Category: Music Tutorials

Finish the Work – and Ship It

Knowing when to finish the work of art, and that it doesn't exist till it is wrapped in plastic and shipped to the distributor is a struggle for many artists. One that stops many in their tracks. I am probably unusual in that within days of getting my first synth, without any real idea of how … Continue reading Finish the Work – and Ship It

Pretty or Effective – Writing Music to Sell

This wasn't on my roster of things to write right now but I got this post from one of the smartest people on the net and it has something great to tell us musicians about how to tell our stories in music. I'll paste the whole thing here and link you to the article too: Pretty … Continue reading Pretty or Effective – Writing Music to Sell

Honing Your Craft

If you view yourself as a riff-machine then you will never make anything that is magical. Making riffs is easy. A robot could do that - and if there isn't already an iPad app for there will be soon enough. It takes a Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Michael McDonald, Darryl Hall, Vangelis... to make musical … Continue reading Honing Your Craft

How to Get It Out There – Approaching Marketing Music

So you have made good music but have no idea how to get it heard, let alone to #1 on the charts. Now this is the 42 cent question. If there was a simple 1-2-3 answer then there'd be no musicians with good records and poor incomes. As usual I will look at the background … Continue reading How to Get It Out There – Approaching Marketing Music

Good Music and How to Make It

There is no formula to getting guaranteed hits. Let's get that myth put away right now. As explained in the last few posts "Good" is not a personal preference but a gauge of the ability to pass value to other people - few would want to describe a Math textbook as good but if it … Continue reading Good Music and How to Make It

Why Modern Music Sucks – How Did We Get Here?

Some disagree but I believe that modern popular music is in a very bad place. Now I'm not the first to approach this. I know as I have heard about how Rome's about to burn all my life. It is part of not wanting to accept change. That makes it hard to be the guy who … Continue reading Why Modern Music Sucks – How Did We Get Here?

neo-Tradition – a new movement in music

I'm going to treat this post more like an open letter. Maybe some people would like to take this up and post to others. Maybe some people would like to take this into the studio and answer. Hi All This is to musicians and fans alike. To be a musician we generally need to be … Continue reading neo-Tradition – a new movement in music

Good vs Bad – Fashion in Songwriting

I know a fellow who is writing songs that sound like good 70's Folk Rock but problem is all that is being played on the charts these days is heavily produced, Electro/Glitch/anti-Pop, whatever that stuff is called. As a songwriter/band/musician is it challenging to know how to pitch your work when all around you people are saying … Continue reading Good vs Bad – Fashion in Songwriting

Anatomy of a Piece – Mixing

This is Part 2 of a pair of articles on making a piece of music. Part 1 one covers the composition, this article looks at the mixing. Again I used Propellerhead Reason but the ideas will translate anywhere. I admit this is a very simple mix but it is the role of instruments and reasons for … Continue reading Anatomy of a Piece – Mixing