[skagen]

Hi.
As some of you are completly new to tracking in general I desided to post some link to resources and tutorials for good old Fast Tracker 2, the program Sk@le Tracker is based on.
If you have any more good start-resources for tracking feel free to post them in this topic.
And now, the links:

Skale Trackers open-tutorial section
Trackers Handbook (with glossary)
Basic introduction to Fast Tracker 2

Cheers.

[Blaster]

I think I can sum up the needs for beginners (as I am one myself). In my opinion it's not how the program works or where this and that effect is found. What I need is a 'how to create a full song'.

I'd love to see a step by step tutorial of a tracked song: basic idea, fiddling around->create a basic melody, adding drums, bass, fx to make it all better etc. etc.

Why this? because apart from knowing another experienced tracker, there's really not much help after knowing the software. There's a gap so to speak between learning/understanding the basics and creating a good song (or maybe I'm just missing something).
I know it's all about experience and trial and error, but for me personally it would be a big help.

Hmm come to think of it. I don't think there's a lack of tutorials or help. The main problem is that it's scattered all about. If one just could collect it and make 1 source than it would be easier (I'd do that if I knew what exactly I was doing )

resources:
http://www.united-trackers.org/ - general bits and pieces
http://www.musictheory.net/ - note reading, chords
http://www.trancesystem.com/ - some help on trance stuff
http://www.intermusic.com/ - tutorials on various topics

Greetz,
Blaster

P.S. I could use some tips/tricks on how to create some nice sounding melodies. Hmm, maybe I should try harder and experiment. I think I'm just lazy here

P.P.S. Any tracker here from Stadskanaal, Netherlands???
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[Tranceparent]

For newbees who would like to write better melodies, I suggest you read through some music theory stuff and learn about constructing chords and tone scales.
The following sites where very helpfull to me:

http://www.mursuky.edu/qacd/cfac/music/MUS109e/intro/chapter_index.htm

Interesting page which learns you about note scores.
Although you don't really need to understand note scores for tracking, it's always nice to know something about it. Anyway I can recommend studying the chapters about tone scales and triads, this is really usefull for writing melodies and chord progressions.

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http://www.teoria.com/

Another interesting music theory site with some java applets to practice your knowledge.

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Some smaller (and maybe more simple) explanations about chords and tone scales can be found in the music theory articles at
http://www.united-trackers.org/2000/

(select music theory from the pulldown menu on the right).

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[conner_bw]

I run this site:

http://www.remixonline.com/

Which has some information that may be of use.
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I am hype.

[Sanxion]

I totaly agree with Blaster.
For me, that would be the best way to learn tracking, just like I learned the basics of PSP 7, with some simple tutorials that showed how to make a couple of pictures that looked quite nice.

I could see how to use some techniques, and it gave a clear view of what option did what.

I'm quite sure that it'll work the same way with Skale.

[Blaster]

Of course it works the same way: you're human, are you not?

How do we learn to talk, walk and some more basic things?

Because we emulate!

Those tutorials, well after the 1st time you clicked through you probably won't remember much of how something was exactly done, but you probably do know where to find how that something was done. So you're able to look it up and think: "I knew that ".

I very much tend to think this principle works with everything, except of course inventing
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[skagen]

I believe a tutorial can only set you off to explore, only experience will give solid knowledge.

[Neurook]

Hello Hello. This will be my first post, and i must say that i totally agree.

I am a complete newbie at tracking.. I sat down, looked through some tunes.. learned how the absolute basics of the tracker.

So i though: "Hey. Ive got some samples.. lets make something"
The results: One very basic drumloop.

Then it stopped. What do I do next? Bass? Melody?
I had no idea how a truly good song is created, atleast not in a tracker.
Things like tone sliding, appregios and how to use such effect was far from easy, sure i could memorize the Hex code.. But actully is it for something? Hell no.

A simple tutorial, not just for the tracker but how to create a basic melody and how to incorperate usual tracker methods would be greatly appreciated.

A guide through a default tracker's creative process so to speak.
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-Working on it-

[DJ-TuRnEr]

www.trancesystem.com has moved to www.fuktstereo.com
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SainT TuRnEr AnaliZer (DJ-TuRnEr)
ViTHaCraP

[Fatman]

Neurook: I just spent three hours doing exactly that. Figured out the kick drum for Aerosmith's Walk This Way and then thought, Hmmm...

I need to get some techniques for creating melodies as I have no clue at the moment.

Also basic stuff like how to handle the interface would be good, I know it's traditional and all to have it all crammed together like that but it is very confusing to the noob. I just spent half an hour trying to figure out how to change the number of channels, when the buttons were staring right at me from the middle of the app.
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Windows 2000 SP3, Athlon 1800 XP, 1024Mb RAM

[Blaster]

You'll probably get an answer like: there's no defined way someone makes a song.

It actually differs. Some trackers start with a nice drumloop than add a bassline, chords, melodies, breaks etc...

Others fiddle around with a nice instrument and come up with a simple melody or chord progression (harmony). There's a 1000 and 1 ways to write a song.

If you have a good idea of a track then write it down. Just on paper on how the track will look like and the goal of it.

I recently purchased a book called 'songwriting for dummies' and while this isn't really helpfull for the production of tracks it did help me to get creative and gave some tips on how to write some nice songs (even though I haven't finished anything).

If you have trouble writing nice melodies you could try this: have an idea of what you want to produce/write and then try to come up with lyrics to flesh out that idea. Once you have some nice lyrics (which you don't have to put into the song) you'll find that these lyrics form some kind of melody when sung, the syllables of the words form notes and each word has highs and lows. This is kinda hard to explain, you should just try.

In the end it's just a matter of practice, a lot of practise. I realise this now (I asked the same question some time ago). If you want melodies just play around a bit, you could even put some random notes after eachother and then start from there if it's kinda pleasing to the ear. Also listen a lot to the music you want to make and try to remake it by ear. Once you can cover your favourite tracks you're advanced enough to make something up on your own.

Oh and don't try to understand all the effects at once, just make some examples in which you try some stuff. Or download a bunch of mods (at www.modarchive.com you can find a lot and download the ones with high review ratings) and check out which effects are used and what they do. I also think there's a page at www.harmony-central.com where various effects are discussed (like compression, filters and the like).

Uh I don't know if any of this makes sense

You can always ask specific questions which we can try to answer...
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[lis]

I had found many interesting while reading interviews with famous trackers, at every interview they talking about how they do music and where they get inspiration (try to search that in web).

Many e-magazines for scene like 'demojournal' and 'static line' (by Coplan/Setec/Seven) have wery interesting interviews and reviews. Static Line have interview with Necros.

Wery wery interesting to read, even if you sticky on MIDI and VST.

[AJFire]

for all german newbis visit http://www.skaletracker.de
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..::--We all need Skale--::..

[pinkb]

Skagen; All the pages you listed is forbidden (from my ip?).
Any suggestions? Im totally new to tracker, and need a basic introduction..

[st3vie]

yes, i noticed this the other day as well. The links and forums still need to be cleaned up some time.

try looking in the Documentation, Tips & Tricks forum. There should be many links there that are still active.

-st3vie