I Learn How to Produce Music in 12 DAYS!

Summary

In this inspiring narrative, the creator embarks on a 12-day journey to learn music production from scratch, using Andrew Huang's online course on studio.com. With no prior knowledge, they explore Ableton Live, tackling challenges from laying down chords to mixing and mastering. The process is filled with trials, including seeking advice from peers and a musician boyfriend. The creator's perseverance pays off, culminating in their first self-produced track, a testament to the joy of learning and creating without fear of being a beginner.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The evolution of music production has made it possible to create music with just a computer, contrasting with the primitive methods of the past.
• 📝 The speaker has a background in songwriting but lacks knowledge in music production and plans to learn through an online course.
• 💻 The chosen platform for learning is Studio.com, where Andrew Huang's course will be taken to learn Ableton and various production techniques.
• 🎼 The course covers the basics of music production, including laying down tracks, using audio effects, mixing, and mastering.
• 🔊 The speaker emphasizes the importance of being able to communicate their ideas effectively in music production.
• 💰 A downside of collaborating with producers is the cost, which motivates the speaker to learn production skills themselves.
• 📚 The speaker is excited about the learning process and the opportunity to use Ableton for their songwriting needs.
• 📈 The script documents the speaker's journey, including the challenges and emotional reactions to learning a new skill.
• 🤝 The course offers interaction with peers, providing feedback and advice that helps in the learning process.
• 🎹 The speaker experiences difficulties in expanding their track and seeks help from a musician boyfriend for guidance.
• 🎧 The final product is a fully produced track by the speaker, showcasing their learning and growth over the course of 12 days.
• 🚀 The video concludes with an encouragement for viewers to pick up new skills and not be afraid of starting as a beginner.

Q & A

What was the primary reason the speaker decided to learn music production?

The speaker wanted to learn music production because they found it challenging to communicate their ideas to producers and wanted more control over bringing their musical ideas to life.

Which software did the speaker choose to use for learning music production, and why?

The speaker chose to use Ableton Live because it was the software provided by the course they took, and it was also sponsored by Ableton, giving them an opportunity to learn and use it for their songwriting needs.

How did the speaker feel about starting the music production course?

The speaker felt excited but also overwhelmed, especially since it had been a long time since they had taken any kind of formal course or class.

What was the first assignment in the music production course?

The first assignment was to submit a chord progression idea, which involved laying down chords as taught in the course.

Why did the speaker find the initial chord progression assignment challenging?

The speaker found it challenging because they were learning how to use Ableton Live at the same time, which made it difficult to navigate both the software and the music production concepts simultaneously.

How did the speaker involve their boyfriend Amir in the music production process?

The speaker involved Amir, who is also a musician and producer, by asking for his advice on how to improve the track they were stuck on. Amir suggested focusing on frequency expansion and pacing the elements of the track to create a more dynamic progression.

What strategy did the speaker use to find inspiration for their song?

The speaker sought inspiration by listening to tracks from other artists on platforms like Spotify, Epidemic Sound, and YouTube. They looked for specific sounds and elements they liked and tried to incorporate similar ideas into their own song.

What was a significant lesson the speaker learned about music production from Amir?

The speaker learned from Amir that good producing is like storytelling; it's important to pace the listener and not reveal all elements of the track at once, but rather build up the arrangement gradually.

How did the speaker feel about being a beginner in music production?

The speaker found being a beginner refreshing because it allowed them to create and learn without self-judgment or comparison to past work, making the learning process more enjoyable.

What message does the speaker want to convey to their audience through their experience?

The speaker encourages their audience to try something new, like learning music production, art, or cooking, and not to be afraid of being a beginner or making mistakes. They hope their journey inspires others to explore new interests.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Embracing Music Production with Ableton Live

The speaker embarks on a 12-day journey to learn music production through Andrew Huang's online course on studio.com. They express excitement about the prospect of producing music from their bedroom using only a laptop, a stark contrast to the rudimentary methods of the past. The speaker admits to being a songwriter without production knowledge and has relied on collaborating with producers. They aim to change this by learning to use Ableton Live for laying down tracks, applying audio effects, mixing, and mastering. The video is sponsored by Ableton, who provided the software for the learning process. The speaker is candid about feeling overwhelmed as a beginner but is determined to share their journey, making it relatable for others starting out.

05:01

🚀 Overcoming Challenges and Learning from Feedback in Music Production

The speaker discusses the challenges faced during the 10-day mark of the course, where they find themselves stuck and behind schedule on their project. They seek advice from their boyfriend Amir, a musician and producer, who suggests frequency expansion and pacing the listener's experience like storytelling. The speaker emphasizes the importance of inspiration and learning from others' work, using tools and resources like Spotify and Epidemic Sound. They incorporate elements from other songs that resonate with them, such as a specific chime sound, into their own production. By the end of the course, the speaker has gained a deeper understanding of music production and successfully creates their first fully produced track, reflecting on the refreshing experience of being a beginner and encouraging viewers to embrace new learning opportunities.

