IMO a good way is to analyse existing patches. There are thousands on VCV Rack | Patchstorage and many of them have videos attached so you can prelisten to check if you like the sound.
Download a patch and try to modify it. Try bypassing modules to see what a single module does to the sound. Try changing patch connections and listen what happens. Try to add modules you are familiar with and see what happens.
In the modular world, most things happen by accident. So turn knobs just for fun and be aware of the results.
Practising in terms of playing piano (like playing scales, chords, phrases etc.) doesn’t translate well to modular. It is more an explorative way like a child tries to create new things with Lego-bricks.
For me, the most weird part are all that fancy sequencer-modules, and sequencers are the heart of all modular patches and generative music in general.
If you’d like, I’d be happy to spend some time teaching you the basics. We could meet up on zoom for a few sessions, and we could work on a few patches together. Once you learn the basics, it should be fairly easy to branch out on your own.
Hello there, welcome to the wonderful world of VCV Rack,
Here’s a simple patch created by Carpist
He goes through the basics and lets u build the patch using the VCV basics. Enjoy
^ This! I’ve learnt largely from just arsing about to be honest. If you’re intimidated by all the modules, uninstall them and just start with Fundamental and maybe one other collection (I’d probably say Bogaudio or Mutable Instruments first). You don’t need exotic or complicated sequencers for generative patches, I still use sample and hold into a quantiser quite often. If you want a repeating sequence, try resetting an LFO on a clock subdivision, or an envelope feeding the quantiser. You can make melodies and arpeggios with the most basic modules. It will probably sound crap at first, but that’s fine - just keep experimenting!
Limit the modules is great advice, I have way too many in my collection, but I’m gradually whittling my favorites list to the bare minimum, so I can go from idea to the goal faster and faster. If you like making music with a module, it’s not hard to learn all the quirks and tricks if you keep going back to it in practice.
He goes through the basics and lets u build the patch using the VCV basics. Enjoy