I've got another question about writing music... I'm presently just practicing writing music for no game in particular, although at the moment I'm aiming for an RPG feel. In your opinion, which of the following would be the best to aim for in my pieces, given that I'm aiming for a theoretical target application of a game: - a short loop (under a minute) that sounds okay repeated over and over again - a larger loop composed of short loops spliced together, with a little variation in the repetition in the loops - a longer, stand-alone piece that runs for several minutes Thanks!

I vote for option B.

Since I know from your previous posts you're using ModPlug Tracker it should be easy to reuse some sound blocks and throw in some slightly modified ones to give you a less-repetitive sounding track while still keeping memory usage under control.

The length of game pieces varies according to their needs.
Since you're just practicing, just do what comes naturally. You are still learning the ins and outs of what makes music tick. At this point, just let chips fall where they may, and come back in a little while and take a critical look at them.

I would practice all three, working them up all from the same piece. What a developer will require will vary, so I think it is a good idea to be able to create different working versions of the same material.

It's better to write a track that 'sounds' the right length.

If a game developer likes the finished product, and it works with their needs, they'll advise you \ ask you \ ask your permission (all depending on if you get a deal or contract) to increse a section, loop another section, shorten another section, re-write a section (most contracts let them do what they want to music if you're new to the scene).

It's a good idea to loop sections, as this is used a lot in games - mainly 8, 16 or 32 bars depending on bpm \ style \ arrangement etc.
Save these as seperate files, but supply them with your demo to show you can edit your own tracks - saves them time + money (which they'll love).

Keep it simple - the human brain can only really listen to 5 'instruments' at a time (including vocals) - just a rough guide, but it works in most musical applications.

If you do get a contract, make sure it states whether they're buying the track outright, or giving you royalties based on sales.

Hope that helps - Adam (UKTab)