Newbie needs direction in the music industry and equipment etc.

[mrje1]

Hello everyone my name is Jeff and I need help on how to get started in the music industry as well as some equipment recomendations? Thank you.

Brief summary or quick overview...I decided to go into making music because I just recently find out I have the ability to come up with songs and I am kind of happy with what I came up with. I have always loved music and collected, but never pursued. Now I want to pursue this career and very serious about it. Now here go the questions...

First, I am trying to decide what instrument I should possibly learn. I am leaning more for the guitar and keyboards because I think they are cool. I am not sure about the drums. That seems cool too. If I go with the guitar etc. how should I go about getting started? Should I get books or schooling or private tutoring etc? If so, any recommendations. A friend mentioned it is best to start with an acoustic rather than an electric. I rather start with the electric because that interests me the most. What do you think?

Secondly, I am thinking about singing as well. I am not that good, but noticed that with the right training I might be ok. I really want to sing my own songs than hire a singer when I form a band. How and where should I get started? Any programs to recommend learning? Should I see a vocal coach? Or should I not sing at all?

Thirdly, I want to learn how to song write. Where should I start when it comes to songwriting?

Lastly, I am not sure on what to get for the actual equipment. I have a PC, but some people say it is better to make music on a Mac. What I have read here that it is what you are accustomed to. Any more to say on this topic please let me know. I have a:

Micron Millennia PC
5.5 years old
Intel Pentium 3
533 MHz
576 MB of Ram
Monitor: 19" (NON Flat Screen)
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 256
Sound: Stock speakers by DVENT
Sound Card: Creative audio pci ---sound blaster pci

Is this ok to start with. If I stick with a pc, what programs and or equipment will I need to help in making and recording music?

I am sure I can ask some more, but I will stop here for now. Thank you again for reading this thread and appreciate your help.

Jeff

 

[metalhead28]

I think that if you've gotta ask somebody else what you should pursue musically...then you probably don't need to pursue anything....
I mean to say that this is a question that you must be able to answer yourself.
Nobody can seriously say "hey you should learn guitar, cause it's easier" or "everybody must take vocal lessons to get good". You know what I'm saying? If you don't desire it without being told....it aint gonna happen. If you like electric guitar....do it!

Technical / equipment questions are a different story, however -
If you don't know if you can sing and don't play any instruments, I am not sure where you are trying to go with this right off the bat. Perhaps some music creation type of software? Just about any MIDI sequencer/DAW software would fit the bill. For this type of stuff I would say your computer is probably a little dated and maybe a little too slow. Best thing to do is just check the hardware requirements on some software that interests you. Clock speed and RAM are important, graphics and monitor not so much...If you are going to record instruments or vocals you'll need a decent soundcard, mic(s) and mic preamp(s)...possibly a mixer. You will probably want higher quality than standard PC speakers, but that is not a necessity. I think you've really gotta decide EXACTLY what you want to accomplish before you try to decide what to learn/buy/etc.....

 

[mrje1]

Thank you very much metalhead28.

Very true and you made it clear to me. Thank you. My desire to play the electric guitar and keyboards is very strong as well as to song write, sing and record. I will definitely go with I feel the most desire for. So with that said, how do I go about learning how to play or even how to choose the right electric guitar? What amp should I look into? The music I am interested in is Alternative Rock and Metal. As well as dance music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
You said: Technical / equipment questions are a different story, however -
If you don't know if you can sing and don't play any instruments, I am not sure where you are trying to go with this right off the bat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

This is my goal. Before I dive into anything I obviously need to know what I am doing. First, my plan is to learn a few instruments, which my desire is for the electric guitar and keyboards. I would probably at the same time or even a later date try to learn how to song write and sing.

As I become good I would then take the song blip or demo I came up with and write the lyrics, make the sounds from guitars, drums etc. and hopefully I can learn to do my own vocals or I would hire somebody to do it. Any other instruments I would like to use I would either recreate it by some computer programs or from somebody who knows that particular instrument. So, I hope I clarified a bit on what my direction is heading.


