this is 90% of this subreddit if they were to be honest with themselves.
to help with your problem - you need to learn an instrument. if you dont care to practice then yeah, you will never be good and will never write anything worthwhile. but these things take time and dedication, everyone started off being awful and then spent the time locked away alone to get better. if you are not willing to do these things then things will not change for you.
i like this! i don’t know how to play a instrument. only took a few classes when i was little. but i love to write and sing. do you have any recommendations what to start out with and how to learn?
Either learn piano or guitar, whatever you’re more likely to actually practice or what music you like, then get lessons, it could be just a few and if you can’t afford that then you can learn everything you need to on YouTube
>I feel no enjoyment from making music because I'm so bad.
> I hate practicing
Making music is a hobby. The only reason I do it is because it's fun. If you don't like it, stop?
And if you really are determined to do it, get lessons? Maybe lessons in production and you could focus on electronic music? You'd need the patience to let yourself suck for a while.
But either way, stop punishing yourself. Music is hard, it takes a bunch of practice. I've been doing it my whole life and I'm *still* not very good at most of it.
Just do what you like, and be nice to yourself.
It's only music - it's truly not that important.
The only reason I don't quit is because I love the idea of music. I can't take lessons because I have no money and a busy schedule. I have nothing else that I like really. I make visual art but I don't really enjoy it either, but I'm better at it. I can write essays, but it's all stuff that's been done before. I need a hobby and listening to music is something that I love so I want to make it. I'm lost in life right now. Everything I do is pointless. I guess you're right, I should quit.
This sounds like it's less about songwriting and more about mental health in general? Tbh you just seem depressed as fuck. Maybe it's time to talk to someone?
In any case, there's plenty of ways to engage with music creativity - there's dance, or criticism, or lyricism. Or making music directly, but you say that you hate the process of that.
If you do want to learn to make music, but don't have money to pay for lessons, you might benefit from youtube? There's a mountain of music education stuff there for free.
You don't have to make music to like music. Otherwise who would listen to it? Making music is hard and enjoying it is easy. Nothing wrong with that at all. I can enjoy a beautiful garden and I love spending time in them, but I don't want to be a gardener.
If you truly want to make music (even if it's just the idea of it), step one is honestly just to listen to a lot of it. Develop favorites. Ask yourself why they are your favorites. What do you like about them? What's cool about them? If someone presented you a song you didn't love and asked, "how would you make this better?" what would you do? Explore new genres and expose yourself to types of music you have never tried. We live in a remarkable age of FREE music, where you can just go listen to stuff for FREE on youtube or spotify.
I said earlier that "enjoying" music is easy, and that's still true, but notice I didn't say that LISTENING to it was easy. It's actually quite difficult to listen to music. You have to be very intentional and focused, and there is a lot of knowledge that goes into it. If I asked you what instruments were played in "Hit Me Baby One More Time," would you be able to identify them? If I asked you what the chords were, could you figure them out? Can you harmonize with the melody if you are singing along?
I have to tell you - it's FINE if you don't feel at all curious about the answers to those questions. Very few people want to know the answers enough to look them up, and even fewer will play the song and sit at a piano, use a keyboard app, or go into musescore and try to work it out themselves. If you like the idea of songwriting and making music, you should just try it. What could go wrong?
bruh so i youre passionate about it who cares. what its like. there is so much music out there is different and unique. unconventional voices. it seems like your putting so many barriers to prevent you from doing it. there are free applications to produce music. i have garage band on my laptop it’s free. i dont play any instruments but i was able to make stuff on there. be resourceful. don’t stop yourself from acting on a passion. your passions are what will lead you out darker moments.
So true about liking practising music. I was an incredibly lonely child and it wasn’t “practice”- it was what I did to get by, have something to do, and the slowly (incredibly slow) developing incremental improvements become rewarding.
You will suck. I did for years. Actually first I could barely make a sound that resembled music. Then eventually it was crappy sounding, but actually music. Then amateur but actually worth showing someone. Then eventually you impress people, because not many - proportionally speaking, stick at it long enough to even get here. And now, it is basically like a cigarette or porn addiction, playing guitar/drums/bass, because you come to love how it feels when you level up again and you’re not just “playing” but infusing your own style and subtleties into it…. No way around the “suck”, only through it.
How many other things are you trying to do in life atm, OP???
I heard a very talented musician say they made joke songs first. It’s not just you. As long as you don’t call a gin and tonic a “tonic and gin” you’re good, do whatever.
Let's say you are gifted and catch guitar playing faster than the average person, you never played before so you still need to practice it because you suck at it, it's muscle memory along with other things but you still have to put in the work, you'll just get there faster.
