I think this is what suits you personally. It's mainly music theory and composition with none of the bells and whistles. You got a long way to go if you want to produce Chrono style stuff though! It's probably still considered one of the best soundtracks of all time in the video game world. Amazing, considering he used minimal gear.

Good luck!

 

Last edited: May 22, 2016

Music is like any artistic ability. You either have natural ability, or you try to learn it. Those of us with the knack for it can see and feel the music or groove. If you are blessed as such, there is no limit to what you can learn or do with it.
If you have ZERO natural ability, you can learn and learn all you want to, but will reach a point where you cannot progress anymore. You will plateau out and never get any better. You will be stuck with the technicality and never have the feel.
I have seen this over and over with many different people. As a teacher and a student. Not everyone can be a prodigy or they all would be right?

 

Last edited: May 22, 2016

It's like comparing 2 step white country dancers to black disco funk dancers. The white country dancers look like programmed robots doing all the same steps, while the black funk dancers are free flowing and full of soul. I'll tell you this much, if I had to choose who to watch, I would watch the black dancers!

 

Let's not despair yet folks. This is very fustrating, I understand what you all say.
But we all have that ability to get music within us, Foster just like any person.
Some people never reach it, I agree. But as long as Foster is willing to try he can maybe manage to get there, I'm sure.
He just hasn't found his way yet.

 

I think it could be in there, he just has to look past all the "rules" and flow freely. Get that right side of the brain more active than the left.

 

I'm sorry if I come across harsh sometimes. It's the way I learn best and prefer my criticism, raw and uncut. Please spare me the sugar coating.
When I fist started learning music, theory and composition meant nothing. It was all about what sounded good to my ear. I learned more from myself, practicing and noodling around on my instruments, (first piano then guitar and bass) than I could learn from any book, video or teacher.

I learned my workflow the same way. Its has changed many times through my learning and is never set in stone. If a bass line inspires me I start there. If its a rhythm I start with the beats. Or it could just be a random chord progression/melody. Its about creativity, something you cant teach or learn. Not about rigid workflows and theory. IMHO

 

Last edited: May 22, 2016

If I hate a genre, it's because I simply don't like it. For instance, I hate modern day Trap music because it's simply crap, IMHO. If I hear something that is unable to be produced/replicated by my workflow, I admire it more. But I can pretty much replicate any style of music nowadays, so it's easy to understand that I'm rarely impressed by anything anymore. I won't be impressed until one teenie bopper EDM wannabe kid farts and all the others drop dead at once from the strong amounts of nitrogen contained within his farts.

As for my workflow, I start with a chord progression. So for instance, I recently did a song that went like this:
"Bbadd11 Eb Abadd9 Ebsus2 - Bbsus4add9 Eb6add11 AbMaj#11 EbMaj13 - Gmin7 AbMaj13sus2"
Pretty complex, or pretty simple depending on who you ask. In your case, maybe a bit complicated.
Then I'll apply a melody, then some bass, then some pads, then some rhythm guitar, then a lead guitar, then another melody, then another, then some more fucking pads, then some more lead guitar, then maybe an acoustic guitar, then finally a drum track or 3 drum tracks. Then maybe a side-chained arp on top of it.
Then I do some mastering. I often load effects like reverb on by one into each track individually as soon as I create said track, so I never do it at the end. But now that I think about that, maybe it's time to start doing it after I compose the whole song first.

Now you have the basic concept of what I do.

 

All Foster needs to look to is Jimi Hendrix. Didn't know how to read or write music, just played from his heart and created music from his own way of thinking. It's a part of being creative and creating a signature sound for yourself. Everyone has their own unique sound, I think Foster is still searching for his. Having too much structure and rules might hinder that.

 

I don't like creating music by some rules, I also do things by ear, feeling. I do think that good music comes from that. I agree with you a 100%. I just don't think the ablility to express creativity freely comes naturally. Some people have to work on that.
As for the workflow part, we are also in agreement, it's something that shouldn't be set in stone which is why I like more to call it a process.
My music creation process is indeed something that evolves and which is unique to each track. At least it should be.
But all together you say it yourself, all that, you learned, and maybe Foster shall too if indeed he finds ways to be creative and not a super computer that spits secret formula for making the "perfect" song.

 

Foster, you might find this book to be extremely useful. It's written by a musician who decided to pursue electronic music. It's a book about making music, where to start, where to get inspiration, how to compose etc

https://makingmusic.ableton.com/

It's got some great info.

 

Thanks Trevor!
You're really cool!

 

This thread has been really helpful for me too, since i'm still trying to figure out my own workflow.

My dream would be to create liquid drum and bass or other styles of drum and bass, but i'd also love to be able to make melodic dubstep, and progressive trance as well, but with my lack of understanding of music theory, my lack of understanding of modern DAWs, and lack of understanding the whole mastering/effects stuff, there's a long, long journey i have to take before i'll be able to make anything reasonably good.

That being said, i don't mind that fact. I've read many producers of dnb/trance/etc say that they'd been playing and working on music for most their lives, so however long it'll take, it'll take. I'll just keep having fun and enjoying the journey!

 

No problem. Just keep at it and you'll get there. You're obviously very motivated and enthusiastic about music so don't give up all hope.