Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers

Making Music is a must-read for any electronic music producer looking to take their music to the next level. In it, author Dennis DeSantis offers 74 different strategies for thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas for your tracks.

Introduction

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Develop a creative workflow
2. Find your sound
3. Explore new genres and subgenres
4. Learn music theory
5. Invest in high-quality gear
6. Practice, practice, practice
7. Be open to feedback
8. Take risks
9. Embrace imperfection
10. Experiment with new sounds and textures

The Creative Process

Many electronic music producers get stuck in a rut when it comes to their creative process. Here are 74 different and creative strategies that you can use to get inspired and kick start your musical creativity.

The Importance of Ideas

The most important thing in the creative process is having an idea to start with. It doesn’t matter how good or bad your idea is, or how much experience you have — the only thing that matters is that you have an idea to work with.

The best way to get ideas is to be open to them. Keep your mind open to new possibilities and new ways of thinking. Be willing to try new things, and don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know where your next great idea will come from.

Once you have an idea, the next step is to develop it. This is where experience and skill come into play. The more experience you have, the better you’ll be at developing your ideas and turning them into something real.

The creative process is not a linear one — it’s more like a spiral. You’ll often find yourself going back and forth, trying new things and making changes along the way. The important thing is to keep moving forward and not get bogged down in perfectionism.

Remember, there are no perfect ideas — only good ones that can be made better with time, effort, and experimentation. So don’t worry if your first idea isn’t perfect — just keep working at it until it is.

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Where do ideas come from? This is a question that has baffled philosophers, scientists, and artists for centuries – and it’s a question that electronic music producers face on a daily basis.

Given the vastness of the creative process, it’s impossible to provide a single, definitive answer to this question. However, there are a number of strategies that producers can use to generate new ideas for their music.

One common approach is to take inspiration from other music. This could involve listening to a range of different genres and styles, or zeroing in on a particular artist or track that you admire. Another approach is to experiment with new sounds and textures, either by creating your own samples or by using synthesisers and other sound-design tools.

Ultimately, the best way to generate new musical ideas is to simply get started – the more you create, the more likely you are to stumble upon something special. So don’t be afraid to experiment, and never give up on your search for those elusive musical gold nuggets!

Overcoming Creative Block

One cause of creative block is perfectionism, the tendency to believe that a piece of art must be perfect in order to be good. This is especially true in electronic music, where the tools available allow for a high level of control over the final product. Perfectionism can lead to endless tweaking and reworking of a track, until it no longer feels fresh or alive. It can also make it difficult to finish a track at all.

To overcome perfectionism, it can be helpful to set some limits on your creative process. Decide in advance how long you will work on a track, and then stick to that timeline. Set a deadline for yourself and then commit to releasing the track, even if it’s not perfect. Remember that finished tracks are better than perfect tracks that never see the light of day.

It can also be helpful to change your perspective on what constitutes a “good” track. Instead of thinking about whether a track is good or bad, ask yourself whether it is interesting or boring. Is it something you would enjoy listening to? Is it something that takes you on a journey? If so, then it’s worth releasing, even if it’s not perfect.

The Studio as a Creative Tool

The studio is a tool that electronic music producers can use to create their music. It is a place where they can experiment with sound and create new sounds. The studio can also be a place where they can create a sound that is unique to them.

The Role of the Studio

The studio is a creative tool that can be used to enhance the creative process. It can be used to create new sounds, to experiment with new ideas, and to create new music. The studio can also be used to record music, and to create mixes and masters.

The Producer as Engineer

The producer as engineer is the person responsible for capturing the sounds of the instruments and turning them into a recorded work. This can be done in a number of ways, but the most common is through the use of microphones, mixing consoles, and outboard gear.

The studio as a creative tool is a place where the producer can experiment with sound and create new sonic textures. This might involve using sample libraries, synthesisers, or creating original sounds with field recordings. The studio should be seen as a laboratory for experimentation, and the producer should feel free to try out new ideas and techniques.

One of the most important aspects of the studio is that it allows the producer to work at their own pace. There is no need to hurry when working on a track, and this can often lead to better results. The producer can take their time to experiment with different sounds and arrangements, and they can also take breaks when they need to.

