What software/hardware did you begin with? What were your biggest hurdles? Was there a moment when it suddenly “clicked” for you?

  • BetoMA
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    710 months ago

    I signed up for a 2-hour Ableton class that was being offered at work. Not sure why, it just caught my attention. I was amazed by how the instructor could write a cool song in just a couple minutes! I had no idea that was possible.

    That’s how I started, I bought Ableton and a small MIDI keyboard. Followed tutorials on YouTube and started writing a song every week for the song-a-week subreddit. I took a few online classes on music production and kept learning.

    A few things that clicked for me:

    • I don’t have to do EDM just because I’m using Ableton and all the YouTube tutorials are about EDM. I can make ambient.
    • Notes sound better when they’re not quantized.
    • There are no wrong notes to play.
    • Finishing songs is really important.
    • @Tweed
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      410 months ago

      That sounds great! I wish I could find more videos like this, especially people who make the kind of music I want to make (sing-songwriter and groove-jazz)

      • Thassodar
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        10 months ago

        If you use Ableton I recommend LNA Does Audio Stuff on YouTube. She goes through almost all the built in features of Ableton and she’s also a singer/songwriter herself.

        Seed to Stage is another great channel as well, and he produces more ambient rock and experimental stuff with Ableton. In The Mix and Venus Theory are also very talented YouTube producers that don’t necessarily use Ableton, but I respect their insight.

    • Thassodar
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      310 months ago

      Your journey is very similar to mine, although I use Ableton because I love EDM, not because all the tutorials are about EDM lol.

      For me when Covid lockdown hit I bought a Launchkey Mini that came with an Ableton trial. Being stuck at home gave me time to learn, and it clicked for me in a way FL didn’t, so I ended up buying it.

    • @breaksOP
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      210 months ago

      Finishing songs is really important.

      I wish this would “click” for me.