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Is there a non-video FL Tutorial for dummies?


MTPrower
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Yeah, so I'm probably like, the 50th person to ask this. I didn't see it in the forums, so...

I need to find an FL Studio for Dummies tutorial, or something like it, in non-video format. There doesn't seem to be one written in book form, which doesn't make any sense to me.

I've been writing music and lyrics and singing since I was six, but I haven't taken real music theory classes outside of grade-school stuff. I play by ear, so I can figure out how to use the software without music theory lessons, but... When it comes to composition software, it's all Greek to me. Everything is in weird terminology written for music majors or something.

So can somebody help me? If I get a good tutorial, I will be sure to post it for other noobs and newbies, so...

Thanks!

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Do you play an instrument? You said you write music. That means you've already applied it I think. Why is theory recommended? Because it saves you a whole a lot of time rather than having to guess the notes in a chord or scale. About your compositions... Did you understand what you were doing when you wrote it? Or did you have to guess the notes in a chord/scale you were trying to achieve?

Do you know what a key signature is? Do you know how to build chords? Do you know how to develop scales (In choir they make you sing "do, re, mi, fa so, la, ti": this is the major scale)? Do you know what makes a song happy and what makes a song sad? Music theory is just that. Why music sounds the way it does.

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uh guys

he's not asking about theory

he just wants an FLstudio walkthrough

I just don't know how people can work with a music program without understanding the music theory behind it. It's doable, but pointless as tPoM said. I rather know what I'm doing than spending hours dragging notes around in multiple tracks (bass, gate, arp, pads, etc.) when really it's just a Cmaj chord, but hey someone without music theory wouldn't have understood it was a C maj chord. In piano class, the beginners will see it as C,E,G on paper, but they won't see that as a C maj chord, and will just play whatever they see without understanding why the chords are like that. If you cover the bass staff and told them to improvise the left hand, they'll just go "huh?"

This applies also with scales. For example: a D major scale is D,E,F#,G,A,B,C#. Someone who doesn't know this will start pressing all these white and black keys until it sounds right. Time consuming... You'll always be filled with uncertainty and stress if you don't know what you're doing. If you love to guess notes all day long be my guest.

When it comes to composition software, it's all Greek to me. Everything is in weird terminology written for music majors or something.
You don't need to learn this. Just chords and scales and you'll be set.
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I did a book search on Amazon and found:

http://www.amazon.com/FL-Studio-Power-Comprehensive-Guide/dp/1598639919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256331615&sr=8-1-spell

along with about a half dozen other books with FL Studio in the title. If you're not in the mood to dig around for an online guide or through the manual, then dropping the $30 on this might be a good idea.

I used the Power! book for Reason 2.5 (2004) and it was a really good way for a newbie who had zero idea about music to get started with the program, but it won't help you actually make good music.

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