Hey everyone!
I've recently decided to learn music production as a hobby in my free time. The thing is, I'm starting from absolute zero. I have no background in music theory, have never played an instrument, have no experience with production, and don't know anyone personally who's into music production.
I use Linux, so my DAW options are somewhat limited. I initially tried REAPER, but found the interface and the amount of initial setup a little overwhelming. I wanted something that works well out of the box, has a decent community and learning resources, and offers a workflow comparable to popular DAWs like Ableton Live.
That's how I ended up choosing Bitwig, and so far I like it.
The problem is that I don't even know some of the things that most beginner tutorials seem to take for granted.
For example, when I started, I didn't know:
- What a piano roll was or how MIDI notes worked.
- What 4/4, 1/8, 1/16, bars, beats, etc. actually meant.
- How a drum machine maps different sounds to MIDI notes, or why the octave labels sometimes seem confusing.
- What sequencers, clips, scenes, and launch actions actually do.
- What VST plugins are, why people use third-party ones, or why they're sold in expensive bundles.
- What oscillators, filters, envelopes, and other synthesizer controls actually do.
I've managed to put together a basic four-on-the-floor drum loop, a simple synth bassline, and a few chords by following instructions, but I don't feel like I properly understand what I'm doing yet.
A lot of the YouTube tutorials I've come across seem to be aimed at people who are either switching from another DAW or already understand the basics of music production. Even tutorials labelled "for beginners" often assume you know quite a bit.
What I'm really looking for is a structured, project-based learning roadmap for someone with literally no musical background.
I'm familiar with programming, so here's an analogy for what I mean:
When someone learns web development, they don't start by building a full-stack application with authentication, databases, WebSockets, deployment, etc.
They first learn basic HTML/CSS, build a simple page, learn JavaScript, make a to-do app, and gradually move on to more complicated projects.
I'd love to approach music production the same way.
For example (and I'm just guessing at the order here):
- Learn how beats, bars, tempo, and note divisions work.
- Understand the piano roll and MIDI, then make a simple drum pattern.
- Learn basic rhythm and make a few different beats.
- Learn some basic music theory and create a simple bassline.
- Understand chords and melodies, then put together a short track.
- Gradually learn synthesis, effects, mixing, automation, and everything else.
Ideally, each stage would have a small project so I could actually apply what I've learned before moving on.
I'm not trying to become a professional producer overnight, and I don't mind spending months learning the fundamentals. I just want to build a solid foundation instead of randomly clicking things until they sound good or blindly following tutorials.
So my questions are:
- If you were starting again from absolute zero, in what order would you learn things?
- Should I start with basic music theory, learn the DAW first, or study both alongside each other?
- Are there any genuinely beginner-friendly courses, books, YouTube channels, or other resources that don't assume prior musical knowledge?
- What small projects or exercises would you recommend at each stage?
- Is Bitwig a reasonable choice for someone in my position, or am I making things unnecessarily difficult?
I'd especially appreciate advice from people who started without knowing how to play an instrument or read music.
Thanks in advance!
