Hey guys I'm new to this forum and seems like a nice place. I started producing about an year ago and till now I haven't achieved much, if anything at all, I mean, all the stuff I try to do is just complete sh** or its nothing at all. I'm losing all hopes, I can't start a track, I can't write melodies, chords, basslines or anything and I don't know what to do anymore, I watch tutorials, I read stuff but I really don't know what to do, if someone has any advice or (even if quite impossible) could help me kicking off producing by teaching me some stuff such as how to start a track or anything at all, I am open to all advice and to anyone who is so great to give me a hand.
I've lost al hopes
- Thread starter DJNilo
- Start date
scrapheaper
Moderator
You've only been going a year... that's not very long really and it does take a lot of time.
How many hours a week would you say you put into producing?
How many hours a week would you say you put into producing?
scrapheaper
Moderator
Firstly, stop expecting things to be good. Make bad things, then try and work out why they're bad. You haven't been doing this very long and it's natural to be not very good when you're starting out.
If you struggle with creative ideas, you can try and make copies of your favorite tracks to improve your technical skills before trying to express your own ideas- but again, don't expect them to sound the same as the originals because they won't.
The main thing is to keep trying and not delete your stuff.
If you struggle with creative ideas, you can try and make copies of your favorite tracks to improve your technical skills before trying to express your own ideas- but again, don't expect them to sound the same as the originals because they won't.
The main thing is to keep trying and not delete your stuff.
Pumpthrust
New member
If you're struggling with melodies, chords and progressions, etc, take music lessons. Best investment you can make for your music production. Or don't and still struggle.
I was in the same boat as you were a few years ago, until I took some time to learn piano and guitar. Now chords and melodies come more easily to me and I have no trouble translating the ideas in my head to music.
Here is a lick I recorded:
I couldn't do that a few years ago.
I was in the same boat as you were a few years ago, until I took some time to learn piano and guitar. Now chords and melodies come more easily to me and I have no trouble translating the ideas in my head to music.
Here is a lick I recorded:
I couldn't do that a few years ago.
Inspirmentalist
Inspirmentalist
all of us producers started off making bad music. heck man, my beats were trash when i started back in 05/06. i was just doing it for fun back then though. you have to start somewhere bro. maybe look into taking some piano lessons that will help you in the studio. listen to some of your favorite artists and producers for inspiration. if you are serious about this and want to make music for a living, you can't give up hope. also, don't force yourself to make music, there's nothing worse than forced creativity.
Wow guys, thanks so mich for all the help, I got more help in an hour then ever in my life, i have to truly thank you guys and I decided I'll start taking piano lessons. I would understand why you would answer no but ill ask it anyways, is there by any chance someone that could like show me how he/she starts off a track and the steps, just making even something random to look at the workflow. Thank you again
scrapheaper
Moderator
Not really tbh. Everyone does it differently and what works for me probably wouldn't work for you.
Milo Burke
New member
Nilo,
In my opinion, you're too focused on learning and not focused enough on doing. You're too focused on learning the proper way, and not focused enough on making your own way.
Is the creating fun for you? Do you like it? That's a great gauge to see if this is for you.
Like that image in the stickies on a subsection on this forum: you want to make music because you have great taste in music, but it takes a long time for your skill to grow to match your taste. But don't discouraged. Just persevere through it.
If creating is fun for you and you enjoy it, that's the green light. Don't give up. But instead of copying everyone else's methods, just make music. Make song after song after song after song. Create first, learn later. Create with 90% of your time, learn with 10% of your time. That's the only way you're going to break out of the habit you've created of paralysis by way of learning.
We're here to help. Message if you like.
Best wishes.
In my opinion, you're too focused on learning and not focused enough on doing. You're too focused on learning the proper way, and not focused enough on making your own way.
Is the creating fun for you? Do you like it? That's a great gauge to see if this is for you.
Like that image in the stickies on a subsection on this forum: you want to make music because you have great taste in music, but it takes a long time for your skill to grow to match your taste. But don't discouraged. Just persevere through it.
