Hi Guys. this is my first post on the forum so I am going to include a brief presentation which you can totally skip if you don't mind ->

I'm Davide, 21 - and music just makes me feel good. I dream of being able to make my own music one day.

<- I was thinking of starting from the very basics thus can you suggest me a couple topics designed for starters?

a huge thanks in advance, Davide ;)

 

https://www.edmprod.com/5-stages-electronic-music-producer/
https://www.udemy.com/piano-keyboard-music-composition/

 

continue on till you cover every video.

 

next get a keyboard and think of every nursery rhyme you ever accidentally memorized
next figure out how it is played.

 

https://makingmusic.ableton.com/ also quite good

 

Excellent advice for him.

 

Starting with Music theory, really guys?
Come on now – music is about fun! :D

1. Get either Ableton Live, FL Studio or Cubase/Logic (> Easy to learn)
2. Watch youtube tutorials on chosen software
3. Experiment and experience for a year or so.
4. Find a lane/ genre you like. Analyse music you like and why you like it.
5. Learn basic music theory, composition and arrangement
6. Learn basic audio engineering skills (Ear Training, EQing, Compression basics)
7. Keep doing it 5 more years.

You'll get there

 

Learn an instrument, any one that you are attracted to, a guitar, a keyboard instrument or a trumpet or a clarinet if you are drawn to it. If it an instrument that you can play chords with, perhaps learn some basic chords and begin playing some songs that you like. Keep it simple in the beginning. It is better to have fun than it is to feel it a chore. If it puts a smile on your face then it is all good no matter the path you take.

 

Thanks a lot! Also, I need to mention I already sing in a band so music isn't new to me but eveything you posted is very helpful

 

Get a cheap small midi keyboard.
Learn the notes. Learn basic chords. Then basics in theory like scales and key signatures. Otherwise, the fun factor will quickly disappear and frustration kicks in.

Whilst doing above... Do remixes with Stems, there a plenty of competitions online that supply the Stems. Great fun and you learn lot's from it. And you might win!
Remember, every day is a school day. 38 years making music and I still watch videos, read books and ask questions. It's part of the fun

 

My journey: 1998-201?

My suggestion:

First of all you have to become a "beatmatcher" listen to a lots of House music from the 1999-2002 like the good old Phats & Small, Deepswing - In the music styles like this.

Try to be a Dj first so you should first try to mix tracks because once you start to "feel the mood" of music you'll develop a good ear for "loop based" "sample based" music.
So you will have a good understanding on how the good old guys put together 70's disco music into "new house music" listen carefully how they put loops/elements together how a song is built up how long should be an intro is.

After that try to make the same music for example: Get this track: "Ramona Brooks - I don't want you back" and try to match the beat to your timeline's grid so you can loop the shit out of the good parts of this track.
Than try multiple loops with it play with the DAW's filter listen to the levels what levels should you decrease & increase.

And I suggest to you to forget about learning to play the piano and melodies instead watch tutorials about how to use InstaChord, InstaScale and EZkeys together.
There's no value unfortunately in learning to play melodies I tried it it is impossible to come out with your own ideas.
I bought a CODE 49 like 2 years ago and I started to learn how to play (at age 33) it is so hard to "feel" the keys to press down chords with 4 fingers at the same time it's impossible so forget about learning the piano and scales because it is impossible to sound like the "pros".
Yes I can play some very easy song parts like Lukasz Graham - 7 years or Coldplay - Clocks but that's it once it gets complicated and to play with two hands ahhh it is impossible for me...

Software and pluginwise:

1. Studio ONE 4 that's the future (it's like a very cheap version of Cubase PRO, the built in Sample ONE XT is amazing if you have wav samples drumkits/loops it is super easy and super fast to slice up a loop and put into Sample ONE XT)
2. About synth plugins: the most important thing is to have minimum 2 oscillators ADSR options and a Filter section (sooo many good options for synths best ones are: Spire (forget about Sylenth1 or Nexus they are so boring) Omnisphere with the complete package Trilian & Keyscape)
3. For drums definitely EZDrummer with all expansions (Superior Drummer has way tooo much options it's not worth to learn all of its stuff)
4. For "Mixer" plugins I would only recommend IK Multimedia's T-Racks 5 it has all the weapons you want for any style of music.
5. You have to enjoy what you do that's the most important thing.

 

how is music theory NOt fun?
if i wanted to be a carpenter i be excited to learn all the cuts and how use tools and measurements and materials that what being carpenter is, your idea is "fuck it just eye ball it!"?

