Let's Make a Cozy Indie Folk Song! | "The Fall"

#producer #indie #folk
Let's make another song for fall, this time we're making a cozy indie folk track!
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Making the Song
12:05 - "The Fall"
14:36 - Outro
Follow Me:
KZbin: / @trevbarnes
Instagram: / trevwbarnes

[@davidbergband]

This is probably the first folk mixing / production tutorial where the vocals are good too, you got the whole package!

[@TrevBarnes]

That’s too kind, thank you so much!

[@coleminor2119]

Ahh those slides got me, I was not prepared for something that beautiful from a tutorial great job

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much Cole!

[@gabbygabo02005]

yoo this needs to be on spotify i'll listen to this every single time

[@TrevBarnes]

I should finish it sometime

[@michellejohnson3089]

this feels like slow dancing in the rain. LOVE THIS. this needs to be in a grey's anatomy episode or a romance movie

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks! I'll tell Dr. Grey to put me on the soundtrack to her life

[@ivarrushkoff9885]

One of the greatest Tutorials ive ever watched. Keep on sliding brother :D

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks a ton!

[@taylorforrestmusic]

Really loved the electric guitar and the slides you added. Awesome job bro

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@TommyOakley]

Song sounds awesome dude well done!

[@SibruOfficial]

Finally, a walkthrough to making something that actually sounds great in the end! Loving it.

[@TrevBarnes]

That's so kind! Don't watch any other of my videos because you may not get that same result 😳 lmfao

[@SibruOfficial]

@@TrevBarnes I reckon I will have to do that regarless haha

[@robshertiz]

Omg! I just found your channel and I'm blown away. You're amazing and very talented! I've got so much to learn from your videos. Thank you!

[@TrevBarnes]

That’s very kind of you Robert! Thank you so much

[@michaelkelly6583]

Thank you.

[@adjiiu]

Don't stop making these videos, I think these are really inspiring and educational for someone learning to make music on their own

[@TrevBarnes]

don’t worry, I have no intentions on stopping 🙂

[@mdreacts5017]

This was one of your best ones yet! Keep it up!

[@tatejones3430]

Every video literally has me jumping up and down I get so excited.

[@joshuatolle876]

Wonderful! Your pacing and level of instrumentation is perfect for where I'm at in my production. Please keep them coming!!!!

[@s.l.2227]

Thanks. Great video for beginners like me.

[@fadiazouz5982]

Very talented and straight to the point combination, loved the less is more approach, deserve all the support !

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@carsonmcmanus9410]

More of these would be awesome

[@progne]

Let's get this algorithm on your side! Incredible.

[@lameerjhontv6860]

THIS IS SO GREAT DAMN

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@lotust6535]

Love your content bro !! Keep up the good work ✨💛

[@sro63]

I LOVED IT, CONGRATULATIONS

[@penelopecharlotte6236]

Loved watching your process, super cool!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@daniliotaloma]

Out of all the song creation processes I’ve seen on YT this is my fav! Thanks for a wonderful video, taught me a lot and I’ll be using some of these tips in my own music

[@TrevBarnes]

That means the world to me, thank you so much!

[@michael.h.m]

Man, this is so good. Thanks for taking the time to show your process! You certainly do give off a joy in the creating that is contagious amigo

[@TrevBarnes]

You’re too kind, thank you so much!

[@Denizzen]

this is awesome dude!

[@TrevBarnes]

Hey, thanks!

[@drazenparicmusic]

Keep these up man!!!

[@Tigg333]

I really enjoyed this video thank you 🙏🏾 so much. This was really rad!

[@TrevBarnes]

That means the world to me, thank you!

[@ShannonMarie_aguafiestasvlogs]

So good!

[@SteveKozak36]

Wow great tune!! Great work

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks Steve!

[@stevejcarlyle]

Woah! That's inspired me! Stumbling across your channel has been a highlight of my week.

[@TrevBarnes]

That’s so kind, thank you!

[@BenZitoMusic]

wow man this was super helpful! I love the song too!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@VVV-bu5if]

you deserve more subs all support for youu and keep doing what ya doing

[@TrevBarnes]

That’s too kind, thank you!

