Copying a single element or idea from another song is great, and sometimes, it’s all you need to get started.

But what if you get stuck?

What if you steal an idea, but nothing else comes to mind after you’ve done so? You’ve copied a drum sequence, but you’re not sure where to go next?

Strategy two comes into play here.

It involves breaking apart and analyzing a section of your reference track in order to paint a picture of what your idea could sound like.

The Process

1. Create channels for all the main instruments in a section of your reference track
   1. Not ALL instruments, just the main ones.
   2. Section = ideally the climax/chorus/drop
2. Take rough notes on the types of sounds used and how everything is arranged. Take notes on anything that enters your head while listening to each individual element and your track as a whole.
3. Work from the template you’ve built.