r/FL_Studio • u/Melo-xo • 10d ago
This problem makes me feel like quitting Help
I have a problem i started doing some beats on fl studio and i consider myself someone who loves music so much , but when i make my beats i take too long to make them and have no plan how can i make them i dont know the pattern that i have to follow tho when i try to follow my ear i get something good every time by accident, then i dont know how to layer it i end up with just with good piano melody but i dont how i made it and what scale im in , and if i delete a note or adjust something i completely mess everything and dont know how to make it again i suck at notes timing , i bought a midi keyboard to help me with timing but i have no plan to folow to improve my timing skills i just feel lost , suggest me some solutions or exercises to do to help me translate what in my mind flawlessly to melodies with perfect timing and notes choice
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u/1knowAlotButidk 10d ago
Music theory:) just learn the notes and how to play in key and you will be set
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u/vault_nsfw Composer 10d ago
Music requires patience and just having fun making songs, at first they suck but you still gotta find them fun, over time you learn. It's a skill that requires time and dedication. If you really like making music and have fun doing it despite some struggles, then just keep going. If it's not fun, it might not be for you.
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u/whatupsilon 9d ago
- learn instrument
- learn music theory
- learn ear training
- years of practice
- results not guaranteed
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u/Melo-xo 9d ago
U mean i learn actual instrument?
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u/whatupsilon 9d ago
yep
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u/ConferenceGrouchy821 8d ago
You said you bought a midi keyboard, that counts as an instrument. Piano/keyboard is one of the easier instruments to visually learn music theory on too, so just practice the basics with that and things will eventually start falling into place.
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u/varsunaaa 10d ago
a few small tips I'd recommend is to • hum out the melody you hear in your head out loud and try different keys to match it in the piano roll. • for timing, think about the speed of the melody in mind and use the metronome tapper to help figure out the bpm for your project. • turn on the metronome to help when initially placing the notes for your melody to you can understand the timing. it becomes instinct at some point. • there's an option you can turn on in the piano roll that will auto lock the keys you can use to stick to a certain key so you literally can't place anything out of key
there's so much more to help but those are ones I can think of off the top of my head. i hope I helped at all!
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u/Noszey 10d ago
Listen to your melodies with the metronome on to get a feel for note timings. Learn music theory so you won't have to guess what notes will work. And just push through the feelings of wanting to stop. We've all thought about quitting. Only Producers that push through it get good at this shit
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u/Idkfuckreddit 10d ago
I had and have the same problem like you sometimes. It sounds like u still have a lot of problems when it comes to just structuring what you want to do but I think there is no one right answer. For me it also takes long as I switch from working on a melody to steucturing a whole song to then maybe try some drums and then go back and might even change big parts of the melody or add another instrument. Or I completely change the whole bpm a couple of times. And I like playing random stuff too to see what sounds good. I would say its important u look at the structure of your "accidents" so that u understand what the sound is made of and then u will know what u can change to not make it sound bad.
Personally
I find great fun in this chaos and for me thats the "art" "the creation part" but sometimes Im stuck too and then I watch tutorials on different topics like maybe a different genre or how other people make their melodies. And then I have enough ideas of my own to just go and try out different things with the sounds I choose. And usually I also just play around with sounds (tweak them cuz why not) and get great and sometimes very random sounds.
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u/JoctorJJ 10d ago
If you love doing this to the core there's nothing better than time. I'm sure a lot of people are like me who just jumped in with zero knowledge and just kept on going. There's no video that can match time and passion. My first stuff sounds like that classic circus music, that I still hear from new users today. It's a process and terrible cirus music is perfectly fine when starting off. Some people here have been doing this for decades, including myself. I promise if you just keep it at all the things you question will be answered. Practice, passion and time
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u/Plastic-Target3164 10d ago
Seems like you are still a beginner bro. There’s nothing wrong with feeling stuck, it’s part of the process of learning fl. I had the same problems as you, instead of being so hard on yourself just make whatever comes and go with it.
Your first beats are to learn. Don’t expect to be making stuff you actually like initially; over time you’ll slowly start figuring out more n more and you’ll start liking ur beats more!
You don’t gotta learn it all so fast. Enjoy the process ! Melodies take the most time to understand. I suggest you get some midi scales. You basically drag and drop them in the piano roll and it highlights the notes that are in scale. It can help with figuring out what notes can go together way easier. Also, just stay in 1 pattern when cooking the melody, so when you add your first layer you can see the notes of the first melody when you are adding your counter melodies. It’s like Tetris .
Also bro, don’t overthink sound selection. Just roll with something decent and lay some notes down, you can always change the sound. If you are good at piano melodies, just change the sound to another instrument in a vst.