Keywords

💡Music production

Music production refers to the process of creating, recording, and mixing music. In the video's context, it is the main theme as the creator is learning to produce music on their own using Ableton Live. The script mentions laying down tracks, audio effects, mixing, and mastering, which are all integral parts of music production.

💡Songwriting

Songwriting is the process of writing the lyrics and musical composition for a song. The script mentions that the creator has been songwriting for a long time but lacked the knowledge of music production. Songwriting is foundational to the video's narrative as it is the starting point before the creator delves into music production.

💡Ableton Live

Ableton Live is a software program used for music production and performance. The creator uses Ableton Live to learn and execute music production tasks throughout the video. It is highlighted as the tool that enables the creator to produce music independently.

💡Online course

An online course is a type of learning experience delivered via the internet. The creator takes Andrew Huang's online production course to learn music production skills. The course structure, including video lessons and projects, is a key part of the video's storyline.

💡Chord progression

A chord progression is a series of chords played in a sequence, which is a fundamental part of a song's harmony. In the script, laying down the chords is the first lesson taught, and the creator submits a chord progression as part of their first project.

💡Arrangement

Arrangement in music refers to the process of selecting and organizing the various musical elements of a song. The script mentions the 'first four elements of arrangement' taught by Andrew, which include the foundation, pads, rhythm, and leads, and the creator's task to incorporate these into their song.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to create something. The creator seeks inspiration from various sources, such as other tracks and artists, to help shape their own music production. It is a recurring theme as the creator tries to bring their ideas to life.

💡EQ (Equalization)

Equalization, or EQ, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an audio signal. In the script, EQ is mentioned as a suggestion by Amir to give the track frequency expansion and avoid a congested mid-range.

💡Mixing

Mixing is the process of balancing and combining individual tracks into a final mono, stereo, or surround sound product. The creator learns about mixing as part of the online course and applies it to their music production journey.

💡Mastering

Mastering is the final step in music production, where the track is polished and prepared for distribution. Although not explicitly detailed in the script, mastering is implied as part of the music production process the creator is learning.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. The video's theme revolves around the creator's creative journey in learning music production. The script emphasizes the refreshing aspect of being a beginner and the freedom to create without self-judgment.

Highlights

The evolution of music production from primitive methods to modern digital techniques.

The ease of creating music today with technology, such as producing radio-ready tracks from home.

The challenge of translating musical ideas from the mind to a track without production knowledge.

The cost and difficulty of communicating musical vision to external producers.

The decision to learn music production to have more control over one's music.

Enrollment in Andrew Huang's online production course to learn Ableton and production skills.

Sponsorship by Ableton for the learning process and the opportunity to learn a new skill.

The feeling of being lost when starting something new and the importance of transparency in the learning journey.

The first assignment of submitting a chord progression and the emotional response to the task.

The difficulty of creating a chord progression while learning Ableton simultaneously.

The second assignment requiring the creation of an initial loop with arrangement elements.

The struggle with unfamiliarity in adding drums, percussion, and bass to the loop.

The use of peer interaction and feedback within the course to improve the project.

The challenge of expanding the track and the decision to seek advice from a musician boyfriend.

Advice on frequency expansion and pacing in music production for emotional impact.

The realization of the need for inspiration and the process of gathering ideas from other tracks.

The process of taking inspiration from other artists and incorporating it into one's own work.

The final stages of production, building and refining the track to completion.

The refreshing experience of being a beginner and the freedom from self-judgment.

The presentation of the first fully produced track and the encouragement to others to learn new skills.

Transcripts

music has come a long way

back in the paleolithic era the only way

to make music was by banging some rocks

together and making weird noises now we

can make weird noises with the computer

with the development of technology music

making has never been easier you can

make a radio ready track right from your

bedroom using only a laptop so what's

stopping me from doing that

i've been songwriting for as long as i

can remember but

i have zero knowledge on how to produce

music and for the last three years i've

been so lucky to collaborate with

producers to bring my songs to life

which is great but here's the thing it's

kind of hard explaining what i want in a

track when i have no idea what it is

the ideas in my head never really come

to life

and lastly hiring a producer gets real

costly i've always thought that

producing was interesting so i thought

you know what

i really want to learn how to do this

so here's the plan for 12 days i'll take

andrew huang's online production course

on studio.com i'll learn about how to

use ableton laying down tracks audio

effects mixing mastering etc and by the

end of it i have a song that i've

probably produced all by myself for the

doll that i'm using in this learning

process i'll be using ableton live a

huge thank you to ableton for sponsoring

this video and giving me the opportunity

to pick up the skill that i've always

wanted to learn

i'm excited to use ableton not only in

the course but of course for all of my

songwriting needs too as an artist i get

the feeling of totally being lost and

confused whenever i'm starting something

new so it's so important for me to be

transparent and take you guys through

the entire journey with me

i'm making this for anyone who wants to

learn but doesn't know where to start so

we can all feel a little less lonely

being beginners together

day one i am so excited to start this

course there's like a lot of like

introduction

pre-core stuff that i have to complete

there are actually like so many things

actually i have four things total three

video lessons and then one project it is

currently like one am and i

i'm already a day late guys it's such a

terrible start to this course already

but you know what i'm gonna catch up get

the momentum going and i'm super excited

so yeah i'm gonna get started the minute

i clicked on and started day one i was

so excited and eager to continue through

all the videos andrew simply walked

through all the ways to start a song and

how to gather inspiration the first

thing he taught was to lay down the

chords so all i had to do for the first

project was submit my chord progression

idea

simple enough

right

3 28 a.m

[Music]

