I, personally, started playing drums, guitar, bass and dabbled with keys before I ever got my hands on a DAW, so I would agree with superliquidsunshine and learn an instrument. Since you will no doubt be working with a DAW, a keyboard is an obvious choice to start. It is something that I guarantee you will find not only useful, but inspirational farther down the road and, though it won't be much fun at first, if you put in some time, I assure you that it does become fun.
As per making music, I recommend taking it slow, esperimenting with what you feel comfortable making and try and see if you can steer that in a direction towards what you want to be making down the line....I would recommend spending at least a few minutes a day on very basic music theory; learn which keys are what note on your keyboard and then take a look at a simple chart so you can see the notes that occur in each chord, hopefully, after a while, you will begin to see the patterns and you can go from there. (If MMJ2017's "compact" theory lesson looks daunting, it's because there is a helluva a lot he left out between #1 and #2. As I said, take it slow or you will get burnt out. Nothing against MMJ2017; he knows his shit, he just jumped pretty far ahead there for someone who is just starting out. Also, briefly, speaking of shit, disregard PartyShit's post--that's either sarcasm or trolling....or he's just full of party shit--about how you should "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." This is the biggest reason so much music today sounds so damn formulaic and contrived. People want to take the easy route and then they wonder why they make generic music. The handful of people I know who use those programs don't rely on them as so much as use them for expediency. But, I digress....)
I'm going to have to call out Steezo's comment on his recommendation of DAWs, not because I disagree with him....well, I do, I use Studio One after having suffered with FL for way too long and then trying out a shit-ton of other DAWs first, but that's not the point, the point is that I disagree with him in that I don't think that anyone should choose a simple DAW to begin with. You need choose a DAW that seems like it is what you need, despite its learning curve. I suggest going on YouTube and watching the 10-20 minute videos that showcase the newest versions of all the major DAWs and see which ones seem to make sense to you and try them out. Looking at artists who make music in the same vein or similar to yours might help, but it's not a "I make Rock music so I have to use Pro Tools," or "I make Trap so I have to go with FL" type of deal. And? If a DAW doesn't work out, or even if it does, don't be afraid to try a new DAW. A DAW should be a personal choice (not that you shouldn't ask for input, just remember no one can tell you what DAW is best for you,) it has to fit your workflow. On the flip side of that, I would also say that you shouldn't ditch a DAW and switch to a new one everytime something gets confusing or you are having trouble wrapping your head around something. It's important to recognize the difference between a DAW that doesn' fit your style of music creation and one that just has a little bit steeper learning curve. All DAWs, no matter how simple or complex, have a learning curve; it's normal to flail about a bit, to get frustrated, but try and find a dedicated channel on YouTube (as opposed to just jumping around haphazardly, which leads to tangents and rabbit holes,) and set aside some time to spend learning whatever DAW you're in. Expect it to be a while before things become second nature in any DAW.
My biggest bit of advice? Whether it's YouTube tutorials or people on AudioSex, figure out who's worth listening to. I know that sounds a statement of the obvious, but I know many people who have wasted a lot of time practicing complete bullshit mixing techniques, practice routines, etc., that were actually detrimental to their musical progress all because they heard it from some uber-confident showman with a YouTube channel. Most people won't purposefully mislead you, but personal opinions get in the way of actual facts and after spending five minutes on AudioSex, you will see that this is a very *cough* opinionated site.....in my less-than-humble opinion.
I could ramble on, but I'd end up writing a damn novel, so I'll leave you with this. If you are serious about making music, do it, make music, but realize that every minute that you spend haunting forums, scrolling through pages on AudioSex's sister site for your newest plugin or following bunny trails on YouTube to epic fails videos is not making music. Focus on your goals--realistic goals that pertain to getting one step closer to where you want to be no matter how large or small they are or may seem, and try and accomplish them for that day, week or month. It's extremely easy to get sidetracked, frustrated or just plain lazy and when that happens, it can be a difficult dive to pull yourself out of, trust me.
That being said, always remember to try and have fun. If you're not having fun, what's the point? (famouslut made a concise and noteworthy comment a few posts back that I agree with him on, especially the part about making mistakes. )
Hopefully this was of some help, even if it was an amalgamation of facts and opinions. Feel free to pester me via PM if you have any specific questions but, I think that you'll be good with this thread since the title will be too tantelizing for people to pass up.
Stay up.

