How to Get Better at Making Music!

There are 4 things you can do to get better at making music.

1. Study

If you are fortunate enough to pay for classes and learn these skills, GREAT! If not, there is FREE education available to you online. You can take an online class, take a class at your local community college or university, or watch YouTube tutorials from teachers in the subjects you want to learn. Guitar Center also has free master classes sometimes that you can attend (audio engineering, beatmaking, etc.). Here are a few websites where you can learn new skills for free:

• Berklee Online

• MixxinAcademy.com

• YouTube.com

• Alison.com

• Coursera.org

• MindLuster.com

• Cursa

• EDX.org

• Musical-U

2. Listen

Listen to a variety of records from past to present. Don’t stick to your genre either. Branch out to other genres. Allow your ears to time travel through music. Listen for patterns, harmonies, rhythms, tonalities and stories. To find new music to listen to, you can use YouTube, go to public libraries, go to record stores, ask your peers for recommendations or use streaming platforms like Bandcamp.

3. Practice

This should go without saying but some people forget this most important step. Once you learn how to do something, you have to practice doing it to get better. Unless you’re a prodigy genius, you don’t get to take any shortcuts! Even geniuses practice their craft to get better. No excuses y’all! For example, if you learn how to play a cool riff on guitar, practice playing that riff in different keys, songs, etc. If you’re practicing sound design and you learn a new delay effect, practice using that effect with other effects and instruments. When you explore your skills in other ways, that’s where creativity is born.

4. Talk to People

Talk to your friends and musical peers. Engage with music communities in person or online and ask for advice, tips, feedback and recommendations. You can find these communities by searching in Facebook Groups, Reddit discussions, Discord servers, local meet ups/community groups in your area, school clubs, etc. You can ALWAYS learn something new from someone else’s style, process and workflow. You can try new things that you would’ve never thought of trying. Sometimes, collaborating with others on a musical project brings out a different side of you.

In summary, NEVER stop learning, ALWAYS have fun and continue to try new things!😁