What are
/r/musicians'
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/musicians:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/musicians:
Bandlab
Hydrogen
eBay
Reaper
Rosegarden
ReverbNation
Upwork
Mixcraft
Flat
FL Studio
Cakewalk
SoundCloud
Amazon Music
Quora
Rate Your Music
The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/musicians:
Audio Evolution Mobile Studio TRIAL
TonalEnergy Tuner and Metronome
BOSS Tuner
The most popular reviews in /r/musicians:
Dude, it's metal. Get a Sure SM57 for cheap, an XLR cable and buy on craigslist/ebay an old cassette 4 track. Record that shit to tape, son. Use high bias tapes. On the cheap. It will have a color. You're welcome.
cheap.
The approach I'd suggest would be to buy a Behringer P2 Unit and combine that with one of KZ's in ears, such as the ZS10.
The P2 unit will allow the feed to your ears to have ample volume, unless you're already using another dedicated amplifier to power your in ears.
If you are looking for an outlet to make music and you aren't glued to an instrument choice yet, I'd like to advocate for the humble ukulele.
A tenor or baritone size uke is very easy to play (chords are shaped the same as on a guitar but there are only 4 strings so they are much simpler) and can be picked up very quickly and it's satisfying.
You can pick up a very good Kala tenor or baritone uke on Amazon for under $100 and be very happy with it (although I'd change the Aquila strings that commonly come on these for Martin Clear Fluorocarbon strings immediately if you can, much nicer sound - a lot of music stores will carry these but you can also get them online for cheap, less than $10 for a set).
I started on a soprano but ended up with a baritone and I've been playing that Kala bari for years now and I love it so much. I often say it was the best $85 I've ever spent, no contest. This is it, or very close - the price went up a few bucks but still super cheap: https://www.amazon.com/Makala-Baritone-Mahogany-Ukulele-Kala/dp/B001LTZZSG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=kala+baritone+uke&qid=1555525149&s=gateway&sr=8-3
You could try etymonic earplugs? I know a lottt of musicians who use them with satisfaction
They typically have versions of these made by hearos at guitar center. I personally use the foam ear plugs bc I have hyperacusis but I can still vouch for these.
Justinguitar.com
Guitarnick.com
Get a tiny $20 keyboard from walmart and play with these worksheets
Then grab a book called Tonal Harmony by Kostka and a sightsinging book
I'd say,
Pick up a used MBOX 2 Mini that comes with Pro Tools 8 Software. They go on Craigslist for about $80 (unless you are using osx lion)
If you have an existing computer that's decent... then no need to buy anything.
You can use any microphone that connects via XLR cable.. if you already have a mic like this.. no need to spend money there also. You Don't need a condensor.. a dynamic mic such as a sure sm 57 or 58 will do just fine. If you have no microphone, you should purchase an SM58. It's an industry standard that's affordable, and you can even use it live. Best buy currently has the best price on them..
Optional: While you certainly can write pro tools sessions to your main harddrive, it's recommended to use an External firewire harddrive to write your sessions to.. You can get something in the 500 GB range for about $50 or less
So if you purchased everything I just recommended, including the fireware drive.. that only comes out to around $210 which leaves enough for small peripherals such as mic stand, pop screen, cables.. ect.
If this is all too expensive for you.. Just use free audacity and purchase a USB condensor microphone such as the Behringer C-1U Studio Condenser Microphone. For pre productions, this is all you will need.
You should have a look at this: iKlip.
iPad is your best choice: relatively cheap, portable, and if the rumors are true, it will soon get a Retina Display like the one you find on the iPhone (real bright). If you use a computer, its screen will landscaped, thus involving scrolling. Go to Best Buy, and read a magazine on an iPad, you will be surprised.
My band uses a Tumblr. It comes with all sorts of really nice pre-designed templates and it's easy to use. We just point our domain name to the Tumblr page.
We use dreamhost for hosting everything else (the actual domain, my personal website, FTP server, etc).
You should also check out indexhibit - a very nice and easily customizable template.
Perhaps Kontakt Player might be to your taste? It includes some free factory sounds (separate download) which might be up your alley.
I use a Tascam DR-40 to record practices, music ideas, concerts, gigs, and keyboard tracks. Records great with two built in microphones and can also record instruments and mics straight in with dual XLR and 1/4" inputs for a "clean" signal. It's $179 on amazon and they're like $20 cheaper on eBay at the moment. https://www.amazon.com/DR-40-4-Track-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B005NACC6M
Audio Evolution for Android Website
Audio Evolution Mobile Studio TRIAL on the Google Play Store
I have Audio Evolution Mobile Studio for Android; A full-fledged Digital Audio Workstation with individual tracks up to 24 or more I think. MIDI, functionality with USB Audio Interfaces (it worked with the behringer UMC404HD). I highly recommend this to anyone who has an Android device and wants to record something high-quality on a budget. There are some features that you have to buy in-app (like DLC for a game, kinda stupid) but it's still affordable.
