5 Tips for Beginners in Music Production

Singapore is definitely at a level that does not lose out in Southeast Asia in terms of music production. There may be many who want to try and delve into the side of music, but there are many things to remember and here are only some of them.

1. Play an instrument
Learning to produce music is very similar to learning your first instrument. It takes time and dedication to have a certain mastery in both aspects. With that, knowing how to play an instrument is a key factor in music production. The piano/keyboard is an indispensable element as it provides the melody of a song. Singapore-renowned music producer and senior music arranger, Ricky Ho, has been playing the piano since he was 5. Singaporean-born DJ, Kygo, has also learned the piano since he was 6.

2. Learn the technology
Music production also not only requires knowledge in instruments, it also employs the use of soundboards or programs for sound-processing. If you don’t have much knowledge in sound-processing, FL Studio and Ableton Live are good DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation) to start with. Always remember though, a producer who does not know what he is doing can never produce good sound, even with the best equipment. Learn and master the ins and outs of your tech and apply this knowledge as you grow.

3. Get involved with other producers
You learn many valuable things by talking to others who already know more than you. This is another great way to learn in the production scene. Reading through books can be useful as a foundation, but actually seeing how experienced producers work can give you a picture of how its done first hand. It doesn’t really have to be someone famous as well, you might have a classmate or co-worker whose already dabbled into the world of music production that you can learn from.

4. Close your eyes
Once you’ve started to get the hang of music producing, things will come naturally. But, one thing we sometimes overlook is actually listening to the sound well. DAWs require you to actually look and see the screen to arrange the music. This leads us to highlight the visual aspect in producing music. Even so, when hunting for good sound, our top priority should be our sense of hearing. So close your eyes and trust your ears, if it sounds good its probably because it IS good.

5. Don’t sit and wait for inspiration. It comes naturally
While producing music there are many instances where you might feel stuck and think that you’re not making any progress. This is fairly common and natural, somehow the remedy for this is also pretty simple. Sometimes you just have to focus on your craft daily and ideas will flow naturally. Make random beats without even caring to put it in a song. It might help you discover new things and rekindle your inspiration.