why am i crying

i'm just dressed

yeah

i don't know

i haven't learned anything years

i haven't taken a course in class or

done any school in years

it's just i have an assignment dude

[Music]

maybe some of that overreaction was

needed because right when i got back i

came up with the chord progression that

i was pretty happy with

guys that was actually a lot harder than

i expected because i'm trying to figure

out ableton at the same time and

learning production is also brand new to

me so this is like learning a few things

at once i'm figuring it out slowly but

surely so i think i'm getting it i'm

getting there and so i'm excited for um

the next steps and just building on to

what i already know right now

hey guys so for the second assignment i

have to submit in my initial loop for

song number one so the previous

assignment i had to just submit a chord

progression so i

recorded my guitar briefly

uploaded that but then now i have to add

in uh the first four elements of

arrangement that andrew taught which is

the foundation the pads rhythm and leads

so i'm going to be playing around with

like drums percussion bass

all sorts of stuff and see what i come

up with i'm not familiar with any of

that at all so let's see

this is where

alvin would come in handy

do you see why i hired him yeah alvin

play the guitar for me because i can't

even play on beat right get it right

annie okay let's hear it back again

i think i came up with something i just

um put down a very simple bass line and

a lead guitar and

honestly that's it for now because

i'm i'm still figuring it out so here it

is

the next couple of days i tried working

on the song and taking the video courses

wherever i went what i really liked

about the course is how we were able to

connect and interact with all of our

peers i was able to get some pretty

helpful feedback and advice to apply to

my project

[Music]

it is now day 10 of the course and

i'm already one project late i was

supposed to submit something yesterday

but i've been stuck on this track and i

have no idea where to go with it i have

no idea how to expand it since i'm

struggling so much with this track i

decided to ask my boyfriend amir who is

also a musician he's amazing

producer musician arranger all that jazz

i'm stuck with this loop here i have a

simple backtrack with like drums guitar

leading guitar and i don't know where to

go with it let's play it that's it

[Music]

oh all right well first of all really

good job thank you that's the usual part

of you the main thing that i would

suggest for this is to give it some

frequency

expansion so if we were to look at the

eq everything sits in this mid-range

there's nothing really occupying the

higher frequencies

[Music]

right something like that what would be

your advice for continuing good

producing is like storytelling

or like putting together a youtube video

you don't immediately give the

conclusion of the video all at once you

don't give the emotional climax of it

immediately right you pace your audience

you pace the listener so everything's

coming in at the start what if instead

you take away something exactly

it is day 12 now and we're reaching the

end

i think i finally figured out what it is

that i needed like i needed inspiration

right and so what i'm doing right now is

like

going on different tracks and just

hearing what people are making it's hard

to make something from scratch when you

don't know what's possible

right and so given all these tools it's

like wow that's it's a lot of stuff to

work with well how do i make that into

something of my own and so i'm trying to

like get examples from other people like

whether that be through spotify epidemic

sounds and youtube and just hearing

other people make things that i kind of

want to make and so i'm just taking

little bits and parts from other

people's songs and taking inspiration

from that so an example actually is

getting a sound that i really liked and

so there was this one sound that i heard

from sarah the instrumentalist on

epidemic sound it was like this like

chimey bell thing that had like reverb

and i really wanted that in my song and

she had that in the beginning of like

her verses and her chorus and so i was

like oh i want to sprinkle something

like that as well into my song and so i

was like asking how can i recreate this

i was like oh i can see this all coming

together and so we're kind of reaching

the end i was able to like figure out

what it is that i finally wanted in the

beginning an intro and how to like make

things interesting you know taking what

amir said with like taking some things

away not giving everything all the

instruments all at once you know like

taking it bit by bill and slowly

building and taking things away i can

finally see the song coming together

final stretch final stretch and then

we're out of here

you got this yay

something about being a complete

beginner at something is kind of

refreshing because

i mean i'm a lot easier on myself and

there's no sort of comparison to past

work because i mean this is the first

time i've ever done something like this

and i just miss the simple art of just

creating and learning without that self

judgment you know and without any

further ado here's my first ever fully

produced track by yours truly

[Music]

i hope this inspires you to go out there

and pick up something new whether that

be production like how i did or art

cooking literally whatever the heck

sparks your interest and to not be

afraid of messing up and being a total

beginner anyways thank you so much for

watching and if you enjoyed this sort of

content let me know by dropping an

orange heart below but until next time

bye

[Music]