honestly, i just wanted to make stuff like my favorite video games. i believe my very beginning was flipping midis on onlinesequencer in 2013/2014, then shortly after i moved to making music in a SUPER niche software by my favorite game developer called “Bosca Ceoil”. i spent a few years learning composition and pattern arrangement in there and then stepped into LMMS as my first DAW. i learned automation and basic sound design and samplework in LMMS, then finally stepped into FL Studio where i still work. FL taught me mixing, mastering, and higher level sound design. Now, I’m still learning complex arrangement for electronic genres, but I’d say I feel like I can make just about anything I can think of on a whim, so I’m trying to broaden my horizons and learn what some of the things I can’t yet do are. I struggle a lot with light rock production, I’ve noticed, for instance. So, no, there was no click for me. It was a continuous and extremely gradual learning curve that brought me to where I am. I think my process is a very solid way to learn music production, though, as coincidental and all-over-the-place as it is.

I signed up for a 2-hour Ableton class that was being offered at work. Not sure why, it just caught my attention. I was amazed by how the instructor could write a cool song in just a couple minutes! I had no idea that was possible.

That’s how I started, I bought Ableton and a small MIDI keyboard. Followed tutorials on YouTube and started writing a song every week for the song-a-week subreddit. I took a few online classes on music production and kept learning.

A few things that clicked for me:

• I don’t have to do EDM just because I’m using Ableton and all the YouTube tutorials are about EDM. I can make ambient.
• Notes sound better when they’re not quantized.
• There are no wrong notes to play.
• Finishing songs is really important.