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Reddit mentions of Music Theory for Computer Musicians

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Reddit mentions: 60

We found 60 Reddit mentions of Music Theory for Computer Musicians. Here are the top ones.

Music Theory for Computer Musicians
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  • Music Theory For Computer Musicians
  • Many DJs, gigging musicians, and electronic music producers understand how to play their instruments or make music on the computer, but they lack the basic knowledge of music theory needed to take their music-making to the next level and compose truly professional tracks
  • Beneath all the enormously different styles of modern electronic music lie certain fundamentals of the musical language that are exactly the same no matter what kind of music you write
  • It is very important to acquire an understanding of these fundamentals if you are to develop as a musician and music producer
  • Put simply, you need to know what you are doing with regard to the music that you are writing
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Found 60 comments on Music Theory for Computer Musicians:

u/RedRedRoad · 24 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers


Comprehensive List of Books Relating to Music Production and Creative Growth

<br />


***


On Composition:

<br />


Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies - Dennis DeSantis
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic book. Each page has a general idea on boosting creativity, workflow, and designing sounds and tracks.


Music Theory for Computer Musicians - Michael Hewitt
Amazon Link
Really easy to digest book on music theory, as it applies to your DAW. Each DAW is used in the examples, so it is not limited to a specific program. Highly recommend this for someone starting out with theory to improve their productions.


Secrets of Dance Music Production - David Felton
Amazon Link
This book I recently picked up and so far it's been quite good. It goes over all the different elements of what make's dance music, and get's quite detailed. More geared towards the beginner, but it was engaging nonetheless. It is the best 'EDM specific' production book I have read.


Ocean of Sound - David Troop
Amazon Link

Very well written and interesting book on ambient music. Not only does David go over the technical side and history of ambiance and musical atmospheres, he speaks very poetically about creating these soundscapes and how they relate to our interpersonal emotions.


***


On Audio Engineering:

<br />


Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio - Mike Senior
Amazon Link
In my opinion, this is the best mixing reference book for both beginners and intermediate producers. Very in-depth book that covers everything from how to set-up for accurate listening to the purpose of each mixing and mastering plug-in. Highly recommended.


Zen and the Art of Mixing - Mixerman
Amazon Link
Very interesting read in that it deals with the why's more than the how's. Mixerman, a professional audio engineer, goes in detail to talk about the mix engineer's mindset, how to approach projects, and how to make critical mixing decisions. Really fun read.


The Mixing Engineer's Handbook - Bobby Owinski
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic companion book to keep around. Not only does Owinski go into great technical detail, he includes interviews from various audio engineers that I personally found very helpful and inspiring.


***


On the Industry:

<br />


All You Need to Know About the Music Business - Donald S. Passman
Amazon Link
This book is simply a must read for anyone hoping to make a professional career out of music, anyone wanting to start their own record label, or anyone interested in how the industry works. It's a very informative book for any level of producer, and is kept up-to-date with the frequent revisions. Buy it.


Rick Rubin: In the Studio - Jake Brown
Amazon Link
Very interesting read that is a semi-biographical book on Rick Rubin. It is not so personal as it is talking about his life, experiences, and processes. It does get quite technical when referring to the recording process, but there are better books for technical info. This is a fun read on one of the most successful producers in history.


Behind the Glass - Howard Massey
Amazon Link
A collection of interviews from a diverse range of musicians who speak about creativity, workflows, and experiences in the music industry. Really light, easy to digest book.


***


On Creativity:

<br />


The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Amazon Link
This is a must-read, in my opinion, for any creative individual. It is a very philosophical book on dealing with our own mental battles as an artist, and how to overcome them. Definitely pick this one up, all of you.


This is Your Brain on Music - Daniel S. Levitin
Amazon Link
A book written by a neurologist on the psychology of music and what makes us attached to it. It's a fairly scientific book but it is a very rewarding read with some great ideas.