So down the road and as you mentioned I probably will need music creation software, a computer with a better sound card, mic, mic preamp, recorders and mixers. Any specific ones I should look into? Should I stick with the PC or should I go the Mac route? Any books to recommend?

Thank you again for your help.

 

[bennychico11]

you have a lot of belief in your abilities and dreams, which is great....but i think you're going to find that music is not something you can't pickup over night, or even in just a few days. Unless you're a child prodigy, it will take you years and years to perfect the art. Especially if you plan to pursue it as a career like you said.....no offense, but don't quit your day job, and i mean that literally. There are a ton of people on this forum that play professionally and others who just play for fun. And most of the professional players have been playing for 20 or so years. But even most of them have a regular jobs to pay the bills and just do night gigs for fun. The music world is very hard to make it in. To really make money (and I mean enough to live on) many musicians will tell you that you have to be amazing in order to do so. Either that or REALLY REALLY luck out and make good connections with people.

you've set your goals really high, but probably too high for the time being. Wanting to learn two different instruments while also learning what equipment to buy, how to hook it up, how to get it working, learning a software program, mic'ing techniques, mixing techniques, etc. is going to be A LOT to take on at one time. Don't worry about the recording aspect right now. Just learn the instruments first. I'd say if you really are interested in learning music, don't think about it as a career for now. Pick ONE instrument and buy it. Buy a couple of books to learn on, and apply for lessons with a local musician. A lot of music stores will have some great teachers working there. Set up some lessons and learn as much as you can while practicing at home too. Then go from there.....one step at a time. Don't try and overload yourself with too much knowledge at once.

Good luck.

 

[dmc777]

How old are you? You have A LOT to do but if you're into it go for it. I'd think of it more as a hobby first for about 5 years while your learning to play you instrument and then see if you think you're good enough. If you're young enough though go for it it's fun.

Oh yeah, there are plenty of jobs in the music industry but it's just hard to get your foot in the door. You could even sell the songs you write.

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

Keep in mind that this is the "big mean, real world" viewpoint. Don't take any of this personally....

My opinion is that you can forget about doing anything mediocre for at least five years, and maybe in ten years you'll do something worth listening to.

The thing about music is that anything less than 95% perfect is utter crap.

I'm not saying that you can't do it, but by all means don't be another wannabe that talks their crap and never puts any effort forward. If you are going to do music, THEN DO IT.

Be prepared for the reality that "gettin' good" at music requires IMHO about a 3-4 hour daily committment for *YEARS* to come. And then there's the "maintenance" of your skills, getting better, learning other aspects of music such as theory, which amp is "kewler", what gauge guitar strings you prefer, why an ARP Axxe is inferior to a Moog Model D and so forth....

Music is, and should be, an all-consuming activity. Otherwise you're just another hobbyist.

Also, do yourself and the world a favor and hold off on the recording equipment until you can actually *PLAY* something. Thanks.

 

[metalhead28]

I would like to add that I am all for you pursuing your interests in music, but to imply that you've decided out of the blue to be a career musician and that you just have to deal with that pesky problem of learning to play......well that is actually a little insulting to those whose entire lives are devoted to the art of music....and notice I said art, not hobby.
I don't mean to sound too harsh, but I must suggest respecting and acknowledging the skill and dedication required to achieve even one facet of your plan. Hell, if you devote yourself to the guitar, by the time you achieve a decent level of skill your entire outlook on your other ideas may completely change. I'm saying this for your benefit, not to slam on you. Don't bite off too much at once! But, good luck

 

[mrje1]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate it very much. Wasn't my attention to sound high all mighty or disrespect. I am an excited person just trying to figure out things. Don't worry guys, I am not taking any of it personally.

Thank you all for your views and comments. Any more advice, will be greatly appreciated.