 

I don't see that they said " i dream of making random sound waves with no meaning someday"
i read

to actually suggest that a person go through tutorials on a piece of software, has any connection to music whatsoever is a joke yes you want to have fun alright messing with this guy.

he uses the word "music"

not random software soundwaves.

the basics of music is a concept which is universal among human beings. I gave them advice specifically dealing with the exact topic and situation they are referring to.
my suggestion is that AFTER you are able to make music and know how music works THEN learn how to use daw etc.
if you put in some effort in learning music theory you will immediately jump years ahead of people who never have learn music theory but have been playing random twaddle for years.
if you dont KNOW the melody of twinkle little star, silent night, happy birthday, you have no use for a daw. what would you possibly do with it?

i highly doubt when he said he wanted to play music someday he didn't mean hit the play button in itunes.

 

Last edited: Sep 17, 2018

Just learn to play - there's plenty of tutorials about technique and stuff (see topic =) on the instrument ya like. Try to practice as much as possible. They say it takes 10k (!) hours to master something. So try some few minutes a day! You don't need to be in front of an instrument to practice / "live" music, just need to play along to whatev instrument ur listening to on headphones. All helps improve dexterity & brain / hand coordination. When you are learning a DAW, try to copy ur fave song / artist. Learn from their mistakes. Make ur own, brand new ones. They're the best bits, usually. It's music, emotional mathematics. Don't get too bogged down by either, remember: it should be fun to play! If it isn't then do something else for a while...

 

I love you guys.

 

It takes a lot of work, but master these and you'll be on your way.


1)Cannabis / alcohol
2)Speed
3)Coke....maybe LSD?
4)Smack
5)Crack
6)Angel Dust

A decade in jail should get the creative juices going what with all the loneliness, beatings and humiliation. It's all useful later when you are really developing your own musical ideas and etching out your own style.

Good luck!!!

 

Hey friend I am going to give you some compact info right here to hopefully peak your interest in which you can dive deep in the free musi theory course videos above i posted. I am going to try and be purely meaningful give pure information. stick with it what im about to tell you.

1. the chromatic scale.
this is a Key collection. a Key is a center focus the chromatic scale has 12 keys in it.

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B

2. we select every other note and "unzip" into 2 whole tone scales. ( 2 whole tone Key collections)

first one C D E F# G# A#
2nd one C# D# F G A B

3. we get 3 diminished 7th chords

BDFG#
CD#F#A
C#EGA#


4.
using the above 3 steps we now focus in on the first KEY C major
we take the first 3 notes of the first whole tone scale
CDE
we take the last 4 notes of the second whole tone scale
FGAB
we out them together in a row

C major KEY
CDEFGAB

5. the internal structure of C major KEY ( how a Key works)
a. starting from the C note select every other note CEGB Cmajor7 this is HOME or at rest the main expression of the key.
b. starting from the 5th G we select every other note GBDF G7 (dominant) this is away or movement the driving force in the key
c. we next map out each chord of the key
CEGB
DFAC
EGBD
FACE
GBDF
ACEG
BDFA

even though we have 7 unique flavors here, all 7 only represent home (cmaj) or away from home (g7dominant)

here is what they are

CEGB home
DFAC semi-away
EGBD home
FACE semi-away
GBDF away
ACEG home
BDFA away

notice 2 of the away chords are semi-away or (subdominant) DFAC dmin7 and FACE fmaj7
these both are used to move towards away.

d.
now we have looked at the chords and the 2 functions ( rest ) and (movement) tonic and dominant
we begin to look at chord progression. level of details

level 1. CEGB
simple just our home chord.
level 2. GBDF to CEGB (away to home)
level 3 DFACE to GBDF to CEGB (semi- to away to home)

next is our chord equivilents

CEGB=ACEG=EGBD (home)
DFAC=FACE (semi-away)
GBDF=BDFA (away)

e.
finally once we have experimented with these chords to hear those functions
we now do it with individual notes as well it all works the same way. here is a melody

D down to B up to C

this is semi-to away to home

next

F down to D up to E

this is semi-to away to home

f. now we look at the modes of a key which go with our chords.

C major KEY
CDEFGAB
CEGB CDEFGAB
DFAC DEFGABC
EGBD EFGABCD
FACE FGABCDE
GBDF GABCDEF
ACEG ABCDEFG
BDFA BCDEFGA

g.

finally we look at our relative minor of the key A minor
A minor KEY
ABCDEFG
CEGB CDEFGAB
DFAC DEFGABC
EGBD EFGABCD
FACE FGABCDE
GBDF GABCDEF
ACEG ABCDEFG
BDFA BCDEFGA
CEGB CDEFGAB
DFAC DEFGABC
EGBD EFGABCD
FACE FGABCDE
GBDF GABCDEF

this is all i am going to do at first for you until you get it then we can go on later homie.

 

Hey friend I am going to give you some compact info right here ...

1. In the begining keep it simple
2. If it is not fun because it seems too complicated, see #1.

 

ask yourself
what do you like
what do you want
to do
to be
what you can
how much you would spend

 

Last edited: Sep 18, 2018