While the studio is a great place for experimentation, it is important to remember that not all experiments will yield positive results. It is perfectly normal to make mistakes when working in the studio, and these mistakes can often be turned into learning opportunities. The key is to not get discouraged if an experiment doesn’t work out, and to keep trying new things until you find something that works.

The Producer as Artist

Artists have always worked in studios, whether they were painters working in a studioahttps://www.makingmusicmag.com/making-music-74-creative-strategies-for-electronic-music-producers/ or a band recording in a garage. The studio has always been a place where artists can experiment and try new things without having to worry about the prohibitive cost of materials or the time commitment of live performance.

The advent of electronic music production has made the studio an even more important tool for artists. With electronic music, there are no limits to what you can do in the studio. You can create any sound you can imagine, and you can spend as much time as you want perfecting your craft.

There are two key ways that the studio can help you to improve as an artist: first, by giving you the time and space to experiment; and second, by providing you with feedback on your work.

In the past, experimentation was often limited by the cost of materials or the time required to set up and tear down gear. But with electronic music production, all you need is a computer and some software, which means that experimentation is almost free. You can try out new ideas quickly and easily, without having to worry about the financial investment required for traditional instruments or live performance.

Another important way that the studio can help you to improve as an artist is by providing you with feedback on your work. In the past, if you wanted feedback on your work, you would have to either show it to someone else or wait for someone to hear it performed live. But with electronic music production, you can get instant feedback on your work through tools like preset sharing and online collaboration.

Sharing presets is a great way to get feedback on your sound design skills. By sharing presets with other producers, you can get an idea of how your sounds compare to others in terms of quality and originality. And by collaborating online with other producers, you can get direct feedback on your tracks as they’re being created. These are just two examples of how the studio can help you to improve as an artist.

The Music

The music is the most important part of any production, and should be the primary focus when starting a new project. It’s important to choose the right music for your project, and to have a clear vision for what you want the final product to sound like. This section will cover some tips on how to choose the right music, and how to get started with your production.

The Structure of a Track

Every piece of music has some kind of structure, even if it’s just a simple two-chord progression. The term “structure” can refer to the overall form of a song or piece, or to the construction of a particular section. In electronic music, the most common structural element is the verse/chorus/bridge (or A/B/C) form, which is often abbreviated as V/C/B.

This form is made up of three distinct sections: the verse, which sets the scene and introduces the main characters; the chorus, which is the emotional heart of the song and usually contains the hook; and the bridge, which is a brief moment of respite or contrast before we return to the chorus for the final time. In its simplest form, this structure might look something like this:

Verse 1 > Chorus > Verse 2 > Chorus > Bridge > Chorus

The Elements of a Track

In its most basic form, a track is simply a collection of recordings of individual sounds that are played back in sequence. However, there are a few key elements that need to be considered in order to create a cohesive and compelling piece of music.

– Rhythm: This is the foundation of any track and will dictate the tempo, feel and overall groove of the piece.
– Melodies and harmonies: These are the catchy hooks that will make your track memorable.
– Bassline: This provides the low-end foundation and anchor for the rest of the track.
– Chords: These can be used to add harmonic interest and tension.
– Effects: These can be used to add color and texture to your track.

The Sound of a Track

How does the sound of a track affect its musicality? In other words, what are the ears telling the brain that makes a piece of music sound good? We can identify four basic elements of sound that influence our perception of musicality:

-Pitch is the fundamental frequency of a sound wave and is perceived as how “high” or “low” a note sounds. Our ability to perceive pitch is thought to be primarily determined by the place theory of hearing, which states that different pitches are heard when stimulate different areas of the cochlea.

-Timbre is the unique “color” or “tone” of a sound, and is determined by its harmonic content. A tone with many harmonics will generally be perceived as being brighter than one with fewer harmonics.

-Loudness is determined by the amplitude or height of a sound wave, and is perceived as how “loud” or “soft” a note sounds.

-Duration is the length of time a note is sounding for, and has an obvious effect on our perception of rhythm.

The Mix

The mix is one of the most important aspects of your music. It can make or break your song. A good mix will make your song sound polished and professional. A bad mix will make your song sound amateurish and unpolished. In this section, we’re going to discuss the different aspects of the mix and how to make sure your mix sounds great.