I have honestly considered downsizing from my Desktop Workstation and laptop with Reaper and just using Audio Evolution for demos and recordings before I take them into the studio just because it works well. I'm definitely going to try and implement it for a mobile-workstation set-up.
I haven't used iOS in years but I know the newer versions have GarageBand pre-installed, which is pretty cool from a musicians stand-point.
Hope this helps.
I'm going to be perfectly honest - pocket trumpets are almost across the board junk. Perhaps there are a few exceptions to this rule, but by and large, I stay away from pocket trumpets like the plague. They are generally considered a novelty and not something that would be good for actually learning the instrument.
For your budget, I'd say your best bet is seeing if you can buy a (gently!) used full-size student horn - I would suggest the Olds Ambassador, as it's considered an excellent beginner model in terms of durability, playing, and price point. Your experience will be better and you'll enjoy playing the instrument on something you don't have to fight as much. Generally stay away from the intermediate models; they're often merely sharper looking student horns.
A decent guide to student horns can be found here.
I've been playing for almost eight years now.
EDIT: I didn't realize your link was from ACB - they are a reputable instrument dealer, and their Doubler's line carries a hell of a lot of bang for your buck. In that case, I would cautiously recommend it - I hear nothing but good things about their flugelhorns and piccolo trumpets.
I spent a lot of time driving for Lyft during the pandemic and it was a pretty easy way to go out and make a few hundred dollars pretty quickly. I also have done some freelance projects for people like writing blogs and whatnot by going on Upwork.com. There's also a site called Fiverr to try to get any kind of freelance work in whatever else you can do.
There's a program that's free called hydrogen. It allows you to write out your own drum tracks. I've used it for a bunch of recordings and I'm always impressed by the quality of the kits that you can download even within the program's interface. I don't have any really good samples because I utilize it for country music, but as a guy who appreciates metal, I know that the program and the drum sounds within it are more than capable of doing what you need it to do.
http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/
Edit: And here's something embarrassing I made with the program. I did it in about 10 minutes so the quality isn't at all good but you can hear some of what the program is capable of. Mind you there are literally dozens of drum sets that you can utilize the sounds from, from drum machines to real sampled kits.
One thing I did for pub gigs where I provided sound was make cable “snakes”.
I got this 100ft - 1 inch Flexo PET... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074GM133X?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share and bundled mic cables, extensions chords and sends to the monitors in each “snake”.
I labeled each snake with these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FD4V234/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BNQA5V8TS0FR9CEFV6MT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
In my rack is a Behringer X16 mixer, a furman power strip, my bass head and a Behringer power amp in case im lowering extra speakers or monitors. i get to the gig, lay out the snakes, plug in the mics and monitors, open the back of the rack and plug everything in.
Then i fire up the mixer and recall the bands mic and i’m good to go with some tweakkng.
Only slightly more. Scarlett Solo
Only slightly less. Presonus Audiobox
Get one of these. Voila! Now you have an electric banjo.
They might be cheaper on eBay.
I highly recommend the book Harmonic Experience for learning more about music. It’s huge, dense, covers a lot of ground. You can read as much or as little as you want at once, but it’s a pretty fascinating tome.
The old model I'm referring to is about 'getting gigs and exposure'.
Again, it depends on what your definition of success is. The new model is to get a backer, and a legal team behind you. You will not make it unless you get MASSIVE exposure. Take somebody awful like Megan Trainor, or even Taylor Swift. They didn't battle their way up the ranks doing gigs. They had contracts and record deals BEFORE anybody heard of them.
Those things were because of backing and teams of people making sure their product got into the right hands.
In the 80's you had bands like Twisted Sister and Metallica that played 300 nights a year to build up a fan base and get exposure. That was when going to clubs to see rock bands was common place. But even with those guys, They weren't heard of outside of their local areas UNTIL they had MAJOR label records and videos/airplay. Now, when I moved to Nashville, I got this book and it was EYE-Opening. It talks about survival in an over-crowded landscape. If your book covers these topics - reality - it will be good.