***


On Personal Growth and Development:

<br />


How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Amazon Link
Although this seems like an odd book for a music producer, personally I think this is one of the most influential books I've ever read. Knowing how to be personable, effectively network, and form relationships is extremely important in our industry. Whether it be meeting and talking to labels, meeting other artists, or getting through to A&amp;R, this book helps with all these areas and I suggest this book to all of you.


7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Amazon Link
Similar to the recommendation above, although not directly linked to music, I assure you reading this book will change your views on life. It is a very engaging and practical book, and gets you in the right mindset to be successful in your life and music career. Trust me on this one and give it a read.


Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Amazon Link
You know the feeling when you're really in the groove of jamming out and all worries tend to slip away for those moments? That is the 'Optimal Experience' according to the author. This book will teach you about that experience, and how to encourage and find it in your work. This is a very challenging, immersive, and enlightening read, which deals with the bigger picture and finding happiness in your work and life. Very inspiring book that puts you in a good mindset when you're doing creative work.


The Art of Work - Jeff Goins
Amazon Link
A very fascinating book that looks at taking your passion (music in our case) and making the most of it. It guides you on how to be successful and turn your passion into your career. Some very interesting sections touching on dealing with failure, disappointment, and criticism, yet listening to your intuition and following your passion. Inspiring and uplifting book to say the least.


***


Happy reading!

<br />



u/thefryingpan · 20 pointsr/trance

DAW

So basically there's gonna be a few things you're gonna need. First and foremost is your DAW. I use and I highly recommend Ableton Live 8. It's powerful and versatile and works both in Mac and Windows. And once you learn the interface, it's pretty easy to get ideas down on the page. Plus it comes with a great set of built-in plugins.


SPEAKERS

The next thing you'll need is a good pair of studio monitor speakers. This is really important because you're gonna need to listen to the full audio frequency spectrum to get the mixdown of the parts of your track just right. You want studio speakers because they have a flat frequency response, unlike say most crappy desktop speakers. A good starting point is M-Audio. Check out their BX8a or BX5a Deluxe studio monitor lines.


SOUND CARD

To go along with that, you're probably gonna need a decent audio interface (sound card). I recommend getting a good external firewire or usb card. The company I like and card that I use is from FocusRite. Check out their Saffire 6 USB Audio Interface. You're gonna want a card that has outputs that will work with your studio monitor speakers. Most of them are balanced 1/4" or XLR connections. I recommend getting something with balanced outputs, as this will minimize any noise that might otherwise be created, and will assure you get the best sound out of your speakers.


SYNTHESIZERS

Next you're gonna want to invest in some decent synthesizers. As a starving college student, I don't have a lot of money to throw around myself, so I only have software synths, but there are some really excellent ones out there. These days, software synths are becoming more and more powerful and give hardware a real run for their money. Most of the soft synths made out there are in either the VST or AU format; these formats are pretty much the standard that basically all modern DAWs like Ableton will be fully compatible with. A couple of the ones I really like are:

Native Instruments Massive

Lennar Digital Sylenth1

U-He Zebra 2.5

U-He ACE

reFx Nexus

reFx Vanguard

FAW Circle

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Spectrasonics Trilian

Arturia Minimoog V

GForce Software Minimonsta

FXpansion - DCAM: Synth Squad

Rob Papen's Virtual Instruments

One thing to realize is that most of these plugins won't run by themselves. You must run them in a host application, like Ableton to work. I find that this confuses beginners sometimes. You just have to make sure you setup whatever DAW you decide to go with, to look at a specific plugin directory, and then make sure you install all your plugins to that folder so your DAW can see them and they can be ready for you to use (not just your soft synths but other plugin units like fx for example).

As you can see, there's a lot of great synths out there, based on different types of synthesis. And for me this is a really fun aspect of trying to make music. I am still learning myself, as there is so much to learn, but I suggest you try some of those synths out, get to know them, and learn synthesis.