[@maurikmalasllani2848]

Wow, great mate... well done,beautiful song and very useful video... kudos to you. ✌️

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks a ton!

[@taitmills]

I’ve been looking for a producer artist like you to learn stuff from for so long this is perfect!

[@TrevBarnes]

That means so much to hear, thanks!

[@staticvideo]

Absolutely stunning work! You got a new subscriber Trev! Keep it up!

[@TrevBarnes]

You’re too kind, thank you!

[@SailingMagicCarpet]

This was SO well done. Thank you!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank YOU!

[@skeletonboy9565]

One of the best indie folk song tutorial on yt❤

[@TrevBarnes]

That's too kind of you, thank you!

[@GG-zt1nt]

ok i need this song on my playlist RIGHT NOW pleaseeee release itttt

[@TrevBarnes]

I’ll have to finish it and upload it!

[@MOBOfficial7]

This is soooo beautiful one man ❤❤❤❤

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@davidguthrie3739]

This is my first time here. Really impressive to see how you build the tracks, but I wasn’t expecting that voice! Wow. The whole package! Great song. Reminiscent of Terrence Boylan.

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@darkshore2028]

Awesome stuff man!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@MaxJenmana]

Nice sounds! Gotta ask.. how can you record instruments on Logic while recording your voice over for the video?

[@TrevBarnes]

Great question! This may sound like a silly setup but it's what works for me. I'm using OBS to capture audio, screen, and camera. I have a USB mic (Samson Q9U) that is specifically for my voiceover mic, and then I have my Apollo that operates as my normal audio interface. They're recorded separately on different channels so I can edit and process my audio. I might do a video about my setup soon so be on the lookout there!

[@TyasAlfisa]

Hi, i am so glad right now! This helps me a lot as a beginner (bedroom) musician/producer. I've subscribed your channel and turn the notif on, i love the genre, i love the production steps.. love it all

[@TrevBarnes]

I really appreciate it, thank you so much!

[@yelysaveta]

wow I love this thank you so much

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@KellyAnotherAdventure]

I was looking for a folk playlist and wound up here. I'm not mad about it though. A lovely track and nice to see how it was made. 🎸I know nothing about music production and have no musical talent but I subbed anyway.

[@TrevBarnes]

Well I appreciate you taking a listen! I'll have to make more indie folk videos in the future to keep you around haha!

[@KellyAnotherAdventure]

@@TrevBarnes I listen to lots of different genres, I was just in a folk mood. I’ll be sure to check out what else you have, when I get chance. Hoping to stumble across some recommendations…

[@KeoraBeatz]

Wanting to get into this genre this is amazing!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you! If you need any additional advice for this style I’m always happy to help! Another video in this style is currently in the pipeline and will be out soon

[@silveramateur571]

What a beautiful and good sounding acoustic guitar 🔥 Excellent video and vibe thanks for the great content

[@silveramateur571]

Btw do you have a spotify where i can listen to your music ?

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so incredibly much! I used to have music but took most of it down. Some from my previous bands are still up, here: open.spotify.com/artist/0ziRjbSPtqVWftDnrtoUPI?si=aHSTQZkYQHCGlREEbuk5uA open.spotify.com/artist/03Ig7PwcaNLjhjlZ84Lbtq?si=Tyjw9Jx2QY26GdFHD9rhAQ

[@silveramateur571]

@@TrevBarnes Have you thought about doing something alone on your own, at the time you're creating to youtube? you are very talented

[@TrevBarnes]

@@silveramateur571 absolutely. Working on something now. I’ve done solo stuff in the past but just ended up hating it. Most of the music I sent you was nearly all me as well. Stay tuned!

[@silveramateur571]

@@TrevBarnes thanks I’ll be waiting for what’s coming 🔥

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

sick

[@clippymusic]

Beautifully done my friend - earned my like and sub

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@unclemikeyandthem]

This is really great! Thanks so much for sharing! I'd be curious to know a bit more about you mixing on this tune. In particular what kind of reverb you used on your vocals and the other instruments and your approach from that standpoint. Thanks again! 🙂

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you! I don’t remember specifically what reverb I used in this video, but my two “go to” reverbs are Logic’s Space Designer and Liquidsonic’s Lustros Plates. A lot of people forget to EQ the reverb, a lot of the sweet spots are in the mid frequencies. Remember not to overuse it as well, sometimes it sounds cool to drench a mix in reverb, but reverb fills more space than we realize. Just experiment and stay curious about mixing, that’s the best way to learn!

