MIDI

Use your computer as an instrument.

What is MIDI?.

 Basically MIDI are instructions that allow the computer interpret notes. These instructions use inputs, like a keyboard, an electronic drum kit, even a mouse.

How to use MIDI?

 First you need a software MIDI-compatible and VST-compatible (Digital audio workstation, DAW). 
 A few DAWs:

• Cubase
• Pro tools
• Ableton
• Flstudio
• Logic(Mac)
• Reason
• Reaper
• Qtractor(Linux)
• Nuendo
• Acid pro
• Sonar

 With these DAWs you can plug your MIDI instrument and play, if you don't have you just use your mouse even some DAWs convert your keyboard in a piano(Ableton for example).

 What I can do with MIDI?

 A lot, really A LOT.  If you find the right VSTs you can emulate instruments like pianos, drums, synths, voices, basses, etc.

 Important: remember you are EMULATING, the VSTs won't sound like a real instrument but if don't have a choice they sound great.

 Today  electronic music use MIDI (95%) and VSTs (synths and frequency modulators mostly).

 Personally I use MIDI to create drum patterns (EzDrummer). Really simple but powerful tool.

 So if need a drum, a piano or maybe a synth, a MIDI(with VST) is a always a great option.

How to buy a guitar.

1. Find a store (music instruments store duhh)
2. Ask for a guitar
3. Buy recommended guitar

 DON'T DO THAT!

5 Things you must know.

 1#

 What music do you want to play?. Rock?, blues?, metal?, jazz?, funk?.

 Once you know it, find a specific brand/model. Usually:

 Fender: Clean stuff, rock.

 Gibson: Clean , rock, hardrock.

 Ibanez: Clean, rock, some metal.

 Jackson , Dean & ESP: Anything with metal.

2#

 Single coil or humbucker?

 Single coil is awesome with clean tones but add some distortion and you'll get a lot of noise, on the other hand humbucker works great with distortion but the clean sound is not that great.

3#

 Floyd rose or standard bridge?

 Floyd rose allows you to use the tremolo bar as you wish and you don't need to tune it often but you can't easily change between tunings (Drop D, half-step down, etc) and changing strings is annoying.

4#

 If the guitar is plugged, move the volume knob. You should hear nothing otherwise the electronics is failing.

5#

 Play the 12 fret on the E string and compare it with the natural harmonic (same fret, same string), they should sound the same if not the guitar is not calibrated... or worse.

 

 

 

 

Should I learn music theory?

Maybe.

 Many musicians don't even know how to read music but still they can make great music, so music theory is optional but it helps.

 You'll learn some theory, indirectly, through years even if it is very basic.

So why should I care about music theory?

 Well, it's a great tool. You basically know every chord and how to create chords. Knowing chord progressions can help you to write songs easier and if you know about scales, you'll write melodies and solos in no time.

 If you study music like me(still studying) you can write songs only with a piece of paper and a pencil pretty amazing if you ask me (sometimes I write songs at work, shhh ;D ).

 You can hit any note with your voice without reference (within your vocal range) and you can find the key of a song instantly.

 All useful skills. 

 Remember: You can still develop all these skills without a formerly study, it may be difficult?, well I haven't tried, so I don't know.

Fun fact:

These musicians barely know music theory:

• Jimmy Hendrix
• John Lennon and Paul McCartney
• Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman
• Dimebag Darrel
• B.B king
• Eric Clapton
• Van Halen
• James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich
• ...

The list goes on.

  You don't really have to learn music theory in order to play but if do... cool more tools to use. So don't be sad if you don't know everything. What counts is what you play, not what you know.

 

 

Technique vs feeling.

How should we play?.

 Every musician needs both, some  play with more feeling, some others with more technique. Is up to you. Personally I like 60% technique/40% feeling.

 The important thing here is you NEED BOTH. Why?.  Well if you have attitude but you randomly strum your strings you'll make noise.

 Now you go full technique you become a robot, is boring just like hearing a complex MIDI, never go full technique.

 So you have to find your "mix", that is a slow process of self discovery.

 Now by feeling I don't mean that you have to be the instrument, hump the instrument, kiss the instrument, NO, nothing weird here. You have to play what you feel and transmit that on your music, you don't have to play something because theory say so. Music theory is a tool, a guide, but you decide how to use it.

 Listen some blues/jazz bands they know how to express themselves. Listen some metal for pure energy(that's why we headbang so hard), etc. 

Adding technique to your music.

 Learn vibrato, bending, tapping, sweep picking, extreme downpicking, pinch harmonic, etc. Once you know how to properly execute them, use them regularly, don't be shy. These techniques break  the monotony and make your song more interesting. 

Adding feeling to your music.

 Rule #1: You have to be in the mood to play, don't force yourself.

 Are you excited? Let it flow and make it loud.

 Are you sad? Let it flow too, let me hear that sad melody.

 Everything works, every emotion adds something different.

Now mix both.

 Mix your feelings with your techniques and you'll get your music signature.

 For example a sad bending, sounds like a long and slow bending, very powerful.

 Remember "EVERY MUSICIAN NEEDS BOTH FEELING AND TECHNIQUE"

Practice doesn't make you perfect

Really.

 I'm not being pessimistic here, I'm being realistic. It doesn't matter if you practice 23 hours a day, you won't be perfect, mistakes are going to happen and there will always be someone better than you, get over it. So here is a tip: grow a pair, don't frustrate yourself.
 As I said practice doesn't make you perfect but is the most important key to success, the only things you need is patience and perseverance, every little step counts. I know practicing can be boring sometimes but in the future you will be proud of yourself, hard work is rewarded.
 This is how I like to practice:

• Make routines.

