Producers create music using various instruments. Some producers, like Skrillex, may use piano or guitar while others such as himself only require a mouse and keyboard for production.
Composition and arrangement stages require writing key song elements like rhythm, harmony, melody and lyrics – this requires having an eye for song structure and musicality.
Stage 1
Electronic music production begins by seeking inspiration and developing an overall vision for a track. This involves visualizing its type, tempo, and mood before auditioning different sounds until one strikes their fancy – with services like Splice making this process faster by quickly auditioning thousands of sounds that might fit their vision for their track.
At this stage, a producer will also begin composing their track using various software-based composition programs like Ableton or Logic. Musicians may opt to use more traditional instruments like pianos and guitars – which can either be recorded into Ableton/Logic or performed live – in this process.
Once a song has been composed, audio mixing and mastering will ensure its consistency across systems and listeners. This process may include equalizing, pitch correction and compression as well as audio sweetening and noise reduction techniques.
Once the track has been mixed and mastered, it is ready for release. To promote and distribute it effectively, producers should utilize different online platforms or music distributors as needed.
Engaging in electronic music on stage can be an incredibly exciting and fulfilling experience, provided you put in the work and planning required. It can help spread your name to more listeners while creating an exciting atmosphere in the crowd – but be wary that this type of music requires special technical abilities as well as creative expertise to achieve its maximum effect.
Stage 2
At this point, you have learned the fundamentals of electronic music production and are beginning to create tracks with meaning – making progress every week by sticking at it and increasing your knowledge exponentially – known as Exponential Learning – it is an exhilarating time for producers!
In the 1960s, electronic components became smaller and more cost-effective, enabling musicians to explore creating their own sounds with them. Bob Moog and Buchla both created voltage-controlled modular synthesizers which allowed you to alter sound using overtones, scales, or any number of other sonic elements – this marked the birth of Electronic Music as we know it, with Wendy Carlos and Kraftwerk creating some iconic works for this genre.
It was also here that musique concrete first gained widespread acceptance; an idea popularised by Pierre Schaeffer that encouraged composers to consider sound differently from its traditional use in terms of notes and timbres. This concept opened the way for composers to consider frequency, pitch and rhythm rather than the conventional melodies and chord progressions found within traditional musical compositions; also leading to modernist trends such as group de recherches musicales as well as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis’ compositional ideas as well as others such as group de recherches musicales and Iannis Xenakis’ compositional ideas among others.
At this stage, you should begin branching out into other aspects of sound design – for instance, you might explore waveform design to discover how various shapes of waves make them sound differently; and other areas of production like mixing and audio engineering. At this time, it is wise to focus on your strengths in order to take your production to the next level.
Stage 3
Once producers are familiar with the fundamentals of audio engineering and mixing, they are ready to progress into stage 3. At this point, producers should have an in-depth knowledge of basic music theory as well as producing quality songs consistently. They should also be comfortable using equalization effectively.
As producers move to this stage, they can begin exploring unique instrument sounds. This requires both technical skill and creative imagination; for instance, this might involve designing custom synthesizer sounds with different settings to experiment with or taking existing instrument sounds and manipulating them to create new textures based on each producer’s personal style; from using filters to developing entire song structures through sound design.
At this stage, producers will discover their own distinctive styles and genres. For instance, those producing vaporwave music might focus on using low-pitched and high-frequency sounds to produce unique sounds that differentiate their music from others in its genre.
Producers at this stage often begin exploring other genres of production such as classical or acoustic music production. Exploring these areas not only enhances their music, but can be enjoyable simply for its subject matter.
Producers in this stage will begin experimenting with various musical styles, including disco – an amalgamation of rhythm and blues, funk, soul music with electronic dance music – or experimental genres such as vaporwave or hyper pop; both styles feature exaggerated, cartoonish electronic styles with cultural references like identity politics or emo-anxiety references.
Stage 4
At this point, a producer has gained significant experience and knowledge of both their creative process and chosen style of electronic music. While adhering to genre specific rules remains important, they may now start experimenting more freely with sound design techniques; throwing any preconceptions out the window and exploring what will likely work best with their track.
At this stage, producers need to create sounds or textures they have imagined using plugins or synths, or experiment until they find an instrument setting that matches their track. Whatever their chosen approach may be, however, it is key for producers at this stage to keep producing tracks regularly in order to focus on improving over time.
At this stage, producers become leaders within their chosen genre of electronic music production. By pioneering new techniques or setting musical trends that define them individually within the industry, producers begin to build their reputation in this area. It is also essential at this stage that producers continue experimenting with sound design but in a more controlled and focused manner than at earlier points in their journey.
At this stage, it’s vital for producers to realize they cannot rest on their laurels and that the industry will change over time. They must adapt and upgrade their skills constantly to keep pace with ever-evolving technological and public musical tastes; doing so requires both creativity and technical savvy – a feat which may prove challenging for newer producers.
Stage 5
At stage 5, you should have achieved mastery of electronic music production basics. You have learned how to operate your production software and have some understanding of music theory; but still have much more to gain in terms of sound design and mixing.
At this stage, you are exploring ideas and looking for ways to integrate them. While this process may be lengthy and time-consuming, with repeated practice comes increased excellence.
At this stage, you’ll have produced a song you can be proud to call your own. At this stage, it’s crucial not to get bogged down with technical details like sound design or arrangement that slow down production. Breaking your tracks down into smaller parts helps focus on one aspect at a time; this productivity technique is known as breaking big projects down into small tasks, and can help ensure projects don’t veer off course.
Mixing is the final stage of producing electronic music production, consisting of adjusting levels, adding effects, and rectifying any issues which will hinder its quality. This involves balancing individual instrument levels while creating transitions between sections of song. Also important here is ensuring there are loud and soft parts to the mix which create tension and movement within it – something which may otherwise result in listeners losing interest quickly.
Techno and trance genres rely heavily on a steady beat that provides energy to their songs, while new wave and synth-pop may employ different tempos or be less focused around an inherent beat altogether.