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This video is kind of a track review but also advice to newer producers. Anyone in a new endeavor who's willing to work has the opportunity to make big gains during the early phases.

Gains take longer as you get to intermediate and more advanced stages.

I don't run much but if I work at it I can run a mile in 8 minutes. It's quite easy for me to run for a couple weeks and move my time down from 9 minutes towards 8. But going to 7:30 - that's not as easy.

If you lift it's pretty easy to lift your body weight. Lifting 1.5X your body weight is harder, and people with advanced levels of strength can do things like squat 2x their body weight.

It's similar to production.

Those newer to production have the opportunity to make a lot of gains in their first 6-12 months. That is if they are willing to work on the right things and not get distracted by all the noise and fluff.

This new student wrote in with a question about an idea - mainly if the levels of his kick and bass are OK.

I love the low end action in this track, the level of the bass is a bit too loud but nothing a little movement of the fader can't work out.

Sure some compression and enhancements can be done but it's too early for that.

For now, my advice to Conor and others at this stage is to work on structure as much as they work on making ideas.

Better to be able to make a decent full track using mainly samples and a little of your own programming/synth work than to make loops that sound great but never get finished.

He has a rather long nearly 6 minute idea, there's no breaks and it's all rather similar in energy levels.

Some ride/cymbal patters are introduced which is good...and do roll off low end that's not needed for tracks like rides as well as supporting percussion, but no when to use these parts in your track.

Typically rides are used to increase energy signaling a decrease in energy so it's typical for rides to start and be followed by a decrease in energy. Study up on other producer's tracks to get a better handle on this.

Learn when and where you should place cymbals and percussion, then go back and add riffs/catchy melodic elements where it makes sense.

All these tracks have 3 main components. A beginning, middle, and ending section.

Appetizer, main course, dessert.

Use the first 2 minutes to build things up, have a short break, begin middle section, break, ending section. At a macro level this is the gist of a track. Sure there are other more micro moments and little details, but it's better to nail the big picture before getting into the weeds.


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