruct it to come up with a finished piece.

So yeah, take the four-on-the-floor kick, the offbeat hi-hat, and the offbeat bassline, and write your melodies on top of this.

For melodies and leads, automation is going to be your best friend. Manipulate the sounds to evolve constantly to keep them interesting.

Now work backwards from this, so that your track starts as basic as possible, and gives the DJ something to mix into your composition.

Start with say, the kick and the bassline, and every eight bars add something else from your "full-on" section. The snare, then the hi-hats, then start introducing snippets of your melodies to give an insight into what the listener should expect. Then reverse this towards the end of the piece, drop things out to bring the track to almost nothing.

Harmony-wise, try and keep things simple. Too many chords can complicate things, and I was advised against using too many chords and modes whilst studying at university. Use the automation on your synths to keep your track interesting.

Use your guitar in your trance composition! I love trance with guitars. Check out Infected Mushroom ("Becoming Insane")and Talamasca ("Aries") for inspiration with guitar trancey stuff.
 
Trance music comes in many forms, but most have a similar structure which includes sections like buildups, breakdowns, and drops. There is a wealth of tutorials on YouTube. Pick your genre and do a search for "how to make".
 
if you're serious get a membership at sonic academy. They have tons of tutorials but the only thing they're good at is trance.
 
Given your background I think the biggest thing you will struggle with is production and sound design. There's a lot more to it than you think.
 
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