With each year that passes, the art of making music on computers becomes easier and more exciting. Not only is this the case, but more and more people are turning to digital music sources as a means of their compositions. Even some of the biggest, most well established “brick and mortar” bands in the rock world are doing this. Adding some digital components makes albums more complex and fresh sounding. The possibilities are really endless no matter what genre interests you.
With all that said, there are many different ways to potentially write your own songs on the computer. While each program will have its own instructions, learning curve, and capabilities, here are some universal pieces of advice that should help you in your efforts to create the best sounding songs possible.
Go to Youtube for inspiration
Do a quick Youtube Music search, and you’ll find thousands of amateurs and professionals just like you creating their own awesome music from home. Do a search for remixes of some of your favorite songs and see what people have done with them. This is one of the greatest ways to find creative ideas when it comes to composing your own work. Read the feedback that people get and see what appeals to other viewers/listeners. In doing so, you’ll gain so much valuable insight at no cost.
Learn more about music theory
If you don’t have a background in music, don’t let this stop you from pursuing your dreams – but a better understanding of music theory and the components that go into song structure, chord progressions, rhythmic patterns and more will make it so much easier to write great music. If you don’t know about this stuff, there are tons of books to help you get your start. If you’re serious about breaking into the music world, you’d be wise to put the time into learning the foundations of music theory. A great book to get started with is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory. Another great one is Pocket Music Theory by Hal Leonard.
Learn an instrument
This one will require a little more time and dedication, but learning an instrument is perhaps the best way to become familiar with typical song structures and all of the other essentials of music. Things as simple as learning scales and the fundamentals of major/minor chords will give you such a jump start and the ability to make your stuff sound even more original. You’ll have some fun while you do it too, and may even be able to perform some of your work live in conjunction with your digital beats and samples.