 

Your definition of what music is is very narrow minded. If Pythagoras would have been that narrow minded about what you call "random" soundwaves there probably would never have been any scales for you to talk about 2 posts later. Just remember: Music theory doesn't impress peoples ears - soundwaves do. I rest my case. ;)

 

Just memorise a few simple things:

"ABCDEFGCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCFGABCEGB CDAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGC EFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABABCDEFGCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCFGABCEGB CDAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGC EFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABABCDEFGCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCFGABCEGB CDAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGC EFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABABCDEFGCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCFGABCEGB CDAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGC EFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABABCDEFGCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCFGABCEGB CDAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGC EFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCEGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGABDFAC DEFGABCGBD EFGABCDCEGB CDEFGAB"




Can't get much simpler than that, can it?


OTOH you can play RadioHead's "Fade Out" with just Am, Em and C.

 

Last edited: Sep 18, 2018

As much as fully recommend learing an instrument (or four,) before diving into any serious study of mixing, mastering and all DAW related endeavors, @JustAnotherDave , it is far from necessary. It is something that will, as I mentioned, help you out in the long run and, aside from that, it's fun....far more fun than writing in notes or programming a sequencer. (EDMheads are going to lose their minds on that one. Oh well, had to be said.) Yes, the end result is what counts, but this is supposed to be fun, right?
And the music theory bit? As much as I would love to be a theory purist, since I do know a solid amount of theory, and say that it should be the foundation of blahblahblah, I can't and won't. I had a theory class that I sat in on in college to brush up on it some years back and after bullshitting with the teacher, he said he only actually plays guitar and piano pieces from sheet music of bands, scores, etc., because, as he put it, "I just don't have that 'Holy shit!! What if I...' type mind when I pick up an instrument." Theory does not make a good musician; it is a tool to use to aid you in your musical journey (and will make it a whole helluva a lot easier if you know it,) but it will not magically make profound, moving or attention-worthy musical passages appear in your gray matter.
I don't want to dissuade you from theory, but it is something that will take a more than a bit of effort. Also, learning theory as you learn an instrument, piano and guitar especially, will help you see the patterns of how music you hear with certain vybes or flows has been put together. The long and short of it is no one person learns things (with any retention,) in the exact same way. Find what works for you and your needs. You don't need to figure out how to mangle a B/G7 chord into a progression to make good music. (Don't jump my shit Theoryheads, that last bit was a joke. Seriously though; that chords bent. )

And this, below, is just solid advice that you will probably need for a while to come to keep from getting burnt out:

 

Have we banned paragraphs?

 

Isn't it a bit more advanced for a newcomer?

This.
Think about what type of music you want to make. think about what type of music you like and get inspired by it. which parts are more interesting for you to extract and incorporate in your own music.
Ask yourself, Do I want to learn to play an instrument or just make computer music? what kind of instrument fits my style? An acoustic guitar or hangdrum? or maybe a launchpad?
Do i want to make a career out of it in the long run or is it just a hobby that stays as a hobby?

 

I can't make heads or tails of anything your saying here.

what is narrow minded? speaking about music as it actually exists in reality? that is narrow minded? as opposed to what? speaking about music is a way that has no connection to reality istelf is that open minded? i don't get it.

"If Pythagoras would have been that narrow minded about what you call "random" soundwave"

what do you mean by "that"?


"there probably would never have been any scales for you to talk about 2 posts later."

your just using words in your comment randomly here. what purpose does thius sentence serve? what is it supposed to accomplish through my experience of reading it?

this is my point your recommendation for the OP regarding music is just and random and meaningless and the specific choices you make typing in your comment box with your native tongue.

"Just remember: Music theory doesn't impress peoples ears"
what does this sentence mean?
can you unpack this or demonstrate reality matches to your comment.
(its like saying learning the way words fit together in English language as an infant, isn't any more impressive than randomly stringing letters of the alphabet together to create your own unique structures.)
the fact is in the reality we are a part of that is wrong, it is much more impressive for people to know what the hell you are saying with words they know the meaning and the way they fit togther in a language, then typing hdgeuejfh mfuingfng,lsuwydbvklglf

one IS more impressive than another.

