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75 Music Tips and Tricks to Get Your Tracks Out of the Bedroom
Sometimes you need a little inspiration to kick start the process.
Here are 75 light-bulb inducing music tips.
1. Ignore every obstacle anyone has ever put in front of you.
2. Make music everyday – no matter how much time you have.
3. Set a deadline — and stick to it.
4. Learn to record yourself, and do it whenever and wherever’s possible.
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6. Do as much as you can on your own, see what’s missing, THEN get help.
7. Try Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, or buy the original deck of cards made for mixing music.
8. Write lyrics with concrete imagery.
9. Get out of the box.
10. Try a free trial from Ableton, it’ll change the way you make things.
11. Record every musical idea you have. Use your iPhone, tape recorder or dictaphone.
12. Keep a pad and paper by your bed.
13. Read about your favorite artists. They were once where you are now.
14. It’s never too late. Anyone, at any age, can make music.
15. Learn about the origins of House music.
16. Use Garage Band, it comes free with your computer.
17. Get a 4-track recorder.
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18. Play a piano.
19. Collaborate on a track through LANDR’s collaboration tools.
20. Stop reading Pitchfork.com. Make music instead.
21. Attend a festival.
22. Buy a sample pack from LANDR samples.
23. Get a friend to sing the chorus.
24. Ignore every recording rule you’ve ever heard.
25. Read David Byrne’s blog.
26. Try to join the Underground Producers Facebook group (it’s invite only).
27. Block internet distraction for a chunk of time with the Freedom app.
28. Learn the Circle of 5ths.
29. Sing in the shower.
30. Set up drums in your living room.
31. Go on tour.
32. Ask questions on Reddit.
33. Recreate your favorite song.
34. Harmonize with a friend.
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35. Learn about multi-band compression.
36. Stop playing the instruments, only play the effects.
38. Work nights.
39. Buy a drum machine.
40. Buy used gear only.
41. Use what you have already.
42. Delete every plugin that you’ve never used, keep only what you use.
43. Sleep less.
44. Quit a band and start your own.
45. Get the PolyTune app.
46. If you can’t figure it out, there’s probably a YouTube tutorial that can teach you.
47. Record it backwards.
48. Read Attack Mag.
50. Eliminate computers from your live setup.
51. Play your new song in front of people.
52. Record sounds that aren’t musical.
53. Learn about sampling.
54. Stop caring.
55. Subscribe to The Wire.
56. Sell your guitars and buy turntables.
57. Sell your turntables and buy guitars.
58. Ask yourself: What would Prince do?
59. Ask yourself: What would Drake do?
60. Learn to play the drums.
61. Take frequent breaks from mixing.
62. Finish a song in one sitting.
63. Watch every episode of Fact Magazine’s Against the Clock.
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64. Approach songwriting like a DJ approaches a party.
65. Buy a hardware synth.
67. Think about music in the shower.
68. Get familiar with Tone Generation.
69. Invest in monitors if you have the money, but work with what you got if you can’t afford them.
70. Get Reaper, it’s free. (Editors note: It’s not free anymore)
71. Learn to read music.
72. Check out Selector for loops and samples.
73. If you have the opportunity, make music with a toddler.
74. Talk to other musicians.
75. Share your music with the world.
Rory Seydel is a musician, writer and father who takes pleasure in touring the world and making records. Creative Director at LANDR.
@Rory SeydelGear guides, tips, tutorials, inspiration and more—delivered weekly.
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