Im want to become a producer

[MMaarrkk]

It can be an enormous help in getting to where you want to go though. You don't even need to become good at doing it - there are plenty of successful artists who have never become good at playing an instrument, but they can play enough to write songs on the instrument.

There's definitely an increase in people wanting to be a 'producer', but the skillset should be viewed as broad, and learning even just the basics of an instrument is one of those skills.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree. What I'm trying to highlight is that learning an instrument is usually perceived as rather difficult and even confused with mastering an instrument. So instead of having a perception of needing to know how to play an instrument to even start learning how to produce music, it can be good encouragement as a later step, when a person feels motivated to learn an instrument to better themselves as a producer.

[Forgotten]

I think learning some rudimentary skill is something that probably turns out to be easier than most people imagine, but there are studio skills that are far harder to develop than playing an instrument. Mixing is something that takes a lot of practice, and mastering is something that is even more difficult to develop.

Even if it does seem daunting, to me it would be incredibly frustrating to enter notes one at a time in a piano roll compared to playing them on a piano keyboard. The time invested in learning some basic keyboard skills would eventually be paid back in time saved from laboriously entering notes with a mouse.

I'm not saying that it's a necessity to learn an instrument, as people obviously get by without it, but it surprises me that so many people didn't include it at all.

[fmr]

... using a DAW will teach most how to program a melody and in hand teach about key, chords, scales, etc..

How, exactly, will using a DAW teach you that?

For what I've seen, I simply don't believe. And based on the kind of questions (and answers) people are making here in KVR, most people have no idea what they are talking about.

Even basic things, like tonal functions and the notion of tonality, or what differentiates a tonality from a mode, are always explained erroneously. It's like we have been through some sort of calamity, and suddenly noone knows the exact rules of language anymore (syntax, grammar, etc.), so some that know a little more are teaching (wrongly) those that know nothing at all. We are building a world of ignorance.

[imrae]

Right, Youtube is full of people who can operate a DAW but don't "get" counterpoint.

[MMaarrkk]

How, exactly, will using a DAW teach you that?

For what I've seen, I simply don't believe. And based on the kind of questions (and answers) people are making here in KVR, most people have no idea what they are talking about.

Even basic things, like tonal functions and the notion of tonality, or what differentiates a tonality from a mode, are always explained erroneously. It's like we have been through some sort of calamity, and suddenly noone knows the exact rules of language anymore (syntax, grammar, etc.), so some that know a little more are teaching (wrongly) those that know nothing at all. We are building a world of ignorance.

Obviously, music theory shouldn't be ignored and an appropriate/serious approach towards music, in general, should be the one promoted, tackling fundamentals and teaching music first, before the functionality of a tool with clear and correct language.

My point of a DAW teaching a person certain basics comes from a stance, that those are needed to even progress with creating music, as the lack of basic will just hinder the progress. I'm not here to debate if properly learning music theory, the terms and techniques is necessary - because it is - at least to a point. The only thing that I meant to highlight, is that there is no fundamentally correct way of learning things and if a person feels more comfortable tackling things in an unconventional way/order that is completely fine.

[Hink]

I can't believe that no one starts their list with "learn a musical instrument". This to me should be the number one priority - you don't need to learn it really well, just get some basics under your belt so you can play music...

I was presuming the OP already plays something. He mentioned that he has already written some songs. I agree that learning an instrument is important.

Without playing an instrument you don’t have the option to just figure things out, improvise, or just play for the enjoyment of playing.

Of course you have.

So you can play a melody in your head, changing the notes at random to try things out, or transposing it a few times in a row, then try it in major, or flatten a 5th, or any number of things that take a few seconds if have an instrument in front of you?

Christ... By "figuring things out," yes.

imo this is up to the individual, for some figuring things out with the computer might be what works for them and they do incredible things, but surely not all. I have always stated that I believe the computer can be an instrument and if it's one's primary instrument great.

OTOH there are some like myself that started bouncing mud with two tape decks, two mics and two speakers. I wont speak for others but I use my daw/studio to enhance my experience with my instruments. I write to play and I play to write.

Others write in a computer using say a piano roll or notation in a computer, I'm reasonably certain a piano keyboard and notation for writing/composing music may have begun long before there was even the word computer

IMHO neither need validation for their craft, one is not superior to the other. Like I say a lot, playing takes me there and that's where my passion resides. I am not here to judge how other people get to their there...tis a personal journey imo

[Spring Goose]

If you are still looking for a DAW, Cakewalk by Bandlab is free and comes with a lot of high quality stuff

I wouldn't recommend this to a newb. I started with Cubase 5 in 1998, and i've used Cubase, Logic, Renoise, Reason, Maschine, and Bitwig, all with no problems, but Cakewalk by Bandlab seems a PITA more trouble than its worth (i've been trying Cakewalk by Bandlab recently).

I've heard the story about the owner of Bandlab is just a super music fan and businessperson and he likes to have a portfolio of music things for example NME magazine and for example a FREE DAW Cakewalk. Maybe it's the online help/manual which is the problem, i thought its a bit crap. My opinion of Cakwalk by Bandlab is its not very intuitive, it would be terrible (confusing, awkward) for a newbie, and it's generally a bit of a PITA and the online help/manual is not great.

[Spring Goose]

What would i recommend? Cubase Elements is my blanket recommendation to a newb.

[BertKoor]

Four pages and a necro, but the OP just made this singe post and never again logged in to say thank you.

[martinjuenke]

Hello!
My name is Cesar

It seems he started a dog food business instead of music production:

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