Quote: Original post by FlamingBoi
seriously i think u should not be even thinking of making music when ure NOT EVEN A MUSICIAN.. dude.. if u think u can make symphony music and dark futuristic music, URE DREAMING.. when will you people learn to wake up?..

Way to be an arrogant jerk. He isn't a musician, but whos to say he cant learn? Everybody starts somewhere.

Nonetheless, Dragon, I'd highly reccomend that you learn an instrument. You won't be very successful in making music without doing that. Piano is a very good starting instrument (although I started w/guitar) just because its pretty easy to understand theory on it, and the notes are all layed out chromatically. As for writing, really the best way to learn how to write is to write (Once you've got some basic knowledge of your instrument). If you can take some classes, that will help a lot too.

Yes, flamingboi, I assume you fell out of your momma blowing into a harmonica then?

If you're short on cash and a total n00b i suggest Fruityloops.
easy to use, easy to learn tutorial and the keyboard can be used as a virtual
piano wich is good for playing around with simples melodies.
demos are available at their homepage, if you wanna buy it later on it wont ruin you either.

As a beginner this program is usable, after gaining some basics move on to reason. Quite harder than FL, but worth it in the long run. Better instruments etc.

Other than that just search for demos out there of various programs and see what you like.

Quote: Original post by DragonXXIV
More clarification is needed!

I am actually gonna be writing quite a few different types of music. In the game the character may travel through 'technology' or 'magic' paths. Magic will have traditional symphony music and that kind of stuff. Technology will have be darker with more futuristic stuff. Can't really describe it well.

You need to forget about that to begin with. You see, it's like a two year old saying "I want to write science fiction screenplays" - they need to learn how to write letters and words first, then sentences, then stories, then screenplays, and then science fiction.

The same goes for you: before you concern yourself with musical genres and how they relate to the gameplay, you need to learn about music in general. You will need an appreciation of the big three - rhythm, melody, and harmony. This is the vocabulary that, once you are familiar with it, will allow you to listen to a piece in the genre that you require, understand how it is made, and reproduce the same effects in your own original piece.

I would recommend getting a book like the one Trapper Zoid mentioned. Others have already recommended some software - personally I used to like ModPlug Tracker but now I use FruityLoops. A good way of learning might be to take simple tunes - either in a theory book, or ones you know already - and recreate them in the program. That'll start to give you an appreciation of rhythm and pitch.