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Feeling totally stuck trying to work out music production
For about a year I have been trying to work out how to make music. I want to make stuff like the OP-1 videos on Red means recording. I have a midi keyboard and LMMS on my desktop but I just can't work out how to do anything.
Does anyone have any tips or resources? Everything I have found has been so specific to a certain tool that I can't use it or so theoretical I don't understand what to do with it.
What s4b3r6 brought up is in-line with a lot of what I'd say. I like to think in terms of process over tools but there's a lot of low hanging fruit here on both ends.
I don't know if you're interested in such a suggestion, but I'd start by trying out a DAW like FL Studio or Ableton. I agree with s4b3r6 that there are better ways of approaching this and he is correct in saying that LMMS is coming at music production from the opposite direction. You can make this significantly easier on yourself. I prefer to use FL Studio as I've found that its interface simply suits me better (and its piano roll is heads and shoulders above any other DAWs I've used). You will have a lot of "but how do I do this?" type questions for some time but as you're a programmer and writing code is something that also requires patience, I think you will be just fine. If you've ever used Photoshop to any significant degree, you'll know that you can spend years working with it and only truly know 10% of the program.
At any rate, I don't know if you're interested in that advice, but from my perspective, you're early enough in the process of trying to figure out how to actually make something that trying out a DAW isn't at all a bad suggestion. What s4b3r6 said is absolutely correct; there's a better way to approach this. LMMS is not for the faint of heart and you can make it easier on yourself with the above.
For the first few weeks, you'll just be getting used to learning how to identify what things look like, where things are, and relationships with other things. Buttons, knobs, sliders - all these things and more are pieces to a puzzle to which you're not exactly going to have a decent picture of what you're looking at yet. This is okay. As you develop proficiency, it'll dawn on you that you are actually fully capable of writing some super cool music. You're unlocking the artist inside; just be patient and as s4b3r6 said, slow down.
When it comes to actual production: make it simple (FL Studio 20 makes this even more straight forward in the form of intuitive templates). Let's say you have an idea for a track; well - and I'm sure you can attest to a variation of this - many of my musical ideas are very expansive with lots of different characteristics from layer to layer and instrument to instrument. You have an idea that plays well in your mind, but as you attempt to translate it to actual audio, you realize something's off. It doesn't sound like how you imagined it. In my experience, this is where keeping it simple is fundamental (particularly as you're starting out). I learned to tone it down until I had a better grasp of what I was doing. I still catch myself doing it.
What about that ideas of yours? Where does it start? You're sculpting something, so think in those terms. Layering is fundamental: you have a bass layer, lead, drums, and so on. If your idea calls for a bass layer, work on that layer being mindful not to forget how you want your overall song to sound. What I'm getting at here is that eventually, you're going to want and need to have a plan when you launch FL Studio. Have an idea of what the overall sound is going to be like and then develop one layer at a time (you can always come back to rework later). I like to use FL Studio's note taking functionality (F11) to document:
That's another thing that is important to be cognizant off: allow your sound time to incubate. Watch this video and then attempt to translate that into the sound equivalent. A lot of this boils down to the adage that states that in order to write well, you must first read. Listen to some of your favorite songs and really analyze them. What makes them your favorite? How are instruments used and to what degree? Also think about the arrangement itself and where a new sound introduces itself to the listener.
I don't know how much of this is useful to you but I'm happy to try to speak to any particulars if you have any follow-up questions. I'll try my best to help.
How far do you get before you stop?
Have you been able to export a simple melody?
Have you studied any form of music theory before?
What've you tried in terms of youtube tutorials?
here's one basic start tutorial that outlines how basically all music-making software works, with some differences in where you find the different options. It's old, but the basics are pretty clear.
I don't use LMMS myself, but generally the reason why everyone focuses on specific tools is that the basics are all the same for different platforms. Music makers in general are all about the sound they push out. The stuff like writing your melodies, choosing your instrumentation etc. all come with practice and that's your part of the music.
It becomes all about the feel of your kick drum, the timing of your accented melody-line, the progression through your song, the sound of your synth etc. And that's when all the gizmos and gadgets are alpha and omega.
I don't plan on ever making money from it but I just want to make some cool stuff or maybe soundtrack kind of stuff for games. I have a full time job as a programmer so this is just a side thing.
In school but I have forgotten almost all of it. I know the basic terms for things though. Like I know what scales and stuff are but I haven't memorized any of them.
I have tried those LMMS videos from the channel you linked but I felt like I was just copying exactly what was happening in the video and I have no idea how to place notes on a piano roll that sound right.
This was very helpful. It sounds like it isn't the software that's your challenge, so much as the musical part of it.
You have two general options:
Play around with your keyboard and have it input the notes you play so you can just key in what sounds right to you and go from there.
Spend a bunch of time learning scales, what intervals give consonance and dissonance, chords, chord progressions and basic arrangement theory so you have a musical framework to build out from.
I'd go with 1. unless you're really, really wanting to invest in a large hobby. Music theory is something a lot of people struggle with unless they've played an instrument a lot previously. It's difficult to translate theory into new music.
Generally, what I'd recommend if you go with the midi-approach, is to play around with melodies first. Play out your melody until you like it, then save it. This will take time. Creating your melody is probably the hardest part of making music.
Once you have a melody, you need to build the rest of the song around your melody. I'd go with rhythm stuff first (drums) then base-lines and other ornamentation that you build to fit around your melody.
