For independent artists, releasing a song is no longer the finish line. In many ways, it is just the beginning. A decade ago, uploading music to streaming platforms already felt like a major opportunity for smaller musicians. Today, access to distribution is easier than ever, but standing out has become significantly harder. Thousands of tracks […]
You’ve been thinking about learning piano for years. Maybe you grew up around music but never had lessons. Maybe you played as a kid and want to start again. Or maybe you’ve always loved the sound of the piano in jazz chords, film themes, classic pop ballads, and you’re finally ready to do something about […]
Why don’t my tracks sound the same as big-time producers? This is a question I found myself asking constantly during my growth as a producer. I would constantly add different layers, effects, and presets. I would spend hours on my mixing and mastering to no avail. Unfortunately, my tracks still lacked a certain quality when […]
What is quantization? You can find the quantizing option in most DAWs like Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic X, etc. Imagine you record a MIDI drum pattern into your DAW. Because we’re humans, you’ll probably have some timing mistakes while hammering down on your MIDI controller. This is where quantization comes to save your recording. With […]
We’re going to start of with tuning your guitar in Standard Tuning which is probably what you’re used to. First off you’re going to need to know the keys of each string, they are as shown below. E———————Thickest string A——————— D——————— G——————— B——————— E———————Thinnest string Committing this to your memory is essential as you might […]
I’ve been neglected the Getting Started series for a while but now I’m back! A lot of times here in Malaysia I’ve been asked about our local scene. “How is the local scene here?” “Are local musicians any good?” “Hmm..I haven’t heard of them” “Why don’t we just hire Filipinos and be done with it?” No offence […]
Being in a band isn’t always sunshine and daisies. Sometimes bandmates can make life really hard for the rest of us, here’s how to help make sure you’re not one of those bandmates 1. Do not come for band practice to learn the songs. If the band has agreed on practicing or performing certain songs, […]
Playing a show anywhere at any time can be a nerve-wrecking experience especially if its a big crowd or a venue you’re not familiar with. Any number of things could go wrong and no one wants that to happen, but is there a way to minimise the risks? Having a good soundcheck session before the […]
So you’ve fallen in love with the sweet creamy tones of Slash’s Les paul or feel yourself getting high off the fuzzy twangs of Hendrix’s masterful playing. It’s time to get an electric guitar. But before you realise rockstars are not born over night here’s what you need to know when buying your first electric […]