 

I have heard this repeated over and over many occasions in this thread nad others recent so I want to talk about it.
It seems that people have some bizarre fetish with the idea of "fun", and that what is fun for them is vastly different than what i know of as "fun".

to me "fun" never has been take a ignorant apprach towards something to jump into it ignorantly , to belittle it and think of it as so much of a joke that it has zero value.
that is fun to you folks?
"fun" to me just means enjoying myself. the OP expressed that music has value and meaning to him.
the last thing i would ever recommend it that situation is for him to devalue and belittle music.
If i care about building things i measure with a tape measure, i use the good materials iu get the right tools and equipment i study different options and the way everything interacts and enjoy the process of learning the history behind it and all throughout i am having "fun".
i take the total knowledge i have built up and i use my own creative skills to put knowledge to use.
music is identical.
"fun" is not being ignorant of how music works.
fun is not treating it like a joke which deserves no effort

so many people are saying that that want to think about doing something with music , by approaching it as removing all the music part.
if thats you than stop saying the word music if your desire is to toy around and play with sound ,don't be ashamed or try to make it "sound" better by saying you wanna do music( yet in your heart at every turn try to remove the music part)
stand up straight and be honest and proud that you enjoy tinkering with sounds waves that is all, be proud of the reality of your situation. don't try to twist things around and make it seem like you want to do music but then when it comes down to it you think so little of music that you remove the music part at every turn so bizarre.

imagine carpenters all around you saying they hate tape measures and only real men "eye ball it"

imagine if DJ's all around the world tried to convince you it was playing an instrument.

that is what I hear when all these people that supposedly "do music"
make every attempt to remove the music part at every turn its weird.

imagine if every dude with a basketball hoop on his barn door said " I am an athlete"

Imagine if a teenager in japan asks on afourm how to learn the english language and the response they get is
just buy american keyboard and randomly hit number and letter swith no knowledge of the order they fit and the meaning they express hfkjsndfkjbdskhdsfg isdiuur jshsh gdgdg twfvsvb gigkhmh stwtebf gkhkg

does that actually tell the person how to learn the English language? is that what the word "english" means? any random order of letters?

and everyone wonders why nobody wants to pay money for music because we have made it mean nothing.
I guess "fun" now means to put zero effort in , and to be willfully ignorant of your chosen "passion"
everyone loves music SO much that they cringe at the thought of learning what MUSIC is how it works?

just say you want to make ignorant random sound waves if that is the actual truth . why lie?

 

Last edited: Sep 19, 2018

Play music…. yeah
Here is the scenario:

Option #1
Spend half an hour to create an average tune so to feel yourself cool in front of your friends

Option #2
Dive into the deepest place of your soul trying to find an answer to the meaning of the universe. Than come back and, with the last remaining energy, tell (in music) what you found



Choose your option
Art is pain: Davide, if you are ready to suffer than go ahead

 

a "movie" or "film" is not shapes and colors on a screen that change over time.

a "movie" or "film" is a story-line with characters using knowledge of archetypes and literature.

"music" is not random sounds changing overtime........................

when the day comes where a "movie" or "film" IS just images on a screen with color changing over time.
YOU will STOP paying for them entirely.

 

Fucks sake, @MMJ2017 , relax; breath. Let's just go down the list.

No one claimed they took it as a joke (that I saw,) so saying that is based on pure speculation.
That behind us, who said that everyone on here makes music to become some towering spectacle of musicianship? I know plenty of people who play instruments or make beats or mix other peoples music just for the sake of doing it, as a hobby. Some do it because it relaxes them, some people do it to get their mind off life and other people just do it. There is no law saying that people have to search for the meaning of life in music. I personally don't see how people can just play an instrument without any drive to excel, at least to a rational degree, but I'd never put anyone out for it.
Next, you say "take a ignorant apprach towards something [sic]" meaning, in this case, music. This is extremely elitist. Are you saying that if someone doesn't know theory that you would, if it were up to you, make it impossible for them to make music until they've learned it? And another thing, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being ignorant in and of itself; it's when a person remains *willfully ignorant (as you mentioned,) that they should probably deserve some sort of reprimand. *But, how schooled does one have to be before they are *allowed to play music? And who is to decide that? You? Steve Vai? John Coltrane? Ressurrect Chopan and ask him?
Basically, I agree that people should learn theory--it lends to not only the creation of music, but the appreciation of it--but in-depth knowledge of it is in no way directly tied to the music many people make. Many prolific artists in many genres no very little music theory, and they manage to not only create great catalogues, but inspire people after them to make music as well.
Also,

I agree with you wholeheartedly on this point. No matter what genre it is, people love to be the producer of brilliance as so long as they can do it under fifteen minutes and have it on Soundcloud before reruns of How I Met Your Mother. It's frustrating as all shit when people are like "Oh, you make Hip Hop. That's just stealing songs." Yeah? Well it's not stealing when you play 95% of the shit on the track. Or, when some kid at a bar asked me why I play the drums since "....they have this Band in A Box, it's for the computer, that is way cooler than any drummer I've heard." True Stories. It's a disgusting mixture of frustration and fear when I hear stupid comments like these.
I doubt anyone will know how to play any instrument in a hundred years. I'm exagerrating, but who knows, it could happen.