Synthesis is a whole monster onto itself, so I also suggest going online and searching for tutorials on youtube to help with that endeavor.

OTHER PLUGINS

As I briefly mentioned above, synths aren't the only types of plugins you will need in music production. There's other plugins that you will need to use like compressors, filters, equalizers, vocoders, distortion unit, gaters, chorus, and delays and reverb to name a few crucial ones.

There's a whole world out there of these type of plugins, with many great people/companies making some AWESOME plugins. In fact, there are WAY-TOO-MANY to mention here. But alas, to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I will list a few, in no particular order, that you can check out:

Audio Damage

PSP Audioware

FabFilter

Togu Audio Line

u-he's Uhbik

2CAudio

Studio Devil

WAVES

Camel Audio

Sugar Bytes

SYNTHESIS

Most synths will come with presets. Again, the fun for me is trying to come up with my own patches and sounds, but at first, some of those synths will look like spaceship control consoles. But I promise, once you learn some of the basics of synthesis, most of those synths will have the same basic functions that you will immediately recognize. So when you first start out, go into those presets, and instead of just simply using them in the parts you write, go into the synth, pick some presets that you like, and try to figure out how those patches were made. Play around with the settings and knobs and see how the sound changes. This will help you translate sounds that you might come up in your head, and then translate them "to the page". I could go on forever about synthesis but I've just hit the tip of the iceberg.

MUSIC THEORY

So do you have to have a degree in music to make electronic music? While it certainly helps, you don't need to know music theory to start making electronic music. Honestly you just need to have a good ear. Also, you will need patience, and dedication, because it's not going to come overnight. There's a lot of established electronic music producers out there that started out with basically little background in music theory. You just have to stick to it, and learn on the way!

If indeed you know little music theory and you're just starting out, a great book that I suggest you pick up RIGHT NOW if you're at all serious about starting production is Music Theory for Computer Musicians. It's ~$20 on Amazon. FTW!

MIDI CONTROLLER

Now, the next thing that really helps to have around in your studio, is a good midi controller keyboard. Now with most DAW's you'll be able to write midi parts out just by the click of your mouse, but trust me, this isn't really fun. Having a midi keyboard makes your life, a whole lot easier, it's more fun, and you can get parts down faster onto your DAW. You won't need anything too fancy. I suggest looking at the M-Audio Axiom line of keyboard midi controllers. The 49 key ones are nice ;)

SAMPLES

Now, some people like to create their own percussion elements. Whether by recording their own sounds, or tweaking the shit out of existing samples they might already have. This can be time consuming, and when you're just starting out, you just want to get ideas down. Since you're starting out, and you said yourself you just wnat to start making the beats you hear in your head, I'd suggest looking into getting some solid percussion sample packs. You're not gonna be at the level of making your own, so you're gonna need a little help when you start out. And many established producers use percussion sample packs which will have many single shot drum samples of kicks, hats, snares, claps, fx. Some packs will have loops, but I generally stay away from them. I suggest using the single shot sounds, and try and create your own loops from scratch. The place I like to go to get some solid packs are

Loopmasters

Vengeance Sample Packs

OTHER RESOURCES

Another good resource is COMPUTER MUSIC Magazine. It comes out every month, from the UK, so go to your nearest chain bookstore, because they're bound to have it. CM has great articles and tips, and reviews on the latest software and hardware that's coming out. They also have great interviews, and it also comes with a CD that comes with a lot of good free and trial software that you'll find useful. There's also usually a video interview from a top DJ/Producer/Electronic Artist which are always really insightful and great resource as you can see the perspectives of music making straight from other artists themselves. For these interviews, they'll usually go explain and show you how they made one of their tracks; like I said, an awesome resource from which you'll get some great tips.


IN CONCLUSION

I hope that what I've written you will find useful, and will be a good starting point. If I think of something else, I might yet add it here. And of course like it's been said, you just gotta go in your DAW and FUCK AROUND; that's the only way to get better - through PRACTICE. And go to places like YouTube and search for production videos. You'll find some good tutorials from which you'll learn some good tips, synthesis, and production techniques.