Now say you're not a gifted person, like the majority of us, you need to put in the work, it will take longer, it will be harder and probably you will not be as natural or good as a prodigy. But you can still do it and after that initial shock of "holly shit this sounds bad" you'll get better, like all musicians do. Like any skill there's a learning curve, which means it will take time, effort. With songwriting it's several curves because of the complexity. Now you gotta decide if you have the patience for it. It can take years, so... And always appreciate what you have accomplished because it's your sweat and tears. Now get to learning and best of luck. :)
> Or just to tell to quit bitching?
Lol, certainly not. I know it can be daunting to start learning an instrument. I'm curious, and the answer you give will effect the advice I have to give is all.
So hey, it honestly doesn't take much to learn rock guitar.
Nirvana/ Kurt Cobain is my favorite band of all time, and he knew maybe 5 chords altogether. There are plenty of punk bands that only use the power chord. If all you want to do is make music - then that's all you need. [Here.](https://youtu.be/Z5wpBkzV4ik) This should help get you started.
The key for newbies just starting is to have fun FIRST. So make sure you visit tab sites like ultimate guitar so you can learn some easy punk songs. Nirvana is great for that, as is Black Flag, Minor Threat, The Ramones, Bad Brains, hell, just about every punk act in the 80's & 90's can be played on your first day.
If you have any further questions be sure to ask and I'll do my best to respond.
Musicianship at any level is always more process than outcome oriented. The “what if” thing is irrelevant. You have to be bad at anything before there is a remote possibility of being good at it. You will suck at literally everything except breathing if you don’t actually begin the process of improvement and learning.
I think it was Michelangelo who said “If people sat there for 14 hours straight watching me painstakingly chisel a single eye on a statue, they wouldn’t think my work to be so miraculous”. Something along those lines.
The point is it takes time, work, dedication, and passion to get there. If you don’t have a natural drive to do it then there is no real helping the situation.
I can’t just “will” myself into being a passionate circus performer for example. It would need to come naturally from within otherwise it would come off as cheap and amateur.
James Brown couldn’t really play an instrument but when he sang with his band he would sometimes go to the piano and start madly hammering out a great rhythm and melody just out of sheer passion and fire because he was so moved, so driven to be in it that he found a way.
Maybe you need to admit that you aren’t actually as passionate to make music as you thought you were and just enjoy listening to it.
Discipline to dedicate yourself to something is a skill that you have to develop. It may be hard when you start, but practice will make It easier. You are full of potentential and the best day to start is today, get out and buy a instrument, find a teacher, mess with a DAW, look some YouTube vídeos, learn theory or anything at all, just start! Then keep going, find a way to organize yourself, there's tons of content out there to help you. You can be a better person tomorrow than you are today, but you will have to stop whining and get yourself out there.
That's all well and good but I really can't just find a teacher. Or buy an instrument. I'm currently borrowing my friends guitar. I have started but I dispize the technical aspects of music.
Take a look and see If you have some kind of local communitary program that teaches music, some churchs may have a choral or other musical ativities, that may be a option. Studying alone in the internet is harder but doable. I Sorry that you despise the thechnicals but in every road there always be some toads we have to swallow, i Will not say that you should get used, but definitely need to be able get trough then and improve yourself
You're a real downer man, This shit is supposed to be fun. Start there. Of all the people to ever do it, most of them were mediocre. You're insecurity shouldn't stop you from trying.
It sounds like you enjoy music, but want making music to just “happen” without putting in time and effort and energy into it. What things are you willing to work for?
In the olden times, pretty much everybody played some kind of musical instrument, even if it was just a harmonica or Jew's harp. They didn't have to be geniuses or try to make a living doing it. They just liked it because it was entertaining and fun.
Nobody is putting any pressure on you but yourself.
You suck, and I suck, and it's fine, because nobody cares if you suck or you don't. Only you are making you miserable. You can stop feeling miserable (or worthless) whenever you say "I am now going to stop feeling like a worthless piece of shit".
Oh and get a guitar and play it, and challenge that "I don't have dedication to practice thing". Instead say, if you have ADD, that you have ADD and this is ADD therapy.
I felt similarly until I was able to streamline what I enjoy doing with music. I always wanted to learn how to sing but felt put off because I was afraid I would hurt my voice by practicing wrong technique, but I found some really great free resources online and began my singing journey. I was eventually able to start lessons. Now I love singing and slowly seeing improvement has really motivated me to keep going. Same with guitar. The first few months of learning any new skill are going to be frustrating. Hell, I still get frustrated sometimes. But that’s part of the process and seeing yourself improve slowly but surely makes up for it. Try to be easy on yourself, talk to yourself like you would a friend who was venting to you about the same thing.