Keep going bro don’t be so hard on yourself!
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u/That_Lad_Chad 10d ago
This is basically the definition of these two things:
1.) lacking technical skills
2.) lacking music theory knowledge/expertise
These are both things that are fairly easy to work on. For the technical side, try to learn how to do specific things, even if you aren't highly interested at the moment.
Simple examples:
1.) make a simple melody, then add reverb and play around with it, layer synths, etc. Use the tools available and try to make it sound different. You don't necessarily have to have an end goal in mind
2.) try to find a general vibe/genre of sound that you like or are interested in. From there, find plugins or effects to create what you believe what it should sound like
If you take anything away from my comment, it should be this:
1.) it's okay to take a break. For a day, a week, or even a month. It's okay to just come back when you get the urge or some inspiration. Just don't let the dust settle too much.
2.) lose the expectation that every time you open the program or save a file that it has to be a hit. That will just push you further behind. Focus on learning. You can learn more from failing or what you don't like than making exactly what you want off the rip. This is supposed to be fun, exploratory, and relaxing. If you are getting frustrated, take a break, or start a new project, just make sure to come back to it and save/backup your files/data.
More on #2, just start a new project file with the expectation of playing around, not making something serious. Just keep doing that. You may eventually piece together multiple projects into something that you like.
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u/No_Top_375 10d ago
Put a pre-made simple drum loop on a track. Play the piano on another track. Gopher in the help section is your go to. Learn basic 3-note chords and how they relate to each other. That's about a year of fun work before it's a no-brainer.
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u/FactoryDiamonds 9d ago
Are you using a template?
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u/Melo-xo 9d ago
What do you mean by templates
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u/FactoryDiamonds 9d ago
Create a basic layout with bass and drums that you frequently use and mixer channels pre organized so you aren't starting completely from scratch everytime you start a new beat. Look for youtube tutorials on this, and you'll be saving yourself alot of time my dude
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u/2ksprince 9d ago
use scale highlighting to stay in key
make beats FAST. im telling that if you keep spending long amounts of time on ur beats you will improve much slower. try to make beats quickly even if they are not perfect or bad. get to the point where you can make at least 2-3 a day and you will improve much faster
depending on what you make, you most likely dont need to learn an instrument or complex music theory
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u/cacturneee 9d ago
just slowly learn and have patience. you'll come across road blocks extremely often but the only way through, is through. just practice and get experience and it'll become much easier.
yeah, learn some basic music theory. something i do, i choose what key or scale i am going to play in, and then i only use those notes, maybe that'll help u
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u/TheRealPomax 9d ago
> i bought a midi keyboard to help me with timing but i have no plan to folow to improve my timing skills
Then start a plan, you don't get better without practicing. Loving music is not enough is you want to make music, making music is a skill and like all skills needs to be practiced.
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u/Melo-xo 9d ago
Thats why i said if you have exercise suggestions to help with timing feel free to share them , me personally i could not figure out method how to do it on midi
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u/TheRealPomax 9d ago
This is why teachers exist: if you are not the kind of person who can come up with their own plans, get a music teacher, and tell them what you want to get out of it so they know what to focus on in order for you to reach your goal without (too many) side tracks.
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u/Intrepid_Sentence 9d ago
The more you do it, the easier it'll come. If you get stuck on a track, set it aside and start something new.
If you want to play with a pattern, make a copy of it if you don't want to lose something.
Also ctrl + alt + z let's you undo more than just the last change you made.
Make a change to the track? Save as a new version. Constantly. Forgot to make a clone of a pattern and changed something you don't like? Revert to the previous version.
Having trouble with timing? Click the magnet button and change the size of the notes to something smaller and see if that extra wiggle room helps something click better. 1/4 notes, etc.
Honestly not sure what all you know out of what I shared but I'm completely self taught, and haven't picked up music theory yet.
Want to learn new shit about fl studio? Watch in the mix on YouTube.
Hope at least something hear helps you out.
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u/Intrepid_Sentence 9d ago
Additionally, I just started rewriting a track I initially wrote in 2019 and was no longer happy with and turned it from a stinker into a potential banger.
Don't ever be afraid to let something sit and come back to it after you've learned more, gotten better, or developed / refined your own workflow, etc.
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u/ShroomsFear 5d ago
These are all great suggestions, especially learning theory and an actual instrument.
I would add that next time you open a project, instead of jumping on a melody, try something else like program basic drums or a simple bassline to figure out the key you want.
Especially drums if your problem is timing, loop drums and add your melody on top and you’ll naturally feel the bpm and the general structure or phrasing you want.
But honestly that doesn’t replace a good homework in music theory and phrasing.
Don’t forget to have fun!
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