Nashville Musicians Survival Guide
I think I did okay as a musician in the US. Opened shows for Motorhead, BOC, Bad Company, Poison, Nazareth, Lori Morgan - made a good chunk of money - but - never a top 100 record ... Granted, older acts, but I got to play on some huge stages and had fun.
Every serious pianist needs this scarf, especially if you live up north:
If you can drop by your local store with your nephew, and let him find something that he likes that’s in your budget
Otherwise, a Yamaha F310 is pretty good
Get one of these. They stopped making them in favor of the Oxygen 88 (which costs $600), so chances are you're going to have to buy one used. This definitely the best bang for your buck. The weighted hammer action keys feel awesome and definitely much better than the Axioms. Theres one on ebay right now for about $250.
With the other $250 in your budget you could you could buy an M-Box for audio in.
I still have my copy. There's more to recording than just having a program. There's a science to it. And since everybody's needs are different, getting opinions from strangers is just going to lead you down a road you might not care about. https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Dummies-Jeff-Strong/dp/111971110X
Alright, a couple things:
- Take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is just high school. The only people who care about what happens in high school are high schoolers, and the people who peaked in high school. Once you're out of there, you won't care in the slightest after a couple of years. I was in a kind of similar situation as the first chair alto sax player in the second-most advanced group; I really wanted to do the top level band, but it came with a requirement to do marching band, which I wasn't even remotely interested in. The decision was hard, but I ultimately decided to find my happiness elsewhere. That's when I picked up the guitar, and now I make music I want to make!
- Sounds like there's possibly an element of perfectionism creeping in. If you can swing it, find a therapist that can help you work through it; if not, search the web for books on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perfectionism, and do a little reading to see if it applies to you.
- For performance anxiety, the Alexander Technique is an effective, widely taught process for dealing with physical aspects of anxiety during performances, like excess tension in the fingers that can come with stressing out about whether or not you're going to screw up, which of course makes it more likely you'll screw up, creating a vicious cycle. My favorite book on the subject: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195388607
- And finally, the most important advice I have: Comparison is the thief of joy. Music is about self-expression and finding joy in the moment, not competing with immature kids. When it comes to being an artist, you start dying the moment your craft becomes about the destination, instead of the journey. If you can begin to genuinely enjoy it when you make a mistake (laugh it off, poke fun at yourself, etc), you will be invincible.
Hope this helps!
I have a foldable music stand, something like this, but I am debating using binder clips and hanging it on a convenient wall. I find they are great for holding papers without damaging them.
Oh! I use Tiger Balm on my hands (jazz and bluegrass player here). It's like IcyHot, but it lasts way longer. Before you use it during your show, you should try it out first. Here's an the Amazon Link.
Been there. You never want to feel like you are phoning it in. The best thing to do is see if you can get the band to agree to attempt playing something on the edge of all of your abilities. See if the band rises to the challenge. I’ve found as long as I’m learning and being challenged I don’t lose that excitement, fear, and sense of stretching myself. I’d recommend reading, “The Inner Game of Music” addressing some mental models to strengthen play.
At the same time- 4 bands is a lot to spread yourself across. Is the time justified in being away from the wife and kids? You need to find that joy back in why you play music. Perhaps, depending on the age of your children, you can stop the band and start teaching your children. Seeing the excitement and growth in someone learning music brings back that joy of playing for ourselves. At least that’s my experience. Good luck!
On your phone?? Don't star there. Get a computer, and a good audio interface. I mean, it all boils down to what kind of music you want to make. There's no one way. My studio (with isolated room for recording guitar amps) is going to be different from some guy laying down beats.
I'd start here if you don't know where to start.
https://www.amazon.com/Recording-Studios-Dummies-Jeff-Strong/dp/0764577077
I've been a pianist all my life and would love to play the cello!
Playing classical piano to a decent standard requires a fair bit of training for your hands to play independently.
I'd suggest starting with Hanon - he wrote the bible of piano exercises 150 yrs ago and I haven't found anything better for specifically for training symmetry, contrary motion, touch, etc . Fanny Waterman's progressive course books are a good start for developing your playing.
That's not recording multiple parts at once.
See, you need to really find out what you need before you start buying, or you'll buy the wrong stuff.
You haven't said what your interface is... I can't guess.
Really - invest some time into this. This was one of the first books I read
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Dummies-Jeff-Strong/dp/111971110X
Only bottom-feeders are left in Nashville unfortunately. I used to play those round-tables at The Commodore (Debi Champion !!) and The Bluebird. Only the legend is left behind. Every week, a thousand people get off a bus there who want to be famous. Same acoustic guitar, same songs in G.