[@Capuseen]

Awesome :)

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks!

[@seajayvandale9100]

These are my favorite kind of videos

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank! I’m working on more of them, they’re genuinely fun to do!

[@seajayvandale9100]

@@TrevBarnes you're pretty good at em too! Keep up the good work and you'll have a massive following in no time

[@weareOKfamily]

Beautiful, i NEED to learn guitar

[@TrevBarnes]

You can do it!

[@curtisbrause9255]

Just stumbled across your channel and super impressed. You’re very talented and really know what you’re doing production wise. Everything sits so nicely in the mix. I feel like a lot of my songs are a bit muddier than I like. I’ll have to keep watching and learning a thing or two.

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks! I have two recommendations for muddiness that fixes my problems 99% of the time. 1, listen to a reference mix, always. Many times (myself included) I feel as though my mixes lack a low end presence, but when I listen to other references through my monitors I find theres actually a lot that I can cut. 2, mix in mono. Before you mix, go ahead and pan how you'd want everything to be. Then, put the stereo out in mono, level everything to balance clarity, and then put it back in stereo. The 2nd one is the biggest game changer that made a difference in my mixing.

[@curtisbrause9255]

@@TrevBarnes Awesome and thanks for the detailed response! I think you’re right that the low end can be the issue with muddiness. I struggle with bass guitar in particular. It’s still far from perfect but I’ve felt overall my mixes have been better once I put a high pass filter on my stereo out channel that cuts at like 20-25hz. I know that essentially the secret is to get the different instruments to live in their own frequency space and I got Voxengo Span, but still definitely don’t have the ear for where to cut, where to add, etc. I saw that mono trick in another one of your videos and I’ve heard that before. Really good tip. It looks like you added a gain utility on the stereo out and set it to mono and that just changes the whole mix to mono?

[@TrevBarnes]

@@curtisbrause9255 yep! Theres a little mono option on the plugin, so I try treat the on/off as my “mono” switch if that makes sense.

[@curtisbrause9255]

@@TrevBarnes I just tried this out yesterday and it works! Very good tip. When I’m done with this next song and am ready to mix I’m definitely going to use this.

[@TrevBarnes]

@@curtisbrause9255 that’s awesome! I’m so glad to hear that

[@declangibson1891]

Doppppe!!!!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@cozxmos]

Such a good song! And great tones too. It’d be interesting to learn about your acoustic guitar effects and also how do you are making those drums in session with your midi keyboard

[@TrevBarnes]

My acoustic guitar processing is very minimal, 9/10 it’s just slight eq to control the highs and lows, and a 4:1 compressor dialed slightly. A lot of it is about mic placement, I try to get a great sound from the source first so I can do light processing. For midi drums, I honestly just learned what come wherever on the keyboard and got familiar with it. A lot of practice lol

[@cozxmos]

@@TrevBarnes thanks for the reply. Yeah I get that abt the source. I’ve got a couple of great acoustics and a good mic so that’s ✅ I must say it’s always a challenge to appropriately understand / use compression. So I’ve been using presets and problem to much of it on voice and guitars haha As for the drums, I got a midi keyboard and I can play real drums a bit so it’s easy to play on keyboard, I was mostly curious abt the sounds / plugging you’re using or maybe direct to Logic

[@TrevBarnes]

@@cozxmos sure thing, the main drum VST I go to is EZ Drummer 3, ESPECIALLY the tight room kit. Very great dead and punchy drums in that pack. I run everything multi-output so I can put post processing on each channel with slates virtual mix rack. Check out my video on “How to Make Indie Drums” on how I set that up, could be insightful

[@cozxmos]

@@TrevBarnes appreciate it man! Ty ❤️

[@omarzacharybaboolal1394]

this was really good - just subscribed! please drop this soon!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@zalightr]

whoa!! love the tutorial, it's amazing 🙌. what kind of software do you use to make this song?

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much! Everything I make is with Logic Pro X

[@jasminegarlandmusic]

this is so cool! as a beginner producer, I'd love to follow along with this as a tutorial :) do you remember the guitar chords you used?

