Can we get a comprehensive guide / order to making a song?

There's nothing that'd remotely cut it as a one-size-fits-all guide to making a song.

Here's(a very general idea of) how I go about it though -

  • Imagine something(a rhythm, beat, and/or melody, etc.) and try to recreate it via software(like ableton) and/or an instrument you're comfortable with, and go from there. Sometimes I even remember music my subconscious came up with in a dream.

  • Improv on an instrument(or even your voice) until you find yourself liking a particular riff, pattern collection, general style or whatever, then you can record it or recreate it in software.

  • Tinker with the software directly, just start making and adjusting patterns and chords or even just some bars of a neat drum pattern if you like starting with timing over building it to fit with melodies. Experiment! I love just playing around for the sake of it.

Sometimes I'll use different variations of these approaches for different parts a single music piece. It's really just about whatever works for you personally.

After that I -

  • Pick my instruments. This can be more/less simple depending on the kind of music you're making, but I'm mostly a guitar/bass/drum + extra guitars and synth as needed kind of guy.

  • Listen to whatever I've started to make and get into the "soundscape" so to speak, and start getting ideas about where I want to take the greater composition. A good rhythm and beat will usually get me into making melodies in my head.

  • Fiddle with the different instruments, drum kits, sound effects and so on to get the right feel to each track. I might add an extra track to add very subtle background sounds. I may also try stuff like transposing to different scales, moving chord progressions, to adjust the mood. And so on and so on.

Then it's just a matter of polishing things up and getting down to the little details.

-Note that I'm not a professional, so take this with a grain of salt if you like.

/r/ableton Thread