tracking practice

[mutilus]

I figure to get good at any other type of instrument, you have to practice, and practice a lot... play a guitar, learn your chords.. piano, scales.. etc. I guess using a tracker shouldn't be any different, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for tracking 'practice', stuff that isn't necessarily making a song but is something you need to do over and over again to get good at.. I dunno.. any ideas?

[Directionless]

I make lots of short little songs to quickly free-associate and achieve a different sound. Just for the sound. Sometimes you quickly learn something you will like to use in a full production.

Also tracking covers is a good discipline. Could be game music, or your favorite rock/pop/etc track. Or just fucking up someone else's source file.

I learned a lot going into your sources actually. Them crazy beats man. After a while, it made my beat concept better.

Ultimately, I think any and all music experience adds to the whole. I was always unstructured at my multi-track vocal/guitar tunes but now that i've spent more time using trackers, i find myself going into the multi-track recorder and my concept of structure is more in place for that medium, totally unrelated to using trackers other than overall music making experience.

i just recorded this in multi-track yesterday. now i take it and cut up the WAVs into small segments and load into tracker for better control, editing, mixing and production:

http://www.directionless.mynoisebleeds.com/music/precious_mixdown01.mp3

But the point here is that even the preproduction recording as-is is way better than they used to be. And somehow, what i've learned using trackers has been a big part of that. I'm sure it works both ways.

*EDIT - Here is where this 'Precious' song is at now that it is chopped up and produced all in the tracker.

http://www.directionless.mynoisebleeds.com/music/JohnDietzel_Precious.mp3

[Sonicade]

Finishing songs?

Most composers have bits and peices of tunes here and there. Following though and finishing a song makes you more familiar with the song writing process. There are lots of different ways to practice but this is a big one for me.

[mutilus]

Thanks for the tips guys. After looking at mickrip's loopproject site, I think making loops will be a good one. Trying different BPMs, rhythms, genres, etc. but not spending time making a whole song out of it. (Though like you say Sonicade, songwriting/the ability to finish a song is another skill that is worth practicing )