I'll make this brief. This is an awful example. The reading of language is structured as it is absolutely necessary for it to be other wise it's worth nothing. Language is different. Language can be created, twisted, manipulated and mangled and it can adopted or learned so that people understand what it means....and then it can be made sense of on paper by following the structure of the written word. Music is not structured like the written word, it is, in essence, a language. You can spell something incorrectly or leave out words, leaving a person with a mess of gibberish, but music is does not have hard-set rules. Music that doesn't follow a twelve note per octave scale may sound like shit to a lot of Westerners, but to someone from a place that does not predominantly follow a twelve notes per octave styling, it is beautiful. *Either way though, to whatever degree, it conveys meaning, albeit, more for the person whose accustomed to it, but it is lost on no one. I suppose I could go on, but, brief....right.

Okay, I *can do "brief" on this one, I promise.
That's not the reason why people don't pay for music; people don't pay for music because everyone feels they're entitled to free shit even when they have the money to buy it, and yet, they'll turn around and whine when someone pyrates their shit. Irony abounds, eh?

Simple. People lie to avoid the ire of elitists who think everyone must know music theory to be able to make music. Seriously though (well, I guess I wasn't entirely joking there,) I think that musicians (sorry, Random....Sound....wave-ers?) lie about their prowess for the same reason anyone does; we're all scared little flesh-bags who want a nice hefty ego sheltering us from the often times overly judgemental and unnecessarily harsh criticisms of those around us. Simple.

I'll end with this bit (it's a damn good thing I type fast.)
This goes back to what I mentioned before, elitism. And, I'm not comin at you or trying to start some beef, but that's what that is; elitism. It's evident with the use of "everyone," and the fact that they "cringe at the," etc., etc. parts; you're speech gives it away. I don't think that you understand that no one is cringing. Some people have jobs and when they get off they just want to make music (sorry, sound waves,) and forget the day. Some people actually have a very difficult time learning theory; it's an intangible and some people are bad with intangibles, just like having trouble with math. Other people just may not need anything but rudimentary theory. Honestly, I rarely find the need to know all of the theory that I know, which isn't even some egregiously large amount. I find it interesting, so it's not like it's a burden, but I could see for some how it might seem unnecessary to some. And don't get me wrong, there are plenty of psuedo-producers/musicians who are content to reach criminal levels of laziness and refuse to even learn how to properly tune their instrument or make sure their 808s are in the correct key (yes, it's a kick, but it's also essentially a bass people, think of it as an instrument!!) For every person who needs to brush up on their theory, there is someone who knows more than he needs. I have a buddy who predominantly plays Neo Classical guitar and knows more about theory than....well, shit, probably anyone I've ever met and is a brilliant musician as well, playing in multiple bands of various genres. The point is, he said that it was a chore, that learning theory wasn't fun for him,; he enjoyed the knowledge because it allowed him to play exactly what he wanted to play when he wanted to play it, but he looked at it as work.
Basically, you keep talking about how people aren't respecting music by their ignorance of it, but aren't you downplayiong the emotional and chathartic side of music, which is why we all (okay, nearly all,) started playing music in the first place? No one ever decided to play music because they wanted to learn how notes corrolate with one another. People want to play music because because they either wanted to learn they're favorite song or they wanted to try and create something to expressed themselves and, yes, hopefully have some fun along the way. Haven't you ever been to jam session? No pre-practice to aim for that pocket or set list or anything, but just jammed? It's fun. You don't think, you just feel and play, and sure you might fuck up and hit some off notes and lose the rhythm in some of the turnarounds, but fuck it all, it's fun, whether you know anything about theory or not. No one ever wanted to learn music to learn music, they wanted to learn music to be able to play what they want to play, be it there own stuff or other peoples. Music theory is a vehicle, it is not the destination, that's really what I feel you can't see. Maybe I'm I'm wrong, though....