The network isn't what it used to be. I think it all started with either Garth Brooks, and more recently with Taylor Swift.... Everybody is looking out for Number One. Honestly, down and out musicians aren't going to be helpful to other down and out musicians.
It was a lot better when I was there... You could play 7 nights a week at places like Picks and that street off of Broadway where that Charlie Daniels museum is.
My needs were simple....I wanted to record a CD there, and just say I was a Nashville Artist... So, I did that... It's a good CD!! I took that picture with my Iphone4 :)
https://www.amazon.fr/Nashville-USA-Freddie-Long/dp/B00C9NSS8C
Honestly, try a Behringer 57 rip-off for $20 first. They sound almost indistinguishable from Shure SM57s and are a fraction of the price. I've had perfectly good results with a good preamp (any of the Focusrite stuff) and a 57/58 (Behringer and Shure).
There are powered USB-hubs which don’t depend on the computer for powering up devices. They work better with setups with lots of devices that require to be powered by USB. I personally haven’t seen one with a USB-c connector but there probably are some around. Maybe you could get some type of adapter or cable to convert the connection.
i dont know how macbooks work, ive heard they dont have USB but i dont know what models.
for my HP laptop i use this usb splitter its a bit cheap plastic, and after throwing it in my bag all the time i had to duct tape it back together.
certainly works if your keeping it stationary. i have since put a velcro strap on it so its mostly on my desk.
i have one splitter dedicated to music related such as- interface, keyboard, DJ board, Nanokontrol, usb mics, and my amp has a usb function. i have 2 interfaces and 2 keyboards my studio depending on my needs. the usb splitter has 4 spots. i typically have 4/ the 8 devices plugged in at a time. standard would be my interface, 1 keyboard, my nanokontrol, and my Dj board.
i have a 2nd, smaller usb splitter that i just use for my mouse and keyboard.
i should probably have less things plugged in so i dont start a fire tbh
Do the Artist's Way. Then, if you want to give up on it, fine, but I promise you, you won't.
​
Sorry to hear, sounds rough. You're not alone, check out Keith Richard's hands – he definitely has arthritis.
I hear great things about CBD for the pain and inflammation. Try out dunking your hands in an ice bath after playing like professional drummers do.
Warming up with stretching before playing should be a non-negotiable part of your routine now.
To be prepared, I would have:
- A powered PA speaker with multiple inputs: A singer I work with uses this for small gigs. It's a Bose one, and the sound is fine. It's also even battery powered, which can be super handy, and has an reverb built-in. It even has bluetooth, so you could play your backing tracks from your phone.
- A stand for the PA speaker.
- A microphone and cable. SM58 is fine, I prefer a Beta 58 for vocals, but any dynamic mic should be ok.
- A mic stand for your microphone
I absolutely would not assume a restaurant has a PA system of any kind.
The bad news is this stuff will set you back between five hundred and a thousand bucks if you buy new (you can probably find one or more of these pieces on the used market, check out reverb.com or ebay). The good news is you will be able to sell them if the thing doesn't work out. Used music equipment generally holds its value ok if it's not damaged.
As for backing tracks, the keyword is "karaoke tracks". There are multiple sites where you can buy/download, and some you can even change the mix of the various instruments. Be aware that the arrangements and instrumentation of these can be pretty cheesy sometimes, and the structures weird, especially if the studio versions fade out at the end. You will need to spend some time to make sure you are familiar with them before you perform.
We don’t strengthen joints because they are passive structures, but we strengthen muscles. The position your finger rests in is the result of a balanced tug of war between your flexors and extensors. The tendons are what attach muscles to bones, and if you crushed your extensor tendon, it most likely healed in a very scar tissue riddled, shortened position. Kinda like an accordion bunching up and then getting stuck that way. So with the tendon crumpled up, even when the extensor muscle is relaxed it still isn’t full length. By strengthening your flexors and releasing scar tissue on the extensor side you would hope to shift your resting position from one of hyperextension to a more neutral position.
You can get things like this tool linked below to break down scar tissue, but please go get it done by a professional first (you could hurt yourself by being too aggressive). By combining something like this with stretching your extensors and strengthening your flexors you could hopefully see enough improvement to avoid surgery.
I’m sure YouTube is full of demonstrations of how to use this tool.
