What Beginners Get Wrong (Patreon)

I believe that true learning in music production comes from hands-on experience and personal struggle, not just from watching paid courses or tutorials.

While you can pick up some tips from others, real progress happens when you experiment, make mistakes, and find solutions on your own. Your unique taste and creative journey are what really matter, so it's important to focus on making music you enjoy instead of getting distracted by gear, theory, or the pursuit of perfect mixing and mastering.

Ultimately, the process is more valuable than shortcuts, and the most important thing is to have fun and stay true to yourself.

Paid music production courses often give the illusion of learning but true mastery comes from personal struggle and hands-on experience.

Watching tutorials or courses can make the brain feel like it learned because someone else solves the problems, but real learning requires solving problems yourself.

Developing your unique music taste comes from making mistakes and experimenting, not from following set rules or guides.

Music production is based on individual taste; there's no right or wrong way to create sounds, mix, or choose instruments.

Beginners often overvalue theoretical knowledge (like harmony theory) but true understanding comes from experimenting and then using theory to explain what you like.

Gear acquisition should come after developing your sound and workflow, not before; start small and only upgrade equipment when you know exactly what you need.

Mixing and mastering are often overemphasized by beginners but should be a minor focus compared to writing and structuring good music.

Don’t tie yourself to one genre, experiment with multiple styles to learn more and discover what you enjoy and how different techniques can cross over.

Feedback is valuable but should be tailored and not sought too early from people who lack understanding of your progress or style.

Beginners should start by focusing on simple tracks and strive to finish as many as possible rather than getting lost in details or perfectionism.

Avoid obsessing over small technicalities (like low cut phase issues); use tools creatively and remember that ultimately no one cares about technical perfection except you.

Make music for yourself first; loving your own work is more important than impressing others with technical skills or expensive gear.

The best way to learn is by making music regularly, embracing mistakes, and reflecting on your own progress rather than relying on endless courses or tutorials.

As always, let me know what you think.