Making Music...

... is hard when everything you produce is god awful. How do you keep at it?

As a teenager, I spent about three years making electronic music. I'm 25 now, and have come back to it after a six year hiatus (was inspired after finding a few old demo's at my folk's place). I've been at it again for about a fortnight, but everything I seem to be doing is horrible.

And now it's time for work...

smoke a joint smoke a joint smoke a joint

I usually create something, then I listen to the loop, enjoy it, I start arranging it, and that's when I begin hating it. The thing is: Create something and then finish it in an instant! QUICK! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

IT'S A TRAP!

loop THIS

LOOP that

(best advice evar)

Try out some new gear or delve deeper into the gear you own currently by reading manuals or trying to tweak new parameters. Oh, and lose the mental state your in currently. (smoke a joint smoke a joint smoke a joint)

It's weird. I've actually never tried being creative after smoking a joint - maybe I should.

  Squee said:

It's weird. I've actually never tried being creative after smoking a joint - maybe I should.

ooh yeah you b missin out

Ugh. You don't need weed to be creative. Just keep experimenting with different ways to arrange, get more into your software/hardware, think about how your favorite electronic music was made. Getting good at music doesn't happen over night.

  synthganic said:

Try out some new gear or delve deeper into the gear you own currently by reading manuals or trying to tweak new parameters.

That's a good point. I don't know the software as well as I should. Time to bring out the manual.

  YEK said:

smoke a joint smoke a joint smoke a joint

That's a good point too!

  Squee said:

I usually create something, then I listen to the loop, enjoy it, I start arranging it, and that's when I begin hating it. The thing is: Create something and then finish it in an instant! QUICK! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! IT'S A TRAP!

Same. I quickly grow bored with what I've created.

  Braintree said:

Ugh. You don't need weed to be creative. Just keep experimenting with different ways to arrange, get more into your software/hardware, think about how your favorite electronic music was made. Getting good at music doesn't happen over night.

That's true. Good music doesn't happen over night. But the occasional sign that what you're doing isn't rubbish would be nice...

Lower your standards for yourself. Don't think your music is gonna be as good as all your favorite artists just yet. Once you realize that, it's ok for your music to not sound great. That way you can actually get things done and get the experience and knowledge to make good music.

It helps to have knowledge of some basic music theory and knowledge of how to operate a synth's settings.

  Deepex said:

It helps to have knowledge of some basic music theory and knowledge of how to operate a synth's settings.

My music theory is OK. I played guitar for about six years, as well as drums and percussion through school. My knowledge of synth's is non-existent, and it's become a MAJOR obstacle for me.

my problem is i do a real good job the first time i do something and then it seems like it can only go down hill from there, even if that isn't true, but it seems that way.

fuck joints, a joint ain't gonna give you talent, it's either you got it or you don't

just don't give up

i'll annoy everyone of you with my tips

- don't make music at night. make music during the day. don't let the night fool you.

- don't smoke pot. be in control.

- write and finish the song on an instrument, and then only start recording it / making it with your computer

- do not think the computer's going to do the job

- don't lower your standards and imagine in your head what a perfect song would be. then do it.

- avoid long intros. better make a good but short song than a long and BORING track

- make it sound organic. not dead.

- don't do anything of the above

1. switch on pc.

2. press 'techno' button.

voila!

  FriendlyFire said:

  Deepex said:

It helps to have knowledge of some basic music theory and knowledge of how to operate a synth's settings.

 

My music theory is OK. I played guitar for about six years, as well as drums and percussion through school. My knowledge of synth's is non-existent, and it's become a MAJOR obstacle for me.

Once you learn how to get a decent Synth sound, you might find that your music sounds better and less cheesy (unless you're using presets). There are a lot of online resources to learn how to operate a synthesizer. I would start with Subtractive Synthesis. A synth is broken down into different sections, and the key is knowing the function of each section and how it affects the sound.

http://www.kvraudio.com/wiki/?id=The+Basic...ctive+Synthesis

http://www.darksonus.com/DS_articles_intro...e_synthesis.php

Google can yield more results as well. Do some reading, and then with that, play with the knobs and hear it for yourself.

  FriendlyFire said:

... is hard when everything you produce is god awful. How do you keep at it?

 

As a teenager, I spent about three years making electronic music. I'm 25 now, and have come back to it after a six year hiatus (was inspired after finding a few old demo's at my folk's place). I've been at it again for about a fortnight, but everything I seem to be doing is horrible.

 

And now it's time for work...

work on it from many angles - play piano one day, fiddle with the computer the next, build something the day after that, and then just listen to music the day after that.

you have to figure out what you're going for, and if you do a lot of things like that, you'll start to notice things in common between them all, and that'll give you a lot more direction, focus, clue as to what you're doing, etc.

as for writing trax in and of themselves, i dunno, you make a wall of noise and then cut most of it away again in varying patterns

when i get sick of a loop i warp and destroy the sound even further, so it sounds a little different but keeps the same kinda feel. So it's moderately fresh to me. I keep doing this until i feel comfortable with where the song has gone, then i listen to the song with the original loop and in between warped loops, and see which is best or even mix it up and play each in the song in different areas. Works for me. But perhaps I shouldn't give my secrets away. Just this one.

  FriendlyFire said:

... is hard when everything you produce is god awful. How do you keep at it?

 

As a teenager, I spent about three years making electronic music. I'm 25 now, and have come back to it after a six year hiatus (was inspired after finding a few old demo's at my folk's place). I've been at it again for about a fortnight, but everything I seem to be doing is horrible.

 

And now it's time for work...

http://minimaldesign.net/os/

dont listen to jonas

My best mode is to create a shit ton of tracks without any caution or forethought, archive it all to dat or disc and bury it in soft peat moss for three months. Then I dig it up and give it a listen. Becomes really easy to pick out the gems to polish and shine and toss aside the duds.

Thanks for sharing your ideas. I've put some to use and am hoping to have my first track ready in the not to distant future.

  Deepex said:

http://www.kvraudio.com/wiki/?id=The+Basic...ctive+Synthesis

http://www.darksonus.com/DS_articles_intro...e_synthesis.php

Deepex, these links were invaluable. Do you -or anyone else- know of any other online resources that continue from where these left off?

  Drahken said:

My best mode is to create a shit ton of tracks without any caution or forethought, archive it all to dat or disc and bury it in soft peat moss for three months. Then I dig it up and give it a listen. Becomes really easy to pick out the gems to polish and shine and toss aside the duds.

i can't do that... it's weird, i like... wear out.

i get these sort of "creative" moments, that last no more than a day. then i pick up the bit i made... don't know how the fuck i did it... and can't continue; for example, make a variation of the main melody or a different drum pattern.

that's why i end up with lots of 1 minute pieces. it's quite fustrating sometimes.

music requires HARD work

  bontempi said:

- don't make music at night. make music during the day. don't let the night fool you.

i'll say about 95% of the musics i've made were at night!

  qnio said:

music requires HARD work

I just get in the mood for writing music, then I sit down and write and a track is done.