A lot of tutorials will advise that you first spend time keying in music you know and building up the existing track around that melody to learn the tools. That's pretty good advice, but will also take quite some time.
If I can't get an existing song to work, I'm really going to struggle making my own song. My own song only exists in my head, which takes a lot more to put on paper/computer than a piece where the framework isn't there and I have to build it myself.
I'm fairly sure this is right. I have been playing with every window and button in the software I use and I know what they all do and what kind of changes each knob will make. I could even tell you what waveform and envelope and LFO an oscillator is using just by listening to it. I can also make decent drum beats but any time I get to the piano roll I just have no clue what to do.
I have been practicing playing songs on a ukulele by reading tabs and I noticed just by randomly playing chords I know I can tell which ones work after each other and make something decent sounding without having a clue what I am doing. So maybe by learning scales and chords for piano I will be able to randomly put things together with some luck.
Those are hardcore tools, they require a bit of knowledge when you come to them.
My advice is to backoff, and slowdown. It might be a couple years before you're ready for that, and you don't want to burn out.
Instead, accept that your first few pieces won't be appreciated, and head for the simpler tools everyone gets pissy about if they realise you're using them.
Start by crafting good beats. Small, repititous files. You could use Audacity to cut up a sound you've recorded (sampling). Then, find a way to group those small samples so they make a sound you like.
You could play with a midi keyboard, and write a small sequence, and then that becomes a sample.
In the end, most songs, at least when you're beginning, is a series of samples arranged in a way you like.
It's only when you've found what makes a song for you, when you sound distinctive, that I'd approach LMMS, where you can tweak everything down to the smallest detail, to make your sound clearer.
Let the music take you on your journey, but start small, softly. You'll know when you need more control, when you want to be able to do something, but your tools get in your way. That's when to move on up.
In my opinion the most important factor is that you need to enjoy making music. Don't think that you need to work hard and that you'll have fun later, you need to have fun right away, otherwise you'll stop trying soon enough. Don't spend too much time with tutorials and tooling (a little bit is fine), you need to spend time making shit and having fun.
Try to do simple techno or hip-hop beats, add some bass, some crazy synths, cut some samples from songs and youtube videos, record some random sounds and try to make something out of it.
I'm struggling to figure out what you're asking here. Is this a technical question i.e. you're stuck on how instruments/controllers/DAWs work, or is it a creative one i.e. you're stuck on the writing process?
I had a think about it and I have worked out that the software doesn't confuse me at all. I know what all the tabs and windows do and I know all about what all the knobs and filters on synths will do its just that I don't understand music at all. I think learning piano might be a good start.
I think you have a case of putting the cart before the horse -- you're learning about gear and equipment and such (which is good!) but you're doing that before learning about the fundamentals of music.
The thing is that, with rare exceptions and fringe cases, everyone in the music industry has at least a rudimentary grasp of theory and some experience with a traditional instrument. I'm thinking specifically of how even the most "base-level" EDM artists like Skrillex or deadmau5 can sit in front of a piano and work out chords, and then translate those chords to their workstation. Sure, it's not Ashkenazy on the ivories, but they know enough to get by.
I'd suggest looking for somewhere that offers workshops in music production. You can usually find somewhere or someone offering tasters or very basic "intro" lessons at reasonable prices.
There are online options, but there's nothing quite like being with other people and having the same questions and ability levels to make learning a bit more fun. And it's always good to have a human to help you figure stuff out. Having a hobby is meant to be fun, not tear-your-hair-out frustrating.
I can't imagine how one can get into producing music without being able to play an instrument, namely just a piano, and having some minimal experience with creating your own music with it. Something like the OP-1 floods your brain with a ton of options and without some basic notion of what you want to do, you just drown in choices.
I have been playing a bass guitar and a ukulele by following tabs for songs but I found I don't actually know what any of the notes are I just remember the positions on the fretboard and the only skill I have learned is how to move my fingers properly. None of this seems to help me when I try to make something on my computer. So you think learning piano would help?
Learning piano may be the best thing you could do if you’re struggling and you don’t actually have any formal experience with an instrument.
I second this. If you want to really get into learning music, a piano or keyboard is a must.
A piano is, really, just a giant ruler that measures notes instead of distances. It also measures the distances between notes. I can't think of anything you can learn about music and music theory that you can't learn better by getting your eyes and hands on a piano keyboard while you're learning.
The advantage of piano is that's an easy instrument, so you can not fret about the technique of playing and just get to making your own music asap. Or you can stick to what you already know and start learning the notes. Don't worry, it takes time.
Going through your comments here, you know your tools, so I'll ignore that, and you'll probably find other tools to use/learn.
Music theory is important, but you have to start small. Learn the patterns for your major scales and minor scales, first. Learn what the modes are (don't bother memorizing thier names, just know their starting positions and how they move through the scale). Don't read/watch "Theory for <EDM GENRE>" or any specific theory stuff like that. It wasn't around when I started (2007), and, frankly, tends to spoon-feed the information to people who want to make samey-sounding dance music, and not musicians, who want to make music (and who usually, in the EDM and electronic spheres, end up making the best music).
You'll want to learn synthesis, and part of that is following tutorials for your tools (they exist for LMMS, find tutorials for free synths, get those synths, and learn them), and with practice you internalize the concepts well enough that you can see most tutorials and apply the theory of them to any similar context, whether you're applying a Massive tutorial to Zyn-Fusion, or programming a growl-bass in SuperCollider.