Learning piano or theory will help?

P

Picassoo

New member
So I recently just started producing music. My problem is that ppl say that in order for me to get better at producing is time and patience. When I try to make a hip hop beat, its hard for me to make a melody. Its even harder to make different melodies and put them all together making sound amazing. Im only 20 so I feel like I have time to improve as a producer. I feel like if I make crappy beats, I will still make crappy beats 10 years down the road. Should I just keep making beats and it will come naturally or should I learn piano or theory first? I was thinking to learn piano on youtube so I know how to create a melody and know which notes to hit. Any tips or advice?

---------- Post added at 10:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 PM ----------

Sorry for my grammar and typos. Im typing this on my phone lol
 
You would be surprised by how much better your beats get after you understand some basic theory.Learning to play piano also helps a lot but practice is the most important part.However if you don't know some basic theory,practice won't help you that much.
You should also practice recreating music.(I think this is called transcribing,I'm not sure)Trying to recreate other music is the best way to train yourself to make great melodies and train your ear.Take for example 4 bars from a song you like and try to recreate them.You can start with your hands on the keys trying to guess the notes until you get it right.After that you can try to "guess" the notes only in you head and writing them down.
DON'T WORRY IF YOU SUCK NOW !
Music is like learning a new language.When you were born you didn't know how to speak but by the time you grew up you could formulate sentences easily without even thinking about it.
You can make a comparison with a new born child learning how to speak:
-he hears the adults talking
-then he tries to talk by using the words he heard (practicing making music)
-and when he makes mistakes he is corrected by an authority like a parent (for example when you try to recreate a song,you make a mistake and you go check the original sheet music or midi notes and see what mistakes you made...Or you go back and check your theory)
This way you should reach a point where you can "speak" music fluently without even thinking about it.But just like when you learned how to speak for the first time,it won't happen in a few months.It will take years of practice.
 
I found this youtube channel where this guy teaches music theory from scratch.
Here is the youtube channel: #1 LEARN FREE MUSIC THEORY - YouTube
You think if i finish this course online and try to learn the basic, my melody will improve? Is basic theory and music theory 2 completely different things? Or should i just learn music theory?
 
Picassoo said:
I found this youtube channel where this guy teaches music theory from scratch.
Here is the youtube channel: #1 LEARN FREE MUSIC THEORY - YouTube
You think if i finish this course online and try to learn the basic, my melody will improve? Is basic theory and music theory 2 completely different things? Or should i just learn music theory?
Click to expand...

This should do.There are a lot of place where you can learn.You should also check out warbeats.com,they have a lot of good tutorials.
Oh,and don't waste your time with learning to read sheet music if you plan on making hip hop beats.

What I personally recommend is starting with this huuuuge piano course :
Learn Piano at Home | Piano Lessons on DVD | Video Instruction

You will learn some theory and you will get really good on the piano as well.It's the best structured,fun and easy to follow course that I've found.If you can't afford it,I think there may be "other methods" of getting it.Though I recommend you buy it.It's the best investment you will ever make.
You can learn all this stuff on youtube as well but people on youtube don't go into that much detail and it would take you more time + it's much harder that way.
 
Just to be controversial, I have spent the last year learning music theory and didn't really feel much benefit. It's a shame because all of it is primarily geared for understanding classical music and will likely be taught by someone who is familiar with them genre similarly. The rules suggested that are followed in this sort of theory aren't the same for computer music and especially dance music. In particular I can remember the principles of rhythm being quite redundant. If I was you I would just buy a few books on music theory geared at computer musicians and use sources like this forum for learning.
 
I don't understand how learning Harmony didn't help you at all. Theory isn't any different for classical as it is for any other genre. Those rules you speak of are not rules, but suggestions, and the least important part. Theory gives you a way to label and identify sounds, essential for making music.
 
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