Music | Fat Chords

Learn Music Production At Home (Part 1: “The Truth”)

by Fat Chords

February 27th, 2011

Learn Music Production At Home (Part 1: “The Truth”)

On the internet there are many supposed “solutions” to creating professional tracks. Some of them actually have good content, and can play a role in your projects. But even the best of them seem to assume a lot. You have to “get” why things sound the way they do, and why there are do’s and don’ts that you should follow. The assumption seems to be that, since this is so much fun, and the technology does so much for you, there aren’t any real rules, and you don’t need to know much. Everything will just come out great. Some of these solutions depend on an arsenal of equipment that you probably don’t own, or you are held captive by their proprietary solution (i.e. their own product). Soon, everything starts to sound alike, and this is not really desirable if you want to be good at this.

So, after finding that the choices seem to be: 1. Go to music school, spend a lot of money, study hard, take in all you can, and then maybe you’ll know what you’re doing. or 2. Buy the right toys and the music will take care of itself. It’s all about learning the technology. Well, I’m here to tell you that, if you even remotely believe #2, you need to adjust your perspective some. However, going to music school is something that most people can not afford, neither time wise nor financially. So what’s the truth, and where can you find it?

The truth is that you need to learn enough about actual music to know when the technology is doing something that’s good, and when it’s not. Your own judgment and understanding of the “rules” of music have to play a role. Yes there are shortcuts, and I plan on writing many articles to help. However, to get good at music production means to know why something IS “musical”. What does that word mean? Some notes go well together. Others do not. Can you tell the difference? If your idea of a musical track is: “a beat” and other than the drums and vocals, the music seems less important, guess what? That’s not how the big guys think. Every note and every sound is carefully planned out. Don’t get me wrong. I know I might be making this seem like a ton of work, but the bottom line still is: Music is the best thing you can do on so many levels, that the work part becomes truly a pleasure. If you have the passion to do this, it will come. You just need to understand the truth about it first.

As I write more articles, our mission together is to get you to master a balance between efficient, technological solutions, and what, for the sake of brevity, we’ll call “music theory”. We need to do away with the idea that music is detached from its creator; that it somehow exists on its own. This is a mistake consumers make all too frequently. Once the production is completed, of course, a piece of music does exist on its own, but as a “consumable”, or something to be enjoyed. When you are producing original music, it is the process of production that is enjoyed by the producer, and he or she should be thoroughly involved in all aspects, even when software is making your life easier. In other words, know enough about the music side, so that you avoid simply following the orders of the software developers. If you take what they give you and use it without a lot of musical judgment and input from you, you aren’t being an artist. You’re being a technician, or worse, a robot. We know that’s not going to happen, though, because you’ve already figured that out, and among others things, you’re reading this!
When you decided to take up music production, you entered a world that is all of the following: huge fun, a creative outlet, a potential way to make money, a potential way to make new friends (or if you prefer, a way to spend more time alone), one of the best hobbies you can imagine, one of humankind’s great achievements, and a great way to spend some of your spare time. The truth is, though, that there is another side to it. That side is the honing of your various skills that go into music production.

Today there are products available that greatly simplify the music production process. They do this using various approaches, but the main approach is what I like to call “higher order solutions”. This is a fancy mathematical term that you don’t need to know. It’s just quicker for me to say more using fewer words. “Higher order” here simply means that the software has developed to a level where fewer decisions have to be made by the producer, since many of the more mundane, detail-oriented decisions involved in music production are made by the software itself. It’s programmers–working with music experts–have created real shortcuts for you, so much more can be done in a much less time. So yes, as you may already know, most popular music styles do follow predictable patterns in certain areas. Timing, instrument choices, trendy sounds, audio processing, and even performance patterns, are areas where the software can provide ready-made solutions.

The “ready-made solution” might be how to decide what speed the song should be playing at, and how to keep all instruments playing at that speed (proper terms: “tempo”, “bpm” {beats per minute}, and “synchronization”). The “solution” could be a kick and snare drum pattern that is widely used in the style you’re working on. This pattern is used to “trigger” the kick (bass) drum and snare drum sounds through a special music communications system called “midi”. In a techno or house song, one typical drum pattern is nicknamed “four on the floor” because of the constant hits of the big kick drum on all four quarter note beats in a 4/4 time signature. OK….We won’t get into the details of midi and music theory here, but this should give you an idea of what to expect as we get into them.

I’ll cover music theory, midi, and many other topics in upcoming articles, e-books, and in the exclusive member content area on my website, Music Production at Home. Also, though, I plan on making this a more well rounded experience for you than just the mechanics. Mechanics are necessary, but expressing yourself means expressing life’s experiences through your music. What emotions are you trying to convey? What energy level feels right? Should the music be simple or complex? Traditional sounding or ground breaking? Commercial (i.e. “pop”) or more outside-the-mainstream? These are questions you should ask yourself as you listen to more and more music, and see what fits. Listen creatively. Listen critically. Listen closely. Make some decisions about who you are, and who you want to be as a musician.

