Process for writing the second half of a tune

[Dreadfunk]

I was wondering how you all feel about writing the second half of your typically structured Dubstep / Drum and Bass tune, and how you go about it.

I'm talking about the standard intro - drop - meat - breakdown - drop- meat2 - outro type track that is pretty prevalent in Dubstep and Drum and Bass. I know there are other ways to write tunes, but there's a reason that most dance floor tracks are structured this way for DJs, and for now that's the way I want to write my tunes.

My question is how do you go about making the second drop and main bit of the tune different enough to not bore the listener, but similar enough that it doesn't sound like two tunes. I really struggle with it, and I've been guilty of making the second half of my tunes too similar (imo anyways).

Just looking for some opinions / methods / tips / whatever. The tune in my sig is a pretty good example of me running out of ideas and essentially copying over the other parts of the tune, which I'm not really happy about. I wanted to do something different. but I couldn't seem to get it sounding cohesive if I changed too much.

Thanks for any words of wisdom.

**edit**

I made some edits to my sig tune, but on listening back a few times I may have went overboard. I just experimented for a few hours and that's what I came up with. I think if I tone it down a bit it will be just fine

[FuhNetIk]

Ill just list a few things I do - Ill introduce a new synth or two in replacement of a different synth on some patterns, change up the notation or timing on a pattern that would be recognized from the first half of the track, ill glitch up the bassline, change up lfo speeds - really the second drop for me is just a more developed and processed version of the first usually.

[xrylex]

a simple way to format the 2nd drop differently from the first is to switch your hihat pattern, and change your fills. from there, changing some modulations here and there (if something is sweeping up, make it sweep down on the 2nd drop)

another good technique is to add one simple element (like a arped synth or a pad) on the 2nd drop.

and there is always the classic "cut the drums out of the first bar of the 2nd drop" technique ala pendulum...

i feel like changing things too drastically takes away from the idea that the drop is your hook, and you want it to be some what "familiar" the 2nd time around...

[eb4evr]

new sub-bass is always nice changing up or adding a drum element. new counter-melody?

[Dreadfunk]

Some good replies! Keep em coming.

[nowaysj]

I can't even provide any advice on this one, I suck at this so badly. Same but different is actually really hard to do, but I'll say this, the songs that I've made that are actually songs have a quality ass end. Usually that second half is developed like in that same sesh when the first part is born. I can very rarely make the first part, get it all right, then say, okay now for the second half. The second half is either suck ass at that point, or it just gets wild and goes off into something completely different. I'm personally well okay with that, I'm not a dancefloor banger type person, I came into electronic music through afx, which often is like a different song ever 8 or 16 bars, which is fine by me.

[Dreadfunk]

It's hard not to go overboard with it and lose the original feel of the tune.

Listening to a lot of professional tracks... usually the changes are pretty subtle. I guess it always seems more boring when you've listened to the original drop 9000 times while writing the tune.

[Sinisterbeats]

I struggle with this as well. Try bringing in a new melody, changing up chord sequences slightly, changing the drums around a bit (see sig tune - Think I did all three in the second part). Song structure is definitely my biggest weakness when writing a tune though.

[skimpi]

i dont really know what i do, normally its pretty much the same, but maybe things come in and go out and different times, so they same basic parts are there, they are just arranged slightly differently

[paravrais]

This aint something I'm very good at either but I think I get the general gist.

The idea is to change things by one factor. What I mean by this is you might do something like have a synth that was playing before play a new melody. Or make a new synth and have a new synth play the same melody as a different one did before. This way you keep links to the first part of the track whilst making changes. A big mistake I often make is creating a totally new lead sound and writing a whole new lead riff to go with it. While this can work if done carefully it can make a track sound *seriously* lop sided.