Some producers like Skrillex may use piano or guitar, while others don’t require any instruments at all for making electronic music. There is no need to be an expert musician in order to produce this type of music!
Many songs begin with a beat that provides energy and structure to the song. This beat can be simple or complex, and often can be adjusted later based on feedback.
How to Compose Electronic Music
Electronic music utilizes computer software, digital instruments and synthesizers to produce musical sounds. These electronic tools differ from acoustic instruments that produce sounds through physical vibration (strings, drums) or air passing through (wind and brass), as they produce their sounds via electrical signals that are converted to sound by an amplifier.
As your first step in creating electronic music, the initial step should be identifying your style of composition. Do you plan to incorporate acoustic instruments and add electronic backing tracks, or compose all the music using electronic tools alone in the studio? Once you have decided, the next step in song writing is creating the structure for your composition. A typical song structure includes an intro, verses and choruses with an introduction providing a brief interlude that sets the mood and tempo of your entire piece. The verses are vocal and instrumental sections that gradually build toward a song’s crescendo: its chorus. Typically, its melodic and energetic nature distinguish it as one of the key musical components – often featuring main melody/harmonies/motifs etc.
No matter the genre of music you are creating, sampling can be helpful in giving it more character and variety than using synthesized sounds exclusively. This practice has long been utilized in dance music genres like hip hop and electronic. Sampling can help arrange and sequence beats more organically while giving compositions an authentic sound; sampling tools or simply loading in shorter samples into your DAW can give your compositions more life than simple synthesizing sounds can.
Composing electronic music can be an engaging creative experience that blends imagination with technical expertise, but it can also be quite laborious! To become proficient at this craft, practice is key and don’t get discouraged if your initial attempts don’t yield anything special; new producers often need time to develop before producing quality tracks.
Electronic Instruments
Electronic musicians utilize instruments powered by electricity. Its roots can be traced back to the second half of the 20th century, but over time has continued to adapt with advances in technology and production techniques. Today, there exists a diverse selection of genres from disco to synthpop EDM and hip-hop that all produce electronic music.
Basic elements of contemporary classical music are rhythm, harmony, melody, and lyrics; composers arrange these components into songs through either traditional musical instruments or computer software and hardware (such as keyboard, sequencer and audio interface), respectively. Some producers may require studio monitors in order to ensure quality while creating songs.
Some of the earliest electronic instruments were electromechanical, like the telharmonium and Hammond organ. Others were entirely electronic such as theremin or sound synthesizer. Composers also employed various other devices to compose electronic music.
One of the key tools used by musicians in creating music is a sequencer, which allows musicians to record in linear fashion and edit later. It can be used for drum tracks, bass lines and melodic parts such as chords or single notes; keyboards often utilize electric sources and offer both chord and single note playback capabilities; synthesizers produce different sounds through computer software programming – these tools all play key roles when creating musical scores.
Another way of creating electronic music is with a sampler, an instrument capable of recording external sounds and transforming them into new sounds. You can program it to record only certain sounds, as well as playback them via external keyboard or sequencer. While expensive, this tool provides musicians with plenty of creative freedom when exploring new ideas and sounds.
Software
There are countless pieces of software out there to assist electronic musicians when it comes to composing electronic music, most commonly digital audio workstations or DAWs. DAWs allow you to record, edit and mix your music. There are various DAWs out there; choosing which one depends on personal preferences and needs – some can be easier for beginners while others are more advanced or complex – download some trial versions until one feels intuitive – always be sure to review any hardware requirements as well before purchasing.
Computers with reliable internet connections are also essential pieces of equipment. A powerful CPU and ample RAM will enable you to run even the most demanding programs smoothly, while large displays – or, ideally, two displays – will make work more manageable. A laptop may have enough power for these tasks; however, desktop PCs usually give more options when purchasing additional hardware such as graphics cards or audio interfaces.
Many producers use physical keyboards or pads as their main composition tool, though this is not mandatory. You could instead opt for regular computer keyboard or even better, MIDI controllers – these enable producers to combine physicality of physical instruments with virtually infinite selection of software sounds and effects – such as MASCHINE from Native Instruments – for music composition.
At first, you should get yourself a headset and microphone to assist with recording. Producing electronic music requires intense concentration without distractions – setting up your studio in such an environment is ideal. Also try recreating three melodies over and over to develop creativity while learning the fundamentals of electronic composition.
Mixing
Composition and structure are essential to producing electronic music, but that’s only half of the equation when creating songs. You also must possess skill in mixing; this process takes recordings made at home and adds that extra professional touch that turns them into finished products. Professional mixing services should always be sought if possible to facilitate this essential step in production process.
Mixing is the practice of tracking, editing, balancing and harmonizing all the parts of an ensemble in music. This can involve things such as adjusting levels on tracks and using plugins for EQ, panning and automation – essentially giving a track the polish it needs to sound professional and radio ready.
Tracking is the first step of mixing, wherein all individual elements that comprise your track are recorded individually using either traditional instruments or software such as Ableton or Pro Tools. Your goal should be to record everything to a high quality that sounds great both individually and alongside other tracks on your album.
Many electronic genres, particularly dance music, are tailored towards DJs and nightclubs. As such, much of the emphasis of electronic genres like EDM lies on creating tension through build sections prior to reaching its climax in chorus or drop. EDM tracks often use volume automation or filtering to achieve this contrast within their tracks.
Other genres of electronic music may not place as much emphasis on building up energy within their songs, opting instead to concentrate on pacing and arrangement of their tracks. Many electronic producers employ four, eight, or sixteen bar sections as guidelines when it comes to song arrangement – this makes the track flow better while making it easier to listen to. If desired, do deviate from this guideline should you prefer your track to have different rhythms or structures!