# (30% OFF BF) 🔥Trailer Music Course by Alex Pfeffer: Best course material ever? (TSFH!)🔥



## zedmaster

How to get into trailer music? And what’s the anatomy of a Two Steps From Hell song?

Industry veteran Alex Pfeffer answers these questions in his new Trailer Music Course and takes us on a deep dive into the world of trailer music and the business. I took the course and share my experience.

Anyone here writing epic trailer music™? :D


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## FabIV

Hey Kevin,
Thank you for your review. I am actually interested in this course, ... because of your video 🙃
You explained in your journey video that you already took an evenant course before. Could you explain what the major benefit/difference from Alex’ course is? And If you still think that it is worth it. I want to avoid to spend money on content I already know.

thanks in advance


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## zedmaster

FabIV said:


> Hey Kevin,
> Thank you for your review. I am actually interested in this course, ... because of your video 🙃
> You explained in your journey video that you already took an evenant course before. Could you explain what the major benefit/difference from Alex’ course is? And If you still think that it is worth it. I want to avoid to spend money on content I already know.
> 
> thanks in advance


Hey FabIV. I've taken Evenant Cinematic Music 1 and Orchestral Sketching. Both are great and cover different things. The biggest value of Cinematic Music Course 1 to me was that they teach you how to write melodies, chord progressions and motifs that "make sense". It included a lot of writing tips for aspiring composers.

Alex' Trailer Music Course differs from that. It is more specialized to ... trailer music :D So, he explains how these tracks work (tension and relief, structuring the songs in an ideal way for the trailer editor) and how to increase your chances of getting placements in the industry. It starts with the basic facts (Module 1: Trailer Music Essentials) on writing music specifically for trailer and what to think about when in contact with a supervisor from a label. It then deep-dives into 3 of his published Two Steps From Hell songs, where he breaks down every single instrument and effect, and explains *why* he did it and how he designed the sounds in that way. There are also tracks he specifically wrote for the course. And at the end, there is another "business round" with knowledge about the industry.

I love the high-caliber musical course material. You can learn with songs that actually proved themselves in the industry. And he can show every single details of those.

Alex Pfeffer's Trailer Music Course focuses less on the general approach of the Evenant course (PReVaDe - Presentation, Repetition, Variation, Destruction and MeHaRyTe - Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Texture) but pragmatically focuses on how to create bombastic epic trailer tracks with low complexity. And this is where it excels imo. I was baffled to see that Alex used a single Nucleus ensemble patch for his strings on a TSFH track. Very low complexity, yet very professional sound.

I don't think there is much doubling in content between Evenant Cinematic Music 1 and Alex' Trailer Music Course. *Keep in mind: *I haven't taken Evenant's "Trailer Music Redefined" course, so I can't say anything about that.

Hope this helps!


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## FabIV

Thanks for the detailed answer. You‘ve almost got me. 🙂 
There are only two things left:
1: I do this as an Hobby only. I am not focused on trailer music, but more on traditional gaming music. 
the structure stuff seems the most important to me. But I am afraid that it is something I already know from several other tutorials. So would you still recommend it if you more likely want to know how to write songs in general and not only specifically for trailers?

2) do you have an affiliate link for me.😉


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## zedmaster

FabIV said:


> Thanks for the detailed answer. You‘ve almost got me. 🙂
> There are only two things left:
> 1: I do this as an Hobby only. I am not focused on trailer music, but more on traditional gaming music.
> the structure stuff seems the most important to me. But I am afraid that it is something I already know from several other tutorials. So would you still recommend it if you more likely want to know how to write songs in general and not only specifically for trailers?
> 
> 2) do you have an affiliate link for me.😉


You're welcome!  
1: If you like that epic hybrid orchestral sound enhanced with synth elements and cinematic effects, you can take away a lot of knowledge from the song modules in the course imo. 

One (unaffiliated) person on Youtube commented the following: "I've been following Alex since 2013 and he does have teaching skill! When it comes to the topic ... well ... He wrote music for TSFH, what else? This course is not only valuable for its technical content but more importantly (to me) for its pragmatic approach of every aspect of the musical creation. In this course, I learned how to do stuff but also how not to waste time with stuff !" 