If you stick to it, dedicate yourself, you'll get there in no time. You're gonna find yourself making those beats you hear at night in your head, and turning them into reality.

EDIT: Added Music Theory and Other Plugins section :)

u/thesoftdistortion · 9 pointsr/edmproduction

Do both at the same time. Even basic keyboard skills speed up your workflow and put a lot if it into context. If you need a book for your Christmas list try this

u/brabdnon · 8 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Well, first off let me say, fuck that bitch. Second off let me say that as long as you enjoy what you're doing, enjoy doing it. Don't let anyone steal your joy. But it depends on who you're doing it for: for you or for the fans? I started making music myself about 10 months ago to cope with a recent tragedy. I know only really how to sing. I don't know piano at all. But I bought a DAW and MIDI keyboard and noodled around until I found something that sounded cohesive. I didn't know my scales or what key the song was even in. I just did what felt right. I think they turned out okay despite my lack of knowledge.

I tell you what helped me immensely was this book:
Music Theory for Computer Musicians

I found it to be fairly comprehensive and fairly well written. The chapters are relatively short and build on each other nicely. You can easily get a good grasp on the basics with this book. Now, it's a theory book so it's light on piano technique. But it will help you learn the scales and understand the rules of the harmonics of sound.

Anyway, chin up. Get back at that piano and get some knowledge.

If you're curious about what my early stuff sounded like, feel free to peruse my soundcloud: brabdnon. Starting at the bottom of my playlist is me just fumbling. But I wanted to make something dramatic and sad. And if nothing else, it's not a technical marvel, but I think I hit my feels mark. If you make music striving for that feeling first, you can't go wrong.

Best of Luck.

u/Fuegopants · 8 pointsr/edmproduction

I'm not sure I'd agree. In my case for instance, I didn't have any prior music experience when starting, and learning the way my to emulate the music I loved was not only rewarding, but also educational... where as "use your ears and play around with it" is a much steeper climb with absolutely zero prior experience. 99% of the time I had no idea where to go or what to do.

When you're still at the bottom end of the learning curve, doing practically anything to familiarize yourself with your DAW and music theory is going to be a good step.

Although I will agree that shitty tutorials are indeed frustrating, there's quite a few content producers out there who release quality tutorials. KillParis for instance used to do some awesome tutorials, PeepNTom also do some cool ones.

Really though the turning point for me was this book.

u/shocknob · 7 pointsr/edmproduction

Music theory is kind of interactive since you should play the notes and listen while learning scales and chords. So you can use a book but you can also learn most of the stuff online.

This site is great for learning music theory from the ground of. Those a step-by-step tutorials and are just nice to start with:

https://www.musictheory.net/lessons

If you're looking for tips to actually write and compose melodies, this is a more abstract but still nice guide:

http://www.haydockmusic.com/composing_tips/writing_melodies.html

Experimentation is always the key. You need some theory yes, but more importantly you should play your keyboard and listen to the notes/chords and find out what sounds nice.

If I would have to recommend a book, this is piece here is old but still gold:

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034/

u/Wunjumski · 6 pointsr/edmproduction

This is the best one I have found. Everything is very, very well explained.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

u/shadfresh · 6 pointsr/electronicmusic

I have a few recommendations for you to get you started:

  1. This book: Music Theory for The Computer Musician , it's a great way to start off if you're unfamiliar with music theory. It gives you the basics and foundation of theory and while showing you how to apply it to various DAWs. It's a fairly easy read and there are quizzes and a CD with examples from the lessons. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

  2. Here are some good subreddits:
    /r/edmproduction/
    /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/
    /r/abletonlive/

  3. As others have mentioned, there are no shortage of resources online. There's tons of Youtube videos and forums where you can find tutorials.