I got these. Usually I just fill up a Small sandwich bag and put one of those in every gig bag I have just in case
Amazon Basics USB 2.0 Printer Cable - A-Male to B-Male Cord - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters), Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NH11KIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_HF63GJ2MVYYAF1KTPF4D
This is what you need. Don’t know what computer you have or what DAW you are using. If you are using a Mac I’ve found it very straight forward to just plug the piano into the Mahé Mac through the usb and then you can play through GarageBand. The Steinway piano there is really quite good through studio speakers. There’s also quite a large array of synths and synth effects to play with. Also quite easy to introduce and navigate plugins. I’ve been using my pretty basic keyboard with GB for quite some time now.
You want a 3.5mm TRS to 2x 6.35mm TS like this. That way you can get a stereo recording.
I just went through something similar. Old digital piano with midi in/midi out. Went from there right to USB DAW PC.
I researched and this worked fine for me...
USB to MIDI Cable 6.5Ft,NUOSIYA USB MIDI Interface Adapter,MIDI to USB Cable Converter for Music Keyboard Piano to PC Mac Laptop Windows Android https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HV636Y7/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_DHS1V4QK52P0DWS309BJ
everything becomes clear when you have harmony, but you must focus weedhopper.
Check out JamHive (http://www.jamhive.com/) and play around with the demo; try recording your voice and inviting a friend to collaborate with. What do you think of the recording experience? Would mute or metronome be useful? How is the sound quality?
I really appreciate your enthusiasm! Let me know if you would like to be a power user and I'll PM you in the future when we have new features to show!
Check out flat.io https://flat.io/ It's a website and an app that let's you write sheet music with all sorts of instruments and tools. I used it when I was teaching myself how to read sheet music and I found it really fun and easy to navigate
Basically, just try to get the largest screen you can afford. A machine dedicated to reading music is basically a glorified PDF reader, so you don't need a lot of memory or processing power to use it.
I bought this about four years ago on sale for about $120 at Best Buy. It has an 11.6" screen, but most of the hardware sucks for typical everyday use.
I got rid of basically everything on the tablet but a file manager, a cloud sharing app, and MobileSheets Pro, iReal Pro, and iGigBook. It's a dedicated reader, and still works perfectly to this day. But if I try to open a web browser or YouTube, the thing will freeze for about ten seconds, but I use it only for reading music.
I bought this page turner at the same time, and it cost about $45 then. Took a while to get here, but I literally have charged the turner less than ten times, and use it at least three days a week.
I'm really loathing the day the tablet dies, because the only current option that has a screen as big are the Surface/iPad Pro models. The upside to those is that you don't need them to be dedicated readers, but I don't personally see the need to spend $1200 to have a tablet above my PC, laptop, and smartphone.
Hi,
I am a atist from capetown please if you like my content, support me at the links below. everytime you like a angel gets its wings, and if you follow omg, there will not be enough heaven left thats how big your place will be lol
These are all the collaberations i did over the last three weeks
​
1st) pleading to breathe - fannalot ft fes aka WA 2cnd - face off - jdollar ft fes 3rd Anymore (Open Verse) DROLL - ft fes aka WA 4th) fame - fannalot ft fes 5th) now Listen - DStag ft fes 6th) bounce - Beast ft fes
Thanks in advance
https://www.bandlab.com/writtenalph/new-project-69905bd7?revId=00e5334f-b22d-ec11-981f-a04a5e798978 (pinned post)
https://www.bandlab.com/writtenalph/new-project-e9188ce1?revId=dcfa15d1-a535-ec11-981f-e42aac7a5303 (all my collabs for the last 2 weeks)
also insta @farzeef if you would be so kind.
twitter @WAlphabetically
working on my next track
greatly appreciate it
Get him a good blower fan. As a drummer who did a lot of casinos, it was sometimes a great thing to have my own "smoke abatement kit" to reroute the waft of a fat cigar. Plus, if he has long hair it'll look rock & roll AF to have it blowing back his mane, like he's riding a Harley while playing his bass.
At first I sought out producers on Upwork.com. There are a lot of them there that work for pretty reasonable rates and produce a wide range of styles. I managed to find a local producer in my area after seeing a sponsored ad on Instagram from an artist I enjoyed and then creeping on his page to see who produced his music. Check out the Instagram pages of local artists that you follow and find out who produced their music. Word of mouth and referrals are the best way to find trustworthy producers.
Live streaming of course, it's the top marketing strategy now. Try to post across all the social media and platforms, promote your streams, answer viewer's questions, etc. Also, it's a great practice to stream a process of music creation. You can promote your channel with some how-to videos, for example. Here is a great guide on how to live stream your music, might be helpful.