Well....it seems I've written a novelette. Hmmm, I blame this on you. As I mentioned, it's a good thing that I type quickly.
Back to working on a particularily aggravating mix....that is, incidentally, not too much fun.

 

You haven't seen 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Foster911 wants a word with you............

 

YouTube? How Do I make a bass sound on a synth? How do I record a synth? How do I make a drumbeat?

Self-directed learning can take you a long way in a short time especially if it's fun and gets some quick results. IMO, it's usually the case that folks give up music pretty quickly, I suspect because they don't get any decent results quickly enough. That's unsurprising when one thinks of a guitar or suchlike - it sounds pretty rubbish at the start and is physically quite difficult.

One thing I used to like doing (and still do) which gets big and quick rewards is to download MIDI files of songs I like and then replace the crappy MIDI instruments with synths, and better drums etc. You get to learn a lot of stuff - how to run a DAW, how to route sounds, putting FX on stuff, how to put it all together (mix), how to render it out to an audio file......and it saves you having to write a great song yourself. :D There's a lot of fun to be had right there, without having to know a lot. The obvious thing then is to make your own tunes, at which point even a very little musical theory can go a long way.

One thing with making music "in the Box" (on computer) is that it can seem very complicated initially. Like any serious productivity software there are a lot of buttons, and a lot of options. But as with anything, the more you use it somehow the wall of buttons seems to disappear and the jargon sinks in. Just stick at it - something most folks don't do. Music is one thing in life that has taught me to keep going at things - one gets better.

Good luck!!! Have fun :D

 

Any recommendations of "theory" for a total tonality/"functional harmony" skeptic?

Most books and videos start well enough, in defining notes and chords, beats and measures, consonance and dissonance, temperaments, scales, and intervals. But by the second or third chapter they seem to skip straight into mysticism, weird arbitrary conventions of why "you should just expect this sound to follow that one", because "it makes you feel like this". Which of course, if you don't expect it, or feel like they say, none of it ever makes sense again. Not a great way to teach, IMO.

So far, the stuff I have been able to make sense of has been non-European drumming, especially Indian and African. And serial composition. But as a poor person goofing on the internet instead of buying books, I encounter only a few superficial bits about those things.

 

That was not referring to someone taking it as a joke , it was regarding a approach to thinking about music.
what I mean is i always hear. "well, it has to be fun right?
I am speaking about an societal approach.
think of it like that Imagine being on a football team and the coach starts yelling to do laps or squats of whathave you and someone yells ouyt
"wahh wahh BUT COACH! footballs supposed to be fun right? your robbing all the fun away!"
or if coach belives it is important to have everyone memorize game plays and positions, then practice all the movements through exercises
and they cry
"wahh wahh BUT COACH! footballs supposed to be fun right? your robbing all the fun away!"

my whole point is that there are particular thoughts process regarding the way you approach something.
I am not accusing anyone im speaking about a frame of mind regarding what people refer to as their "
passion"

well that is clear.

great , but if they started saying for another person to learning music theory was bullshit. i would express my piece on it.

You are absolutely gowdamm right about that!
that is my point! you don't have to get involved in music or call yourself a musician if that not what you really love. if it is not "fun" to learn and do music there is no law saying that people have to search for the meaning of their life in music.
there are many doing everything to take the music out of music because "its all about having fun right?"
how can you say music is "your" thing if you despise it to the point to put down any thought of learning what music is how it works and music theory disgusts you.

of course i am referring to the opposite of that situation.
I am referring to a person asking about how to get involved in music i recommend learn music theory ( how music works)
and people react to that that it not fun to do that .( you dont have to do music if you dont have fun with it)
you dont have to play football if it "no fun" :C when coach makes you do laps and squats and memorize plays and practice and build knowledge of the game .
"coach it supposed to be fun wah wah!"
well dont play football homie.

you must be shitting me .
i just explained in my last sentence.
so you think it elitist coach! making those poor souls learn what football is how it works and train for the game?
yeah coach so elitist homie. pssssssshahahaha

spoiler : whenever you see the phrase "are you saying...." you know there is a problem.

what I am saying (and you can read from top of the thread)
is that a dude posted here saying he loves music wants to know how to start learning to make his own music someday.
next i give him entirely free resources how to learn music theory.
next people comment whining about how music theory takes the fun away that .
to know zero about what music is and how it works is fun, and that having knowledge about every possible melody and harmony and rhythm which pops into your head would not be fun.
thats is what im saying my brother.

