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(Just saw Ledge touched on this as well but I already typed it) Another helpful thing is, when you're in the zone (often when you first start a track) don't waste all your energy on sound design. You don't want to spend all your creative time tweaking a snare. You don't need the sounds to be perfect to write music, just a general facsimile of what they will end up being so you get the general idea.

Something that's helped me a lot is having a pad and a pencil in hand. Write down all possible ideas in your head. This will help you free up some brain space by getting things down so you don't have to remember them. If you're programming a beat but you want more punch in that snare, just write it down and keep going. Later on when you don't feel like composing, you can still advance the track by going back and doing all those utility tasks.

Also any abstract concepts or inspirations you may have can be easily referenced. I like drawing out an energy graph of the track which plots out how intense things will be in a given section. Then you can go about brainstorming ideas on how to provide that energy through tension and release, etc. "Fade strings up here, increase reverb send, raise hihat velocity on offbeats" This gives you little mini projects to work on instead of it being one big task of "Make a track that's good" At any given time you can choose to work on different parts of the track depending on what you feel like doing, and this keeps you from getting frustrated banging your head on one thing for hours at a time. Basically break things up into bite sized morsels.

Also define your structure early on. There's nothing as daunting as an open ended infinite daw lane. You'll most likely know generally how the track is going to flow when you first start out, especially if you've already graphed it or written yourself notes (or if you're making generic shit hah!). Throw in some blank clips to build a general skeleton of your track and add in an end marker. Obviously you can change anything very easily but making that outline is very helpful in keeping you focused on turning things into a proper piece and not just a loop.

Distractions can be a good thing too sometimes. Obviously you don't want things going on in the background when you're trying to concentrate, but if you're bored and have run out of steam go pown some noobs online or make yourself some food. When you come back you'll be fresh and more objective. Working on the same thing for a long time can be monotonous and counterproductive if it's having a negative impact on your momentum. As long as you're not gone for too long it can give you a much needed energy boost and replenish your enthusiasm to keep going with your track. Also taking a break can include reviewing your notes and deciding on a direction you're going to go next, listening to some reference tracks, etc. It can still be productive.

SunkLo wrote:(Just saw Ledge touched on this as well but I already typed it) Another helpful thing is, when you're in the zone (often when you first start a track) don't waste all your energy on sound design. You don't want to spend all your creative time tweaking a snare. You don't need the sounds to be perfect to write music, just a general facsimile of what they will end up being so you get the general idea.

Something that's helped me a lot is having a pad and a pencil in hand. Write down all possible ideas in your head. This will help you free up some brain space by getting things down so you don't have to remember them. If you're programming a beat but you want more punch in that snare, just write it down and keep going. Later on when you don't feel like composing, you can still advance the track by going back and doing all those utility tasks.

Also any abstract concepts or inspirations you may have can be easily referenced. I like drawing out an energy graph of the track which plots out how intense things will be in a given section. Then you can go about brainstorming ideas on how to provide that energy through tension and release, etc. "Fade strings up here, increase reverb send, raise hihat velocity on offbeats" This gives you little mini projects to work on instead of it being one big task of "Make a track that's good" At any given time you can choose to work on different parts of the track depending on what you feel like doing, and this keeps you from getting frustrated banging your head on one thing for hours at a time. Basically break things up into bite sized morsels.

Also define your structure early on. There's nothing as daunting as an open ended infinite daw lane. You'll most likely know generally how the track is going to flow when you first start out, especially if you've already graphed it or written yourself notes (or if you're making generic shit hah!). Throw in some blank clips to build a general skeleton of your track and add in an end marker. Obviously you can change anything very easily but making that outline is very helpful in keeping you focused on turning things into a proper piece and not just a loop.

Distractions can be a good thing too sometimes. Obviously you don't want things going on in the background when you're trying to concentrate, but if you're bored and have run out of steam go pown some noobs online or make yourself some food. When you come back you'll be fresh and more objective. Working on the same thing for a long time can be monotonous and counterproductive if it's having a negative impact on your momentum. As long as you're not gone for too long it can give you a much needed energy boost and replenish your enthusiasm to keep going with your track. Also taking a break can include reviewing your notes and deciding on a direction you're going to go next, listening to some reference tracks, etc. It can still be productive.

Superb! I like the energy graph idea. This is all really good info, Jotting down notes seems like it would help out so much. This happens to me all of the time I will be thinking ohh that sounds shitty, lemme fix that, and once I go to fix it I forget where I was going with the song. How I can seem to overlook something like taking notes. Thank you for this!

I might also add that i tend to stray away from my original plans at times. lets say im looking through a plugin's presets and find something cool. ill start playing with it on the midi and come up with a cool melody, so i put it in the piano roll and start playing with it some more. before you know it, i got 2 songs in one project. i keep telling myself not to let that happen but it still does

Frodo Bassbins wrote:

Phigure wrote:Maybe it's not for you...

says the guy whos on the forums 24/7

Right. Because you live with me and have the ability to see what I'm doing

SunkLo wrote: Something that's helped me a lot is having a pad and a pencil in hand. Write down all possible ideas in your head. This will help you free up some brain space by getting things down so you don't have to remember them. If you're programming a beat but you want more punch in that snare, just write it down and keep going. Later on when you don't feel like composing, you can still advance the track by going back and doing all those utility tasks.

good advice, been doing this lots recently.

symmetricalsounds wrote:

SunkLo wrote: Something that's helped me a lot is having a pad and a pencil in hand. Write down all possible ideas in your head. This will help you free up some brain space by getting things down so you don't have to remember them. If you're programming a beat but you want more punch in that snare, just write it down and keep going. Later on when you don't feel like composing, you can still advance the track by going back and doing all those utility tasks.

good advice, been doing this lots recently.

