It all started in 2005 when my parents bought me an Acoustic Guitar.
A blue, jumbo-sized beauty almost twice my size. I couldn’t wrap my body around it when I first held it. My tiny fingers couldn’t stretch enough to play a scale.
My mentor wanted me to learn the basics such as Scales and Chords at first and trust me, I did that. No matter how boring it was, I practised every day till my fingers went numb.
Moved on to some famous Bollywood tunes later. Learning ‘Oh Oh Jaane Jaana’ felt stupid at first but if you’ve played the guitar, you’d know that the last bit of the main melody is tricky to play – for a beginner at least.
Fast forward [>>] to 2008, I got my hands on an electric guitar and distortion pedals. There was a massive shift in my listening. From Bollywood to legendary metal bands such as Metallica, AC/DC and my favourite (till date) – Lamb of God.
I started jamming with friends and before we knew it, we were making original compositions and playing competitions everywhere.
There’s always a geek in a band that loves the tech as much as the music, right? By now you must have guessed that in my band, it was me.
From learning how to make guitar patches to setting up the sound on and off stage, my obsession to make the band sound perfect had reached its peak.
Eventually, just like any other band, there comes a time when you’re confident about your originals. You know it’s time to step into a studio and get the party started. That’s how my journey began.
It wasn’t until 2011 that the unrelenting question took all the space in my head –
How do I Learn Music Production?
It seemed intimidating to me because I had no one to guide me on the right path. No one from my extended family had ever stepped in or ever heard of this industry. Their knowledge about it was restricted to Playback Singing.
So I took a leap of faith and left Chandigarh to join the School of Audio Engineering in Chennai. I learned a lot of things the hard way and that is why I’ve made this Comprehensive Guide so that you don’t encounter unnecessary hurdles along the way.
I’ve carefully structured this piece so try and read it in sequence, I’m sure you’ll like it that way.
But if you’re looking for something specific, feel free to jump ahead:
Table of Contents
Learn Music Production from Scratch
To produce Music, you first need to understand the building blocks of Music.
What is Music to me?
Music is the art of expressing an emotion or telling a story with the help of melodies, harmonies, rhythm and words.
These four elements are structured in a certain manner to enhance the emotions in your story, commonly known as a Song.
I'm going to take the example of 'Hello' by Adele to explain these terms in an easy manner.
What is a Melody in a Song?
Melody is that tune over which the entire song is based. The one that hooks you on and ends up being the most memorable part of the song.
Melody can even be a vocal piece or in the case of rock music, the entire band might contribute towards a melody. In other words, the melody can include vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and/or drums.
In ‘Hello’, what do you think is the most memorable part? For me, it’s when Adele sings ‘Hello from the other side, I must have called a thousand times…’ and that is the main Melody of that song.
What is Harmony in a Song?
Harmony in a way can be understood as the supporting mechanism of the Melody.
Take the example of ‘Hello’ again. You can hear certain Chord Structures on the Piano getting repeated throughout the song. Not only the Piano, but you also have backing Vocals that act as a part of the Harmony.
It’s not restricted to just Piano, even sustained Bass Lines can be a part of the Harmony, which is the same for ‘Hello’.
Read more on Melody and Harmony here – Melody vs Harmony: Similarities and Differences
What is Rhythm in Music?
Rhythm sets the pace of a song, as simple as that.
Why do people prefer listening to Drum & Bass, Dubstep or Heavy Metal during their workout?
Why do people listen to Lo-Fi Music while they work?
Why do people listen to soothing Piano, Flute or Violin instrumentals before bed?
The answer is Rhythm. Drum & Bass is a high-paced genre and helps you stay energetic during a workout. Lo-Fi is a medium-paced genre that helps with concentration. Instrumentals act as a lullaby to help you sleep better.
The rhythm in ‘Hello’ is defined by the mid-tempo Drum Groove. The slow pace of it allows the emotion of heartbreak to be conveyed in a better manner. It’s a sensitive, mellow emotion, right? Hence the rhythm is so.
The melody, harmony and rhythm get repeated in a song multiple times. Sometimes they come with slight changes as you may have noticed in many songs. These repetitions and changes form the structure/arrangement of a song.
I’ve gone in-depth on that topic here: What is a Song Structure?
Now that you have a basic sense of how songs are made, it’s time to address the need of the hour:
How to Learn Music Production at Home?