This resonated with me a lot and I can confirm this statement. I'd say go for it, and if you feel disappointed by the content, you can still make your money back. Not much of a risk imo.

2: I appreciate it! I don't want to share or promote affiliate links on vi-control, but I'd be very grateful if you used the link in my video description


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## FabIV

Thank you. I signed up.

I hoped it worked. With the link


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## Solarsentinel

FabIV said:


> Thanks for the detailed answer. You‘ve almost got me. 🙂
> There are only two things left:
> 1: I do this as an Hobby only. I am not focused on trailer music, but more on traditional gaming music.
> the structure stuff seems the most important to me. But I am afraid that it is something I already know from several other tutorials. So would you still recommend it if you more likely want to know how to write songs in general and not only specifically for trailers?
> 
> 2) do you have an affiliate link for me.😉


Hi,
i already have done the courses on Evenant and several other trailer music courses (not from Alex Pfeffer).
The thing I can tell you is : if trailer music is not your kind of things, focus on Cinematic Music 1 & 2 on Evenant. It cover everything to construct a track with a good melody, and all the theory knowlegde for that. Another course would be great for you is Orchestration reloaded strings arranging. It cover a really usefull method to orchestrate a melody with an orchestra (perfect for video games music).

Of course trailers music courses are good too but they are very specialized. You can learn a lot of thing with sound design with them, but if you don't make trailer music i think it's a waste of money.

Actually the evenant pass is a good alternative, for 500 bucks (it's an investment) you can do all of their courses during one year.

If you want more cheap altternative, there is Udemy where you can find good courses too, more or less complete, but for a very good price!

for video games:








Video Game Music Composition: Music For Games From Scratch


Learn to compose music for any and every type of video game, from complete beginner to competent game music composer




www.udemy.com





for music theory, and composition:


https://www.udemy.com/course/music-composition-bundle-composition-film-scoring/



General:


https://www.udemy.com/course/film-tv-video-game-music-composition-production/


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## FabIV

Solarsentinel said:


> Hi,
> i already have done the courses on Evenant and several other trailer music courses (not from Alex Pfeffer).
> The thing I can tell you is : if trailer music is not your kind of things, focus on Cinematic Music 1 & 2 on Evenant. It cover everything to construct a track with a good melody, and all the theory knowlegde for that. Another course would be great for you is Orchestration reloaded strings arranging. It cover a really usefull method to orchestrate a melody with an orchestra (perfect for video games music).
> 
> Of course trailers music courses are good too but they are very specialized. You can learn a lot of thing with sound design with them, but if you don't make trailer music i think it's a waste of money.
> 
> Actually the evenant pass is a good alternative, for 500 bucks (it's an investment) you can do all of their courses during one year.
> 
> If you want more cheap altternative, there is Udemy where you can find good courses too, more or less complete, but for a very good price!
> 
> for video games:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Video Game Music Composition: Music For Games From Scratch
> 
> 
> Learn to compose music for any and every type of video game, from complete beginner to competent game music composer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.udemy.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> for music theory, and composition:
> 
> 
> https://www.udemy.com/course/music-composition-bundle-composition-film-scoring/
> 
> 
> 
> General:
> 
> 
> https://www.udemy.com/course/film-tv-video-game-music-composition-production/


Thanks for your thoughts here and the recommendations as well.
I already tried out several courses and have to admit that there are some that gave a lot of good input for me and some, that I should have not taken.
What made me decide to give Alex's course a chance is the pragmatic methods he uses. He manages to get a professional sound with no doubt and the insight in his official tracks interest me the most. There is a difference between seeing and understanding and doing and actually understanding. Having the right tools and methods is what I am searching for and hope to finde some here.
The problem I have with Udemy is the price of the courses. Quality comes rarely cheap. There are good courses on Udemy without a question. But I also bought a lot of courses that did not work for me (at least).