If creating is fun for you and you enjoy it, that's the green light. Don't give up. But instead of copying everyone else's methods, just make music. Make song after song after song after song. Create first, learn later. Create with 90% of your time, learn with 10% of your time. That's the only way you're going to break out of the habit you've created of paralysis by way of learning.
We're here to help. Message if you like.
Best wishes.
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BeatBassBanger
New member
Keep pushing kid, learn music theory. I am reading music theory for dummies and already its helping
SOTAMuzik1
New member
Dude, who you tellin? I've been making beats since 2006 and I've quit at least three times. Even up until now, I have NO ONE that's recorded a track to my beats nor bought one. (I don't even have tracks from free beats that I gave out!) The thing is, you're going to suck, especially if you've only been at it for a year. After ten years (off & on) of making beats I still think my beats need a lot of work, but I can definitely say that I'm farther from where I was to where I want to be. You just have to be patient man.
There's a guy on YouTube named Spoken Reasons (from my area, go figure) and his motto is "FAITH, CONSISTENCY, and HARD WORK." These three things I can guarantee you will see results, but don't expect anything to come overnight.
(P.S. I have a thread in here titled FIRST AND LAST TRACK YOU'VE MADE (or something like that) displaying the beats I've made from 2006-2016.) It will give you an idea of how long it took me to become somewhat decent.)
There's a guy on YouTube named Spoken Reasons (from my area, go figure) and his motto is "FAITH, CONSISTENCY, and HARD WORK." These three things I can guarantee you will see results, but don't expect anything to come overnight.
(P.S. I have a thread in here titled FIRST AND LAST TRACK YOU'VE MADE (or something like that) displaying the beats I've made from 2006-2016.) It will give you an idea of how long it took me to become somewhat decent.)
young_liam_
New member
Hey man, I feel just like you. I've only been producing for ~1 year and I'm not confident with my work either. I get frustrated all the time and I even gave up for a while but you have to remind yourself that this is what will make you happy if you just keep at it and accomplish your goals. I'll post my soundcloud just so you have an idea what I'm talking about.
https://soundcloud.com/ayyyoungliam
If you have any material, show me and I'll help you in any way I can!
krushing
Moderator
If someone tells you "I've been playing guitar for a year", you probably don't expect to hear but a few struggling chords or a simple ditty of a song. Why would you expect anything more when you're trying to learn to play instruments, compose, arrange, mix and maybe rap/sing at the same time?
Milo Burke
New member
Nilo,
Thanks for your gratitude on my visitor's page. Much appreciated.
You asked for methods of just starting. Everybody is different, but I'll tell you what works for me:
- Sometimes I open a blank session and start piling in a couple instruments I don't know very well. Maybe a new synth or percussion plugin. I flip through the presets until something seems to work. The sound of that instrument, or the way I play it while testing, can lead to a song.
- Sometimes listening to music inspires me. I hear a cool chord progression or a unique rhythm or a nifty engineering trick that hadn't occurred to me to try. While the idea is buzzing in my head, I open up a session and follow that inspiration in the direction I imagine, not their direction.
- Sometimes I start by cloning a track I like. I did that with a Calvin Harris song, an Ariana Grande song, and a Lykke Li song. One remained a clone that will never see the light of day (since it is just a copy), but it taught me some production tricks and engineering styles I wouldn't have learned otherwise. When I was cloning the other two, I decided I liked a different instrument more here, I liked the chords slightly different there, and I wanted the percussion changed like so; before I knew it, I had two whole, original songs. They started as clones, but they evolved enough that no one would recognize them. In my opinion, that's totally fine. Everyone in art imitates. As long as you're publishing something uniquely yours, it doesn't matter where you get the seeds for your ideas from.
