I like to make trance on my PC and find myself running out or ideas quite a lot. I thought that learning some music like some type classical music would benefit me by helping improve my musical abilities. It's things like chord progressions and chord voicings that I struggle with.

Would any of you with a good grasp of music production give me some suggestions for types of music I should study?

Many thanks,
Jimmy

i'm not any proficient but I'd say you should go for what you like. personally, i'm taking classes on Western Classical music.

I borrow a lot of influences from Rock, Industrial, and Big Beat if that helps.

Acid music

Pretty sure the main reason each artist has their songwriting and production style is purely down to what they've been influenced by in their lives. If you've already had influences from a young age, it can be easier to stick with them because you already understand the way they work.

For me, I used to do ballet when I was a kid so I learnt to move to all types of classical and for me, music is about the way you move to it as well as how good it sounds. I dance around like a twat now but it doesn't stop me feeling the music for what it is.

So when producing, you'll make a rhythmic phrase or melodic line and its worth developing as the main focus/hook. Coz if you like it, there's bound to be a million other people in the world that will like it too

Originally posted by zakrush1

Pretty sure the main reason each artist has their songwriting and production style is purely down to what they've been influenced by in their lives. If you've already had influences from a young age, it can be easier to stick with them because you already understand the way they work....So when producing, you'll make a rhythmic phrase or melodic line and its worth developing as the main focus/hook. Coz if you like it, there's bound to be a million other people in the world that will like it too

I like what you say mate. Its what you personally grew to love that should inspire you

If you are looking to study a particular genre to improve your chord progressions and chord voicings then I would say go for classical and Jazz because they're so rich in harmony. As for creating new music, the more diverse the influences, the better. Trance needs to continue evolving.

I'd also vote for classical, because trance nowadays lacks really melodic works.

Also check out Sister Feelings Call, New Gold Dream and (some of!) the Sparkle In The Rain albums by Simple Minds. They spend a lot of time in Italy, and although it took them a while to become the great artists they now are, they did some great instrumental tracks on these albums.

Here is another vote for classical.

I also love listening to ambient tracks and jazz. There is a lot of great stuff in there that gets me feeling creative.

depending on how complex harmony's melody's you want to write, the music theory you study (up to grade 7) the better, or if you want simple (up to grade 4 ) don't always use just 1st 3rd 5th notes of your scale / key you choose It ends up sounding boring. Don't listen to your influences day in day out every single day you'll end up being a clone of them, listen to allot of genres besides Trance & EDM , just to get you motivated back into the music you love to create not necessarily to bring those genres into Trance.

I have to give my vote to classical as well, and maybe throw in some traditional music from where you are from.

study the science behind how music effects the mind and the body... not a genre of music, but the actual science behind it...

there are scientists in japan who help rehabilitate people part of cults using music and sound... studying things like that will greatly help when creating a genre of music that is supposed affect peoples mind and body haha