Missed your chance to attend Brian Eno’s class? Here are some key lessons to help anyone explore fresh ideas and methods for making music
This article shares 10 key lessons from Brian Eno’s music-making workshop, covering his creative process, experimental techniques, and unconventional approaches to composition and production.
1. Boredom is Important
- Eno believes boredom sparks creativity.
- Avoid distractions (phones, media) and allow ideas to emerge naturally.
- Example: His classic album Music for Airports was born from boredom in an airport.
2. Taking Things Out is as Important as Adding Things
- Removing key elements from a song can reveal its true core.
- Eno often created “film mixes” by stripping down tracks to uncover new possibilities.
3. Push the Limits of Parameters
- Experimenting with extremes in sound and effects often leads to the most interesting results.
- Example: Tweaking studio gear to its limits rather than staying in a “safe” range.
4. Pay Attention to What Grabs You
- If something catches your ear, analyze why—this is key to developing your unique sound.
- Eno’s rule: “If I do a double take, I do a triple take.”
5. Break the Grid
- Ignoring DAW gridlines and traditional rhythms can lead to more organic and unexpected music.
- Example: Producer Fred Again.. creates music like a collage, ignoring typical sequencing constraints.
6. Constraints Are Good
- Too many options can paralyze creativity.
- Eno suggests self-imposed limits, like avoiding artificial reverb, writing in 20 minutes, or flipping a coin to choose chords.
7. Double the Tempo
- Increasing a song’s speed can instantly improve energy and momentum.
- Example: Eno helped U2’s Beautiful Day by introducing the Klaus Dinger “motorik” beat.
8. Never Delete Anything
- Eno never discards old ideas, keeping an archive of unfinished tracks.
- Even failed ideas can be repurposed later—sometimes labeled as “Possibly the worst track I’ve ever made.”
9. Find Music in Everyday Life
- Sampling unexpected sounds (radio voices, street noise) can create unique compositions.
- Example: His album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts with David Byrne used found audio from American radio broadcasts.
10. “Polish the Turd”
- Even bad ideas can be transformed into something great with experimentation.
- Eno’s philosophy: When a track seems unusable, push it further and see where it leads.
Conclusion
Eno’s approach encourages breaking habits, embracing unpredictability, and seeing creativity as an ongoing process. By applying these lessons, musicians can unlock new ways to innovate and push their music forward.
Source: Brian Eno taught me these 10 lessons in his music-making workshop
