How to recreate music by ear

This is a demonstration of how I break down popular music tracks from the 1980's by ear, so I can recreate my own instrumental versions of them as faithfully as possible.
Check out another video which covers the VST Instruments I use, here: • Recreating 1980s music...

[@jorgeandrade20]

Amazing! Def. looking forward to a Part 2!!!!

[@bedicou2003]

Brilliant explanation, thanks a lot

[@juliancroot]

Thank you.

[@JFG_01]

Very insightful ! 🙏👍

[@Moondance_Gregory]

Very helpful video. I also do covers by ears because I can't read notes 😅. But I also find it more fun to try to guess the melodies, the sounds and all of that stuff

[@juliancroot]

Thanks. 👍 I can read music, but I also much prefer doing things by ear... It's a faster way of working and helps develop your improvisation skills... Which is helpful for creating your own unique music.

[@80ssynthfan48]

Nice insights. I've started doing covers by laying the original alongside it. I don't always do it totally by ear but it's good to have the original for reference.

[@juliancroot]

I think it's good to have a reference track whatever you're doing, otherwise you can sometimes not realise how badly you're mixing something until right at the end... And you have to practically do it all again 🤣.

[@80ssynthfan48]

@@juliancroot Do you think you might do a video sharing some generic tips on production and mixing as you apply it? Not a big deal if not, just wondering.

[@juliancroot]

recently Ive been talking about 'how I made X' on livestreams.
However, like many other channels, I find leaving livestreams up after the event hurts the channel so they get deleted.
I'm always listening to feedback though, so if loads of people ask for more tutorial type content I will commit to making a regular series.
Is there anything specific you'd like to know?

[@80ssynthfan48]

@@juliancroot so perhaps are there certain recurring trends in what you do production/mixing wise for the 80s tracks that might be conducive to a video on generally how you go through that?

[@juliancroot]

@@80ssynthfan48 I'll reflect on this.

[@ge0music307]

Some very good tips there, I don't use Cubase, I think because it took me months to learn just the basics on my DAW, and I'm still learning, I feel I'd set myself back quite a bit if I changed now. But I do the headphone trick and I actually use RUclips to slow down the songs to pick out fast arpeggios, etc.

[@juliancroot]

I definitely get not wanting to change DAWs.
Re time-stretching....I never thought about using RUclips to do that... though I'd imagine it would get a bit frustrating if you need to cycle over a specific passage a few times.

[@ge0music307]

If you point the mouse pointer at the correct time you just need to click the mouse when its playing and it just skips back. Unfortunately it doesn't get rid if vocals, so I try and find an instrumental version. I've never tried my DAW to get rid of vocals, it's something I've never tried. Give me a few months and I might figure it out 😂