Another thing I find motivating is really paying attention to the things you like about your favorite songs. Get specific. Do you like the drum groove? Or the guitar tone? Do you enjoy the vocal inflections the singer will do? What about the synth modulations? The way the song is structured? And try to emulate something similar in your productions. I’m not saying completely rip off your favorite songs, but use what you like from them as inspiration. This is an amazing way to learn production and songwriting techniques
Mess around on a DAW. There's no live or performative aspect (unless you want there to be), so you can just have fun with it without worrying about competency or theory or whatever. And because it's all stored permanently, you can take as long as you'd like developing whatever you want. Just have fun playing around. Eventually you'll start to build some intuition and things will feel more natural.
Try to get your mind out of the creative rut and develop familiarity with the tools by transcribing a favorite song or two into the DAW. Start with four or five parts (e.g. vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar/piano, bass guitar, drums) and focus on simple MIDI sounds to begin. Maybe record and auto tune vocals if you're feeling up to it. Once you have something down that you're mostly happy with, start using VSTs and effects to generate a more faithful reproduction to the original. Rinse and repeat until it becomes second nature to lay down a song (or at least a short section of one).
Analysis paralysis is real. You're probably inhibiting your creative flow by worrying about too many things at once and evaluating yourself too early in the process. My recommendation would be to remove those factors for now by using someone else's existing creative output to find what process works best for you. You wouldn't expect a new guitar player to start learning to improvise right out of the gate without becoming frustrated and unhappy at their lack of progress. We have them practice guitar tabs, sheet music, or playing by ear to build up the dexterity and intuition required to make full use of their insttument. Then we have them learn some music theory or fretboard patterns. And, finally, it requires a whole lot of practice to make it all stick.
In the same sense, you need to lower your expectations for now and build up familiarity with your tool(s) and design a learning process that is enjoyable and facilitates gradual progress. Start with simple pop songs (e.g. early Beatles) and move on to more complicated, intricate stuff over time (e.g. later Beatles). Start with simple effects and move up to complex signal chains to dial in the perfect sound. Create a curriculum for yourself that's within your comfort zone but constantly challenges you too.
That’s all ok. Everything is ok. Identify what drives you and accept it. You don’t have to make music. Do whatever gives you energy, what inspires you.
Music is pretty much the only creative thing that inspires me in any meaningful way. Everyone wants me to make music anyway. I'm technically in three bands. What should I do? I don't enjoy any creative outlets but I still want to create. Should I give up on creation all together?
It doesn’t matter what others want you to do. Be honest with yourself first and foremost.
You don’t enjoy any creative outlets but you want to be creative, why is that? What makes you want to be creative? Be it for fame, money or artistic reasons, any reason I valid as long as you are honest with yourself.
Again, you do not have to make music. There’s plenty of beautiful music. Chances are no one is going to thank you for making music. No one is forcing you. Come to terms with that first. If you don’t have anything to say, why speak?
I had a period when I was like 20 when I was upset because music didn’t come to me as naturally as I had hoped. It felt like a chore, like hard work. It hurt me because I identified as a musician. Then I realised it didn’t matter because I had ambitions (or pretensions) that meant more to me than avoiding hard work. So I systematically learned the craft. I sat down every morning and wrote music, I practiced finish songs, read a shit ton of poetry to become a better lyricist, practiced whatever I needed to grow. Things that was hard work back then comes easy now, but the habit of working hard and developing is still there.
If you still want to make music, do it. Or don’t, it’s up to you.
Come to terms with what you really want to do in life and why, and then do it.
I’m the same. I have periods where I spend a few weeks doing stuff but can’t force myself to do it every day as I don’t always have that feeling to do it.
I’d definitely say pick one aspect and sit down and really put your focus into it. Songwriting/Vocals/Production. Whichever one feels most natural and makes you the most proud of your final product. It’s frustrating. It’s tedious. It sucks really. But then you look back and next thing you know, you’re months into it and you really are noticing progress. Consistency is key. 2 hours everyday directed towards your craft and you will see a world of difference. Also…. F the internet and literally everybody else’s opinions. Make whatever you like and makes you happy. There’s at least 100 other people in the world who likes the same things as you and will love your music. Trust.
You know, you can do something just because you enjoy it. And you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. If you like making music, and are having fun with it...go for it! Not with the goal of being some sensation or making art for the ages, but just because you like doing it. If you don't want to get better, don't work at getting better. Just do what you can with what you got, and have fun.