Moving out to pursue a course in Music Production or Audio Engineering from a renowned institute is one of the ways to Learn Music Production. But the reality is that not everyone can afford those expensive courses. Also, post-Covid, not everyone wants to risk it.
But the good news is that it’s not a necessity anymore. People found an alternative to commercial recording studios a while back by setting up Home Studios. Why not learn the craft at home too?
The only con about learning it at home is a difference in the listening medium. E.g. your mentor might be making tweaks to a track while listening to it on a different set of headphones than yours.
Honestly, it doesn’t make that big a difference at the initial stage unless you’re trying to listen to it on Phone speakers. Moreover, the Music Producer fraternity knows how to roll with the punches, don’t we?
Also, to start with, no one wants to spend money on learning anything; that’s the reality. And it’s not your fault. With so much misinformation out there, trusting someone unknown with your money is not easy.
Why not begin with something that provides REAL VALUE, free of charge?
Free Music Production Courses (Online) – In English
Instead of sending you off to websites that promise a free course but end up asking for money, I’m going to redirect you to full-length YouTube Videos:
The Fundamentals of Audio Production by Envato Tuts
When they say free, they mean it. No Clickbait!
If you’re sceptical about spending 90 mins+ on this course, just go through the comment section of this video.
They have even included a demo of Reaper which is an amazing DAW available in the market.
A Crash Course on FL Studio 20 by Tomas George
FL Studio is one of the industry-standard DAWs available out there.
You can learn the basics of FL Studio 20 in this brilliant 55-minute crash course for absolutely no charge.
Making a Complete Track from START to FINISH in Ableton Live 11 by Bound to Divide
This 90-min class by Bound to Divide is absolute gold! Not only will you get introduced to Ableton Live, but you’ll also get to know how an entire track is produced.
He is a Melodic House Music Producer signed to labels such as Monstercat Silk and Colorize.
As always, don’t just take my word for it, have a look at the comment section of the video and decide for yourself.
Music Production For Beginners in Cubase
Here’s what Zedd had to say about Cubase:
Cubase Pro is the centre of my production world. It has an intuitive workflow and layout that allows me to create music quickly and efficiently.
You get to learn the basics of Audio Production in Cubase by the pros themselves, for free. All you got to do is put in the time!
And this is just one Playlist. Once you visit their channel, you’ll find knowledge worth millions.
Free Music Production Courses (Online) – In Hindi
One of the biggest hurdles in India pertaining to Music Production Education is language. That’s because the primary language spoken in the country is Hindi. And you shouldn’t miss out on the knowledge because of that, right?
Some amazing professionals in the fraternity took it upon themselves to solve this problem for everyone.
Music Production Course in Studio One by Dev Next Level
Adding ‘Next Level’ to one’s name is a statement in itself and there’s no doubt that his work proves the same.
One of the Best, Free Music Production Courses in Hindi has to be by Dev Next Level. This man has set his mark on YouTube with his Mentorship as well as Production Work.
Skim through the comment section of one of his Tutorial Videos to see how much his students love him.
Master Music Production in Logic Pro X by Arijit Saha
Arijit Saha is yet another amazing teacher when it comes to Music Production.
This YouTube playlist consists of 25 videos that’ll get you started with Logic Pro X.
Ableton Live Tutorials for Beginners by Eynsomniacs Studios
Jatin (Jaz) from Eynsomniacs Studios has this amazing YouTube playlist that will get you started with Ableton Live in no time.
Not only this, you’ll find a ton of videos on his Channel that covers many other topics such as Sound Design, Music Theory, Vocal Processing and Beat Making.
How to Mix any Beat Professionally by Mix With Vasudev
Mix With Vasudev is an established YouTube Channel when it comes to teaching Music Production in Hindi.
Vasudev primarily works on Logic Pro X and his videos on Production and Music Business psychology are something to look out for!
He has got some amazing playlists that teach Mixing and Mastering as well. Make sure you check out his Channel for a truckload of priceless knowledge.
Garner all the free knowledge you can from the above sources. Once you’re done with it, I can assure you that taking a leap of faith towards a structured, paid course will be very easy!
Conclusion
- Learning Music Production doesn’t have to be restricted to renowned Institutes.
- There is a ton of FREE knowledge available out there to get you started and keep you motivated.
- Take your time getting comfortable with a mentor and a DAW. Only then should you opt-in for a paid course.
- Just like everything else, patience is the key to learning Music Production. Give it the time it deserves.
Here’s another post to check out – 7 Basic Music Production Terms You Must Know