  4. I also recommend listening/reading up on different types of EDM to give yourself a better understanding of what differentiates each genre. For example, check out the "House Music" wiki. Look at the description and try to understand what the "elements" of House music are: Rhythm structure, characteristic sounds, etc.. Do that for the genres you like first, and then venture to others you may not be familiar with.

  5. Lastly, if you're serious about it, stick with it. Just like anything, the more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it. Also, keep in mind it's not a cheap hobby or easy (time wise). You can do a lot of basic stuff with you Macbook and Logic (or whatever DAW you prefer) to get yourself started. I would hold off buying much hardware until you are comfortable with basics. If anything I would start off with some headphone and speaker monitors. (the links are to what I'm using and recommend to get started).


    I hope at least some of that is helpful...Good luck with everything!
u/BlackFox97 · 6 pointsr/hiphopheads

Learn music theory. I've started going through this book recently and it's helping me get the basics down and a lot of stuff is starting to make sense.

Other than that learning the ins and outs of your DAW and the workflow makes everything easier, even if it takes some time and effort.

u/hcghftfjbjkhlugyfjvg · 5 pointsr/edmproduction

Music Theory for Computer Musicians &amp; Dance Music Manual in books. You could use Musictheory.net to learn the basics.

u/Leitmotivdj · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

I am surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet: Music Theory for Computer Musicians.
https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

This book is amazing. It takes you step by step to understanding music theory, in a simple way. No complicated sheet music, everything is explained in a simple way for someone like me who never learned music before. It helped me a lot to understand what I was doing on the keyboard and further diversify my use of different scales.

u/trelll_music · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

I took advanced music theory all through High School and other than reading the odd bit of notation when I am trying to remix a song, my ears and basic understanding of chords is what I mostly use. I hardly ever use the skills taught to me in that class. I refreshed myself a few years ago with this book, very good:

http://www.amazon.ca/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

u/boesedicht · 4 pointsr/TechnoProduction

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

This book teaches you everything you have to know about the fundamentals of music theory and even how to play the different scales on the piano. The chapters are in a logical order, so you don‘t get overwhelmed. After each chapters you can test your knew knowledge with some excercises.

I‘ve read it twice and i think it is an easy way to learn the basics without spending much money.

u/dr_error · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

Here you go, these are arranged according to their importance:

  1. Basic music-theory knowledge: http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034
  2. A workstation that you feel comfortable with. Most of them has a demo, so grab one and stick with it (you'll find tons of tutorials on each one on Youtube, just learn the basics like writing/exporting midi, assigning effects on audio/midi tracks, rendering).
  3. Grab a free synthesizer and learn basics of using a synth (attack, sustain, waves, oscillators): http://reverb.com/news/synth-basics-101
  4. Compressors: http://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-beginners-guide-to-compression--audio-953
  5. Equalization: http://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-basics-of-equalization--audio-16587

    These will get you on track, then you can dive more into complex synthesizers, start buying some loops and manipulate them to be unique, read more about compression (because it's an endless topic), start making collaborations, mixing, mastering (limiters, multi-band compressors and stereo-imaging).
u/tmdfarmer · 3 pointsr/musictheory

Thanks. Would an online course suffice?How about something like this: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-music-theory-berkleex-oharm100x

Regards to books , I'll definitely give that one a check . Not sure if you've come across : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

Or Hook-theory(http://www.hooktheory.com/)

Would you recommend giving these a shot aswell?

u/JamesTheHaxor · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

&gt; BTW, that wiki song structure article is a mess

Agreed. I linked to that wiki article without even really looking. Personally, I like the following books that go into a lot more detail in regards to production and EDM:

u/GreiBeats · 3 pointsr/makinghiphop

Specific to this, you can study tonal harmony, what constitutes a major and minor scale, including natural, harmonic and melodic minor, and studying the circle of fifths and it's reasoning, including understanding what relative minors are, and how keys relate due to their construction.