 

[metalhead28]

You are demonstrating a good attitude already by putting up that last post. Thanks, and good luck! Any more specific questions that you can't find elsewhere on this board?

 

[Matheon]

it doesn't have to be a big deal. don't even think about 10 hours a day of dedicated practice or giving your life up to the art..

it doesn't have to be like that.

buy yourself a 100 dollar guitar and a 100 dollar keyboard.. buy yourself some books. if you're going to learn both then get a good beginner piano book that also teaches theory(they probably all do). and get a guitar book that has all the chords in it.. learn some theory, learn some chords.. and practice until you get tired of it.

the thing is.. i've been a musician as long as i can remember.. since i was a child.. but i have never worked at it, because i love it too much.. if you fall in love then you won't have to work at it.. you'll just do it all the time because its what you love.. and you will get better..

otherwise you're out a few bucks and its no big deal. don't let people scare you into thinking this will be hard.. this isn't hard.. its just slow.

very very slow.

but each day you can learn more.. and every day you can get better.. so long as you can stay happy with that you will be successful. maybe/maybe not monetarily successful.. but that's a whole different and twisted matter.

good luck..
this is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself. i hope in 5 or 10 years you can look back and say "i'm glad i spent that hundred bucks on a starter guitar"

 

[mrje1]

Thank you Matheon. I really appreciate your reply and definitely helps. I will definitely keep your advice in mind when I decide on the path to take. When it comes to negativity I look at it as advice and will never discourage me. I just keep on doing what I feel is best for me.

 

[fraserhutch]

it doesn't have to be a big deal. don't even think about 10 hours a day of dedicated practice or giving your life up to the art..

it doesn't have to be like that.

I disagree. For the VAST majority of musicians, espeicially those who actually make a decent living with it, it is a case of giving up your life for the art. And it does take hours of work each day to learn your craft.

Now, in our case, givinhg up our life for the art was something I loved doing, but make no mistake, it is not a 9-5 job. And I believe that telling anyone who has professional aspirations otherwise is close to criminal.

Learning a musicial instrument to become workable with it is one thing. To become proficient and successful, well, that's another level, and every 2nd or 3rd person out there considers themselves a musician to some degree. It does take hours each day to master an instrument. And make no mistake about it, if you want to increase your chances of making a living with your instrument(s), you have to be better than 90% of what's out there.

As far as careers go, if I recall correctly, I think the stats are less then 15% of all musicians make a substantial part of their living from music. A small percentage of that actually make a living at it, much less what I would consider a livable salary (for a family).

And, in virtually all cases, it required proficiency in several areas of endeavour: performance, composition, arranging, conducting, teaching, and sales.

So let's not sugarcoat how difficult it is to make a living as a musician/AE. Is it worthwhile? Absolutely. Does it take massive determination and effort? Absolutely. But the odds are not in our favour.

And that doesn't even touch on how hard it is to make a living as an EA, which I will admit I am not qualified to speak on.

Now this doesn't mean that it's not a worthwhile pursuit. I am all for mrje1 making a go of it. But I believe that he should do so with his eyes wide open.

 

[Matheon]

maybe i was unclear, my bad.

my point was basically that a lot of people make it sound like just cause you buy a guitar your life should change in some major way. and should you not become great at the instrument and devote a lot of time to it then you are just wasting time..

this is what i do not agree with.

there are millions of people out there playing instruments, having a great time, making the lives of those around them and in turn their lives richer..

all while not being very good or making any money.

personally.. i'd rather hear an old man who sucks at guitar and has a barely passable voice play some old crappy country music that he loves than hear some other seasoned veteran who is completely burned out on music but is a star and has made millions play a song he doesn't really care for.

dedication all day every day for the rest of your life will not guarantee monetary success.. but if you love doing it.. dedication and skill aren't necessary to ensure personal fulfillment.