[@TrevBarnes]

My guitar was tuned a half step down, but the chords are: Capo 2nd fret, Fmaj, cmaj, Amin

[@Galactic_Foxtrot]

What chord progressions did you use for your guitar? It sound so pretty and calming

[@orhan_boltz221]

Andrew Belle Vibes 🥰

[@user-hz5cf6km4p]

What was used on the vocals? Just a straight up double or are there effects? Sounds really nice! Good job!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you! It was super simple. It’s been a while since I opened this project, so this may not be 100%, but I used Slate’s VMR for majority of the work. I used an 1176 style compressor that gently pushed the vocal, I added an eq to take the low end out at around 100hz, then I think I added an LA2A on the backend to push it a little. After that, it was just a short slap back delay, some plate reverb, and doubled vocals. I didn’t really do anything special to these vocals that I can remember, I typically go for a less is more approach

[@user-hz5cf6km4p]

@@TrevBarnes Cool, thank you so much for the quick reply and all of the detail.

[@Bombtrackbart]

Taking the glasses off always help vocals. Smart move

[@TrevBarnes]

Absolutely lol

[@michaeladams6726]

This was very cool to watch, really enjoyed the whole process and end product. I am considering switching over to mac and logic as it seems to have such a good intuitive workflow to it. I/m currently using fl studio and am not really enjoying it plus having some issues with edrum kit and ez drummer3 not working currectly within fl studio. If you were to export this song into stems would it split all the drum parts aswell into kick, snare, toms etc?

[@TrevBarnes]

I highly recommend the switch. Most DAWs do the same thing, but I've found Logic to be the most accessible, especially for the price. It really depends on what you're client wants when you export stems, I typically split every separate channel, so Kick, Snare, Toms, etc. It's all case by case scenario

[@michaeladams6726]

@TrevBarnes Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it.

[@TrevBarnes]

@@michaeladams6726 For sure!

[@GeneoVanEngers]

What camera you use. Awesome video.

[@TrevBarnes]

For this video I used a lumix G7. for my new videos I use my iPhone 15

[@timschenker2749]

How the heck don't you have more subscribers? Love your content! Question: Do you write everything in Cmaj due to your vocal range or just the Indie stuff?

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you! I think it's just a force of habit. My vocals do sit comfortably, but I don't think I think about it beyond it sounding nice at the time of recording lol

[@timschenker2749]

@@TrevBarnes Appreciate your reply, thank you! My knowledge of music theory is pretty limited to say the least so it’s always just trial and error regarding my vocal range. I think I have a good ear but when it’s time to find vocals for my stuff I often realize I’d have to go way to deep/high and then it’s transposing time haha

[@TrevBarnes]

@@timschenker2749 My understanding of music theory sucks, I do wish I spent more time learning. I do everything by ear, but I feel even though I can get pretty far without theory, I do sometimes wonder what theory could unlock.

[@timschenker2749]

@@TrevBarnes I’d love to hear unlocked Trev. Even though I am a bit scared for the entire music industry cause you’d probably smash everyone 👀💪🏻 I’d be happy to reach your current level at some point lol. I can only use Logic’s MIDI instruments because of my financial situation at the moment, and it’s so hard to produce nice sounding guitars from their library lol

[@TrevBarnes]

@@timschenker2749 lmfao you're too kind. I hear you, as long as you're creating, THAT'S what is important. Great art takes time and consistency. You got this.

[@Dldkfks]

Sir I love your content! would there be any way for me to make the sliding effect only via midi daw?

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you! I'm sure you could, I would have to spend some time figuring that out before giving advice

[@somilgupta6666]

You have no business putting out a video/song this good and informative!!! Please (never) stop 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[@Dddlllfff]

"Trev continues to make whale sounds for 3 minutes" 🤣

[@TrevBarnes]

It’s for scientific purposes lol

[@yassinelamri9681]

i'm trying to play this kind of slide sound at 9:54 for months now! i struggle finding the right effects and settings for it. Would you be so kind and share how you set everything up for this one and which slide you use exactly? i tried with a glass slide maybe thats a problem?

