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mcmcmc 5 hours ago

Step 1: ditch the DAW and learn a real instrument

Step 2: find a local jam group or community band/orchestra

Step 3: have fun playing music with friends

mh2266 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

what makes electronic music created in a DAW not “real”?

mschuster91 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Multiple problems with this one.

For one, acquiring an instrument is expensive - even secondhand, most instruments cost a significant amount of money. Learning it properly is even more important and expensive - fixing something in a DAW is easy, unlearning muscle memory is much harder.

Keeping up said muscle memory also isn't easy. Sure, if you got a free-standing house, no one will care much about a drum set, trumpet or whatever. But most people don't have that luxury in urban sets any more, and typical residential building quality makes even some electronic instruments (e.g. kicks still cause some amount of noise passing through floors) a challenge. Building noise ordnances / HOA rules are a bitch on top of that - most allow only a limited time window in the afternoon, useless for working-class people.

Local community groups... if your community has one, and they have some studio space where noise doesn't matter, great! Most, unfortunately, don't - space in urban environments is already rare and at a hefty premium, space that accepts noise and has adequate resources (in practice: a usable toilet is the most important) is even rarer.

mystifyingpoi 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> For one, acquiring an instrument is expensive - even secondhand

Depends on the instrument. You can get a completely new Harley Benton electric guitar for sub-$200.

> Sure, if you got a free-standing house

Sure, trumpets and classical instruments are a challenge, but all the guitars and all the keys can be practiced on headphones with near-zero noise. It's not an excuse.

gos9 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> never leave your computer because everything might be hard

mschuster91 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Our society has made many things too hard for the average person. Mostly for the sake of "efficiency".

mcmcmc 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Lmao compared to the past things are easier than ever. Can you imagine telling a farmer from 100 years ago that life is too hard? Society has made people accustomed to free stuff and cushy living. Life IS hard for the majority of us without significant wealth.

joenot443 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You can find really affordable used guitars or keyboards which are completely suitable for beginners. Beginner's electric drum kits are cheaper than real ones and hook up to headphones - there goes your sound problems.

I definitely agree it is much harder to learn a instrument than it is to learn a DAW. Believe me, I've done both.

There are lots of reasons to forego picking up an instrument, but living in an apartment or a modest budget are certainly not good reasons.

2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]
[deleted]
mcmcmc 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Go check out a drum circle, all you need is a bucket. Learn to sing, join a choir. It’s not that hard if you quit making excuses. I’ve lived in small towns in rural areas for most of my life and there have been multiple community music groups in all of them.

4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]
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basisword 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

>> For one, acquiring an instrument is expensive - even secondhand, most instruments cost a significant amount of money.

This isn't true at all. You can get a brand new Squier Strat for < $200 and a second hand one for less than half that. You can pick up used acoustic guitars for next to nothing if you look hard enough. You can get a used digital piano for < $200 too.