I am by no means a virtuoso or a master when it comes to producing
Hey, guys, my name is JustAnotherWanker69 and I go by the name of Archos in Soundcloud. If you are interested in the type of songs I make, PM me and I'll give you a link + have a nice chat with you.
BACKGROUND OF ME: I started out producing in September of 2016 when I saw Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike perform at Tomorrowland 2016 ( Set Replay). I was exposed to EDM before since I had an older brother who constantly played Skrillex in his teenage years. I loved dubstep but eventually fell out with it as I didn't like the direction it was going. The main reason I started producing was because I was inspired by the way the DJs maneuvered the crowd and made everyone jump, I wanted to make people feel the same. I am only 14 when I started producing and 15 currently.
Actual Post:
When I first started producing, I quit immediately. I hated the fact that I had to learn and learn, Music theory and Mixing, how to arrange songs etc. I went back and quit again, this went on for a few months until February. When I finally started settling into my groove I found it easy to get an idea and start laying it down but every time I wanted to make that an idea into a song. I found it awfully hard, I often gave up immediately and felt discouraged and thought I would never make it. Here is how I started to finally make songs and start making progress.
Accept that you are shit
I don't wanna be harsh but this is the truth. When you start out producing you are awful at what you do, maybe you have tons of potential and have crazy ideas; Albeit you are shit. You are only starting out. Albert Einstein was once shit at math but he kept on going, Mozart didn't know how to play the C Major Scale but he still played, there are tons and tons of stories out there. If you accept your current skill state and know where you are, then you shouldn't have trouble finishing a song. What I mean is that make songs using the skills you have, not the skills you want. We all want to make the next Kygo song or the next Avicii song but we don't have the necessary skills to do so. Use all the skills and knowledge you have and make the song you are best capable of; It might be terrible and completely utterly shit but it is still a song. You created something from nothing, and no matter how bad it is, It is still amazing.
I want to make songs like Kygo and Avicii but I am not even half as close to them, but one day I know I will if I keep trying. If you think that your track is shit and you want to give up, ignore your mind and persevere through. There will be a time where you know your songs are starting to take shape and that you are making progress. Save all your work and label them so you can look back and see how much you have grown as an artist; Trust me, you will be very surprised.
Never stop learning
Learning, something that we have been doing since we were a little wee child. Learning never stops, we learn new things every day and minute. When it comes to producing, never stop learning. I remember when I first started out I had so many things to learn that I felt overwhelmed. Always start with your DAW, imagine your DAW is like your car, you can't drift if you don't know how to drive first. Learn your DAW enough to get by using the back of your head. I watched FKProds Fl studio 12 Tutorial too many times to count, over and over again till I knew exactly what I was doing. Read the manual and any other external resources you can manage to find. Learn about the music you want to produce and how you want to do it. Hell, even listening to the songs you want to produce is enough. Always keep learning and never stop learning, make it your goal to learn one new thing every day and apply it. It might seem boring starting out but trust me it will be well worth it in the long run.
Another good way to help reinforce what you learned is to teach it to others, I often helped my new producing friends to get started by telling them about FL Studio 12 or about music in general.
Be Consistent
Consistency is the key to achieving success and being a virtuoso in anything. Lots of people want to start producing but stop after 1 month, they create excuses such as " I am not talented enough or " I don't have enough money to produce" This is all bullshit and sorry for using language but I am tired of seeing things such as this. If you really have a passion for something and want to do it for a living or for a hobby, work your ass off! Do not give up, wake up every day and start producing. Make it your goal to produce every day or to even make a melody every day; I cannot stress enough how much it will happen in the future when you are making a song, these things will become second nature for you and you will find it extremely easy. When I first started out producing I gave up 6 times and I won't lie, I said the same excuses as I mentioned above; But each time I did give up, I was reminded why I love EDM so much, the crowds and the festivals are insane, I went right back into my DAW and started producing again. It is ok to take breaks as a starter because everything is very overwhelming at first but don't stop yourself from doing what you love. Ignore that side of your brain, for me and for everyone here.
Try to spend as much time as you can in your DAW and music production.
Be Proud
Pride is something we all need. The ability to brag to someone about our accomplishments in life is satisfying ( Don't be a dickhead though). Whether you are starting our or you are a producer for 20 years, be proud of what you are making. I saw a post today that inspired so much, it was talking about how we all should be proud of what we are doing and that person couldn't be any more correct. Always be proud of the things you are creating. Remember, you are creating something from nothing; Silence to sounds everywhere. Take a moment to relax and actually appreciate your work. I hate listening to my songs but sometimes take a moment and actually dance to your songs or groove to it. Show it off to your friends and make them dance to it too!