 

[fraserhutch]

maybe i was unclear, my bad.

my point was basically that a lot of people make it sound like just cause you buy a guitar your life should change in some major way. and should you not become great at the instrument and devote a lot of time to it then you are just wasting time..

this is what i do not agree with.

That was not what this thread was about - in fact he indicated that he is interested in this as a career choice very early on in his first post:

Now I want to pursue this career and very serious about it

there are millions of people out there playing instruments, having a great time, making the lives of those around them and in turn their lives richer..

all while not being very good or making any money.

and that is perfectly fine, admirable, laudable. Unfortunately, that is NOT what this thread is about.

 

[NYMorningstar]

buy yourself a 100 dollar guitar and a 100 dollar keyboard.. buy yourself some books. if you're going to learn both then get a good beginner piano book that also teaches theory(they probably all do). and get a guitar book that has all the chords in it.. learn some theory, learn some chords.. and practice until you get tired of it.

I have to disagree for a few reasons:

First of all if you buy $100 equipment then the odds are you won't sound good for a long time. It's better to buy good equipment that will sound good basically no matter what you do on it.

Secondly, if you buy $100 equipment you will never see a return on your money if you want to sell it. Good equipment holds its value and more often than not increases in value.

And finally if you get a guitar book that has all the chords in it.. learn some theory, learn some chords.. and practice until you get tired of it.. Guess what?












You'll end up tired of it. Poor goal. It's better to have a positive outlook and get yourself into a structured program where you can realize and track your progress.

Anyhow, good luck Jeff.

 

[famous beagle]

First of all if you buy $100 equipment then the odds are you won't sound good for a long time. It's better to buy good equipment that will sound good basically no matter what you do on it.

Ok ... sorry I'll have to disagree with this. Can you give me an example of even 1 guitar or keyboard that sounds good "no matter what you do on it" ? This is just plain silly. If you're a flat-out beginner, you're going to sound like that on whatever instrument you play on---whether it's a $3000 Les Paul or a 1.5 million dollar violin.

The second point you made, however, is very vaild. IF resale value is a concern, then yes buying a good instrument is the way to go. It still doesn't have to be an awesome instrument, but it should be somewhat of a "standard." A Fender Strat in the $300-$700 range would be a sensible guitar choice, for example.

But if you're wanting to just get your feet wet and don't care about the possibility of throwing away a few bucks (or can't afford a more expensive guitar right now), then a beginner instrument is the way to go. Many, many people got their start this way, myself included. My first guitar was a borrowed Peavey T-15 electric, with the amp built into the case! However, like Matheon said, I fell in love with it, and that was pretty much that. I saved up my money from my bag-boy job at the grocery store and purchased my own guitar and amp.

Just a few other points:

I'm a firm believer that starting on electric guitar rather than acoustic. I've taken lessons and taught lessons, and here's what I've learned. Electric is easier on a beginner's hands. Since it is easier, they will progress more quickly and are less likely to become discouraged. Making the transition from electric to acoustic isn't that difficult once you've begun to develop the finger strength needed to play. But I've seen too many people give up early on because the acoustic requires a little too much right away. There are many people obvioulsy who get started on acoustic, but IMO electric is a better choice (ESPECIALLY is that's the instrument you're really interested in).

I think the beef between Matheon and Fraserhutch stems from the fact that they're approaching this from two different angles. Fraserhutch is correct in pointing out that you did state very clearly that you intended to make this a career. However, what Matheon was trying to say though (I think) is that it's probably better to start slowly to see if it interests you before you make a big desicion, spend lots of money, etc. And doing THAT doesn't need to be a huge deal. You don't have to start off practicing for 4 hours a day on guitar. (I can actually guarantee that you won't because your fingers would be killing you.) You just need to start playing and see how it goes. If it takes, you'll most likely become more excited and start practicing more.

