Music Makers?

[aener]

So - all my life, I've wanted to make music.

Never knew what type - but it was just something I wanted to do.

I went to a friend's gig the other night. They're the Ultimate Rave Machine. It was AMAZING.

Also found Loucust Toybox, Ratatat, and Aphex twin. (Find the last two yourself - I've lost the links...)

I want to make something like a combination of all four.

I got Sony Acid, an effect pedal with a pre-amp, and various other things I might need - and I just can't do it.

I can record things, I can make rhythms... I can make synth bits, but I can't put any of it all together.

I can't even get CLOSE to anything sounding like Locust Toybox (whom are about my favourite). Anyone out there with electro/whatever this is knowledge?

I've been sat here for eight hours, twice. I have nothing to show for it.

Please help?

I'm very depressed, and feel totally wasted. This is what I've always wanted to do - and, try as I might, I just can't f**king do it.

I could very well just forget about it, but every time I go to a gig - I'll just want to try again.

It'll probably entail some lengthy discussions on MSN or whatever - but I'm desperate.

Please? Is there anyone that can help me?

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

learn some theory.

[TheCircus]

Start small!

I've never used/heard of sony acid. But what musical instruments do you play? Do you know any theory?

[Gavyn.]

learn to count to 4 teach yourself a bit of musical theory like recognising the length of certain notes. have you got a keyboard? try making small riffs and things for the background

[aener]

Got some theory

6 years in't school band, which I had lessons for most the time (quit now) and 3 years on guitar.

[thegoofeedude]

As above, study music theory to gain an understanding about how music as a whole is put together.

Try to meet musicians who play other instruments, and pick up one yourself. I highly recommend piano, as learning it has served me well as a basis for all other music, but it could be guitar or anything really.

Most importantly, please don't give up. It's obviously something you love, don't let disappointment get to you for long.

Best of luck to you!

P.S. Here's a really quick track I put together messing about one day in Rebirth. As I mentioned learning the piano, I wrote this on the piano and then just moved into the digital instruments. It is really simple, but it shows what you can do with a rudimentary knowledge of theory and a little time spent messing around.

My Little Track

P.P.S Just seen you've already replied, spent 6 years in band. Sorry! I must learn to read topics before posting. I guess perhaps you could try looking up some tutorials, tips, and howtos on the web and youtube? Sorry I'm not much help. Best of luck!

Edited December 4, 2007 by thegoofeedude

[Matthew62]

Take your time with it, little and often and build it up. This is a link to my myspace www.myspace.com/matthewcurrie its not techincally electro but theres lots of synths on every track and drum machines etc. The best thing to do is keep listening to music, absorb all you can. Start with one of your synth parts then maybe think about putting some drums with it, see what works. Try some vocals perhaps, just make noise with everything, don't throw ay ideas away.

Let me know what you think and if you need any other help or thoughts just say! This is only a breif answer, i'll elaborate if theres anything you're going for in particular but struggeling with.

[GaZaa]

As people have already said, just build everything up one bit at a time. It's so easy to listen to a track and think straight away that you want to be able to make something like that. It's harder to put that into practice and actually create it because of the vast amount of sounds that are in there and the production techniques which are used to create something that sounds so good.

Maybe you also want to make music which is well off limits, Aphex Twin is good but he is extremely talented and has been doing it for years, I've been attempting to make music for the past few years and some of the stuff in Aphex Twins music is really hard unless you actually know the techniques and can dissect the sounds piece by piece.

Don't start off by making a complete masterpiece, get a little 4bar drum loop going, then try programming 16bars with fills etc *** on top of that whether you do it on guitar, keyboard, synth etc it completely up to you and the sound you want to create. Build it up piece by piece and keep adding bits in.

I've never used Sony Acid but the principles are all the same, even the best musicians get writers block and start small, you just need patience and as said before dont throw any ideas away because a part which may sound crap on its own might fit with other parts may just give it a hook.

You also mentioned trying for 8 hours at a time, dont get stuck in the rut, put something down, take a break, do something else and then come back to it becuase its just information overload and it will do you no favours

[MadManMike]

Get Fruityloops to learn the basics...

As much as you love music you can't just "do" it straight away.

Do a production course at college or something if you're serious.

[aener]

Tried FruityLoops.

My computer seems to have a massive hatred towards it, and it just won't run.

I'll give it a shot - sounds like I've been taking the wrong approach.

Cheers lads.

[GaZaa]

It could just be that Fruity Loops is shit and there are so many better packages out there. Just get a simple sequencer and you're on your way, FL Studio is proper confusing, its supposed to be simple but a real faff. Thats my opinion on using a fair few software packages anyway

[*PHIL*]

I can record things, I can make rhythms... I can make synth bits, but I can't put any of it all together.

I can't even get CLOSE to anything sounding like Locust Toybox.

Maybe its just me but i don't quite get what you mean by this, what exactly is wrong with what you make? If it just doesn't sound 'right' and like the the music you want to make then maybe you just don't know the music well enough...

I find I can only make music of the genres i have been listening to for a long time. e.g. i could never make a hip hop track cause I don't listen to it, I wouldn't really know in detail how its constructed, but having been listening to punk or trance for years I can make a track fairly easily.

Something I used to do when i first started making music was to cover my favorite songs. Really listen to the track and pick out separate instruments and make your own track exactly the same. It helps cause you don't have to worry about writing or making a good song, just concentrate on getting the sound you need.

However, if you meant something else, then this is all irrelevant bollocks. so ignore...

PHIL

[Danny Swindlehurst]

if you wat to mix music i use AUDACITY you can download it i think

try it

danny

[Spikenipple]

Get yourself a hold of Reason 3 (not 4 cause you wont find it pirated) and have a play around on that. Any decent tunes i've ever made have been on there, it's pretty much the easiest sequencer i've ever used.

[*PHIL*]

not 4 cause you wont find it pirated

erm... what?

[Luke Rainbird]

Reason's a winner

Very good software. Not quite as good as hardware, obviously, but far far cheaper/quicker/easier to do for your everyday person