 Try to practice daily at least a 1/2 hour (1 is recommended), this will develop your muscle memory. I like to take a random "day off", a little break.

• Be dynamic

 Practice at different speeds, different rhythms, different techniques, etc.  A monotone practice is worse than no practice at all.

• Scales are great

  You don't necessarily need to play them note by note, give them some space. Skip some notes, try intervals to make it interesting. 

• Train your techniques

 On your exercises add techniques like vibrato, bending, hammer, etc. You'll kill 2 birds with 1 stone

• Play along to the music you like

 Everybody starts imitating someone, once you earn some skills you can give some of your flavor. For example, I've learned how to play really fast by imitating a few thrash bands.

• Analyze your mistakes

 Find the problem, see what is the problem and fix it, you don't want bad habits interfering.

• Jam

 Use what you have learned to create something new, become a true musician.

 A few last words:
 Remember practice is cumulative, be patient and you will see the results. 
 Use books or the internet to find exercises and warm-ups that fit with your skills.
 Know your limits, don't rush and take it easy.
 Play with feelings, even exercises, don't be a robot.

Getting ideas for writing your song.

Some tips when you're not "inspired".

 You won't always wake up every day with a brilliant song in your head, most of time you'll have to work hard to get somewhere. These are some  methods you can use.

• JAM!

Very obvious but jam until you bleed if necessary. Sometimes you'll get something right away, sometimes this will take hours and even sometimes you won't have a thing.
 Be ruthless with your ideas, keep only those with value and work with them until you feel you have "something".
 Try different approaches of the same thing(different rhythm, extra/less notes for example) to ensure you're not missing a better idea.
 Make sure you're in  mood to play, otherwise everything will sound "meh"(This happens way too often).

• Hum or whistle

 Great way to brainstorm, you can do it anywhere, anytime. Very useful for chord progressions and melodies. Want to improve your humming?. Beat Box.
 You can have a portable drum to work while humming. A basic kick and snare sound it's all you need. 
 I personally make heavy metal and beat boxing helps me a lot. I can set a tempo and write drum patterns  really easy and quick, even sometimes I do it while playing guitar (instead of humming) to make a good jam session.

• Listen your favorite bands/artist/composer

 Before jamming listen a few songs from a band that you like to inspire yourself, this doesn't mean you have to redo the song, you just want a little push to start working.
 Influences are very important, in fact everybody begin by imitating their idols, later you develop your own style, your own sound. 
 Be careful about cryptomnesia happens when you think you did something original but is not, you heard it before but you can't remember it. More info here: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia.

Equalizers learn to love them(Basic)

Get better sound quality with a simple EQ.

The picture speaks for itself. Want to boost the bass kick?, move the bass up. Want to boost the snare? move the Mid up. Wanna boost the hi-hat?, guess what, treble up. 
 It's that simple but very effective. I usually "draw mountains" to get a smooth sound, nice and clear. 
 You can use EQ on anything, guitar, synth, piano, voice, etc. Try different parameters and hear the differences. 
 Pro tip: No need to boost all the way up, a few decibels will do the job. 

Making drums with ezdrummer and cubase.

This is how I do it.

• Right click to open the contextual menu

• Select Ezdrummer (you can use alternatives like virtual drummer if you like).

• Hold right click on the white zone and release on "draw".

• Left click to draw a single bar.

• You can edit Ezdrummer (Drum kits, Volume, etc).

• Change the snare, the kick, the crash or the whole set if you want to. (pro tip: Turn off humanize).

• Close the vst interface and double click your bar to open the piano roll.

• With your draw tool you can put notes on the piano roll and this is what you need to know

C1-kick
D1-Snare
F#1-Close hi-hat
G#1-Foot hi-hat
A#1-Open hi-hat
E0-Crash 1
G#0-Crash 2 
E1 to C2(white keys only) - Toms (lowest to highest)
This are the most important keys but you can check the others.
Change quantize(Upper right)  to use 4th notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, etc. When you need it.

• This is how a REALLY basic drum pattern looks like:

1st beat: kick
2nd  beat: snare
3rd beat: kick
4th beat: snare
on top of each beat add a hi-hat.
Once you have finished close the piano roll (grey x under the BIG red one)

• Hold ALT and drag your bar to copy it.

• Like this!

 You can edit each bar individually. 

• Experiment with patterns.

• Create dynamics songs with them. (This is not a good example :P)

That's how I do it(except I use a lot more bars).
But wait there's more.

• Click on inserts(left sidebar).

•  Click on some empty space and Voilà.

 You can add Reverb, EQ, distortion and more.

• Use this inserts to create a very realistic drum sound(Warning: real drumkits still are better).

Very important last words: Have fun experimenting!.

Be original!

Always!!!

Some rules I like to follow are: 

• Don't repeat yourself

 If you feel you did something too much (like chord progressions, riffs, solos, etc) stop immediately and start all over again until you have something different.

• Try new rhythms

 You got a cool progression there?, good. Now try playing it with triplets or  mixing some 8th and 16th notes, experiment yourself for a while.

• Silences please!

 Silences are more important than you think, use them wisely and you'll get a nice dynamic. You could create a cool suspense atmosphere and then --- BOOM killer riff came out of nowhere.

• Verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus is bad for you

 Let your imagination fly and create intro, bridges, outros, instrumental sections, anything that makes your songs different from any other generic pop song. Music structure is very important.

• Use different scales

Minor scale, major scale and pentatonic are very useful but what about some others like the Spanish scale, chromatic scale, Arabic scale, diminished scale etc. They exist too and you can use them whenever you need. Try different modes like Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian to get extra flavor.

Grand opening!

HELLO!

I made this blog to share some tips about composition, mixing and more. I'll take requests too, if you need some help.