https://www.musictheory.net/
google-fu
search related forums

If you'd like to get a foundational understanding of music theory that's friendly to people who aren't classically trained, this is the book I'd recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1467063989&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=music+theory+for+computer+musicians

Alternatively, just watch this video a bunch. He gives you some nice bare bones practical use of the circle of 5ths, that you can apply right now.

u/[deleted] · 3 pointsr/edmproduction

Actually I might recommend this as a good middle ground between just opening the DAW and truly learning the piano:

Music Theory for Computer Musicians

I reference it a lot and it's very clear and it teaches you a lot.

u/Trigger757 · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I cant tell you what recording software is right for you, cheapguitars link is a good place to start off looking. Id also check out kvr.com for hosts and plugins, they have as comprehensive a list of audio software as any you will find online, and their forums are a great learning resource.

As for music theory, id recomend this book if you have any interest in doing more than just record electronically.

u/Marie_Orsic · 2 pointsr/TechnoProduction

You could try this book. Might be the best is if you got some music lessons on piano. You don't need to learn to play Rachmaninoff but having somebody to show you proper techniques is going to be helpful. Since you will be paying for it out of your own pocket you are likely going to be more motivated to practice and to continue. Once you have the basics down you can then start to pick up other bits and pieces from other people on YT, friends or what have you. If you're interested in more sort of classical Detroit techno then you would want to look into learn some jazz and gospel for more complex chords. Of course its possible to make techno with out learning any theory and there are many who have done so but you will likely get there faster with it.

u/Kerb3r0s · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

Music Theory for Computer Musicians https://www.amazon.com/dp/1598635034/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xWBVCbA2HCEHM

This book starts from the absolute beginning and walks you through everything you need to k ow to start making music using a DAW and synths. It’s written like a textbook so it has lots of pictures and exercises at the end of each chapter.

u/mczanetti · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

DO NOT GIVE UP


if you enjoy the process of doing music, and like what you are doing, continue with it. i think you should read some technical resources, to get a better understanding on how things work and how they related with each other.

I highly recoment [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034), and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072). You can find booth on torrent, but buy if you can. they tottally worth the price.

one thing i read from a skrillex interview: "everyone starts making shit music. continue making bad music until they start to sound good"

u/Open_Eye_Signal · 2 pointsr/electronicmusic

I actually major in music theory, so don't feel bad :P I'm not really sure of any materials as I've mostly learned from teachers and professors. I've seen this book thrown around a lot:

Music Theory for Computer Musicians

u/rafael000 · 2 pointsr/abletonlive

Find sample packs with sounds you like and make your own racks.

Then, go learn music theory. If you don't know the basics (never played any instrument) it will be hard to do anything good.

I'm a drummer, so I have a hardtime with notes and chords, so I started reading a music theory book for computer musicians. It's not great and it can be hard if you don't know nothing, but it sure helps.

u/xtremeggnog · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

Do you know your way through Ableton already or are you looking to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton?

If you know how to use Ableton already, I highly recommend spending more time delving into music theory over DAW tutorials (especially if you are producing deep house which has more complex chord structures). I bought the following book off Amazon and was happy with what I learned off music theory (allow the beginning starts off a little slow if you have been producing for awhile):

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1537349050&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=music+theory+electronic

If you are wanting to learn more about the in's and out's of Ableton, I'd recommend saving some money and looking up tutorials on YouTube on how to accomplish what you are looking to do. If you have any questions regarding Ableton plugins, there is likely a YouTube tutorial on it for free.

u/schimmi · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

There's not much to add, everyone's already told it like it is. Might i recommend the absolutely wonderful and informative book "Music Theory For Computer Musicians" by Michael Hewit?

