I am a music producer and vocalist who is no longer in that beginner state, and I am entering that territory of liking what I have come up with. I am quite aware that I need to take the next big step in my understanding of this craft. I have that *dreaded habit* of starting many promising projects but never finishing them.

I would love a course, in my desired genre, that shows the start-to-finish process. If I could see the hurdles that snag me, I think I would overcome this block.

I am aware that YouTube offers a variety of great tutorials on how to make a track start to finish but the genre which I am seeking more insight into is not as widely covered.

I'm sort of doing a few genres rolled into one. For example the music I enjoy is a many-headed hydra of influences (industrial, prog-rock, orchestral, AND experimental all come to mind).

I am just curious if you guys think it would be wise for me to seek out a Masterclass at this point?

I had my eye on the CryWolf Daw Nation one for a while... but it is rather costly and it would require me to save up for that sucker.

Perhaps there is something a bit cheaper that offers the same idea?

Thanks in advance for the guidance!

 

Big name music producers are always hungry for new talent, so if you are any good they will snap you up and work with you. Genuine music talent is rare, and everybody is on the lookout for the real deal. Good luck

 

What masters and what classes? Show them to me.

 

In my opinion, you don't need to take a class. You have already analyzed what you are doing. If you start many projects you will have collected ideas and some projects take time. Remember you are not a robot but a human being. Your creative artistic career is in full swing, find your own way.

 

The main issue of masterclasses is that the information you get is not always unbiased. Very often the student is brain washed into using specific products to obtain a certain result instead of just learning the basic concepts to do a specific task. Also it's very common that the masterclass host is affiliated with certain brands and the hidden goal of the masterclass is selling something else. In my experience, learning the basic concepts of what you are doing is the most important part, it doesn't have to be related to a specific music genre, once the basics are clear in your head, you can do whatever genre you like. Also it's very important to involve other artists in your project when you are not a master in certain tasks, for example, i'm a mix engineer, but i'm not a good keyboardist, so if I need a good keyboard part in my song, I ask some friend to collaborate and at the same time, my friends ask me to finish their mixes. In short, a masterclass could be interesting, but it will not change your life.

 

most of the time, when I download one for free; I feel like I have picked up a few decent tips.

I have not watched a single one yet where I would have felt like I got my money worth. A subscription will get you way way more information. Usually with accredited presenters, depending on the site and material; for a fraction of the cost.

 

No master class would teach you how to overcome that. Basically what you need to do is actually finish music. The more music you finish, the easier it gets.

So if now you start each song with anxiety because you know it takes alot of effort and frustration, in couple of years of practice it will be way easier. A song you finish now in a month, it will take a week or less.

This couple of years of pushing through the mud is what make or break an artist. There's no way around it. Just trust yourself blindly, finish music without overthinking the results. Each 6 months look back and objectively assess your performance (quality and time spent). If done right, it will be the most frustrating, hopeless, difficult and mentally exhausting time of your life. And then it gets super easy to the point you may experience "the impostor syndrome".

There's no secret really. Just daily work while trusting yourself that you can push like a madman for a couple of years

 

Yes, focus on the VCM (verse-chorus-melody), everything else is refinement.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2022

University of YouTube is your friend.

 

which Masterclass. Some you can download from a certain russian torrent site. Some masterclasses are available on the sister site. Just browse and see what fits

 

no

 

I have not seen a bad one. But the only thing they are really "masterclass" level at, is getting someone to reach their hand into their wallet and pay for digital content with unverified information by some "expert" via clever marketing. Usually they remake a song, and of course they do not include the long boring hours of actual work the person does. Everything just goes perfect, they do not look anything up on YT, have to build any patches, sample anything on the spot, etc. Obviously, it would not be entertaining to watch. A recap walkthrough changes all that, and makes it look "easy" or "easier", anyway. But all those sessions of behind the scenes work dramatically change what the producer does in the workflow. How does someone set a lowpass filter to 380hz knowing full well that is where the resonance of blah is going to occur later? They don't. They sit there and experiment just like you and me.

Watch some stuff for free and buy some books with the money. You can at least look at the footnotes if you think something is incorrect. On these, it probably just is. You'd have to go dig up the original videos where half of the "information" in the them comes from in the first place to check. They are mostly like a book report from someone who managed to shift a few units. Nothing wrong with that. If you have some desire to pay for one, watch it for free first. See what happens then.... I would feel very ripped off. personally. They are not cheap classes. For free, they are great.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2022

I would rather buy a good reference book, also has the advantage that you can look up something very quickly at home.

Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs (Berklee Guide) Taschenbuch – 13. Juli 2008 - 22,94 €
Englisch Ausgabe von Jack Perricone (Autor)

(Berklee Guide). Melody is a subject too often neglected in the teaching of music. This unique resource gives melody that attention it deserves, and proves that melody writing is a skill that can be learned. Through proven tool and techniques, you will learn to write interesting melodies, how melodic rhythm influences rhyme, what makes harmony progress, and the many dynamic relationships between melody and harmony. This clear and comprehensive approach to songwriting unlocks the secrets of popular songs, revealing what really makes them work.

Examples of great songs by such notable songwriters as Lennon and McCartney, Diane Warren, Robert Palmer, and more, provide a close-up illustration of the songwriting techniques employed by these masters of the industry. This is the book used in Songwriting classes at Berklee College of Music. The exercises provided make it a wonderful self-teaching manual and a great addition to any general theory course of any level. Use the tools presented in this book to help fine-tune your craft and start writing hits!

https://berkleepress.com/songwriting/melody-in-songwriting/

 

Thank you. I hear what you are saying and it makes sense.

 

You make great points, thanks. Also, perhaps I need to comb YT a wee bit better to see if there is more there for the genres I am after.

 

I just wanted to note. My biggest issue is time right now. Masterclasses are probably good for that one reason I would reckon, no? Not entirely ofc, but, to fill a void when time is scarce.

 

Did the Beatles and other music stars watch Masterclass videos ?
I would rather buy a good reference book, also has the advantage that you can look up something very quickly at home.

Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs (Berklee Guide) Taschenbuch – 13. Juli 2008 - 22,94 €
Englisch Ausgabe von Jack Perricone (Autor)

(Berklee Guide). Melody is a subject too often neglected in the teaching of music. This unique resource gives melody that attention it deserves, and proves that melody writing is a skill that can be learned. Through proven tool and techniques, you will learn to write interesting melodies, how melodic rhythm influences rhyme, what makes harmony progress, and the many dynamic relationships between melody and harmony. This clear and comprehensive approach to songwriting unlocks the secrets of popular songs, revealing what really makes them work.

Examples of great songs by such notable songwriters as Lennon and McCartney, Diane Warren, Robert Palmer, and more, provide a close-up illustration of the songwriting techniques employed by these masters of the industry. This is the book used in Songwriting classes at Berklee College of Music. The exercises provided make it a wonderful self-teaching manual and a great addition to any general theory course of any level. Use the tools presented in this book to help fine-tune your craft and start writing hits!

https://berkleepress.com/songwriting/melody-in-songwriting/
www.halleonard.com/product/50449419/melody-in-songwriting

The Songwriters Workshop: Harmony (Format: Softcover Audio Online & Digital Book/Online Audio) 29,99 $ / 23,99 $

Learn the fundamental techniques behind today's hit songs, with easy-to-follow exercises so you can immediately apply these tools to your own songs. Quit wrestling with writer's block, and learn to make the songwriting process easy, fun, and intuitive. Kachulis covers a variety of topics, including: colors of chords and keys • chord embellishments and progressions to enrich your palette of colors • dozens of ways to modify your harmonies and progressions • the most common chord progressions used in hit songs • and more. Practice your songs with an accompaniment using the online audio! Online audio is accessed using the unique code printed inside the cover, available for download or streaming.

www.halleonard.com/product/50449519/the-songwriters-workshop-harmony

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2022

I would even more suggest a subscription then. (time reasons) The masterclass ones for me, are mostly like this. They start out great, flying through some things. You will catch a bunch of good tips. Then they will maybe need to bulk the video up. So they will do some in-depth chapters on something like Reaktor, or a Fabfilter plugin they like. I'm not saying these are product placements, because I'd probably do the exact same thing. But this is the important part, because the presenter will show you some good stuff. Should you happen to be using a G compressor, or whatever they have chosen to bulk out the class with. Maybe they like Serum or something, and it is a synth you care nothing about!
Once they do this, the rest of the video becomes either worthwhile to you, or it can become a snoozefest. They are already long enough.

the only secret is in the marketing. How to get people to pay to watch you play with imaginary musical/audio devices and crank out computer files; and charge $$ like they are the "super secret Excel files" that will make you a stock broker or something like that. With no investment. it's brilliant really. Musical Uber.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2022

No

 

Masterclasses are for specialist areas, great for audio engineers and instrumentalists but you seem to be wearing many hats, you're essentially a jack-of-all-trades, as are, I suspect most of us here. I think the voice is the most important element of any music with vocals in it, maybe consider singing lessons or if you're already a great singer then seek a masterclass for that from an actual person, not a video or online course.