Choosing your “ready-made solutions” should be guided by this self-examination. The way each one of them is programmed suits certain styles more than others, and picking the right one can be done by actually growing as an artist. The self examination helps you grow as an artist, and makes your purchase choices clearer.
So you see, all of this is related. Your deepest emotions,……and midi,…..are connected. So let’s start connecting the dots….

Step 1? Start listening more carefully!

Looking forward to writing to you again.

Marc

Marc L Soucy composer, producer, studio engineer/programmer http://www.MusicProductionAtHome.com

music composer, producer, studio engineer, musician, consultant, analyst

Article from articlesbase.com

How Music Theory Can Improve Your Guitar Playing

by Fat Chords

February 24th, 2011

by lilithvf1998

How Music Theory Can Improve Your Guitar Playing

Choosing to learn guitar theory is one of the best choices that you can make as a guitar player and musician. Many overlook the importance of learning music theory for all sorts of ridiculous reasons. Learn guitar theory now so that you can advance to becoming a much better player.

Music theory is simply a way that music in all it’s forms has been written down and explained. It can aid the guitar player because you can learn and recognize music as it’s being played in ways that you otherwise would not have understood. When you hear the patterns, scales, and chords that you have learned from theory, you can use this application while playing.

One of the biggest arguments that people bring up against learning guitar theory is that you will become this analytical and technical player who lacks emotion in the music. This logic would be like saying that someone who learned guitar chords lacks emotion because they learned them mentally as opposed to just randomly playing from the heart. Don’t buy into the excuse that learning means that you will lose the passion for the music that is there.

All the great guitar players have learned music theory and understand it’s applications. Even if they play a certain style, you better believe that they understand the music behind multiple styles of guitar playing because they have sat down and worked on their theory. They are good at music because they have an understand of music.

The best place to start as a guitar player would be with scales. Learning scales like the major scale will allow your mind to start to understand the relationship between those notes as well as the relationship between the notes in certain chords and why those notes are used as opposed to another. Practice memorizing and understanding these scales as the backbone of your guitar theory.

The author is a writer and novice guitar player. He enjoys writing about family and parenting topics, and recently wrote an article about cute Halloween costumes for kids. HIs own daughter has a closet full of ladybug costumes from various dance recitals and parties.

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Private Music Lessons- the Good and the Bad

by Fat Chords

February 21st, 2011

by .stephweiss

Private Music Lessons- the Good and the Bad

One of the most important issues in the musical education for your child is the choice of the specific education method. In my experience I have often encountered parents that didn’t think about how they would want their talented child to learn music. As a rule, they would rely entirely on their own thoughts and ideas about education or follow the recommendations of other people. This is where the idea of private music lessons comes in.

How do you know whether you should choose private music lessons or enroll your child in music school? In order to answer this question you have to consider your own plans for your child’s musical education. The subject of setting such goals has been covered in one of my previous articles. Let’s have a look at the advantages of private tutoring.

Regardless of your choice (private or public) the main task is choosing the teacher. In a music school your choice is limited. You will be forced to pick from a small number of teachers. Moreover, you will not be choosing but having one of them recommended to you. In many schools the children are assigned to a specific teacher that has a spot open for another student.

On the other hand, you can choose a private teacher and not be limited to the area you live in. Private music lessons for your child can either be given in your home or the teacher’s home. If your child goes to a music school the lessons will take place only at school. With the private tutor you may choose the time and place that will be the most convenient to you. Many parents prefer that the teacher teach the child at their place of residence. It is more convenient and the child is more comfortable in the familiar environment.

This is true when the child plays a large musical instrument such as the piano, harp and even cello. The child is used to the instrument he has at home. He is familiar with its features, and can produce the correct sounds that are required of him. Private tutoring is good for children who are shy and those who do not adapt well to social changes.

Scheduling with a private teacher is much more flexible than in a music school. Because you are paying the music teacher you have the right to tell them how much you will pay and where the lessons will be given.

Every person who studies to play a musical instrument must learn theoretical subjects. At the least they should know elementary music theory. If you were to compare it to the subject in a public school, it would be math. It is impossible to become a musician without it.

Private music lessons may include elementary music theory lessons in their services. Thus, you can save on the theory lessons that are not cheap at the early stage of education. But in the future when the elementary music lessons change to harmony it is recommended that you hire a teacher that specializes in this area.

Finally, the biggest advantage of having a private tutor is a flexible approach to musical education. All children have a different level of musical abilities because they are raised in different musical environments. The music school has a set and definite program as well as deadlines for completing specific tasks and projects. The tutor will adapt their program to the capabilities and needs of your child and will help their progress at the child’s own speed.

In addition to this private music lessons always include the specific wishes of the parents and children. After all it is the teacher’s main job to please the clients and make the lessons interesting and creative. Just remember children with good musical abilities will help them progress faster and with ease regardless whether they go to music school or take private lessons. It is much simpler to find a teacher for a musically inclined student because any teacher will choose him over the less capable ones. Thus prominent musical skills will increase your child’s chances of having a high level professional that others can only dream about.