- Sometimes I just need to clear my head and do something mechanical. Turn off the music, podcasts, and audiobooks that I constantly cram my brain with. If I just go for a walk, or take a shower, or go for a drive, I usually don't have to wait long for a melody or rhythm to come into my head. Sometimes it's even spurred on by the rhythm of my steps, or the rhythm of my turn signal. I shut off the noise to let my inner creativity come out. If I'm near my computer, I can try to quickly create what I hear in my head. But if I'm not at home or don't have time, I just beatbox and hum my ideas into my smartphone to listen to later, then recreate it in a session when I have time.
Is that helpful?
I'll tell you what doesn't work for me: staring at a keyboard or fretboard trying to come up with chords, or staring at a blank Word document trying to come up with lyrics. It all has to start somewhere for me. I just find a lead and then follow where it takes me.
And the best part is that if you and I had the same lead, we are likely to end up in two totally different places. That's the beauty of music. The beauty of creativity, really.
Thanks for your gratitude on my visitor's page. Much appreciated.
You asked for methods of just starting. Everybody is different, but I'll tell you what works for me:
- Sometimes I open a blank session and start piling in a couple instruments I don't know very well. Maybe a new synth or percussion plugin. I flip through the presets until something seems to work. The sound of that instrument, or the way I play it while testing, can lead to a song.
- Sometimes listening to music inspires me. I hear a cool chord progression or a unique rhythm or a nifty engineering trick that hadn't occurred to me to try. While the idea is buzzing in my head, I open up a session and follow that inspiration in the direction I imagine, not their direction.
- Sometimes I start by cloning a track I like. I did that with a Calvin Harris song, an Ariana Grande song, and a Lykke Li song. One remained a clone that will never see the light of day (since it is just a copy), but it taught me some production tricks and engineering styles I wouldn't have learned otherwise. When I was cloning the other two, I decided I liked a different instrument more here, I liked the chords slightly different there, and I wanted the percussion changed like so; before I knew it, I had two whole, original songs. They started as clones, but they evolved enough that no one would recognize them. In my opinion, that's totally fine. Everyone in art imitates. As long as you're publishing something uniquely yours, it doesn't matter where you get the seeds for your ideas from.
- Sometimes I just need to clear my head and do something mechanical. Turn off the music, podcasts, and audiobooks that I constantly cram my brain with. If I just go for a walk, or take a shower, or go for a drive, I usually don't have to wait long for a melody or rhythm to come into my head. Sometimes it's even spurred on by the rhythm of my steps, or the rhythm of my turn signal. I shut off the noise to let my inner creativity come out. If I'm near my computer, I can try to quickly create what I hear in my head. But if I'm not at home or don't have time, I just beatbox and hum my ideas into my smartphone to listen to later, then recreate it in a session when I have time.
Is that helpful?
I'll tell you what doesn't work for me: staring at a keyboard or fretboard trying to come up with chords, or staring at a blank Word document trying to come up with lyrics. It all has to start somewhere for me. I just find a lead and then follow where it takes me.
And the best part is that if you and I had the same lead, we are likely to end up in two totally different places. That's the beauty of music. The beauty of creativity, really.
Thank you so much man, aside from tips etc. For the mentality you are making me think of and that I'll try for sure, maybe one day we'll collaborate haha who knows, thank you again for all the help, to you and everyone else now I'm back not wanting to quit but reach my dream.
DavidJofficial
New member
I was on same spot like u and one day i just improved and start create a better melodies and i know i made a nice proggrese in about two weaks becouse i spend a lot of time by practicing. but now i just stopped for about weak and i cant make myself to start again even if i want to start 
my advice would be keep practicing and u will see ur improves
my advice would be keep practicing and u will see ur improves
KonKossKang
Ozagas
Experimentation.
Learning some theory.
Scales and sheet music.
Experimentation.
Learning more of the daw functions.
Researching some of the technical stuff.
Experimentation.
Basic synthesis and sampling.
Learning some theory.
Scales and sheet music.
Experimentation.
Learning more of the daw functions.
Researching some of the technical stuff.
Experimentation.
Basic synthesis and sampling.
