Where to actually start?

[astrothundr]

I basically have zero music making experience but always had some interest in it. A couple months ago I started to consider picking a daw and playing around with it as a hobby. Tried a couple trials and things felt kind of clunky with a mouse and keyboard so I started looked at some midi controllers and ending up really intrigued by the Ableton Push. Found what I think is a decent deal on a Push 3 recently and now I'm here.

I've got a Push 3 (not standalone), Ableton 12 Intro running on an m2 macbook, and some decent headphones and that's it. I think that's all I really need, but if there is anything I'm missing or just other nice to have things please let me know and I'll check it out. I plan on upgrading to 12 suite since the extra instruments, tools (and M4L) seem worth it, but other than that I don't plan on getting any plugins for now. At least until I figure the basics out

So I guess my question is does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the hang of all this? I don't mind banging my head against the wall and seeing where I end up with just the ableton manual, but if anyone has any resources, or guides, or just a list of things that would be helpful to know for someone who is jumping in to making music blind, I'd appreciate them. Mostly looking for ableton and push specific stuff, but also open to anything more general if people think it's worth knowing. Thanks to everyone in advance!

[EfreetiSultan]

No. No suggestions. You seem like a meme lord. But if you are in fact a musical person, and really do want to create music that noone ever heard before (the ONLY reason to create music) - then I wish you the best. And if that's the case then you don't need to ask questions
. Just start

[BBFG#]

Maybe do some YouTube tutorials for Ableton Live. That should keep you busy for awhile and give you a better sense of what you might want your next step to be. Other than that, loft and read here and pickup what you can. KVR members run in cycles of moodiness. So don't let a time when everyone seems at each other's throats stop you. Eventually, this can be a source of help and pretty good information. Welcome.

[astrothundr]

Maybe do some YouTube tutorials for Ableton Live. That should keep you busy for awhile and give you a better sense of what you might want your next step to be. Other than that, loft and read here and pickup what you can. KVR members run in cycles of moodiness. So don't let a time when everyone seems at each other's throats stop you. Eventually, this can be a source of help and pretty good information. Welcome.

I find that I don't really have the patience to go back and forth between a video and the daw to follow steps but in general I agree youtube tutorials can be good. I've watched some of the official ableton videos but I find myself just going to the pdf reference if I cant figure something out instead. And I guess if that doesn't help that's where asking here comes in, doesn't seem too bad here right now haha.

No. No suggestions. You seem like a meme lord. But if you are in fact a musical person, and really do want to create music that noone ever heard before (the ONLY reason to create music) - then I wish you the best. And if that's the case then you don't need to ask questions
. Just start

Wouldn't exactly call myself musical but I'm also not expecting to turn this into anything more than a hobby. If something listenable comes out of it that's just a bonus

[BBFG#]

Go for titles that have "tips & tricks" in them. Those generally go beyond the manuals.

[Uncle E]

Also, this one isn't a tutorial but he makes working with samples in Ableton so easy:

[astrothundr]

Also, this one isn't a tutorial but he makes working with samples in Ableton so easy:

That second video is great, I'm definitely looking forward to messing around with samples.

The first one seems great too but it might take me a while to absorb it all. Added it to my watch later playlist. Copying other peoples templates is not really my thing in general, but I'm sure there's at least some ideas there that I can incorporate. My (eventual) template might be worse in every way, but it'll be mine

[vurt]

just do it!

till you get stuck on something.
start simple, knock up a beat, add a bass line and so on. then when you get stuck, ask more specific questions to your needs.

most of all, have fun!

[ians]

I'd start at the end. That way you haven't got to worry about finishing anything

[imrae]

What are your musical inspirations? What kind of music do you want to create?

I'd suggest starting with some appropriate sample packs (which might be included in DAW) and learning to edit audio clips and mix them.

From there you will get an idea what kind of sounds and parts you want more control over and can move onto the appropriate tools/techniques for those.

[eLawnMust]

As long as you never start by creating 'drum tracks'... Having the least melodic instrument in the band dictate song flow... Drums should be done mid to last...

Does one really need ableton to do those simple lullabies in the videos?... Basic with FX piled on to mask the basicness... Concentrate on the music not FX... If you take the FX off those examples it's below even playskool level... One can try a much simpler sequencer to use as those can be done in anything...

2 samples is OK but much impressive is a one-channel impulse tracker tune less than 4 kb size-

[jamcat]

Do you play an instrument?
Because that’s kind of what this is all about.

[Boone777]

Learn the basics and break all the rules, it's music, have fun.

[jamcat]

Learn the basics and break all the rules, it's music, have fun.

If you only know the basics then how do you know you’re breaking the rules rather than just following different rules that you haven’t learned? That’s actually almost always the case, and it usually involves borrowed chords.

[BertKoor]

You don't need to know how to play an instrument.
You can start by arranging audio fragments on a timeline.
If you have a bit of talent, you can make music that way.
I've found good manuals very instructive.