On a semi-related note, how did you make that video for your song?

u/Heatedbread · 2 pointsr/EDM

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034
This is hands down the most comprehensive guide I've come across and it's taught me everything I know. If you post on /r/edmproduction this will be the first guide they recommend. If you can't afford that then here is a free guide that is also very good. https://gumroad.com/l/tldrmusic

u/NequissimusMusic · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

this, this and this are said to be pretty good and are on my "to buy" list as well. Just took a short look at one of them at a friend's house a while ago and seems to be pretty well written.
Also: AFAIK written by a redditor. ;)

u/Kinglm · 2 pointsr/ableton

Thank you for the great advice, I bought this book and havent gotten around to reading it yet, and i probably should...

u/ralmeida · 1 pointr/weeklybeats

My song for this week: https://soundcloud.com/blowghoti/hidden-pearl

I tried to do something more relaxing this week, a song I would listen to while coding. I also tried to apply some concepts from the book Music Theory for Computer Musicians, mainly intervals and changing the scale from G to Em.

u/SandwichSound · 1 pointr/ableton

This site and two apps are very useful as you can practice while out and about or bored and on your phone: Music Theory and Tenuto

Here is the book and related ones on Amazon, if you ever feel the need to direct some money towards the author or at least write up a good review for him instead: Music Theory for Computer Musicians

u/explod1ngb0y · 1 pointr/edmproduction

I've been reading Music Theory for Computer Musicians and I really like it so far. It's pretty easy to follow and it has sound clips and exercises at the end of each chapter to help reinforce the lessons.

Here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1598635034

u/EGlass · 1 pointr/edmproduction

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Computer-Musicians-Bk/dp/1598635034

This is where I learned all the basics, highly recommend

u/hailmax · 1 pointr/edmproduction

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Computer-Musicians-Bk/dp/1598635034 this is definitely a good place to start. read this myself and it really helped alot

u/Totrox · 1 pointr/edmproduction

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Computer-Musicians-Bk/dp/1598635034

I absolutely love this. Make sure you buy the copy that comes with the CD!

u/mafgar · 1 pointr/ableton

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Computer-Musicians-Bk/dp/1598635034/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1376269007&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=1598635034

I enjoyed this book, although it has nothing that you couldn't find online already... it was nice to have a physical book to read wherever and think and mull over it all..

u/newmeforever · 1 pointr/edmproduction

The only thing I can really recommend is taking an intro to music theory class (this helped me the most).

But if you cant do that, check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

Other than that check youtube for music theory tutorials for your DAW, and just learn the notes of different chords. And then once you learn that stuff, make sure all the sounds you use in your track is in your key of choice. Of course as you get more advanced you can break the rules, but thats down the line...

u/I_pity_the_fool · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

If you're interested in music theory, I found this book helpful.

u/CorkyRoboto · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Awesome dude! I'm a huge Seven Lions fan, as well as Mitis. Any melodic dubstep really. It sounds like you have found your taste, and a style that you truly love. Now just focus on developing your way of turning that taste into something you're proud of.

Pick something that you feel you need a lot of improvement and work on that. If you're making melodic music I would focus on just that.... melodic stuff. Learn music theory. Buy this book

This book is what really helped me understand music. I am still learning new things everyday about theory. If you wanna make anything like Mitis or Seven Lions you will heavily benefit from theory. Both of those dudes have a solid understanding of music theory and the basic foundations of a song.

Send me that link dude!

u/Tiger_Widow · 1 pointr/edmproduction

bad advice so far imo. You shouldn't try to learn something by randomly messing about until you eventual 'learn' it. Learn theory by reading books written on theory. Start with the basic conceptual stuff like what melody and harmony is and why it works the way it does. Learn your ABCs: major and minor scales, modes. How to build chords, Scale degrees and intervals. the cycle of fifths. The consonant &lt; &gt; Dissonant spectrum and how it relates to melody and harmony e.t.c.