The thing is, you're competing with music marketing companies that handle music promotion on an industrial level, and (probably) have much larger promotion budgets and connections than you do. You're also assuming that your music is better than 95% of all the other tracks available to global listeners in that vast ocean of content. Let's say that you really have written something great, it's professionally mixed and mastered, and that you have $50,000 going spare to promote it. Why are you even bothering with Instagram? You should be using data analytics to discover what platforms your audience frequent, and then start a major marketing campaign on that platform with links to your personal artist platform so you can maximise the impact of your release and tie it to a greater body of work.
The problem with Instagram is that most IG users are in their 20's or 30's (https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-group/). That sector do not tend to invest highly in music directly. They are more into live music and experiences. They might be Spotify users but you won't get much money from that platform. If you want to sell your tracks directly to listeners, then you're looking at the 14-24 demographic. And that means TikTok or Snapchat.
https://www.musicgateway.com/blog/how-to/how-is-music-marketed-to-different-age-groups
All answers are amazing! but not seen this name :
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Simon & Garfunkel
​
& if somebody doesn't think that the above answer is not correct, Watch this :
​
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence at Madison Square Garden
(trying add to the 2 other answers)
A MIDI keyboard is a tool that sends tiny messages to another tool (that's what called the MIDI protocol).
That other tool can be anything:
- a DAW interprets the messages for "controlling" how it behaves
- any sound generating tool; like a synthetizer (something that generates sound waves), or a sample player (play a given sound on a given input message)
For example I use http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/ to play piano-ish or organ with a MIDI keyboard. You can also put drumkit sounds.
Yeah, I use Caustic and Mastering by SingleCellSoftware .
If you want to mess around with one of my songs, just tell me which one sparks your interest and I'll send you some stems :)
And everything here is up for you to criticize! I will most definitely get back to you on your music :)https://www.audiomack.com/album/a-payes/we-all-go-a-little-mad-sometimes https://soundcloud.com/seyap
Not beginner at all, but even dumb laypeople like me can get something out of this. Like the human voice is a double reed instrument.
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Physics-Engineering-Dover-Books/dp/0486217698
If you want software drum machine, I recommend Hydrogen. It's an open-source program that's pretty damn good, and available for all platforms. Download it and give it a try.
There's lots of examples of what people have created with it on YouTube
I'd say there are apps for learning instruments! I found Yousician to teach myself how to play guitar and it works very well :D I would search up Flow Key on the App Store to learn piano!
Songs are ridiculous, every song is in some way - don't worry about that. Just write, practise making things rhyme and general flow and have fun with it - don't overthink it.
If you have a computer I'd recommend you check out CakeWalk. It is a completely free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that you can use to record with and also mess around with VSTs etc. If you are eventually able to afford a proper DAW, I would suggest Cubase, Ableton or Bitwig studio (I use this one!) oh and if you have a Mac, then you may want to try Logic Pro, as it's similar to GarageBand...
I would also search up the Shure SM58 and see if you are able to afford it - if not, search for 'top cheap microphones' or something like that.
And you should check out this cheap UM2 audio interface as well... you'll need one of these to connect the microphone to your computer!
Hope this helps!
Boy have I got good news for you homeboy! Chords are free!!! https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi9t_mDsaTkAhWKn7MKHRm6CJkYABABGgJxbg&ae=1&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASE-RosXt8VL34iwu9CUlvr_IvrV8&sig=AOD64_3BcbqY1-dLmnmKIE_QqQ851rBVHQ&q&adurl=http://yousic...
I am sorry you feel that way. Next time, I promise to bring you something that has no mention of an app anywhere in the entire blog. Check this one: https://www.quora.com/What-Are-The-Biggest-Problems-Independent-Musicians-Face (Read the first answer by Dhananjai Kaushal and if you please, don't bother reading that Why? section in the end as you will find it promotional) Read it and then tell me if it is not valuable advice man!
Thank you for the help. Do you think this mixer would provide sufficient output for a headphone? I think I would need to get an adaptor to convert that mixer's 1/4 output to 3.5 mm, I did that with my cheap amp and it worked fine over headphones
Headphone amp, like this.
Thank you for replying. Like one of these? Would I be able to hear the computer playing music and my guitar playing through the headphones at the same time with that?
You can use something like this to switch the wired audio, just skip the video inputs
https://www.amazon.com/Panlong-Switcher-Composite-Selector-Consoles/dp/B00KXVBB7C
TICONN 100 Pcs Nylon Spade Quick Disconnect Connectors Kit, Electrical Insulated Terminals, Male and Female Spade Wire Crimp Terminal Assortment Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZ972B5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1G7A6677H4STCW7SGTVA
DAW is definitely a little over you and your 6 year olds head but basically it's a program specifically used for recording music. They're expensive they're computer intensive. You can get free ones such as "Reaper" but there is still going it be a lot you need to learn.
