i have just started off reading Ableton 8. The first time i read it i dint understand it much. the 2nd go was much better. Though as i read ahead i just get more complicated. Like stuff bout the instrument rack and drum racks etc…
My friend is going to music school but i cant really afford it. I wana be something really big, like everyone else out here. Something like a Tiesto or Armin…but i really don’t know if i’m on the right path. i started off with Ableton, even though i know Fl studio is generally meant and preferred by most beginners. Will i require actual music schooling to become something that big?? Or is it possible to be something by just reading up manuals and watching tutorials over the net?? Does it really work in out there?? Need some serious ass motivation because i’m really starting to doubt myself with this whole thing.
If you’re just having trouble using Live, that’s one thing. You might check out DubSpot or the like if you need some help through it. They had a promo called 30/30, which was a 30-day course to complement the 30-day trial that looked to be sweet for beginners.
If you need to learn some about music, I would hit the books and seek some general music instruction as well.
I think you should re-think your motivation to make music like elliot said. Take it slow, do it for fun, set small achievable goals for yourself and see how you go. If you aim to be Teisto you will probably burn out and hate yourself and to be honest the last thing we need is another artist trying to be another big pop trance artist. And learning how to use Abelton itself won’t give you talent either.
To become a good musician or producer I don’t think you need schooling, although it could definitely help. I think the best musicians are usually the ones that enjoyed/studied lots of different styles of music and found their OWN sound.
Set yourself a goal every week to learn a new part of Ableton, learn it inside out then choose another part of it. Watch some youtube vid’s and just mess around with it.
When you’re not on Ableton listen to ton’s of music and try not to be narrow minded you will be surprised with what you like and where you can draw inspiration from.
Study some light musical theory not so much scales and all that stuff but more tonality contrast and other musical elements, this helps you understand and appreciate musical concepts and helps you create your own.
@Loopcat Thanx a lot! Yes i shall definitely reconsider my goals. I know that i love music and feel it from inside but it’s a different thing to make your own sounds. Ill take it slow and do it. This definitely helped.
Actually I disagree, a good music school will also teach you how to financially capitalize on your talents, teach you howmeet the right people and in general teach you about the “business” of music quite apart from the music theory element which of course is definitely worthwhile IMHO
However - it all starts with raw talent, which you either have or you don’t. If you don’t have any talent, but can master the other necessary skills involved in the industry you’ll probably still be a success.
The production process is very slow, especially in the beginning with Ableton. Whereas music school might help, i have no idea, i do know its not 100% necessary. Youtube is your best friend ever. There is a ton of material on there for learning to use Live.
Music school is not needed but helpful. A passion and drive to progress in music production is a must. I enclosed a pic that I made that helped me out learn Music 101. Youtube Music 101 and i’m sure you will find tons of stuff to watch. As far as Ableton goes. It’s a pretty easy system to learn. It just looks though cause it looks semi plain looking but it’s what under the hood that matters. I know FL looks cute cause it GUI is a lil flashy for my taste.
When making electronic music. Start off learning the basics. Create a 4 on the floor beat. Add a baseline and play with that. Then add in anything else you want.
Grab some VSTs. NI makes a great set that can help start you off. Maybe even grab a old version of Komplete. My favs from the series is Massive, FM8, and Razor
I’ve been stumbling my way through Ableton as well, I put it like this: learning all the tools in Ableton is like learning different strum patterns or chords on a guitar. You can take lessons which will help you understand things quicker/easier but IMHO, there’s nothing like figuring things out for yourself.
You don’t need to go to music school to learn music production. There are tons of free lessons on Youtube. But if you are going to make some melodic stuff you need to learn music theory (at least some basic stuff), and learning piano by watching youtube videos is pretty hard. So it will be better if you go to music school to learn piano, not music production.
Pursuing success in music production takes a lot of motivation but it needs to be for the right reason. If you are in it to get rich/fame quick then you should reconsider or at least think long and hard at what it will take; unless you are already extremely knowledgeable in music theory and spend every waking hour dedicated to producing, not to mention have the money it takes, you are looking at years before you have production value worth releasing. I started little under a year ago and made the dive blind but I have been extremely motivated and passionate about it not because someday I want to be famous but because I find pride in creating something from nothing. Anyways, I’m not judging at all I just want to make it clear that it takes dedication!
Some of the best sources of information I have found are youtube tutorials, soundonsound articles (great for the basics of synthesis and background knowledge), and the KVRForums (although slightly pretentious), as well as any reading material I can get my hands on. I spend on average about 2-3 hours reading about production techniques, music theory, sound design, etc. (at work of course) and spend anywhere from 2-6 hours a night (during the work week) fiddling in Ableton.
One of the biggest tips I can give you is to expand your music boundaries. Start listening to different genres which will open the doors to new drum patterns, basslines, synthwork. Over-analyze every instrument and drum hit throughout the song and how it changes. You can learn more from breaking down other peoples music than by sitting around program stuff in, in my opinion. I started out trying to make simple 4-4 house drum beats but I really learned more when I started listening to some FutureBeat/UK garage which has a whole new soundscape and usually more intricate patterns.
But yeah, this turned into a rant. Overall the goal is to have fun, make something you are proud of, and put a little piece of you into the music. From my experiences schooling isn’t necessary, everything is available online but I’m sure schooling wouldn’t be a bad thing.
