Where to actually start?

[BBFG#]

I think that's a skill that doesn't really require talent.

[funky lime]

manuals are great. but reading a daw manual doesn't tell you how to write music, any more than reading the Microsoft Word manual teaches you how to write stories.

playing with others' loops is a fun and gentle, dare i say good, start. that's how i started (well, i also played clarinet in middle school band at the time), but it got old quickly and i had to shift focus toward how to generate and develop musical ideas of my own. play, listen, steal, play, experiment, read, play more, steal more, and sometimes hit record along the way. learning the DAW was more of an asynchronous (and occasionally parallel) process to that, on an "as-needed" basis (e.g. how the f**k do i do X). like vurt said, just do it until you get stuck on something.

but that's just one path. i often fail to remind myself of something xoxos said to me long ago: "the less i say, the more it's your universe"

[enroe]

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.

Yes exactly, and also ...

if you don't have a bit of talent, you can make music that way.

[astrothundr]

manuals are great. but reading a daw manual doesn't tell you how to write music, any more than reading the Microsoft Word manual teaches you how to write stories.

playing with others' loops is a fun and gentle, dare i say good, start. that's how i started (well, i also played clarinet in middle school band at the time), but it got old quickly and i had to shift focus toward how to generate and develop musical ideas of my own. play, listen, steal, play, experiment, read, play more, steal more, and sometimes hit record along the way. learning the DAW was more of an asynchronous (and occasionally parallel) process to that, on an "as-needed" basis (e.g. how the f**k do i do X). like vurt said, just do it until you get stuck on something.

but that's just one path. i often fail to remind myself of something xoxos said to me long ago: "the less i say, the more it's your universe"

I like that quote at the end.

By reading the manual I just mean like figuring out what knobs and buttons do and how to make and change sounds. Not actual musical composition ideas.

In terms of instruments I played a little bit of guitar a long time ago. I do have bits and pieces of random musical theory knowledge from over the years, but I'm basically starting from 0. I will say that I thought "Learning Music" by ableton was pretty good base level overview and I enjoyed going through it. But that's pretty much the level I'm at.

I'm just planning on doing what sounds good to me and seeing where I end up I don't have like a genre I want to make or a song I want to copy. If I do get further along I'm sure there will be specific sounds I hear elsewhere that I'd want to figure out how to incorporate but I'm not really worried about that for now.

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

I never worry about finishing It's more about the journey for me

[thecontrolcentre]

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

He has a PUSH 3 ... presumably he's learning to play that.
I agree that some playing experience with a regular instrument is useful, as it can broaden your understanding of what you are doing and your ability to create music spontainiously. Will be interesting to hear what the OP (as a non-musician) comes up with using PUSH.

[jamcat]

First you learn to play an instrument.
Then you start writing your own songs.
And then you record them.

In that order.

It’s sort of like first going to medical school, then getting your doctor’s license, and then finally, operating on patients. Also, importantly, in that order.

[_leras]

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

What on earth are you talking about? You basically don't need to play an instrument to make electronic music. You just need to want to make electronic music.

So much music has been made just from samples.

Have an idea of what you want to make and work towards it.

[_leras]

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.

Yes exactly, and also ...

if you don't have a bit of talent, you can make music that way.

Give it a rest. Probably most electronic music is made by people without formal training.

Just takes some listening and having an idea of what you want to make.

What is talent anyway? Just practice.

[_leras]

By reading the manual I just mean like figuring out what knobs and buttons do and how to make and change sounds. Not actual musical composition ideas.

I'm just planning on doing what sounds good to me and seeing where I end up I don't have like a genre I want to make or a song I want to copy. If I do get further along I'm sure there will be specific sounds I hear elsewhere that I'd want to figure out how to incorporate but I'm not really worried about that for now.

I never worry about finishing It's more about the journey for me

This is a good attitude. Don't let people in this thread put you off. Just learn the tools, try different approaches and make music.

Learning an instrument isn't a bad thing to do, but flute playing ability has little impact if you want to make fierce electro, or nosebleed techno.

[Boone777]

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.

Some innocence might be desirable it helps not overthinking it. But I agree reinventing the wheel rarely happens if any.

[vurt]

First you learn to play an instrument.
Then you start writing your own songs.
And then you record them.

In that order.

It’s sort of like first going to medical school, then getting your doctor’s license, and then finally, operating on patients. Also, importantly, in that order.

even hobby doctors? pfft im not doing all that uni just to dabble in prescriptions and shit for fun.

[Uncle E]

Seriously. Mexico is 2 hours away, I don't need no stinkin' doctors.

[vurt]

Seriously. Mexico is 2 hours away, I don't need no stinkin' doctors.

i have a white coat.

[astrothundr]

First you learn to play an instrument.
Then you start writing your own songs.
And then you record them.

In that order.

It’s sort of like first going to medical school, then getting your doctor’s license, and then finally, operating on patients. Also, importantly, in that order.

Had I known making music as a hobby was equivalent to becoming a surgeon earlier I definitely would have picked med school over ableton

I get what you're saying but that's one of the funniest comparisons I've seen in a while

[Uncle E]

Not even joking, it took me about as long as med school to get good at mixing.