You can use a midi box to get sounds out of the keyboard like this to avoid using a computer:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VHKM190/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_PH290AKNXQCWZFF3DD5T
I'd recommend looking on craigslist or Facebook market place for an actual digital keyboard that will have sounds programmed in and will be easier to learn. If your 6 year old takes on music, they will figure out how to use the midi eventually! You can get a quality used Yamaha for around $100 and they have great sounds and functionality. The last thing I'd want is the kid to become discouraged due to a difficult experience of turning on the piano. If money is a concern you could almost certainly find one for free or close to it, but it may need replaced before long.
Shure sm58 So this mic here? And what option would be best to get; the on/off switch, without cable or XLR to Usb adapter?
Ok so you can use a midi interface like u/PunchyGoldthrax suggested. Or just a powered usb hub like the Anker 10 Port 60W Data Hub https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00VDVCQ84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_SGR7A33ATFX2E5DAZEWC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
A sturdy, metal music stand. Not a break down plastic one that makes it's own case or one of those thin metal rods things that blow over in a hard fart, but something you'd see a concert band use. Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Manhasset-Model-Sheet-Music-Stand/dp/B0002FOBJY/ref=sr_1_6?_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Sheet+Music+Stands&qid=1605760866&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-6&ts_id=11965921
I looked at Amazon France - it is this book.
The author has another book about freeing creativity, I do not know if it is a retitled translation or a different book on the same theme.
I would suspect there is a lot of overlap. Its a book about the philosophy of the creative. Not specifically musically related. However, a number of professional songwriters I know cite this book as helping them stay fresh and full of ideas.
The first thing to do is look for a copy of The Beatles: Complete Scores. Here's the Amazon link. That will help a lot with the other tips that have been given.
Thank you for your interest. There was a bug on Android version, but now it's fixed and available on Google play. Any feedback would be appreciated!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clave_llc.JamBuddy
Hi, thank you for your interest! now it's available on Google play, any feedback would be appreciated!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clave_llc.JamBuddy
Don't know if you bought one yet, but here's a killer deal on Amazon for a Refurbed HP with 2x 19" Monitors for only $224! (Which, trust me, you'll want as much screen space as possible when working in your DAW.)
What is your level of music theory?
I would say, start off with music theory. All the chords in every key, major chords/minor chords, triads, notes in the triad etc....
Understanding the circle of 5th is very useful.
Then, find a good book for reading for bass guitar. Then read. Read slowly, & repeat.
I have found this book to be a useful reading tool: Hal Leonard Electric Bass Method
Hi everyone!
A few weeks ago I started playing the diatonic harmonica (my first instrument ever). Since I'm an Android Developer and knows nothing about music theory I decided to build a chromatic tuner app to help me understand the basics like natural notes and accidents, octaves, diatonic and chromatic scales, A B C and Do Re Mi notations, pitch detection algorithms and so on.
The result of my study is the app Chroma, an open source Android app. It's in beta and should be officially released by the end of the week. Feedbacks are very welcome!
I hope this app helps more people get in tune.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cafe.adriel.chroma
Source Code (contributions are welcome): https://github.com/adrielcafe/ChromaAndroidApp
I have an Insignia 11.6" Android Tablet that I bought for $100 new on sale at Best Buy two years ago. It looks like they're discontinued now.
I'm very happy with the tablet. I don't use it for anything else, since it is very light on the hardware.
Android has MobileSheets Pro, which is its version of ForScore. It was a learning curve that I got used to over a week's worth of twelve-hour tech runs for Ragtime the Musical, and now I am comfortable using it in every possible gigging scenario.
You don't really need 1440p to read music. Of course, it might look better, but this tablet is completely legible. Remember, it's essentially a glorified PDF reader.
I've disabled every single app on the tablet that doesn't have anything to do with acquiring or reading music. The main apps I use are iRealB, MobileSheets, iGigBook, a tuner app, File Manager by Astro (for unzipping any files I might need), Microsoft OneDrive and Gmail for sending myself music.
If I'm away from home, I just connect to my phone as a hotspot.
I can get through a couple of four hour gigs on a single charge. I never turn the tablet off, and it can idle for about a week on a single charge.
For a page turner, I got the Donner Page Turner for $45 two years ago. Looks like it's gone up in price. But I've used it at just about every gig I've brought the tablet in the last year, and I'm about to give it its FOURTH charge since I bought it.
