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[zovik]

I'm not an expert at tracking at all. But I have learned a couple of things from trying that may be useful to others.

- Start with 4 channel mods. The tracker paradigm takes time to get used to, and using only 4 channels helps cut down on the complexity.

- Don't try to learn all the features of your tracker at once. (Effects, instrument settings, etc.) Focus on one or two and write short bits to get a feel for them.

[regular shoulders]

i usually write a riff that i dig on guitar or piano. and then i let my drive for magic wonder develop or discover the musical ideas that lay inside using the tracker.

[Ceekayed]

Well, I'll tell you how I compose my ohc-tunes.

Step 1) Take a bellish instrument, if the pack has a one (if it doesnt, use a sinewave), configure the envelopes (I'm not going to tell you how, you'll have to look), and throw a bag of notes in e-minor to the pattern editor.
Step 2) Add slow attack pads
Step 3) Add more slow attack pads and breaky drums
Step 4) Add a cheesy lead and even more slow attack pads
Step 5) Transpose the song a full step up and add a fade-out

We have a winner.

P.S. Don't forget to use lots of echo channels.

[the Deviant]

echo channels are always good...
I don't think I ever developed a particular aproach, but one thing I have learnt is to pick a key and stick to it, or at least decide between major and minor as they give a totally different feel to a piece. Even if your technical music know how is not that great (I know mine isn't) I find it useful to sit down with a guitar / keyboard and figure out what chords / notes might sound good together, it can be frustrating to try and figure out chords in a tracker, and easier on a 'real' instrument. But maybe that's just me.

I just started tracking gain after something like 3 years, and I have found that I know like to track for a bit, listen to the what I've done a few times over whilst surfing or doing something completely different, and boom, suddenly an idea for an extra part or where to go next with the melody just hits me. In fact.....

[woolters]

first you want to decide on the genre. Mine is easy... it's mainly reggae

if you download Winamp for example, you can tune in to loads of Shoutcast Livestream internet radio stations. They are ordered by style, so a good one is found easily. Tune in! you might hear remarkable things which you might want to try yourself!
You also might want to select a livestream from a genre you didn't have in mind to track in, but it might provide you with some fresh ideas for your original tune.

I also often start with chord experiments. I go to the Instrument Editor and press some random chords. I have done this a lot in the past, so I can predict pretty well what sounds right and what not, but that's a matter of experience.

Once I made up my mind, I start tracking the Chorus. I've tried to start with an intro some times, but the possibilities how to continue overwhelmed me, read, blocked me. But that approach might work for others.
When you have a chorus, you can work around and towards it.