I agree with most of the people on here that have said not to worry about recording equipment right now. Start learning an instrument first. If anything, you may want to look into one of the little portastudio "starter packs" for a few hundred dollars. These will be a good way to get your feet wet and start learning about recording. (Recording is every bit as much of an art as playing an instrument, make no mistake about that!) Maybe something like this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=141/g=rec/s=recorders/search/detail/base_pid/241118/

or if you have a few more bones to spend, you can go the digital route with something like this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=141/g=rec/s=recorders/search/detail/base_pid/242101/

The latter will open up all new cans of worms, like effects, amp simulations, etc. However, I think it may be biting off a little too much at once. The first option will get you recording very quickly, and it's tons of fun.

Recording yourself playing and singing is a great way to improve your skills, because you're able to hear what you're doing more objectively and therefore hone your abilities better. And like I said, the scope of recording is just as massive as playing an instrument, so why not start early? Granted, you need to spend some time learning an instrument before you have anything to record. I would say, though, depending on how much you practice, it wouldn't hurt to start dabbling in recording after 4-8 months or so.

Recording will help teach you, among other things:

1) To play in time.

2) To realize that what you THINK you sound like is, in the beginning, much different than what you actually sound like.

3) That learning music can be fun as hell. It's old hat to everyone around here now, but when you first discover "overdubbing," you feel like a musical god!

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I agree with both Fraserhutch and Matheon. If you really want to make it a career, it will take a lot of work. But I think before you make that decision, you should get your feet wet.

Good luck.

 

[Alphonso]

I think that if you've gotta ask somebody else what you should pursue musically...then you probably don't need to pursue anything....
I mean to say that this is a question that you must be able to answer yourself.
Nobody can seriously say "hey you should learn guitar, cause it's easier" or "everybody must take vocal lessons to get good". You know what I'm saying? If you don't desire it without being told....it aint gonna happen. If you like electric guitar....do it!

Technical / equipment questions are a different story, however -
If you don't know if you can sing and don't play any instruments, I am not sure where you are trying to go with this right off the bat. Perhaps some music creation type of software? Just about any MIDI sequencer/DAW software would fit the bill. For this type of stuff I would say your computer is probably a little dated and maybe a little too slow. Best thing to do is just check the hardware requirements on some software that interests you. Clock speed and RAM are important, graphics and monitor not so much...If you are going to record instruments or vocals you'll need a decent soundcard, mic(s) and mic preamp(s)...possibly a mixer. You will probably want higher quality than standard PC speakers, but that is not a necessity. I think you've really gotta decide EXACTLY what you want to accomplish before you try to decide what to learn/buy/etc.....

YO That picture of kermit is funny as hell

 

[NYMorningstar]

Can you give me an example of even 1 guitar or keyboard that sounds good "no matter what you do on it" ?

Here you go but it's only one example

 

[junplugged]

don't buy anything. play everything and you'll find the instument that you like. borrow stuff, or try stuff out in the band room at a school or friend's gear. Or even a music store, but be wary of the pushy salespeople.

If you're young, you have plenty of time to pick an instrument.

Piano is the best start for everyone for a while since it's the one instrument everyone can visually relate to and learn music theory with. Every student at a music school I went to was required to take keyboarding classes no matter what their instrument. And, they all had to sing, not well, but sing for ear training.

So If you think it'll take a while to figure out your instrument, just start w/ keyboarding.

Teachers are very helfull at the beginning especially. you'll also have to find out what kind of learner you are. You have very big benefit if you are in some school because they will be able to help you the most.

 

[mrje1]

Thank you very much everyone for you comments in this thread. Definitely helped. I will write more on the comments a bit later. Here is a small question in the mean time.

A friend of mine who I am studying with until I get my guitar said that your finger nails need to be super short, is that true?

Point true about your fingers tips hurting. I am sure they will get stronger as you play, but are there other techniques out there to get them stronger?

P.S. famous beagle, don't worry about the long post. I think it is great and helpful. The more you write the better.