A dedicated music reading tablet doesn't need the best CPU or graphics. Hell, it doesn't need a lot of storage space, because PDFs are comparatively small. I'd never even try to use this tablet to stream, game, or run a synthesizer app, but what it does, it does great.
I am guessing you had a soprano recorder. Get yourself an alto (a good beginner: (https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Baroque-Fingering-Recorder-ECODEAR/dp/B01IRRI0I6). The American Recorder Society is a good resource and may have a chapter near you. The recorder’s repertoire spans centuries.
Or just use your peavey PA and get a XLR- 1/4" adapter. https://www.amazon.com/6-35mm-Female-Balanced-Headphone-Adapter/dp/B00KQRN306
or maybe a vocal fx box: https://www.gearank.com/guides/vocal-effects-pedal
Is there a reason to use the mixer if the PA has enough power?
I’ve been playing thirty years and taught quite a few along the way. The modern way is probably YouTube but I can’t help you there. I recommend you start with this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0711982260
It’s an easy and quick book to get into but remarkably deep and effective.
Then move onto this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825640571
This book is tough and requires some dedication. Where you go after that is based on your personal direction. Crack the basics first.
If you really want to make progress, get a teacher. They will turbo charge your development and spot mistakes.
I just recently got a Yamaha P-45 with the furniture stand for $400 from costco and it’s been great, super basic as far as features go, like 12 instruments and midi support, but all I was looking for was a simple digital piano with weighted keys and a pedal to play on at home and not bother neighbors. It’s on amazon for 450 without a stand, or like 580 with the furniture stand etc. - Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Action Digital https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UJ9LNDK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H9htCb60ZY3XS
I got a lot of value out of Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art": https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Winning-Creative-Battle/dp/1590710037/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
In summary: waiting around for artistic inspiration/motivation is a mistake.
Successful and/or prolific artists don't wait to feel motivated, they work every single day no matter what.
I have found that when I'm in a rut, but I force myself to start writing, I can still eek out some decent ideas.
That leads to another good point: "From quantity comes quality".
Not everything you do has to be groundbreaking, and you don't even need to release all of it. But when you sit down every day to create, you're bound to create some good stuff.
Hope that helps.
I think it's this - https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Starter-Package-DirectlyCheap-Translucent/dp/B008ADBTHC
Doesn't even have a name lol
It was just a starter guitar. The thing is so old and poorly made I actually put a screw in the back to close up the body.
I know, I know. I'm not going on tour with it or anything (as if I were to even get that good). But it's pretty much a learning guitar.
I have bronze strings on it right now, but they're also a little too tough. Which I'm deciding if I want to go steel (or back to nylon).
How are you doing it currently? Do you have an example of how it sounds? Possibly a lot of background noise?
Latency is the delay between when you (say) hit a note and when it gets recorded. A massive latency would mean things were out of time, but wouldn't give you any static.
A cheap solution:
Microphone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002KZAKS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Mixer/Audio interface: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005EHILV4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You'd need an XLR to XLR cable as well. There are more expensive options than these, but these are good for starting out.
As far as I'm aware there's no difference between XLR and jack - the audio interface I link has a combined XLR/jack input.
Have you looked at this ?
You could get the US version and then get a standard female-to-male US-Euro adapter as well.
Don't know much about that one, but check out the Yeti. This one I do have experience with and can attest for it's price point you can't get much better.
I don't have a laptop, i have a notebook. this can't do music production, it can't even handle frooty loops.
I am not buying a new computer just to produce music, i want an instrument.
I am considering this, http://www.amazon.com/Native-Instruments-Maschine-Groove-Production/dp/B00940THOW/ref=zg_bs_11973871_3
Will that allow me to record my voice and record through a microphone?
edit: i appreciate the warning to start small but yeah no. I made some dope beats on my nintendo DS. If it's allowed I could link you to my soundcloud. Now I want to use something more authentic than a laptop or ipod or nintendo ds so i feel immersed in my experience.
As always it starts with playing something very simple and singing over that... playing quarter note chords on the piano with a few chords and figuring out a melody with your voice is a great way to start... watch some videos of people playing and singing at the same time, you'll notice that the parts they play will sometimes get simplified when they are singing, and then become more intricate when they can focus on just the parts.
I would like to point out that many piano books aren't actually the exact way the artist plays the song, in fact most of the songbooks include the melody line in the right hand that should be sung, and not played...
If you were to get the Beatles Score Book, you'll quickly realize that a lot of the melody lines are sung over a chord progression that is much easier than playing the chord progression and the melody line while singing the melody line as well...