Nicholas Wood is an owner of Crystal Music Method Center. For information on correct private music lessons, visit http://www.crystalmusicmethod.com

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Which Is the Better Choice – Private Music Lessons or Music School?

by Fat Chords

February 20th, 2011

by endolith

Which Is the Better Choice – Private Music Lessons or Music School?

When parents decide that they want their child to pursue music education, they face another tough decision – “Private music lessons or music school? Which is the better option?”

It’s really up to you and your child. Both options are good and each of the two has its advantages and disadvantages, as discussed below.

For private music lessons, teachers can come to your home to teach, thus providing you convenience and “comfort of home”. Private music teachers often combine the main subject with the elementary theory of music, which saves a lot of money in comparison with hiring a music theory teacher. Moreover, private music teachers are more comprehensive in their lessons on music theory which is one of the most important parts of music education. Lastly, private music teachers can hold duets with your kid without extra payment. Music schools charge extra for ensembles.

Talking about music schools, one of its advantages is that they offer services in various subjects, which is not the case with private music lessons. Before going further into the advantages of music schools, let’s know something about educational staff recruitment.

If you’ve set your mind on hiring a private music teacher, how do you select one? On what criteria will you choose a teacher for your child? Parents often go by their own assumptions or friends’ advices; can you rely on this information?

If you or someone in the family is a musician, you can very well go ahead and select a teacher for private music lessons; you and your child will be fine. But most often, parents know nothing about music education. They are easily influenced by advices and lured into hiring just any teacher. The teacher only has to use some sophisticated language in a cleverly disguised tone, and that’s it – you hire him/her for your child’s private music lessons. You may even find a really good and professional teacher, but that’s not all that is required from a teacher; the teacher also needs to understand your child’s psychology and various age-specific factors

In the former Soviet Union, music colleges and institutes taught education and psychology, but only for a year. The future music teachers didn’t look at those lessons again. In the US and Canada, these subjects are simply not there in the curriculum! Music teachers are left to learn from experience and years of practice. Do you want your child to be the study material for the teacher?

Finding a professional teacher for private music lessons is a matter of chance. Do you want to take the risk? Let me tell you, if you don’t find the right teacher for your young talent, you will be making a big mistake. If your child loses interest in music and quit, you have no one but yourself to blame. There’s no point in blaming the teacher, your child, or your child’s friend circle. Of course you never intended to do anything like that, but do you know the real mistake? The real mistake is that you didn’t acquire enough information on how to choose a music teacher. You trusted other people.

Tatiana Bandurina develops a new trend in education – Music Education for Parents. For more information on private music lessons, visit http://www.quintecco.com

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Categories Music Theory
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Music Education for Parents: Benefits of Private Music Lessons

by Fat Chords

February 18th, 2011

by Paul Graham Raven

Music Education for Parents: Benefits of Private Music Lessons

Choosing the method of musical education for your child is an important decision. You can’t just rely on your own ideas or those of your friends to make this decision. There are two methods of music education that you need to first study about and compare the pros and cons: music school and private music lessons.

The most important criterion for making a choice is the reputation of the music teacher. In a music school, you cannot choose the teacher. You will have to abide by the recommendation of the school management which manages the time slots of each teacher.

Now let us examine the benefits of private music lessons. The first benefit, obviously, is that you get to choose the music teacher for your child.

The second benefit is you can choose the place of study. Most parents prefer the comfort of home so that the child can learn and play music without inhibitions. Private teachers are glad to come to your house for teaching the child.

This is especially useful when children are used to playing their own instruments like piano and harp and find it difficult to adjust to those at music school. Private music lessons are also helpful for those who are shy, reserved or cannot adjust to new surroundings.

The third benefit of having a private music tutor is you can schedule the lessons as per your convenience.

The fourth benefit is that you can learn music theory thoroughly. Anyone who plays a musical instrument knows how important it is to learn theoretical subjects, else you just cannot become any sort of musician.

With a private music teacher, you can learn the theoretical subjects at your own pace. Theory is a costly affair in music schools, but private tutors charge much less for their services and sometimes even include the basics in their regular fees. Private tutors can teach elementary music theory well, but later when the child needs to learn harmony, you will need to hire a teacher who specializes in it.

Lastly, the fifth benefit of private music lessons is flexibility in the music education. Every child is different and has different musical capabilities. But music schools have a set program that doesn’t cater to individual needs. Private tutors are happy to be flexible in their approach and teach the child as per his unique requirements.

But at the end of the day, if your child has a talent for music he will progress quickly regardless of the place of study. Musically inclined children have a higher chance of becoming excellent performers and teachers are always excited of having such children under their tutelage.

Tatiana Bandurina is an owner of Quintecco Educational Products Inc. She develops a new trend in education – Music Education for Parents. For more information on private music lessons, visit http://www.quintecco.com

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Archive for Music – Page 2

Learn Music Production At Home (Part 1: “The Truth”)

How Music Theory Can Improve Your Guitar Playing

Private Music Lessons- the Good and the Bad

Which Is the Better Choice – Private Music Lessons or Music School?

Music Education for Parents: Benefits of Private Music Lessons