Always seek feedback
Feedback is the biggest key to improving as an artist. Always seek feedback for your songs, even it is just as little as putting the volume a little bit up. Feedback helps your mind differentiate between what you should be doing and what you shouldn't. Always seek to improve yourself. Feedback from friends, family or even strangers from the internet is vital to your career as an artist. Always seek to improve yourself as I said and improve your music no matter how good or bad it is. Don't be scared of your track having a bad received by the public, failure is the pillar of success, and remember; You get better every day!
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This has been the end of my post, even if it helped you a little bit. I am proud (:
Here is a list of resources that are helpful to you as a producer:
DAW Tutorials
FL Studio 12 Tutorial by FKProds
Ableton Live 9 Tutorial
Cubase Tutorial
Bitwig Tutorial
Reason Tutorial
Pro Tools Tutorial
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Music Theory
Music Theory for Beginners | Scales, Chords and Time
Khan Academy Style Music Theory
Music Theory for Computer Musicians
FL Studio 12 Oriented Music Theory Lesson(s)
There is honestly so much information out there on this topic. It is too much to post in here, just google " Music Theory Tutorial"
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Good Youtubers to learn from
SeamlessR Good for Sound Design
KANIC Teaches how to make Tropical House and other melodic style songs
Panos Savvidis Amazing shortcuts to make songs quick
Sonic Academy Really good, gives out free full courses from time to time on certain genre and courses on topics
SadowickProduction More Beginner oriented tutorials covering a wide variety of topics
BusyWorkBeats Lots of full beginner courses
ADSR Music Production Same as Sonic Academy, gives access to many courses and in-depth tutorials ranging for all skill levels
Pyramind Extremely good breakdown of songs
*If anyone has anymore YouTubers that you feel I should add here, let me know
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Mixing and Mastering
Basic Mixing tutorial
Compressors explained
More Basic Mixing ^ FL studio 12 oriented
Mixing Guide by iZotope
10 Quick steps to a Finished Master
Mastering Guide by iZotope
These are some of the ones that stick out from my head now, google "Mixing Basics" or " Master Basics" to know more
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Master Classes
Deadmau5
Hans Zimmer
EDM Drums Masterclass
Alesso talking about a range of topics
Lesson of KSHMR
Making of "Forbidden Voices" by Martin Garrix
Laidback Luke creates a track in Ableton Live 9
Martin Garrix in the studio with Future Music
Martin Garrix creates a track live. Seriously fucking watch this, it is great
Nicky Romero creates a track live
Matoma In The Studio - Making Music Another fucking incredible one
Sam Feldt - Making of 'Show Me Love' feat. Kimberly Anne
The Making of “Perfect Strangers” with Jonas Blue | Deconstructed
The Making Of Marian Hill's "Down" | Deconstructed
Again there are so many more tutorials out there that it is too much to put here, Just google " EDM Masterclass" and you can go from there
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My friend's tips for you guys:
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Misc : "Never stop learning, always know your scales from top to bottom, keep on practicing, progress comes slow at first but there will be a time when you grow exponential"
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Sunset Sky - TBA
Inspirational Author note thingy
I am new to producing, extremely new in fact. I don't know how to mix that good or master either. I try my best though. No matter what skill level you are, always keep trying; No matter what. Wake up today and go to your computer and lay the beats down. Keep doing that and I promise you success will come your way. I wrote this guide because of the recent posts I am seeing here, but more reasons than that. I hate seeing someone who starts producing and give it up because it is too hard, my friends like what I do but they think it is to bring because it's too hard. Let me tell you, it will be fucking hard, it will be so fucking hard in fact that you want to quit. You want to smash your computer in half because it's so hard, the fact that people who are producing less time than you are already making millions of dollars, and whatever your reason is for producing; When you feel like giving up, think about that reason and tell me if you want to quit or not.
I wrote this to give back to you guys, for helping me so much and continuing to help me. When I first started, I thought I would never reach this point. I haven't made any big accomplishments or anything like that, but I am damn well proud of my music. That I got this far and that I will keep improving. Don't stop please, Don't stop because it's hard. Please keep fighting. You guys are all legends, all of you, the noobs, the pros, the legends, you guys make something out of nothing.
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This has been the end of my guide, If I made any mistakes point them out/ And or any additional resources you want me to add. This has been Archos, JustAnotherWanker69, and I can say. I am finally happy with my music.
Submitted April 30, 2017 at 03:09PM by JustAnotherWanker69 https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/68gvgx/the_ultimate_beginner_guide_to_edm/?utm_source=ifttt