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## kilgurt

mikeverta.com


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## Solarsentinel

FabIV said:


> Thanks for your thoughts here and the recommendations as well.
> I already tried out several courses and have to admit that there are some that gave a lot of good input for me and some, that I should have not taken.
> What made me decide to give Alex's course a chance is the pragmatic methods he uses. He manages to get a professional sound with no doubt and the insight in his official tracks interest me the most. There is a difference between seeing and understanding and doing and actually understanding. Having the right tools and methods is what I am searching for and hope to finde some here.
> The problem I have with Udemy is the price of the courses. Quality comes rarely cheap. There are good courses on Udemy without a question. But I also bought a lot of courses that did not work for me (at least).


Don't be afraid to use Udemy and check it often, because in fact sometimes it serve as a platform test for people making courses. For example, Guy Michelmore from Think space education, as launched some of his courses for 10 bucks on Udemy. Then he switched them on his current course platform and sell it much more now.

Richard Schrieber from the Trailer music school done the same. His major course (The trailer music course) was first on Udemy and was available for 10 bucks, and now cost 599 pounds on his website.
They both do fantastic quality courses.

So price didn't mean less quality sometimes! Sure you have to sort it out.


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## RogiervG

kilgurt said:


> mikeverta.com


i see what you did there...


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## RogiervG

Solarsentinel said:


> Don't be afraid to use Udemy and check it often, because in fact sometimes it serve as a platform test for people making courses. For example, Guy Michelmore from Think space education, as launched some of his courses for 10 bucks on Udemy. Then he switched them on his current course platform and sell it much more now.
> 
> Richard Schrieber from the Trailer music school done the same. His major course (The trailer music course) was first on Udemy and was available for 10 bucks, and now cost 599 pounds on his website.
> 
> So price didn't mean less quality sometimes! Sure you have to sort it out.


Yes, this happens quite often indeed. Once a course (or courses) becomes popular, some start to increase prices and often switch platforms (exclusivity and more control over income)

but can you blame them?


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## InLight-Tone

kilgurt said:


> mikeverta.com


I would NOT turn to Mike Verta for coaching on how to write Trailer music...


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## ALittleNightMusic

zedmaster said:


> *Keep in mind: *I haven't taken Evenant's "Trailer Music Redefined" course, so I can't say anything about that.


While I'm a fan of Evenant in general, I don't think their trailer music course is very good. One of the instructors is very hard to understand. I got it included in the all access pass, but I would be severely disappointed if I had paid for it as standalone. I just signed up for Alex's course based on this review and based on his generally awesome YT videos. I imagine it will be much, much better.


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## turnerofwheels

I have the Evenant trailer course and I signed up for Alex' course too. I think right away I'm getting more out of his course, although it is focused on hybrid trailers while the Evenant course delves into other styles.

Evenant is about sitting over the shoulder while someone makes a track, and it might be better if someone had less overall experience and/or wanted to see more of the composition process.

Myself I think I prefer Alex' approach where everything is already completely done because he can focus the time on showing how things work together, making comparisons etc. It got right to the meat and potatoes I was after and I think I am learning more this way.

It's neat comparing their approaches to making trailers though, they are quite different.


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## zedmaster

SHANE TURNER said:


> I have the Evenant trailer course and I signed up for Alex' course too. I think right away I'm getting more out of his course, although it is focused on hybrid trailers while the Evenant course delves into other styles.
> 
> Evenant is about sitting over the shoulder while someone makes a track, and it might be better if someone had less overall experience and/or wanted to see more of the composition process.
> 
> Myself I think I prefer Alex' approach where everything is already completely done because he can focus the time on showing how things work together, making comparisons etc. It got right to the meat and potatoes I was after and I think I am learning more this way.
> 
> It's neat comparing their approaches to making trailers though, they are quite different.


btw he is adding new videos to the course these days, where he also creates a track from scratch. So, it's a bit of the best of both worlds. Nice bonus.


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## gsilbers

Nice. I was wondering when he was going to make a course.


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## Waywyn

First of all, thank you so much @zedmaster for the video and everyone enrolling in the course, and all your kind comments! I truly appreciate it!

To answer a few more questions:

Yes, the first four tracks are already done and we analyze them in every detail possible. However, the 5th track is going to be written from scratch and I already know there will be a 6th one coming up with the same method but a different style.

