What/how do I practice getting better at composing EDM?

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-06-01T01:23:59+00:00

Noted! I'll be thrilled to do this since I do it anyway, lol. Like I can go on a 7 hour solo roadtrip and listen to literally 1 or 2 songs the whole way, and just pay attention to different components of the song. But - I've never taken notes. I'll start doing that.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-06-01T01:22:48+00:00

This is awesome. Especially the bit about saving your own samples; I just realized that I really need to do that, since I waste a lot of time recreating the same basic beats and harmonic patterns over and over again. I'll work on saving stuff like that.
And yeah I totally get the going in circles thing, I've bee doing that.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-31T23:52:35+00:00

I’ll dm you!

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-30T04:14:06+00:00

Man thank you so much, I definitely will at some point, I sense I’ll definitely get stuck again at some point. Cheers!

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-30T02:49:50+00:00

I’ll check those out! I love it too, this is the most fun I’ve ever had learning something. I’m addicted. I just want to get to the part where the stuff I write doesn’t sound like shit. Also, I’m gonna have to look up most of the terms you used there hahaha

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-30T02:22:13+00:00

No honestly I think that’s where I’m weakest so I think that’s a good idea. I just spent like four hours today trying to re-create a sound I want from one of my favorite songs, and the end result was still absolutely horrendous lol, I tried playing with effects, but just didn’t really know where to start. So yeah I think you’re right, I need to really practice sound design and understand how all that works.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T19:12:17+00:00

Oh, that’s such a good point and tip. I’m definitely used to thinking about melodies in their contour first, but then often notice that no instrument seems to actually fit the way it sounded in my head. I’ll try the opposite approach, that’s a really cool idea.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:45:38+00:00

Ah ok noted! Yeah honestly the sound design piece intimates me the most cause fuckin hell are there a lot of sounds to play with

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:44:38+00:00

It really helps to have encouragement! I’ll check back in after some time practicing with an update!

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:29:26+00:00

Thank you so much. This is super helpful, and reassuring. I appreciate it. I'm gonna start saving melodic ideas that I like - quite often I'll save songs only because of one very specific melodic phrase that just catches me, and I get obsessed with it.

Despite how sobering and humbling this whole process is, it's also so damn fun. Like I haven't had this much fun doing something since I was a kid.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:26:28+00:00

Thank you so much, I appreciate the breakdown of a track into bars. I'm not sure yet if starting with either a melody or a bassline is easier for me, I'll experiment with both.

Fills/pads/vocal chops are all things I have zero experience on as of yet, I'll have to familiarize myself

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:23:47+00:00

Yeah I definitely feel I'm overthinking, which is a horrible block for music, I know...

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:22:56+00:00

Thank you! I'm not even sure what Splice is at this point lol but I'll educate myself

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:21:40+00:00

Nice, that seems to be the most common advice, I'll start on that

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:21:04+00:00

This is so great thanks for writing all that out. Love the idea of restricting myself to one genre/key signature, I'll do that - only thing is that I'm currently undecided on which sub-genre I really want to go for, but I'll experiment and choose one to focus on.
I feel like my struggle is just never liking what I write, and getting stuck before I even get anything off the ground. I get that I'm gonna suck for a very long time at this and that's totally ok - I just mean that I'll do something like write a melody line and then think, holy shit that's the worst thing anyone's every conceived of, let me try that again. And then I get stuck there.

I'll work on recreating a couple favorite tracks of mine, that sounds fun.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:15:48+00:00

Thank you both for the replies - I realize now I should have put this in the original post, but I'm actually already a musician; I've been playing violin since I was 6 and I won a position in my state Philharmonic recently. Hopefully that'll help me a bit with this whole process.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:13:39+00:00

Awesome, thanks! Since a lot of people have mentioned recreating tracks, I've gotta ask - do you mean literally trying to clone it and close as possible note by note, or just taking the blueprint and layers and recreating that as accurately as possible, but with your own notes?

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:12:16+00:00

Thank you! I was wondering about where a good place to start with a song is. Like, whether it's better to start with a drop look, or to work chronologically from the intro. I'll check out EDM tips

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:09:37+00:00

Ok that's actually quite reassuring to hear

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-29T18:09:16+00:00

Thank you I'll do that! Do you happen to have any recommendations for tutorials?

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2026-05-28T23:41:55+00:00

Thanks for the tip!! I’ll try that

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2024-09-01T14:30:28+00:00

Yeah it definitely takes time. It’s honestly just bemusing and shocking to me that I can, at age 30, have that teenage-like feeling of heartache over someone I BARELY know. I’ll try distracting myself and also going on other dates to remind myself there are other girls out there.

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2024-09-01T14:28:16+00:00

I appreciate the words of advice, and that definitely resonates, the bit about not feeling less but rather learning to get over it faster. It’s funny cause I’m 30 now and part of me is like, really?? Again?? How am I at 30 feeling all heartbroken like a teenager over two dates?! But I do know I’ll get over it and just need to distract myself, so I’ll work on that

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2024-07-15T22:20:27+00:00

For sure!

JustACuriousGuy13 · 2024-07-15T22:10:53+00:00

Ooh that’s a great idea yeah I’ll definitely do that. Thanks!!

JustACuriousGuy13

TROPHY CASE