I don't know how to answer that other than (with no offense) open your eyes look around.
how schooled does one have to be to do anything where they take the title of that trade on and criticize the process of education of others in that field.
lets say all around the world a new type of "medical doctor" emerged. now this new type of "dr" has no schooling or training. and believes no other dr should either. they say " its supposed to be fun right"
how am i going to have fun if i have to learn how the human body and brain works?
and trained doctor is an elitist right?
well, how much of the body and brain should they have to know before they are ALLOWED to be a dr right?
who decides?

your whole argument on language im skipping because i can't fathom your point and i don't get how you think its different form music ion the slightest.
just one question, is your "personal" definition of music "sounds which change overtime"?
if so that would make sense to me why you think language is totally different from "music"
if i ask you "can you read and write music"?
what is being asked of you?

yes because nothing in reality has rules.
instead what there is , "the way things actually work"
whether electricity ,whether the human brain, automobile anything even music has "the way it actually works"

imagine this. you get a a Melody your head or a harmony or rhythm a beat, because you have knowledge of music (way it works)
you instantly know all your options what to do with it every possibility true freedom.
you know 150 version of the melody instantly every possibility that anyone could ever do past or future for harmony and rhythm.

that what taking music serious and learning about how it works can lead to that is my point.
YOu tell me how that is not "fun"?
IF being fluent in music is not considered "fun" to a person THAT person is not allowed to call it their
passion" or take on the title just like i am not a football player or athlete .
coach tells you to do laps and your thought is "coach robbing all the fun!" then quit and never look back that was not your love and passion ( that way people will still pay to watch games in the future)
If everyone who thinks music theory is no fun quits music now then in 10 years we as as ociety will pay for music again.( get the meaning in music back again)

first off i asked a QUESTION.

next you are taking a extremely specific point of mine and going off on way different directions with it.

hell of a generalization in a world where no human being will pay for music becuase it has been devalued to have zero meaning( evidence dont match your claim brother)

this bizarre yelling out of elitism thing is pretty weird to me homes.

lets be clear this is my belief about anyone wanting to be called a musician
that the have the knowledge to fully explore what they hear in their head and have it come out 100 percent the way they want it to (because they know all the possibilities of melodies harmonies and rhythms)
if people work to get that , music value will come back because people will write the highest quality of music and people will wan to pay for music again,
I am arguing for musical freedom that the people who HAVE fun learning music theory DO music. (like every other profession in the history of mankind works)
and for every "carpenter" who says " what a drag learning's how to build shit and how all tools work" that they QUIT now right away.
all "carpenters" protesting the tape measure get their name tag taken away at once.( dont want my home sliding down the hill jezzuz)

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2018

yes there is a variety of music for you i recommend "a musical system which is based on unity instead of functional harmony
i have a thread showing it demonstrating it
https://audiosex.pro/threads/advanc...asy-can-use-it-for-any-genre-too.38578/page-2

in a unity system you have 5 basic modes (flavors) for each chord,

here is basic runthrough

how can we create a "unity" ( no function

we know the octave is consonant but it the same note! what is the next consonant interval (BUT is different note?)
the fifth

so we start of F note and add fifth and another and another and so on till 7 notes
FCGDAEB

put into order

FGABCDEF

this was already named lydian so we will keep that name.

our basic chord is FAC triad fmaj our 7th is FACE

our 13th
Fmaj13#11

next we have 5 modes (flavors )
Fmaj7
G7
Bmin7b5
Dmin7
Emin7

(the flavors stack above a FACE bottom chord try it passing through inversions of each mode always having F chord on bottom)
ALL white piano notes can be played at same time as low note F or low chord F
there is no dissonance or function you can play all white notes at same time with a low F chord

this is our major tonality (bright)
all the white keys at same time over top a f note

next we have relative minor DORIAN

DEFGABCD

everything same except the 5 modes sit on top a low DFAC chord

this is the "dark" version

all white notes on piano played at same time with DFAC on the low bottom

Fmaj13#11 is the bright (FACEGBD
Dmin13 is the dark (DFACEGB
they are "family"

try this

bottom FACE top BDFA so FACEBDFA chord

next try FACE and EGBD so FACEGBD
next try FACE and GBDF so FACEGBDF

now with DFAC

DFAC bottom and on top BDFA so DFACBDFA
etc.