THEN you can 'mess about', but in a structured way and explore the stuff you're learning as you learn it. Simply knowing scales is the equivalent of being able to say "hello" "yes" "no" "my name is" e.t.c. You've really got to get into the underlying relationships of intervals and harmony to begin getting a grasp of how to apply meaning (emotion/rhetoric/feeling) to your music.

the books by Michael Hewitt are a decent start as they apply this stuff in a computer music context. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

later down the line you can get into more complicated stuff like diatonic harmony, classical form, post tonal theory e.t.c.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Form-Functions-Instrumental-Beethoven/dp/019514399X

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195336674/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;tag=masschairevio-20&amp;amp;linkCode=as2&amp;amp;camp=217145&amp;amp;creative=399369&amp;amp;creativeASIN=0195336674

It all depends on how far you want to go with it and ultimately how much control and scope you want to have. A lot of EDM producers are relatively theoretically mute. But it doesn't stop them from making decent music within the practice/genre they're versed in (but that's a different conversation a little outside the scope of your question ;) )

Also, study your favorite tracks, use what knowledge you have to deconstruct music you like, copy the chord progressions, arrangements, mimic timbre, vibe and theme e.t.c. Get familiar with the nuts and bolts of what makes the music you like sound so good to you, and then apply that general orientation in a creative manner to your own workflow.

Hope this helped!

u/Pabl0Esc0bar · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Music Theory for Computer Musicians


Can't recommend this enough.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1598635034/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WgX3CbXVSZR92


He also has books on composition and harmony. These are my goto books along with

Dance Music Manual https://www.amazon.com/dp/1138319643/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6iX3CbJ2DMG77

u/iamartsea · 1 pointr/edmproduction

The first and best thing with making music in general, regardless of DAW, instruments, medium etc. is to first have a basic understanding of music, how it works and music theory. I yet to read it myself as I have had theory training elsewhere, but Michael Hewitt's Music Theory for Computer Musicians is a book I have heard many people swear by to learn theory from. You may be able to borrow it from your local library or something too. Understanding scales, chords etc. from the get go, will be your compass for making music as you go. Now, many people will say 'you don't need as much theory' in music production, but they use music theory without even knowing it, they pick up the pieces unknowingly along the way. You can do that, but it's learning the hard way; isn't it better to have the compass at the beginning then to build it on the way?

Now that that's out of the way, find a basic FL Studio series tutorial to understand how the program works from basics to more advanced. Play along as you go, moving and tweaking things as you learn. Once you understand, start making something everyday. It can be a 4 bar loop, it's okay. The thing is, no matter how hard you try, you're not going to make good music at first. To get to the good stuff, you need to go through the crap. And the fastest way to learn is to do it everyday, without fail. And when you do this, maybe focus on something different every week. For example, the music I make this week is going to focus on learning Serum, or the music I make this week is focusing on how to mix using volume faders, or the next week will be using reverb to create depth in a mix etc. Focus on one thing at a time but still make music. Immerse yourself in the culture of production so that you constantly learn and do.

Hope that helped. :)

u/Imadigm · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034

buy this book. just buy it. also buy the mixing secrets book for the small studio. trust me. theyre phenomenal and will change your craft basically overnight

u/gopher9 · 1 pointr/musictheory

&gt; for example, instead of learning note names, I associated notes with fingerings on whatever instrument I was playing

There's literally nothing wrong with it especially if your instrument has an isomorphic layout.

Actually, isomorphic layouts allow you represend things in a very clear and intuitive way:

http://www.thecipher.com/Janko_scales.gif
http://www.thecipher.com/Janko_sevenths.gif

&gt; how to form a basic chord

By chaining thirds. If you want to get an inversion, move the bottom note one octave higher. Octave equivalence is a powerful concept, use it.

&gt; I guess I'm looking for moral support just as much as constructive advice

Read MTfCM. This is a great introduction book into music theory. Every concept is clearly explained, and showed not only in notes, but also on keyboard, tablature and piano roll.

u/kxion · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Hey,

I had the same question very recently and realized that I just need to learn some of music theory, not sure how deep I'm going to dig into it, but so my resources so far: