Training the ear for effective music production

 

Producing excellent music requires one to have ears that are both talented and skilled. Listening is a muscle that demands to be trained, exercised, and sharpened through critical and analytical listening. While a background in music theory isn’t a requirement for music producers, an understanding of audio concepts is essential.

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The objective of critical listening is to decipher the physical characteristics of a certain mix. Physical characteristics of a mix include the blending of the instruments, dynamic range, tone, and studio imaging. According to DJ-producer James Haidak, determining these qualities of a mix allows a producer to know how to arrange vocals, instruments, and other sounds without their different frequencies clashing with one another.

A critical ear is not enough to produce sound that speaks to the psyche. Analytical listening deals with the artistic approach to musicmaking. Here, the feelings of songs are identified, altered, and fashioned as the artist and producer wish. Excellent melodies and harmonies are not necessarily produced by critical listening but rather honed by analytical listening. Future music producers must make it a point to practice both principles of listening in order to have their ears trained for effective music production.

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One of the ways to train the ears to proper listening is by consuming songs that are mixed and mastered excellently, says James Haidak. Doing this would help one to eventually identify frequencies or recognize the color of the sounds. Dabble in a little music theory to know the scales, chords, and intervals in order to produce sounds that are pleasing when heard critically and analytically.

Up-and-coming producer and DJ James Haidak has found his home base in Koh Phangan, Thailand and the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. His signature sound is distinctly influenced by deep house and electronica, but he likes to mix it up when he spins. Head over to this page for more reads from James Haidak.

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