September

Ten Things that Every Musician Should Know

Posted In: Music Theory, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

As my Music Theory and Producing class comes to a close, I’m reflecting on things that my students should know for the final exam. Then, it hit me that there are several things that every musician should know. I’m sure these things will inspire future posts as I expand on some of the individual topics, but for right now, here’s the basic list:

Order of whole steps and half steps for a major scale and minor scale
Number of accidentals (sharps/flats) for each key
Which accidentals are present in each key signature
Chord qualities (Major, minor, Augmented, or diminshed) for each scale degree in a major and minor key
Relative majors and minors
Which scaled degree of the parent key is each mode built from
Which notes are altered in each mode if you started with a major (or minor) scale
Which chord qualities are altered from a major (or minor scale) for each mode
The differences between simple and compound meters and how to count them
How to count and conduct the most commonly used meters

Stay tuned for future posts as I expand on these topics in greater detail!

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July

29

My Music Sounds Fine, Why Do I Need to Learn Music Theory?

Posted In: Music Theory, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

Right now, I’m headlong into teaching a Music Theory for Producers class. My students are struggling with the reasons behind having to learn music theory and read music. They question, for example, why they have to know the difference between a simple triple meter and a compound duple meter. What relevance does this knowledge serve? Does knowing make my music better?

If you get right down to it, the answer is no. Many musicians strictly play by ear, and a large portion of musicians in general don’t know the mechanics and theory behind what they’re playing. So, understanding music theory or being able to read music is not an absolute necessity when producing or being a musician. But what it does do is help you communicate with your musicians and session players. Oftentimes, we’ll get an idea in our heads, but we won’t quite be able to convey that idea in a way that others can understand. Learning at least basic music theory will give you a knowledge base that will help you be able to formulate your ideas so you can articulate them. When you’re able to speak to musicians on their level, you are more likely to get exactly what you want out of them. Also, if you’re asked a question, you’ll likely have a better answer. However, if you don’t understand the theory behind the question, you may not have an answer at all!

A second consideration is sequencing. My students are pretty much split equally among three categories: rockers, rappers, and non-musicians (audio engineers or producers only). Understanding music theory, particularly when it deals with rhythm, is of particular importance to those who want to produce hip-hop beats. Not that you can’t “feel” the beat and go by instinct, but understanding rhythm and meter do help a great deal with setting up your tracks and sequencer. For example, if you’re setting up your metronome on your sequencer to record a track, you might question whether to the meter of your song to 3/4 or 6/8 (which is, by the way, an example of a simple triple meter and a compound duple meter). They both contain the same number of eighth notes, but they group the notes differently. Understanding the difference between the two, and being able to hear them both in your head, will lead you to the right solution for your track.

You don’t have to be a master of music theory to make great music. However, understanding how music works can help ease the process, save time, and alleviate frustration.

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July

4

Happy 4th of July, and Some Recommended Reading

Posted In: Career Building, Music Theory, Recording, Uncategorized by claybutlermusic

I’m taking a bit of a break from the norm this weekend to be with family and friends, so I’m not going to post anything lengthy. However, as I reflect on the freedoms that I enjoy as a U.S. citizen, primarily the right to education and the freedom to be able to pursue my goals and dreams, I’m reminded that I return to my role as college professor this coming week. I’m teaching another quarter on Music Production and Introductory Music Theory–basically a class on how to be a producer.

The class has some required reading, and I wanted to share that book with all of you. The Art of Producing is one of the definitive books on how to become a music producer. It’s incredibly thorough, yet easy to understand. It covers everything from basic music theory, planning and organization, budgeting, musical composition and arranging techniques, and mixing. I refer to the book time and again as a refresher, and I recommend it to all my students who want to produce music as a career (their own or for others). Now I recommend it to you to!

Enjoy your holiday!

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