I already did a poll for the enrolled members to decide which track of the album Chaos Theory we are deconstructing and the same will happen with that 6th track. Meaning, the students can decide in which style we are going to write.

Due to the huge success of this course so far and with all your support I am able to expand this course and I already got lots of (unplanned) ideas.

Also, because of all the feedback from students and listen to suggestions, I am pretty sure that the development of this course will not stop that quickly 

Besides that, yesterday I uploaded four new videos to the course. Three of them are now available in the trailer music essentials mastering section. The 4th video is about bringing our 5th track to structure.

If you got any further questions, feel free to shoot!


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## sourcefor

Yes I am contemplating this course or buying Contemperary Drama Toolkit form the Spitfire sale! Who can sway me!


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## Markrs

sourcefor said:


> Yes I am contemplating this course or buying Contemperary Drama Toolkit form the Spitfire sale! Who can sway me!


Whilst I don't own CDT and I haven't done this course, education will always give more rewards and value than a library. There are mockups done 10 years ago with more limited libraries but sound amazing due to the education and skill of the Composer.


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## Trash Panda

sourcefor said:


> Yes I am contemplating this course or buying Contemperary Drama Toolkit form the Spitfire sale! Who can sway me!


CDT is just a repackaging of sounds you could gather from other sources. The course would allow you to better use those sounds to write Contemporary Drama Trailers.

Am I doing this right?


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## sourcefor

Trash Panda said:


> CDT is just a repackaging of sounds you could gather from other sources. The course would allow you to better use those sounds to write Contemporary Drama Trailers.
> 
> Am I doing this right?


Yes As I thought, I was feeling the same way, just needed a little push! I have been in the business for a while but can always use a refresher to make sure I am doin this correctly! Thanks for the reply!


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## zedmaster

5 new videos available on the course: 3 on mastering and 2 on some more advanced tools and practices. Cool to see it updated so frequently.


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## RonOrchComp

Is Alex's course based around how to write and produce, or is it more business oriented?


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## zedmaster

RonOrchComp said:


> Is Alex's course based around how to write and produce, or is it more business oriented?


The focus is in-depth song analysis and track writing I'd say.


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## ALittleNightMusic

RonOrchComp said:


> Is Alex's course based around how to write and produce, or is it more business oriented?


More focused on writing and producing, though he has a few videos on the business. His production videos are mostly walk-throughs of existing tracks, but I believe he's creating a few sections that will have videos of him making tracks from scratch (my preference). The walk-throughs aren't very in depth IMO - really showing how things are formed or programmed. More like "here's this section's MIDI, here's another section, this is the library I used, etc.". Hoping the creating from scratch videos will be more detailed.


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## RonOrchComp

Thanks guys.

I have always wondered why people do this. Not why do people teach, but why do people give away means and methods. I mean, isn't this giving the competition a boost here? And with the trailer biz being as competitive as it is, you'd think people would keep their approaches and recipes close to the vest? Kudos to Alex for sharing, tho


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## ALittleNightMusic

RonOrchComp said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> I have always wondered why people do this. Not why do people teach, but why do people give away means and methods. I mean, isn't this giving the competition a boost here? And with the trailer biz being as competitive as it is, you'd think people would keep their approaches and recipes close to the vest? Kudos to Alex for sharing, tho


My feeling is if you’re really relying on some specific “trick” to keep ahead, you’re on thin ice. Most of the top tier folks are happy to share their knowledge because they know their success is down to more than what they know in technical knowledge - it’s their creativity, which can’t be taught.


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## ALittleNightMusic

In future videos, I'd like Alex to go into more details on his approach to programming parts, why he chooses certain sounds, why he layers specific instruments, etc. I think the "why" is the most interesting part in terms of learning (vs. specific libraries or even arrangement walkthroughs).

This was an interesting drum programming and layering lesson for example from Trailer Music School's channel:


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## Soundbed

RonOrchComp said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> I have always wondered why people do this. Not why do people teach, but why do people give away means and methods. I mean, isn't this giving the competition a boost here? And with the trailer biz being as competitive as it is, you'd think people would keep their approaches and recipes close to the vest? Kudos to Alex for sharing, tho


Seems like a scarcity mindset.

