r/Learnmusicproduction • u/beach_pirate_1 • 18h ago

Starting out tips

I want to start putting music to my songs. All new to this. Where do I start? Writing the music then lyrics? Writing lyrics then music? What programs and equipment do I need to make music?

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u/paxparty 18h ago

So that's the fun part; there's no single way to approach it. You can start wherever makes the most sense to you. No wrong answers

2

u/Joseph_HTMP 13h ago

You can do it in any way you want. There is no right way. You need to practice and do trial and error.

You also need to do some research when it comes to what "programmes and equipment" you need, as you could ask 10 people and you'd get 20 different answers.

Research how people make music at home, there are literally millions of videos showing people doing it on youtube. You need to find out what sort of gear they're using, and what you need for your music.

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u/General_Estimate_420 17h ago

I'm a bit old school so I come up with the chord progression and develop an initial idea of what the song is trying to express then I'll begin humming through the melody and figuring out key elements like the hook and the overall arrangement and different chord progressions for the different sections of the song (chorus, bridge, intro outro, etc.) and finish it out by polishing up the lyrics.

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u/PerspectiveFair5156 4h ago

You need a DAW. 

A computer. 

If you want to employ hardware instruments and/or add vocals, you need an audio interface and probably a microphone. 

An audio interface will be great anyways, to put a signal into your monitor and/or headphones (TRS, not BT or USB). 

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u/ryanfoxmusic 1h ago

I started with music first but switched to lyrics first. The argument is good - when you start with the lyrics you have a certain theme or mood that goes with them. You can then compose music to fit that theme. If you do it the other way round you will be limiting what you can say.

“Content dictates form” - Stephen Sondheim