I do that with a dry erase board and task manager/"to-do list" software. It really helped when I was doing it for money especially as it helped keep it organised and I knew the things I had to fix or get done without having to sit there and look/listen. It might make it feel like "work" though which some people won't like, understandably.

Just about balance innit... A lot o' chaps on here prolly using it to temporarily compensate for the vaccuum that life can be... Dunno man, if ya really wanna get into music, start by fucking your life up some how haha

Dunno man, if ya really wanna get into music, start by fucking your life up some how haha

LOL man I actually thought to myself the other day 'this would be so much easier to get lost in if I didn't have a job, wife or kids'...

Dude I feel your Xbox pain too, damn thing. I used to really struggle with playing games and learning production, video games were my hobby since I was like, 7 or something, when my parents bought me a Sinclair Spectrum +3 (with bling built in floppy disc drive, seen). Tough habit to break. Thing is when I actually started to understand what I was doing in the studio, I just naturally gravitated towards that instead. Now I switch the box on for the ocassional game of FIFA with mates, and I will be all over Halo: Reach next month, but really, you end up prioritising without realising it, and if production is really what you want to do, you will find yourself gravitating towards it too.

Incidentally, my tunes still sound shit. Learning curve is huge mate. Every time I think I am getting somewhere, I listen to other peoples stuff and realise how far I have to go (recently checked out Reso's WarMachine preview on Soundcloud... Dear God). Thing is, I keep plugging away at it, because every little 'click' is building up to that moment where I sit back from something and think 'yes. I am proud of that'.

Keep at it man. It may be it isn't for you, that is true. It is an exercise in frustration sometimes where you wish you were doing something else. Keep pressing forwards though, and eventually it will become clear whether you really want to stick with it or not. Good luck mate!

A lot of people have said really good stuff already but I just wanted to add that you really don't want to be aiming to make tunes in one day. That's madness. Sure, some people do work that way and occasionally you get a tune that just writes itself real quick but equally a lot of/most of the greatest tunes have been made over months. Just start a song and say to yourself 'this can take as long as it takes, I'm just gonna keep working on it till it sounds peng' if it takes a day it takes a day, if it takes weeks it takes weeks etc. If you struggle to concentrate on it for 5 hours in one go just do an hour a day or something.

BLAHBLAHJAH wrote:Just about balance innit... A lot o' chaps on here prolly using it to temporarily compensate for the vaccuum that life can be... Dunno man, if ya really wanna get into music, start by fucking your life up some how haha

hahah yes this is the best advice but maybe don't follow it

bondage

i love making music. if i could just smoke ganja and make music all day, believe me i would!

@ OP. You will find yourself becoming far less overwhelmed, and much more enthusiastic with every new thing you learn. I dont know how long you have been producing, but it doesnt sound like long to me.

Legendary put it well, take that advice and get to writing and finishing some choons mayne.

legend4ry wrote:Stop making sounds and drum beats and write songs!


Theres nothign worse than people who get stuck in writing 16 bar loops...

Load up a piano, a basic pad, some 808 or 909 drums... and maybe a simple sine wave... Get your melody, atmosphere, drums and bass down..

replace sounds where needed and fill in the gaps, its actually THAT simple, in theory..

big up my 16bar loop mandems

As has already been mentioned, some days you're just off, and have no inspiration. You can't schedule when it's going to come. My best musical ideas come at me randomly, like when i'm at the grocery store, driving, etc. I was looking up some lorin ashton interviews and he has this brilliantly simple technique. Whenever a sick riff or whatever pops in his head, he'll use the voice recorder on his phone and sing it or hum it or beatbox or whatever you prefer and then later in the studio review it, and transcribe it into whatever DAW and work from a much better starting point.

Echoi wrote:@ OP. You will find yourself becoming far less overwhelmed, and much more enthusiastic with every new thing you learn. I dont know how long you have been producing, but it doesnt sound like long to me.

Legendary put it well, take that advice and get to writing and finishing some choons mayne.

Yeah I have only been doing this for about 3-4 weeks now, but I have been thinking and planning on doing it for months though.

Whenever a sick riff or whatever pops in his head, he'll use the voice recorder on his phone and sing it or hum it or beatbox or whatever you prefer and then later in the studio review it, and transcribe it into whatever DAW and work from a much better starting point.

Haha that's a good idea. Seems like all of the good ideas people have are simples ones, and I just overlook those.

Thank you everyone for the support!

legend4ry wrote: We have limitless capibilities to make the most interesting music with technology these days but without those fundermental rules of notation and a start, middle and end, music doesn't exist, it just becomes disjointed noise.

some of the best music i've heard is pretty much disjointed noise

You've been making music for 3-4 weeks and you're gettin' fed up? haaa! It took me at least 18 months to make something worth listening to more than once!

legend4ry wrote:You've been making music for 3-4 weeks and you're gettin' fed up? haaa! It took me at least 18 months to make something worth listening to more than once!

Ohk thats good to know, for some reason I thought most of the people here are pretty new to it also and are making all of these songs that are put together pretty well. I have had it in my head that making music should be a natural thing to some people, but it isn't. I know it takes skill but for some reason I thought it might come easier than something like playing guitar or whatever. Which is good to know.

I think Steve Dee said it best....

They're talking about turntabilism, but it's applicable to all aspects of your life.