Alex @Waywyn has more of an abundance mindset.


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## Waywyn

ALittleNightMusic said:


> More focused on writing and producing, though he has a few videos on the business. His production videos are mostly walk-throughs of existing tracks, but I believe he's creating a few sections that will have videos of him making tracks from scratch (my preference). The walk-throughs aren't very in depth IMO - really showing how things are formed or programmed. More like "here's this section's MIDI, here's another section, this is the library I used, etc.". Hoping the creating from scratch videos will be more detailed.


I really appreciate your feedback and I want to add a few cents to your questions:

First of all, yes, there is a new track that I am producing from scratch. Of course, I have to spare out a few of those boring parts when clicking together stuff or having those "eeerrrrm, not sure" moments (because we all have them.)

Next up, I already announced in my newsletter that there is another track being produced from scratch but the community will decide in what style it will be.

Why am I going through existing tracks?
There is one very important thing to keep in mind here. It is great to see tracks that are composed from scratch, going through all the details, but I wanted to make sure to show tracks that I have not just written and arranged but also mixed and mastered AND have been released by a major company.




ALittleNightMusic said:


> In future videos, I'd like Alex to go into more details on his approach to programming parts, why he chooses certain sounds, why he layers specific instruments, etc. I think the "why" is the most interesting part in terms of learning (vs. specific libraries or even arrangement walkthroughs).



Again appreciate your feedback, I am just thinking about if it would make more sense to show how I build up a string arpeggio that is already visible on the screen that you can even recreate by pausing the video. I also show the libs and the plugins used so you can create all those sounds 1:1.

Furthermore, on the exclusive tracks, I hand out the entire session, the MIDI files, and the stems, so I am just trying to understand how much more detail people want  It is a serious question, btw, no irony ... but for now, I think it is not really helpful to spend more time on showing how I click together MIDI note C and D with Heavyocity Wood Ensemble 

Anyway, to sum up, what is happening right now (as announced in my newsletter also):


One track that I am currently building from scratch
Another 3rd exclusive track that the community will decide in a poll that will be produced from scratch
An in-depth video focusing on epic drum production (no, not because of the above video :D)
An in-depth video on how to keep consistency throughout the motif (which is in my opinion the biggest problem of all the aspiring trailer composers)
community events, such as writing melodies, arrangements, epic drum ensembles, thick strings, or whatever, and then discussing why it could improve or why it is great.

Again, thanks for all the feedback that I am receiving. I want to grow this baby and rather than offering a course that is done, improve it wherever I can.


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## Waywyn

RonOrchComp said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> I have always wondered why people do this. Not why do people teach, but why do people give away means and methods. I mean, isn't this giving the competition a boost here? And with the trailer biz being as competitive as it is, you'd think people would keep their approaches and recipes close to the vest? Kudos to Alex for sharing, tho


Let me explain a bit:
People that rely on a secret or some special method or whatever and think that this keeps them upfront their competition is, in my opinion, a self-confidence flaw.

Even if that person wouldn't exist at all, there would be hundreds or thousands of composers closing new deals right now within this minute. So, disregarding keeping their secrets for themselves, it would happen anyway.

Next up, I am confident enough to understand that even if someone knowing all my hints, everything I have ever learned and would create 1:1 my style and even 100x better, still wouldn't own my brain. At this time this would happen, I probably would be long off doing something completely different, eventually not music at all.

Besides that, I don't have competition, just fellow composers. If someone gets the job, it was probably deserved and I don't want to waste any time being angry at someone.

Of course, when I build some mammoth project like this course, I can't offer it for free, but I am convinced that by giving and not expecting anything in return, the return can be way more awesome instead of actively running around, asking, and pitching for gigs.


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## zedmaster

Thanks for the insights and feedback!


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## FabIV

I also wanted to add some comments about the content because I was not sure if I should take the course or not.

My Background: I've only been making music since approx one year, additionally I have very little time. I took courses from Udemy and Evenant but am still facing the problem sometimes, that the sound is not going where I want it to be, or at least it takes me a lot of time.

Why was I unsure?: I prefere courses where people do stuff and do not explain how something works that already exists. When you see something finished it all looks very easy and I at least get frustrated very fastly when it does not work.

Is it a good course?: I would definetly say yes. Alex manages to deliver a good overview about the general techniques. Someone already mentioned that it does not go deep enough in the beginning. But here is where Alex's skills in explaining and structuing the course really shines. Showing his tracks from the 2SFH album, do not only show awesome tracks, but also how the methods where used actively in a massive arrangement. Due to the fact that those tracks have different overall feelings, but the techniques are similar, you can learn what makes it good.
In the newest exclusive track Alex goes even one step further and shows how he does theses things from skratch. And again the balance of the videos is (imho) perfect. The things he does not show, are in my opinion things you have to learn over time anyway. So he concentrates on the most important parts.

What I like best: It is the total attitude. You never have the feeling that something is a show off. You can see that he is proud of having his album for 2SFH, but you always get the impression that he wants everyone to benefit from this. THere are little clues that really can help you out, but he manages to take off anxiety of doing something wrong.

I am not even intrested into the trailer business, but did not regred to take this course.

If you want to learn how to make things sound great this course is really good.

Edit: All my questions that came up during the course where answered. Also questiosn other people asked sometime helped to think about things differently.


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## AndreBoulard

actually been wanting to get into this and not only want to take this but also support alex in this amazing journey. this man helped me alot during is videos online and i saw alex growned over time which is is very challenging to do. I think seen someone going outside is comfort zoneto help and a mind set of wanting to share is knowledge on a deep level is worth every penny. its about the person and not the project but this is bonus both. alex has made amazing changes over the years and i am really impressed!

happy to take the course and learn from a cool guy and down to earth!


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## AndreBoulard

Waywyn said:


> Let me explain a bit:
> People that rely on a secret or some special method or whatever and think that this keeps them upfront their competition is, in my opinion, a self-confidence flaw.
> 
> Even if that person wouldn't exist at all, there would be hundreds or thousands of composers closing new deals right now within this minute. So, disregarding keeping their secrets for themselves, it would happen anyway.
> 
> Next up, I am confident enough to understand that even if someone knowing all my hints, everything I have ever learned and would create 1:1 my style and even 100x better, still wouldn't own my brain. At this time this would happen, I probably would be long off doing something completely different, eventually not music at all.
> 
> Besides that, I don't have competition, just fellow composers. If someone gets the job, it was probably deserved and I don't want to waste any time being angry at someone.
> 
> Of course, when I build some mammoth project like this course, I can't offer it for free, but I am convinced that by giving and not expecting anything in return, the return can be way more awesome instead of actively running around, asking, and pitching for gigs.


hi waywyn just wanted to ask! would these training video available at all times for us once we have payed the course?


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## Waywyn

AndreBoulard said:


> hi waywyn just wanted to ask! would these training video available at all times for us once we have payed the course?


Thank you so much for your kind words!!!
Yep, as long as the internet will be around!


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## AndreBoulard

Waywyn said:


> Thank you so much for your kind words!!!
> Yep, as long as the internet will be around!


awesome ! just enrolled and looking forward to this alex! your awesome!


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## wahey73

AndreBoulard said:


> awesome ! just enrolled and looking forward to this alex! your awesome!


I enrolled on friday and was overhelmed from the very beginning by the quantity of high quality content, this is why I decided to make my "first reaction" video right after 20 minutes in. Over the weekend I spent some hours studying...and yes, absolutely in love with the course. Thank you Alex


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## ALittleNightMusic

Waywyn said:


> I really appreciate your feedback and I want to add a few cents to your questions:
> 
> First of all, yes, there is a new track that I am producing from scratch. Of course, I have to spare out a few of those boring parts when clicking together stuff or having those "eeerrrrm, not sure" moments (because we all have them.)
> 
> Next up, I already announced in my newsletter that there is another track being produced from scratch but the community will decide in what style it will be.
> 
> Why am I going through existing tracks?
> There is one very important thing to keep in mind here. It is great to see tracks that are composed from scratch, going through all the details, but I wanted to make sure to show tracks that I have not just written and arranged but also mixed and mastered AND have been released by a major company.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Again appreciate your feedback, I am just thinking about if it would make more sense to show how I build up a string arpeggio that is already visible on the screen that you can even recreate by pausing the video. I also show the libs and the plugins used so you can create all those sounds 1:1.
> 
> Furthermore, on the exclusive tracks, I hand out the entire session, the MIDI files, and the stems, so I am just trying to understand how much more detail people want  It is a serious question, btw, no irony ... but for now, I think it is not really helpful to spend more time on showing how I click together MIDI note C and D with Heavyocity Wood Ensemble
> 
> Anyway, to sum up, what is happening right now (as announced in my newsletter also):
> 
> 
> One track that I am currently building from scratch
> Another 3rd exclusive track that the community will decide in a poll that will be produced from scratch
> An in-depth video focusing on epic drum production (no, not because of the above video :D)
> An in-depth video on how to keep consistency throughout the motif (which is in my opinion the biggest problem of all the aspiring trailer composers)
> community events, such as writing melodies, arrangements, epic drum ensembles, thick strings, or whatever, and then discussing why it could improve or why it is great.
> 
> Again, thanks for all the feedback that I am receiving. I want to grow this baby and rather than offering a course that is done, improve it wherever I can.


Thanks for the detailed response Alex! I have just started going through Ex 02 and it's precisely what I was hoping for. I'll also check out the MIDI files for Ex 01.

Regarding your question on detail, I think it is more than just seeing somebody click note C and then D or inputting an arpeggio, but more observing the process you go through to get from 0 to finished - including all the mistakes or tangential pathways you take and then discard. That to me is very valuable because 1) it shows that even a professional will have a "discovery" process in the making of a piece and 2) within that process, we can glean some tips and tricks from you or how you think about moving things forward or the goal you're trying to achieve. Finished track walkthroughs are interesting, but they are starting at the end of the journey. It's like taking trip somewhere and then showing somebody your photos after you come back - it's an ok representation but so much context is missing.

Anyway, I look forward to all of the great content you have coming in the future! I hope my feedback was helpful in some small way.


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## RonOrchComp

Waywyn said:


> Let me explain a bit:
> People that rely on a secret or some special method or whatever and think that this keeps them upfront their competition is, in my opinion, a self-confidence flaw.
> 
> Even if that person wouldn't exist at all, there would be hundreds or thousands of composers closing new deals right now within this minute. So, disregarding keeping their secrets for themselves, it would happen anyway.
> 
> Next up, I am confident enough to understand that even if someone knowing all my hints, everything I have ever learned and would create 1:1 my style and even 100x better, still wouldn't own my brain. At this time this would happen, I probably would be long off doing something completely different, eventually not music at all.
> 
> Besides that, I don't have competition, just fellow composers. If someone gets the job, it was probably deserved and I don't want to waste any time being angry at someone.
> 
> Of course, when I build some mammoth project like this course, I can't offer it for free, but I am convinced that by giving and not expecting anything in return, the return can be way more awesome instead of actively running around, asking, and pitching for gigs.



Thanks for taking the time to reply Alex. Of course I would never expect, nor suggest, that you offer this course for free. I am sure a good deal of time and effort went into it. Besides, why not profit from your knowledge?

I disagree that people who rely on a secret or some special method and think that this keeps them upfront on their competition is a self-confidence flaw. In fact, I think that many times, it _can_ keep them upfront on their competition. But I do hear you on your "style and brain" comment. Thanks again!


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## RonOrchComp

Soundbed said:


> Seems like a scarcity mindset.



ooh - a big word!

It's not at all a scarcity mindset. You know what I call it? Attempting to learn something. Try it some time - it's good for you.


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## Soundbed

RonOrchComp said:


> ooh - a big word!
> 
> It's not at all a scarcity mindset. You know what I call it? Attempting to learn something. Try it some time - it's good for you.


There is indeed a lot to learn in this world. I learn new things every day. Cheers.


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## AndreBoulard

so far 28% into this and all i hve to say is wow! the details and structures thats layed out is really good. alot of work was put into this and i would recommend it to anyone looking to learn stuff in trailer. worth every penny and alex is still updating it. the whole process of a track is organized easy to learn from.


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## Waywyn

RonOrchComp said:


> I disagree that people who rely on a secret or some special method and think that this keeps them upfront on their competition is a self-confidence flaw. In fact, I think that many times, it _can_ keep them upfront on their competition. But I do hear you on your "style and brain" comment. Thanks again!


What would happen if one of your competitors find out one of your secrets and would suddenly surpass you and you would get out of business, making less money in the future?

Did you have these thoughts? I assure you, these are just what it is: Thoughts or to express it a bit more extreme: Existential fear and impostor syndrome! 

First off, people hire you because they like working with you. Because they like what you create and deliver. You are probably someone that your clients can rely on. You are willing to dedicate to the project.

Also, take into consideration that there are people out there that know all of your secrets and even tons more that you don't know. It doesn't decide if you are more or less successful.

Therefore it is all thoughts, something your head creates because of underestimating yourself ... which is, a flaw (no matter how little) in your self-confidence. We all suffer from this more or less.

I still suffer from many self-confidence flaws but I realized that no one took a job away from me because someone learned some of my secrets. And even if, I am happy for them to see them advance in the industry! This is what I call Business-Karma and because of that thinking and attitude, I attract working projects without the need to pitch for them = therefore I don't need to be worried about someone taking away a gig from me


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## Waywyn

AndreBoulard said:


> so far 28% into this and all i hve to say is wow! the details and structures thats layed out is really good. alot of work was put into this and i would recommend it to anyone looking to learn stuff in trailer. worth every penny and alex is still updating it. the whole process of a track is organized easy to learn from.


Thank you sooo much!


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## RonOrchComp

Waywyn said:


> What would happen if one of your competitors find out one of your secrets and would suddenly surpass you and you would get out of business, making less money in the future?


This can happen in business. That is not 'Existential fear'.

That's why many employees of many companies must sign a waiver or NDA or do-not-compete, etc. This, so the company does not have to worry about competitors getting hold of secret recipes and other trade secrets.


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## Trash Panda

@Waywyn will the installment payment option come back now that the intro period is over?


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## stevebarden

I'm 50% through the course and so far it's been extremely useful. There is a tremendous amount of content. I'm pretty sure I'll be going back over some stuff to reinforce what I've learned. So much of the mixing and mastering topics will apply to any genre of music you produce. It's also been great to peek inside Alex's setup to learn about plugins and sound libraries that I don't have or may have never considered using. Very good suggestions all around. I appreciate Alex's generosity in sharing his knowledge. He definitely could have charged more for this course.


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## Waywyn

RonOrchComp said:


> This can happen in business. That is not 'Existential fear'.
> 
> That's why many employees of many companies must sign a waiver or NDA or do-not-compete, etc. This, so the company does not have to worry about competitors getting hold of secret recipes and other trade secrets.


Sorry, I thought we are talking about individual/self-employed composers and their personal strategies/secrets. It is an entirely different thing with companies of course.


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## Waywyn

Trash Panda said:


> @Waywyn will the installment payment option come back now that the intro period is over?


tbh, I am not sure yet.


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## Waywyn

stevebarden said:


> I'm 50% through the course and so far it's been extremely useful. There is a tremendous amount of content. I'm pretty sure I'll be going back over some stuff to reinforce what I've learned. So much of the mixing and mastering topics will apply to any genre of music you produce. It's also been great to peek inside Alex's setup to learn about plugins and sound libraries that I don't have or may have never considered using. Very good suggestions all around. I appreciate Alex's generosity in sharing his knowledge. He definitely could have charged more for this course.


Thank you soo much for your kind words! I really appreciate it and glad it has been helpful to you!


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## zedmaster

There's been an update to the course focused on epic percussion ensemble writing (and adding brass).


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## zedmaster

Alex Pfeffer's Trailer Music Course is on 30% Black Friday sale.

https://bit.ly/trailermusiccourse (LINK to the course), enter code *TMCBF30OFF21*

Fantastic learning resource for aspiring Trailer composers.


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