What music theory should a producer know?

Introduction

Music theory is one of the core subjects that contain analytic theory to be applied in music production. In constructive ways, music theory is one of the building blocks when you are making music. Those are a set of rules that naturally align with music. For you to understand music theory you need to know them and practice to become a better music producer. For example, every piece of music you're listening to contains a set of chords aligned together in a circle to create a melody properly, Every melodic expression has its structure foundation that functions as a building block that may either contain specific notes arranged in chords or a certain key. The value of the music you're creating may either be calculated to give a right or wrong impression, without music theory you're music may either sound out of key or off the scale. Furthermore, music theory includes notes,rythm, chords, scale, melody, and harmony so In this section, I will explore basic music theory for music producers:

Melody Structure

What music theory should a producer know?

Use of notes. A note is a distinct sound that when played provides a special sound in a specific key. Different notes have different pitches which means they can either be high pitch or low pitch that's why there are seven musical notes you should know which are A, B, C, D, E, F or G Each of them provides with different sound although there are sub categories. For example, When you play an A note it's different from when you play an F note. To differentiate them you need to listen to the sound. So as a music producer, you should know at least seven basic notes especially if you are a beginner.

Use of scale. This is an important matter concerning music production so as a producer you should learn to recognise different scales. Of course, scale is an organized sequence of musical notes. Here we are talking about ( 12 notes per scale) that may either be ascending or descending but with a pleasant sound. Furthermore, the scale can be differentiated by pitch. The scale may either be a Major, minor or pentatonic Scale. It's your duty as a music producer to identify them so that it can help you to create music you like in the right way; a professional standard.

Know rythm. Is a repetitive movement, a sequence that is created when elements of beats are slightly changed every time they are played. It's a regular pattern of beats. Melody loops are rhythmic so as a music producer you should be aware of how to create a rhythmic phase to get a better melody which is a basic and important matter. Your melody needs to match with rhythm. so that it becomes pleasant and not exaggerated. Without rhythm, the melody will sound like nothing because rhythm adds more texture and focal point, so as a producer you should create your melody based on rhythmic phase that is easy and pleasant, especially in melodies.

Use of chord progression. This implies the use of combined notes in phase to create a scale that matches major and minor or pentatonic chord progression. The chord progression is simply more than one chord whose full functionality is to create rhythm. You can create create a beat using only chords.Fore.example there are major chord and minor chords you should be aware of specifically when you want to produce sound. Chords are building blocks of all melodies in such a way that you can write lyrics over them. By Using chord progression your beat will be easier to explore and thus marketable as well and it will match with rhythm and therefore artists artist-friendly. Simple ways to create melody is by creating a specific chord and then aligning notes underneath or above it.

Melody.One of the things you need to understand as a music producer. There is Nothing like melody nowadays that means no beat no melody. The melody represents the artist's feelings and therefore it is subjected to be one of the constituents that will make your beat healthy and more presentable. Good melody It is easier to write over them because it triggers the artist's rational feelings and easier the flow. One thing You should remember as a producer you should give your melody a focal point and good rhythm. Another simple way to write down melody is by transforming what is in your thoughts and mind into your DAW. Either You should pick random notes and rearrange them to give you a clear rhythm in scale or start with a chord progression technique.

Harmony. As a producer, you should be able to combine two distinct sounds to create a new music sound with a pleasant texture and good rhythm. It can be either by remixing them or restructuring your sound. This is one of the creative ways to master the art of production so as a producer you should learn and understand how harmony works especially in music. You might get two different ideal sounds but for you to get out with a strong melody, you should imply the concept of Harmony. for example when one listens to two brass playing the same song but with different notes being played by the same instrument.

Musical Notation. This implies how to record and present your music. This is so important because when you get an idea you should know how to write them down in your DAW or play Any other Instruments so that you can record them ready for presentation. It includes how to arrange your music ideas and composing skills. It is very easy though it might seem difficult at first sight but generally, practice makes perfect.This also involves writing down notes , time signatures, focal points, and rest. Therefore as a music producer, you should understand how to record and represent your music visually.

Fundamental frequency. As a music producer, you should be able to allow space for each instrument to take part in the mix because each instrument has its specific playroom. Giving enough space to each one of them will make your beat clearer. For example, the Fundamental frequency range of Snare is around 150hz to 200hz. It should be somewhere around those frequencies and that will be able to fit perfectly in the mix. Failure to do so will make your music not sound better and boring because the frequency will overlap with other frequencies of the rest of the instruments which is not going to sound good.