The Balance

In mixing, the term “the balance” refers to the relationship between the levels of the different tracks in your mix. Achieving a good balance is essential to creating a cohesive mix that sounds natural and allows each element to be heard clearly.

There are a few ways to approach balancing your tracks:

1. Start with the drums. The drums are usually the foundation of the track, so it’s a good idea to start by getting their level right. Once you’ve set the level of the drums, you can then adjust the levels of the other elements in relation to them.

2. Another approach is to start with the focal point of the track – typically, this will be the lead melody or vocal. Once you’ve set the level of this element, you can then adjust the levels of everything else around it. This can be a good way to achieve clarity in your mix, as it ensures that nothing is competing with your focal point for attention.

3. Another common approach is to work on one element at a time, trying to get each one sitting nicely in the mix before moving on to another. This can be a bit more tedious, but it can also help you to achieve a more detailed and polished sound.

4. Finally, some people prefer to work on mixing in an iterative fashion, making small Adjustments to all of the elements in their track until everything feels balanced and cohesive. This can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s often worth sticking with it as it allows you have much more control over how your final mix sounds.

The Panorama

The panorama is a powerful tool for shaping the stereo field of a mix. It allows you to spread out elements across the stereo field, creating a sense of space and width. The panorama can also be used to create movement in a mix, by automating the position of elements over time.

When using the panorama, it is important to consider the stereo field as a whole. Try to avoid creating hard left/right boundaries, as this can make a mix sound flat and two-dimensional. Instead, focus on creating a smooth transition between the left and right channels.

Remember that the panorama is just one tool at your disposal – don’t be afraid to experiment with other techniques, such as EQ, reverb, and delay, to create a unique soundscape for your track.

The Dynamics

The dynamics of a mix are how the overall level of the music ebbs and flows. Unlike the timbre, which is more like the color of the music, the dynamics are more like the picture on a television screen—they’re what you actually hear.

If all the elements in a mix were at the same level all the time, it would sound very boring very quickly. The ear craves variety, and so we use dynamics to add interest and keep things moving.

There are two main ways to create dynamics in a mix: by using level (volume) and by using EQ (tone). By carefully balancing these two elements, we can create a mix that’s both interesting and powerful.

The Mastering

The goal of mastering is to make your tracks sound as good as possible on all playback systems. This means creating a consistent, balanced, and polished sound. The mastering process can be broken down into four main steps:equalization, compression, limiting, and stereo enhancement.

The Purpose of Mastering

In the simplest terms, mastering is the process of making your mix sound its very best before sending it off to be duplicated, or distributed online. The goal is to optimize your music’s sound quality and bring out all the detail and subtlety that was present in your original recording and mix. Mastering can be thought of as the final step in polishing your music, and can make a significant difference in how professional and polished your music sounds.

Mastering is typically done using a combination of specialized digital audio processing plugins and outboard gear, such as EQs, compressors, limiters, and reverbs. The mastering engineer will use these tools to subtly enhance the sound of your mix, making sure that each element sits well in the overall sonic picture. They will also take care of any final tweaks to the overall level and EQ balance of your track, ensuring that it sounds its very best when played back on a variety of different systems.

The Process of Mastering

Mastering is the process of taking your mix and preparing it for release. This involves making sure that the levels are balanced, the sound is full and rich, and that the overall result is polished and professional.

There are several different stages to mastering, and each one is important in ensuring that your track sounds its best. The first stage is to adjust the levels of your mix so that they are all sitting in the right place. This involves using a tool called a limiter to bring up the overall level of the track without causing clipping (distortion).

The next stage is to add some final EQ adjustments. This is to ensure that all frequencies are sitting where they should be, and to add any final shaping to the sound. Finally, once everything is sounding good, a process called compression is used to glue all of the sounds together and give the track a sense of cohesion.

Compression can also be used to add energy and punch to a track, as well as to help control the dynamics. Mastering is an important part of the production process, and it’s well worth taking the time to learn how it works.

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to making music, but we hope this book has provided you with some useful tools and strategies to help you in your own creative journey. And remember, the best way to learn is by doing – so get out there and start making some music!