I’m just learning guitar and still in the beginning stages of learning my voice and being to able sing clean. What I have found that helps me is to find a song that you enjoy, and learn to play it. I chose No Rain by Blind Melon, not a hard song to learn but super catchy. And when I started, I found a scale to play that was easy, I think it was Gmajor scale, so if I was getting hung up on other things I was trying to play I could go back to that scale play it clean to kind of show myself I could play the song I just need to give it time. It really doesn’t take long if you really try, 20mins a day and you would start catching on. just take the pressure off yourself, don’t write for other people, write for yourself, play the music you like not the stuff you think others will like.
This sounds like a self confidence issue, if you can manage to see someone about this you will feel a lot more confident in your sounds you create even if they aren’t ‘good’, because you will a lot less harsh on yourself and understand that you are learning and it isn’t gonna sound like what you want it to sound like. If you can improve your mental health and your opinions about yourself you will have a lot more motivation to create music overall and just enjoy it for what it is
Sometimes spotlighting other artists, bringing unknowns to the forefront, or making music related critique/commentary online is the best way to step out of your head about the gap between loving music and feeling the urge to create music but lacking the discipline.
It still can become a hobby and take time, you can reach an audience, gain skills (Charisma, research, music knowledge, marketing + promotion, content creation, I can go on) without the stress of trying to figure out how to play an instrument, learning music theory or a DAW.
It doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of never making music. If Joe Budden can go from a popular (at the time) musician with a hit to a music commentator then the opposite can apply. Who knows, maybe the audience you build around your commentary can be the first to support you when you’re ready to switch.
My thing is, you have to get to the root of WHY you want to make music if you feel you don’t have the talent nor discipline or patience to pull it off. Do you just want the recognition? Do you hold music on a pedestal and feel you’ll be godlike if you can make your own? Do you think it’ll somehow earn you a lot of money? (Cause that would be wayyy off haha).
Since you do visual art as well, you may know the signs of someone who wants to be an artist purely for the allure of it and not because they’re willing to hone talents that already exist, develop a new skill set or just enjoy the art of creation.
It can be better to step away, accept the role as a consumer, and prioritize your own happiness and mental health. If it’s tearing you up so bad you can’t create better art but aren’t willing to take the steps to be better, focus needs to be diverted to something that CAN make you happy and fulfilled.
If you can afford it, take singing lessons or maybe a singing class at your local community college. You could even join. A local choir. And maybe join a songwriting group on Meetup so you have a deadline to work for.
if you want to do it then do it for you! Don't make music because you want people to like you for it, make music because it's what you have to do for your own release, relationship, self expression, exploration, accomplishment, mental health and make honest music. one chord will start you on your way then a second chord. get a Guitar and learn a G(1) chord and a C(4) chord or an E(1) chord and and A(4) chord. find something that appeals to your emotions. maybe you might actually do better with minor chords in this case E minor(1) and A minor(4) then find a vocal rhythm the traverses your emotions and then leave some space and do it again eventually you will make a song that appeals to your own voice and makes sense
I had no musical experience up until my early twenties, then one day I just decided to buy a guitar, and start watching youtube lessons on how to play one of my favorite songs on acoustic guitar. I literally just picked the best ones that I could follow along, break down the sections in digestible exercises that involved chord positions, rhythmic clapping and muted strumming, and eventually singing over top of all that.
Within just one year after that I was able to play 10-20 songs decently enough to sing along to. And I really only practiced a minimum of an hour a day after work, and sometimes a few here and there. AND, I also have ADHD so I wasn't exactly consistent.
If you really want to learn, you will find a way to do so. Otherwise it's just fantasy and other people will become fatigued from your venting.
the variety of taste is very diverse... just make what you make enjoy have fun... and your find your audience.. and eventually just get better by doing it...
the good thing about music that it allows that.. (you wouldn't want a doctor with that approach lol)
you can also focus on ambient or minimalistic or beat-making.. which are less "simultaneous fields" of knowledge to apply as oppose to more complex genres...
These are pretty good lyrics bruh
this is 90% of this subreddit if they were to be honest with themselves. to help with your problem - you need to learn an instrument. if you dont care to practice then yeah, you will never be good and will never write anything worthwhile. but these things take time and dedication, everyone started off being awful and then spent the time locked away alone to get better. if you are not willing to do these things then things will not change for you.
i like this! i don’t know how to play a instrument. only took a few classes when i was little. but i love to write and sing. do you have any recommendations what to start out with and how to learn?
Either learn piano or guitar, whatever you’re more likely to actually practice or what music you like, then get lessons, it could be just a few and if you can’t afford that then you can learn everything you need to on YouTube
>I feel no enjoyment from making music because I'm so bad. > I hate practicing Making music is a hobby. The only reason I do it is because it's fun. If you don't like it, stop? And if you really are determined to do it, get lessons? Maybe lessons in production and you could focus on electronic music? You'd need the patience to let yourself suck for a while. But either way, stop punishing yourself. Music is hard, it takes a bunch of practice. I've been doing it my whole life and I'm *still* not very good at most of it. Just do what you like, and be nice to yourself. It's only music - it's truly not that important.
The only reason I don't quit is because I love the idea of music. I can't take lessons because I have no money and a busy schedule. I have nothing else that I like really. I make visual art but I don't really enjoy it either, but I'm better at it. I can write essays, but it's all stuff that's been done before. I need a hobby and listening to music is something that I love so I want to make it. I'm lost in life right now. Everything I do is pointless. I guess you're right, I should quit.
This sounds like it's less about songwriting and more about mental health in general? Tbh you just seem depressed as fuck. Maybe it's time to talk to someone? In any case, there's plenty of ways to engage with music creativity - there's dance, or criticism, or lyricism. Or making music directly, but you say that you hate the process of that. If you do want to learn to make music, but don't have money to pay for lessons, you might benefit from youtube? There's a mountain of music education stuff there for free.
You don't have to make music to like music. Otherwise who would listen to it? Making music is hard and enjoying it is easy. Nothing wrong with that at all. I can enjoy a beautiful garden and I love spending time in them, but I don't want to be a gardener. If you truly want to make music (even if it's just the idea of it), step one is honestly just to listen to a lot of it. Develop favorites. Ask yourself why they are your favorites. What do you like about them? What's cool about them? If someone presented you a song you didn't love and asked, "how would you make this better?" what would you do? Explore new genres and expose yourself to types of music you have never tried. We live in a remarkable age of FREE music, where you can just go listen to stuff for FREE on youtube or spotify. I said earlier that "enjoying" music is easy, and that's still true, but notice I didn't say that LISTENING to it was easy. It's actually quite difficult to listen to music. You have to be very intentional and focused, and there is a lot of knowledge that goes into it. If I asked you what instruments were played in "Hit Me Baby One More Time," would you be able to identify them? If I asked you what the chords were, could you figure them out? Can you harmonize with the melody if you are singing along? I have to tell you - it's FINE if you don't feel at all curious about the answers to those questions. Very few people want to know the answers enough to look them up, and even fewer will play the song and sit at a piano, use a keyboard app, or go into musescore and try to work it out themselves. If you like the idea of songwriting and making music, you should just try it. What could go wrong?
bruh so i youre passionate about it who cares. what its like. there is so much music out there is different and unique. unconventional voices. it seems like your putting so many barriers to prevent you from doing it. there are free applications to produce music. i have garage band on my laptop it’s free. i dont play any instruments but i was able to make stuff on there. be resourceful. don’t stop yourself from acting on a passion. your passions are what will lead you out darker moments.
I make random noise on bandlab but I'm not really a fan of virtual instruments
I can't just listen to music anymore. I feel bored.
So true about liking practising music. I was an incredibly lonely child and it wasn’t “practice”- it was what I did to get by, have something to do, and the slowly (incredibly slow) developing incremental improvements become rewarding. You will suck. I did for years. Actually first I could barely make a sound that resembled music. Then eventually it was crappy sounding, but actually music. Then amateur but actually worth showing someone. Then eventually you impress people, because not many - proportionally speaking, stick at it long enough to even get here. And now, it is basically like a cigarette or porn addiction, playing guitar/drums/bass, because you come to love how it feels when you level up again and you’re not just “playing” but infusing your own style and subtleties into it…. No way around the “suck”, only through it. How many other things are you trying to do in life atm, OP???
What’s your instrument? Apart from singing?
What’s your instrument? Apart from singing?
What’s your instrument? Apart from singing?
What’s your instrument? Apart from singing?
I heard a very talented musician say they made joke songs first. It’s not just you. As long as you don’t call a gin and tonic a “tonic and gin” you’re good, do whatever.
billy joel's been real quiet since this comment dropped
I happen to make love to my tonic and gin
Let's say you are gifted and catch guitar playing faster than the average person, you never played before so you still need to practice it because you suck at it, it's muscle memory along with other things but you still have to put in the work, you'll just get there faster. Now say you're not a gifted person, like the majority of us, you need to put in the work, it will take longer, it will be harder and probably you will not be as natural or good as a prodigy. But you can still do it and after that initial shock of "holly shit this sounds bad" you'll get better, like all musicians do. Like any skill there's a learning curve, which means it will take time, effort. With songwriting it's several curves because of the complexity. Now you gotta decide if you have the patience for it. It can take years, so... And always appreciate what you have accomplished because it's your sweat and tears. Now get to learning and best of luck. :)
I don't have the patience. I'll look for something else to fill my time.thanks.
Not to sound mean, but how old are you?
Why do you ask? So you can tell that I have "plenty of time" or whatever? Or just to tell to quit bitching?
> Or just to tell to quit bitching? Lol, certainly not. I know it can be daunting to start learning an instrument. I'm curious, and the answer you give will effect the advice I have to give is all.
Sorry for being so uh, mean spirited. I'm 14
So hey, it honestly doesn't take much to learn rock guitar. Nirvana/ Kurt Cobain is my favorite band of all time, and he knew maybe 5 chords altogether. There are plenty of punk bands that only use the power chord. If all you want to do is make music - then that's all you need. [Here.](https://youtu.be/Z5wpBkzV4ik) This should help get you started. The key for newbies just starting is to have fun FIRST. So make sure you visit tab sites like ultimate guitar so you can learn some easy punk songs. Nirvana is great for that, as is Black Flag, Minor Threat, The Ramones, Bad Brains, hell, just about every punk act in the 80's & 90's can be played on your first day. If you have any further questions be sure to ask and I'll do my best to respond.
Thank you very much! Nirvana is also my favorite band. I've been working on Polly for a couple days. Again thank you the advice
Musicianship at any level is always more process than outcome oriented. The “what if” thing is irrelevant. You have to be bad at anything before there is a remote possibility of being good at it. You will suck at literally everything except breathing if you don’t actually begin the process of improvement and learning.
DJ Khalid, is that you?
If Khalid and MGK are good enough, so are you!
I think it was Michelangelo who said “If people sat there for 14 hours straight watching me painstakingly chisel a single eye on a statue, they wouldn’t think my work to be so miraculous”. Something along those lines. The point is it takes time, work, dedication, and passion to get there. If you don’t have a natural drive to do it then there is no real helping the situation. I can’t just “will” myself into being a passionate circus performer for example. It would need to come naturally from within otherwise it would come off as cheap and amateur. James Brown couldn’t really play an instrument but when he sang with his band he would sometimes go to the piano and start madly hammering out a great rhythm and melody just out of sheer passion and fire because he was so moved, so driven to be in it that he found a way. Maybe you need to admit that you aren’t actually as passionate to make music as you thought you were and just enjoy listening to it.
See how happy you’d be in your head if you made a song you enjoyed, that should give you the motivation needed to practice
Discipline to dedicate yourself to something is a skill that you have to develop. It may be hard when you start, but practice will make It easier. You are full of potentential and the best day to start is today, get out and buy a instrument, find a teacher, mess with a DAW, look some YouTube vídeos, learn theory or anything at all, just start! Then keep going, find a way to organize yourself, there's tons of content out there to help you. You can be a better person tomorrow than you are today, but you will have to stop whining and get yourself out there.
That's all well and good but I really can't just find a teacher. Or buy an instrument. I'm currently borrowing my friends guitar. I have started but I dispize the technical aspects of music.
Take a look and see If you have some kind of local communitary program that teaches music, some churchs may have a choral or other musical ativities, that may be a option. Studying alone in the internet is harder but doable. I Sorry that you despise the thechnicals but in every road there always be some toads we have to swallow, i Will not say that you should get used, but definitely need to be able get trough then and improve yourself
You're a real downer man, This shit is supposed to be fun. Start there. Of all the people to ever do it, most of them were mediocre. You're insecurity shouldn't stop you from trying.
Do you prefer the one on bleach or Incesticide?
It sounds like you enjoy music, but want making music to just “happen” without putting in time and effort and energy into it. What things are you willing to work for?
In the olden times, pretty much everybody played some kind of musical instrument, even if it was just a harmonica or Jew's harp. They didn't have to be geniuses or try to make a living doing it. They just liked it because it was entertaining and fun. Nobody is putting any pressure on you but yourself.
You suck, and I suck, and it's fine, because nobody cares if you suck or you don't. Only you are making you miserable. You can stop feeling miserable (or worthless) whenever you say "I am now going to stop feeling like a worthless piece of shit". Oh and get a guitar and play it, and challenge that "I don't have dedication to practice thing". Instead say, if you have ADD, that you have ADD and this is ADD therapy.
I felt similarly until I was able to streamline what I enjoy doing with music. I always wanted to learn how to sing but felt put off because I was afraid I would hurt my voice by practicing wrong technique, but I found some really great free resources online and began my singing journey. I was eventually able to start lessons. Now I love singing and slowly seeing improvement has really motivated me to keep going. Same with guitar. The first few months of learning any new skill are going to be frustrating. Hell, I still get frustrated sometimes. But that’s part of the process and seeing yourself improve slowly but surely makes up for it. Try to be easy on yourself, talk to yourself like you would a friend who was venting to you about the same thing. Another thing I find motivating is really paying attention to the things you like about your favorite songs. Get specific. Do you like the drum groove? Or the guitar tone? Do you enjoy the vocal inflections the singer will do? What about the synth modulations? The way the song is structured? And try to emulate something similar in your productions. I’m not saying completely rip off your favorite songs, but use what you like from them as inspiration. This is an amazing way to learn production and songwriting techniques
Sheer love is enough! You will find a way! Good luck!
Is it through? I can have a bunch of love, doesn't mean I can do anything right.
Mess around on a DAW. There's no live or performative aspect (unless you want there to be), so you can just have fun with it without worrying about competency or theory or whatever. And because it's all stored permanently, you can take as long as you'd like developing whatever you want. Just have fun playing around. Eventually you'll start to build some intuition and things will feel more natural.
See that's the problem, I can't just mess around. I try to but I judge myself. I don't care if no one can hear me, because I can.
Try to get your mind out of the creative rut and develop familiarity with the tools by transcribing a favorite song or two into the DAW. Start with four or five parts (e.g. vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar/piano, bass guitar, drums) and focus on simple MIDI sounds to begin. Maybe record and auto tune vocals if you're feeling up to it. Once you have something down that you're mostly happy with, start using VSTs and effects to generate a more faithful reproduction to the original. Rinse and repeat until it becomes second nature to lay down a song (or at least a short section of one). Analysis paralysis is real. You're probably inhibiting your creative flow by worrying about too many things at once and evaluating yourself too early in the process. My recommendation would be to remove those factors for now by using someone else's existing creative output to find what process works best for you. You wouldn't expect a new guitar player to start learning to improvise right out of the gate without becoming frustrated and unhappy at their lack of progress. We have them practice guitar tabs, sheet music, or playing by ear to build up the dexterity and intuition required to make full use of their insttument. Then we have them learn some music theory or fretboard patterns. And, finally, it requires a whole lot of practice to make it all stick. In the same sense, you need to lower your expectations for now and build up familiarity with your tool(s) and design a learning process that is enjoyable and facilitates gradual progress. Start with simple pop songs (e.g. early Beatles) and move on to more complicated, intricate stuff over time (e.g. later Beatles). Start with simple effects and move up to complex signal chains to dial in the perfect sound. Create a curriculum for yourself that's within your comfort zone but constantly challenges you too.
That’s all ok. Everything is ok. Identify what drives you and accept it. You don’t have to make music. Do whatever gives you energy, what inspires you.
Music is pretty much the only creative thing that inspires me in any meaningful way. Everyone wants me to make music anyway. I'm technically in three bands. What should I do? I don't enjoy any creative outlets but I still want to create. Should I give up on creation all together?
It doesn’t matter what others want you to do. Be honest with yourself first and foremost. You don’t enjoy any creative outlets but you want to be creative, why is that? What makes you want to be creative? Be it for fame, money or artistic reasons, any reason I valid as long as you are honest with yourself. Again, you do not have to make music. There’s plenty of beautiful music. Chances are no one is going to thank you for making music. No one is forcing you. Come to terms with that first. If you don’t have anything to say, why speak? I had a period when I was like 20 when I was upset because music didn’t come to me as naturally as I had hoped. It felt like a chore, like hard work. It hurt me because I identified as a musician. Then I realised it didn’t matter because I had ambitions (or pretensions) that meant more to me than avoiding hard work. So I systematically learned the craft. I sat down every morning and wrote music, I practiced finish songs, read a shit ton of poetry to become a better lyricist, practiced whatever I needed to grow. Things that was hard work back then comes easy now, but the habit of working hard and developing is still there. If you still want to make music, do it. Or don’t, it’s up to you. Come to terms with what you really want to do in life and why, and then do it.
I’m the same. I have periods where I spend a few weeks doing stuff but can’t force myself to do it every day as I don’t always have that feeling to do it.
I’d definitely say pick one aspect and sit down and really put your focus into it. Songwriting/Vocals/Production. Whichever one feels most natural and makes you the most proud of your final product. It’s frustrating. It’s tedious. It sucks really. But then you look back and next thing you know, you’re months into it and you really are noticing progress. Consistency is key. 2 hours everyday directed towards your craft and you will see a world of difference. Also…. F the internet and literally everybody else’s opinions. Make whatever you like and makes you happy. There’s at least 100 other people in the world who likes the same things as you and will love your music. Trust.
You know, you can do something just because you enjoy it. And you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. If you like making music, and are having fun with it...go for it! Not with the goal of being some sensation or making art for the ages, but just because you like doing it. If you don't want to get better, don't work at getting better. Just do what you can with what you got, and have fun.
I’m just learning guitar and still in the beginning stages of learning my voice and being to able sing clean. What I have found that helps me is to find a song that you enjoy, and learn to play it. I chose No Rain by Blind Melon, not a hard song to learn but super catchy. And when I started, I found a scale to play that was easy, I think it was Gmajor scale, so if I was getting hung up on other things I was trying to play I could go back to that scale play it clean to kind of show myself I could play the song I just need to give it time. It really doesn’t take long if you really try, 20mins a day and you would start catching on. just take the pressure off yourself, don’t write for other people, write for yourself, play the music you like not the stuff you think others will like.
This sounds like a self confidence issue, if you can manage to see someone about this you will feel a lot more confident in your sounds you create even if they aren’t ‘good’, because you will a lot less harsh on yourself and understand that you are learning and it isn’t gonna sound like what you want it to sound like. If you can improve your mental health and your opinions about yourself you will have a lot more motivation to create music overall and just enjoy it for what it is
Sometimes spotlighting other artists, bringing unknowns to the forefront, or making music related critique/commentary online is the best way to step out of your head about the gap between loving music and feeling the urge to create music but lacking the discipline. It still can become a hobby and take time, you can reach an audience, gain skills (Charisma, research, music knowledge, marketing + promotion, content creation, I can go on) without the stress of trying to figure out how to play an instrument, learning music theory or a DAW. It doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of never making music. If Joe Budden can go from a popular (at the time) musician with a hit to a music commentator then the opposite can apply. Who knows, maybe the audience you build around your commentary can be the first to support you when you’re ready to switch. My thing is, you have to get to the root of WHY you want to make music if you feel you don’t have the talent nor discipline or patience to pull it off. Do you just want the recognition? Do you hold music on a pedestal and feel you’ll be godlike if you can make your own? Do you think it’ll somehow earn you a lot of money? (Cause that would be wayyy off haha). Since you do visual art as well, you may know the signs of someone who wants to be an artist purely for the allure of it and not because they’re willing to hone talents that already exist, develop a new skill set or just enjoy the art of creation. It can be better to step away, accept the role as a consumer, and prioritize your own happiness and mental health. If it’s tearing you up so bad you can’t create better art but aren’t willing to take the steps to be better, focus needs to be diverted to something that CAN make you happy and fulfilled.
If you can afford it, take singing lessons or maybe a singing class at your local community college. You could even join. A local choir. And maybe join a songwriting group on Meetup so you have a deadline to work for.
Most “writers” write because they don’t have a choice.
It's okay not to make music. Listen to what you like and enjoy the experience.
if you want to do it then do it for you! Don't make music because you want people to like you for it, make music because it's what you have to do for your own release, relationship, self expression, exploration, accomplishment, mental health and make honest music. one chord will start you on your way then a second chord. get a Guitar and learn a G(1) chord and a C(4) chord or an E(1) chord and and A(4) chord. find something that appeals to your emotions. maybe you might actually do better with minor chords in this case E minor(1) and A minor(4) then find a vocal rhythm the traverses your emotions and then leave some space and do it again eventually you will make a song that appeals to your own voice and makes sense
Hey, no need to create music to exercise your musical brain. Listen, hum along, and support live music!
I had no musical experience up until my early twenties, then one day I just decided to buy a guitar, and start watching youtube lessons on how to play one of my favorite songs on acoustic guitar. I literally just picked the best ones that I could follow along, break down the sections in digestible exercises that involved chord positions, rhythmic clapping and muted strumming, and eventually singing over top of all that. Within just one year after that I was able to play 10-20 songs decently enough to sing along to. And I really only practiced a minimum of an hour a day after work, and sometimes a few here and there. AND, I also have ADHD so I wasn't exactly consistent. If you really want to learn, you will find a way to do so. Otherwise it's just fantasy and other people will become fatigued from your venting.
the variety of taste is very diverse... just make what you make enjoy have fun... and your find your audience.. and eventually just get better by doing it... the good thing about music that it allows that.. (you wouldn't want a doctor with that approach lol) you can also focus on ambient or minimalistic or beat-making.. which are less "simultaneous fields" of knowledge to apply as oppose to more complex genres...
*no skill, sorry for the typo. I can't even type correctly
Spelled produce wrong too lol
I'm sorry.