now we can really "have fun" watchthis

play a FACE bottom let ring
add DFAC on top wich goes to GBDF which goes to CEGB (all while face chord on bottom plays for whole duration)

next try same thing but DFAC on bottom the whole duration.

now lets get wild take GBDF

so bottom FACE top GBDF
well GBDF comes from Bdim7 G#BDF

Bdim7 is 4 chords
G#BDF BDFG# DFG#B FG#BD

play all those overtop a FACE (duration)
next play them over top a bottom of DFAC

well Bdim7 is actually 4 dominant7th chords

G7 A#7 C#7 E7

and 4 min7flat5 chords

Bmin7b5 Dmin7b5 Fmin7b5 G#min7b5

play all those over a bottom ringing FACE
next play all 8 chords over a bottom ringing DFAC chord.

mind blown yet? (because that is all step 1)

next we play bmin7b5 BDFA to E7 EG#BD to amin ACEG
overtop a FACE on bottom

next overtop a DFAC on bottom

that should get you started with "unity" nicca.

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2018

I am "old school" and not MMJ school and in my time to start this was enough:




"...the drawing is often quoted by lots of musicians as the impetus to do something, and it’s seen as a key message of punk,”

“You didn’t need to have been to music school or be particularly proficient or skilled. It was much more about the energy and drive to do something."

"Turns out, you can play AC/DC’s “TNT” and T-Rex’s “Bang A Gong.”

+The Black Keys - Lonely Boy
+Jane Says - Janes Addiction
+When Love Comes To Town - U2
+Suicide Blonde - INXS
+Helter Skelter
+These Boots

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2018

somehow your page is not quite "matching up"

your "chart" is just as helpful as IF i said to OP

"hey just wiggle your fingers and bend your elbows!"
"that's all there is to it! your playing music now!"
(contest of the mundane )
or how about "stand in front of a microphone!"
your playing REAL music now!
(my point is describing the most mundane part , does nothing valuable.)

That which makes AC\DC significant has nothing to do with what you have described.
what makes their songs work or powerful has nothing to do with your chart.
your better off saying that a important aspect of what makes it work is the blues origin. ( all the idiosyncrasies related to electric blues)
if you look close and listen close there is a lot happening in the music related to many details of the blues and electric blues.
even though the "sound you hear" is very stripped down to be ambiguous there is still a lot of things happening idiosyncrasies of the blues.
there are many co-ordinations happening with timings and instruments and vocals interacting.
the LEAST important part of the song is your chart and what you offered up,
it literally as helpful as saying "wear a t-shit" now your playing music!

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2018

"The three chords illustration was often credited to “Sniffing Glue” fanzine, founded by Mark Perry of Alternative Television, but it was actually from issue No. 1 of “Sideburns”, founded by Tony Moon, and published in January 1977.
This simple hand-drawn diagram somehow seemed to sum up the evolving Punk ethos and the hunger for change in a few slashes of felt pen, particularly where music was concerned. These 3 chords really are all that is necessary to write a song, and many bands, including the Ramones have proved that over and over. It fitted perfectly with Punk’s DIY manifesto, there were no more excuses, “Now Form a Band” it suggested, and, armed with these 3 chords, loads of people did. And now, because you know them as well, we would encourage you to do exactly the same. Apart from the Ramones, many other bands had hits with 3 chords, Pulp with Common People, No Fun by The Stooges and Get It On by T Rex."

Published by punkgirldiarist

More to read:
http://www.disordermagazine.com/music/reviews-music/the-punk-commandments

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2018

start with loops and a simple tracker, like ACiD, or Magix.

it will help you with the sense of structure, harmony, and basic mixing techniques ( volume, pan .. )

you can get a midi keyboard for 50$, and since most of these trackers have now VST integration, you will start to experiment with basic 2 ocatves scales.

the best thing is to ask yourself " what do I want my career / music path to look like when I'm 60 years old.
then you'll get the bigger picture and it will help you in making your choices along the road.
leave place for change.

it takes 10 years to be good at an instrument, even if your instrument is a DAW.

as soon as possible, even if it's just a gathering of friends : produce yourself live, even if it scares the hell out of you, and don't be afraid to fail or be judged : in the end, it's just opinions, and most of the people judge what they cannot achieve.

good luck