Hello guys.

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IamNew

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Hi guys, i am new to this forum. i am interested in creating good music or producing music. i have no music background though but i would like to learn it. is there any suggestion what i should do or what i should learn before creating music? thanks in advance. :)
btw, i would like to make edm.
 
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IamNew said:
Hi guys, i am new to this forum. i am interested in creating good music or producing music. i have no music background though but i would like to learn it. is there any suggestion what i should do or what i should learn before creating music? thanks in advance. :)
btw, i would like to make edm.
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Take some piano lessons and learn a grip of songs.
 
yeah defiantly learn how to write songs even if there just basic on piano so you have some song writing skills and music theory/idea foundation and then as your making your tracks you will learn the techniques as needed for mixing sound design etc, but i wouldnt just focus on learning one thing kinda get an idea of the different things you will need to learn so then you can apply them properly. which would be in my opinion song writing,basic music theory will help you alot if you have no music background, learn a daw and stick with it for a while examples would be fruity loops,ableton,logic etc. and then if u got the money get some 3rd party vsts like sylenth1 or any other synths and learn them plus mayb some effect plug ins if you want, there is so many. learn mixing techniques, like stereo imaging and using volume and reverbs, to push sounds around and other techniques like haas effect all help also eq techniques to make room for other frequencies in the mix. just learn the different effects you can do and apply them in a way which sounds good. just make sure to have fun thats the man thing as your learning and just take it a day at a time and you will get there i cant think of anymore basic things but just ask
 
alrightythen said:
yeah defiantly learn how to write songs even if there just basic on piano so you have some song writing skills and music theory/idea foundation and then as your making your tracks you will learn the techniques as needed for mixing sound design etc, but i wouldnt just focus on learning one thing kinda get an idea of the different things you will need to learn so then you can apply them properly. which would be in my opinion song writing,basic music theory will help you alot if you have no music background, learn a daw and stick with it for a while examples would be fruity loops,ableton,logic etc. and then if u got the money get some 3rd party vsts like sylenth1 or any other synths and learn them plus mayb some effect plug ins if you want, there is so many. learn mixing techniques, like stereo imaging and using volume and reverbs, to push sounds around and other techniques like haas effect all help also eq techniques to make room for other frequencies in the mix. just learn the different effects you can do and apply them in a way which sounds good. just make sure to have fun thats the man thing as your learning and just take it a day at a time and you will get there i cant think of anymore basic things but just ask
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No, I meant "learn a grip of OTHER PEOPLE'S songs". We have nearly 200 years of music across many styles to that are relevant to our craft, it would be foolish to disregard them just because we make music with DAW's. Has an ignorance of these concepts been beneficial to you?

I also disagree with learning a bunch of things at once. If the initial goal is to learn musicality and songcraft, fiddling with mixing techniques and effects wouldn't be an efficient use of the OP's time. Your questions in the Theory forum proves that this is the least effective approach to learning songcraft. I wouldn't even suggest theory at this point. It is better to spend his time learning to imitate what he can hear to understand how songcraft works. Everyone else learns to do this at the very beginning, I don't know why people think they are exempt because they make electronic music, and then when they hit brick walls, they run to youtube and webforums. All that other stuff can wait.
 
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Deciding what to do or learn first is probably the most confusing thing tbh.


There's usually so many things involved.


Music theory.


Electronics.


Listening.


Daw learning.


Instruments whether controller or actual.


Arranging.


Playing.


Difference between linear/hybrid/pattern based software etc.


Listening to others can also help when it comes to hearing how and why beats are arranged the way they are, why stuff is doing this and that noticing little patterns all over the track getting used to all of that is also beneficial too. Learning how modules/effects sound etc.


Some though require much more knowledge to imitate to any degree though. Some are pretty out there but besides the point it'd be a good idea to take large, but long steps in all of those.
Dedicating time to what interests.
 
Greetings and welcome. Berklee College of Music offers an excellent, free online course called "Introduction to Music Production" - imho the best place to start out. Six weeks long, next session starts March 7th. You'll need a computer and a DAW - any will work, but if you're short on cash or computing power I'd recommend Reaper. Unlimited 60 day trial, and enough video tutorials to get you ready in time for the course.

And though it's getting old, Tweakheadz Guide is still a classic.

I'm really talking about the tools of the trade here. As other posts have mentioned, there's lots more to it - music theory, learning an instrument, critical listening, etc. But once you start to learn how to use a DAW, make sounds, have fun, the rest comes more easily.
 
Pumpthrust said:
No, I meant "learn a grip of OTHER PEOPLE'S songs". We have nearly 200 years of music across many styles to that are relevant to our craft, it would be foolish to disregard them just because we make music with DAW's. Has an ignorance of these concepts been beneficial to you?

I also disagree with learning a bunch of things at once. If the initial goal is to learn musicality and songcraft, fiddling with mixing techniques and effects wouldn't be an efficient use of the OP's time. Your questions in the Theory forum proves that this is the least effective approach to learning songcraft. I wouldn't even suggest theory at this point. It is better to spend his time learning to imitate what he can hear to understand how songcraft works. Everyone else learns to do this at the very beginning, I don't know why people think they are exempt because they make electronic music, and then when they hit brick walls, they run to youtube and webforums. All that other stuff can wait.
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i think you misunderstood what i was getting at dude, i never said dont learn other peoples songs and learn piano or guitar or what instrument. thats deffiantly what you should be doing first playing other peoples songs and learning piano as i already, then as your learning that obviously your going to want to play around on your brand new daw you just got so thats why i was elaborating on the other stuff as he goes further down the learning path.
 
IamNew,

Nice to meet you, and good luck on your journey!


1) Unfortunately, in order to use tools, you have to learn how to use them, and you even have to learn which to buy. My advice to someone just starting out making EDM would be to research which DAW (audio software) best fits your genre. Research which percussion and synth virtual instruments are best for you. And you'll probably need a cheap keyboard-style midi controller, and a cheap drumpad-style midi controller too. Used is an option.


2) But past getting tools and knowing how to use them, I think the best thing you can do is to listen attentively to good music and take notes. Which songs do you like? Pick one to start. What aspect of the song makes it good? Is it the percussion? If so, is it the sound of the drum hits or the pattern of the drum hits? Is it the synth or the bass? Do you like it because of the melody it plays or the tone of the synth?

Literally, I would take notes on paper or in a text document while listening to music you like, music you want to sound like. This will teach you the components of music that embody your style faster than anything else.



Additional thoughts:
- Music theory can teach you so much, but it can also be confining - sometimes people with no understanding of music theory can come up with really evocative melodies.
- Engineering is important, but not as important as learning to make good songs. If you want to learn engineering methods once you have some good songs, YouTube is your friend. And if you want a better ear than 95% of the people making those videos, do 15 minutes of ear training a day. Harman's "How To Listen" is free, but there are others.
 
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