[@TrevBarnes]

Of course, Yassin. For my amp EQ I turned my highs and lows down a good bit, and turned the mids up. I found to make a guitar cut really well through a lot of reverb, mid frequencies are very important. The reverb on the amp was cranked pretty good, but be careful because there is a very fine line to drowning out the tone. I would say experiment, experiment, experiment. The slide I’m using is for a dobro, and honestly too heavy for a guitar so I wouldn’t recommend using that. I think your glass slide would come in handy for this sound, metal slides tend to scrape the strings in an unpleasant way and glass slides tend to have a softer sound. A major tip that changed slide guitar for me was where you rest your hand before the slide finger. When I started, only the finger (that the slide was on) touched the neck of the guitar, so make sure the rest of your hand rests before the slide to dampen the strings and give better control. I hope this made sense, it’s kind of hard to explain this through text. If you have any mother questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Overall, have a good bit of amp drive, turn your highs down, be tasteful with your reverb, throw some light delay on the signal before the amp, and be open to stepping outside of your comfort zone!

[@yassinelamri9681]

@@TrevBarnes wow what a detailed answer! Thank you so much Trev. I'm only getting started with music production and get stuck sometimes. I will try to do what you described and see how it goes! I love how Novo Amor or Noah Gundersen (in some of his new stuff) use this slide sound, its beautiful. Also thanks for the offer of reaching out if i have questions, your indie production videos hit a spot in what i aspire to make. Very rare to find that on youtube. Love from Germany, Yassin

[@chriswilliam22]

What mic did you use to record the acoustic?

[@TrevBarnes]

I'm using the Audio Technica AT2020, super cheap mic, but usually gets the job done

[@andrewjones_fitness]

can you make a video in the style of Diiv?

[@abbyledwell8025]

hi!! what program are you using to make your music??

[@TrevBarnes]

Logic Pro

[@MultiGidster7]

What program is this? Nvm Logic Pro right?

[@TrevBarnes]

Logic!

[@Mrliar00]

Does we make our own track of our song

[@tylerdove5124]

Do you have an affiliate link for any of the plugins you use? When I get around to buying something like the Slate VMR I want you to get a kickback!

[@TrevBarnes]

I don’t, at least not yet ;) The best kickback I get is knowing folks like you found resources that helped them

[@davidguthrie3739]

Btw, Teac is pronounced with two syllables. (Tee-Ack) 😉

[@TrevBarnes]

Ahhh, gotcha! Thank you

[@davidguthrie3739]

Now you can sound like an old school hardware OG

[@TrevBarnes]

@@davidguthrie3739 haha my lifelong dream!

[@Evandro_das]

Hi! This was too much! do you have any channel to get this template for logic please? thanks

[@paytonwinge6230]

hey man i’m not sure if you will see this or not but thought i’d try. i’m an 18 year old musician who’s really been wanting to take music more seriously. i’ve been writing a lot of lyrics and want to make my own songs. my own understanding of music theory isn’t the best so i have trouble actually throwing a song together. this video really shows the style of music i want to make. i was wondering if you wanted to help me with some projects? i would appreciate it.

[@joshuatolle876]

If you don't mind could you tell me the key and chords to the v1,pre,chorus please?

[@joshuatolle876]

So inspired by your song. I want to just reference your structure :) I love it 😀

[@TrevBarnes]

Sure thing! The key is D#maj. Pretty much every chord has a 7th on it, so the chorus/verse chords are: G#maj7, D#maj7, C#min7 The prechorus is: A#maj, C#min7, G#maj7 Without the 7th they are pretty standard chords, the 7th is what makes things interesting. If you are ever stuck while writing, I recommend just turning some chords into 7ths and it’ll open a new world

[@reganovich]

Dough Bros is a pizza place in Galway Ireland fyi

[@TrevBarnes]

Fun fact, my wife and I actually enjoyed some dough bros for take away and sat by the galway docks enjoy the sunset. One of my favorite memories of my life

[@reganovich]

@@TrevBarnes that is actually nuts! Jungian synchronicity at play lol 😂 Love the tunes man...keep going

[@barnaverba]

Please use deessing. The song is great but hard to listen to because of hars s sounds of the vocals Great video

[@lucasdesiderio2540]

whale sounds

[@comedycrackhead]

Great vid

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks!