Although its origins date back to the mid-19th century, the first electronic musical instruments used for composition were the heterophone and the rhythmicon, created by Leon Theremin. Thanks to technological progress, synthesizers, which were once reserved for music studios, are now available to all electronic music lovers, who want to compose on their own or be part of a group. Likewise, the processes of arranging and recording electronic musical compositions have also been made simpler and can be done at home as well as in a dedicated recording studio.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Electronic Musical Instruments
Step 1. Create electronic music with a synthesizer
Although "synthesizer" is used as a synonym for "electronic musical instrument", this term refers to the part of the musical instrument that actually produces the music: the beats, rhythms and tones.
- Early synthesizers, such as the Moog Minimoog, were only capable of producing one tone at a time (they were therefore monophonic). These synthesizers could not produce the secondary tones generated by other musical instruments, although some could produce two notes at the same time by pressing two keys. Since the mid-1970s, synthesizers have been available that can produce multiple tones at once (polyphonic), which made it possible to generate chords in addition to single notes.
- Almost all early synthesizer models were separate from the medium used to control the resulting sound. Many electronic musical instruments, especially those dedicated to home use, integrate the control unit into the synthesizer.
Step 2. Manipulate the synthesizer with the instrument control unit
Early synthesizers were controlled by flipping switches, turning knobs, or, in the case of the theremin (the name given to the hetophone), by the position of the operator's hand above the instrument. Modern control units are much easier to use and control the synthesizer thanks to MIDI technology. Some of the control units are described below.
- Keyboard. This is the most common control unit. The keyboards range in size from the full 88-key (7 octave) ones found on digital pianos to the 25-key (2 octave) ones you can find on toy keyboards. Home keyboards typically have 49, 61 or 76 keys (4, 5 and 6 octaves respectively). Some keyboards have weighted keys to simulate the response of a piano, while others have spring-loaded keys; still others combine springs with lighter weights than weighted keys. Many have a pressure sensor, which allows you to generate louder sounds according to the force exerted on the keys.
- Mouth / breath control unit. This unit is found on wind synthesizers, an electronic instrument made similar to a saxophone, clarinet, or trumpet. You will need to blow to adjust the sound, which you can modify using your thumb or jaw in certain ways.
- MIDI guitar. This software allows you to use an acoustic or electric guitar, with a pickup, to control a synthesizer. MIDI guitars work by converting string vibrations into digital data. There is often a delay between input and output due to the amount of samples required to create the digital sound.
- SynthAxe. Now out of production, the SynthAxe worked by dividing the fingerboard into 6 diagonal zones and using the strings as sensors. The tone was generated according to how much the strings were bent.
- Keytar. This control unit is shaped like a guitar body + neck, but has a 3 octave fingerboard on the guitar body and other sound manipulation controls on the neck. Inspired by an 18th century instrument called the orphica, it offers the player the control of a keyboard and the mobility of a guitar.
- Electronic drums. Introduced in 1971, electronic drums are usually available in series of drums similar to those of acoustic drums, including cymbals. Earlier versions played pre-recorded samples, while newer versions create sounds with mathematical equations. If it is integrated with headphones, it is possible for the musician to play electronic drums without producing audible sounds for others.
- Radio battery. Originally designed as a three-dimensional "mouse", the radio battery detects the position of the two sticks in three dimensions, varying the sound produced according to the surface of the "battery" they are in contact with.
- BodySynth. It was a wearable control unit that used muscle tension and body movements to control sounds and lights. It was designed to be used by dancers and other performers, but in many cases it was too difficult to control. There are simpler forms of BodySynth that use gloves or shoes as a control unit.
Part 2 of 4: Equipment for Electronic Music Production
Step 1. Choose a computer of sufficient power and make sure you are familiar with the system
While standalone electronic musical instruments are sufficient for playing electronic music, you will need a computer if you want to produce this genre of music.
- A desktop or laptop is suitable for creating music. If you want to produce music in a specific place, you will probably prefer a desktop computer. If you want to be free to produce music anywhere, for example when rehearsing with your band, you will probably need a laptop.
- Use the operating system you know best. However, choose the latest version of Windows or Mac OS X that you can access.
- Your system should have sufficient CPU power and enough memory to handle the music making process. If you don't know what requirements your system should have, do some research on computers built specifically for gaming or multimedia use.
Step 2. Pair your computer with good music equipment
You can create great electronic music with the sound processor that comes with your computer and inexpensive speakers. However, if you can afford it, you should consider one of the following improvements:
- Audio card. Using a sound card designed for electronic music production is recommended if you are planning a lot of external recordings.
- Studio monitor. These are not computer speakers, but rather speakers designed for studio recording (“monitor” in this sense means that the speaker exactly reproduces the audio source, with little or no distortion). You can buy inexpensive studio monitors from the M-Audio and KRK Systems brands, while the highest quality models are manufactured by Focal, Genelec and Mackie.
- Studio quality headphones. Listening from headphones rather than speakers helps you focus better on the individual parts of the song, and helps you keep track of rhythms and volume levels. Studio headphone manufacturers include Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser.
Step 3. Install a good music production program
You will need the following software to create electronic music:
- Digital Audio Workstation (DAW, Digital Audio Workstation). The DAW is the real music creation program that allows all other software to work together. Its interface typically simulates the mixer, tracks, and transport controls of analog music studios, as well as showing the waveform of recorded sounds. Among the most used DAWs we remember Ableton Live, Cakewalk Sonar, Cubase, FL Studio, Logic Pro (only on MacOS environment), Pro Tools, Reaper and Reason. There are also freeware DAWs like Ardor and Zynewave Podium.
- Audio editor program. An audio editor offers major file editing capabilities of DAWs, including the ability to edit samples and convert compositions to MP3 format. Sound Forge Audio Studio is an example of an inexpensive audio editor, while Audacity is one of the many freeware versions available.
- Synthesizers or instruments with Virtual Studio Technology (VST). These are the software versions of the electronic musical instrument synthesizer components described in the previous section. You will install them as plugins in your DAW. You can find many of these plugins for free on the internet by searching for "free software synths", "free VST" or "free synthesizer software" or you can buy VST synthesizers from manufacturers such as Artvera, H. G. Fortune, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, or reFX.
- VST effects. These plugins offer musical effects such as reverb, chorus, delay and others. They are available from many of the same manufacturers as the VST plugins, in freeware or paid versions.
- Champions. Samples are musical sounds, beats and rhythms that you can use to enhance your compositions. They are usually organized into genre-specific packages (such as blues, jazz, country, rap or rock) and include individual sounds and loops. Commercial sample packs are usually offered royalty free - you get the rights to use them in your compositions at the time of purchase. Some audio software companies include access to free samples on the internet, and there are third party sources that offer free and paid samples.
Step 4. Consider whether to use a MIDI controller
While you can compose music on your computer using its keyboard as a "virtual piano" and mouse, it will be easier if you connect a MIDI controller to your system. As with standalone electronic musical instruments, the keyboard is the most widely used MIDI control unit; you can choose the drive you prefer from those described in the previous section, if supported by your software.
Part 3 of 4: Before Composing Your Music
Step 1. Learn music theory
While you can play an electronic musical instrument or compose music on your computer without being able to read a score, some notions of musical structure will help you understand how to improve your production and spot mistakes you make.
On wikiHow you can find numerous articles dealing with this topic
Step 2. Learn the capabilities of your tool or software
Even if you tried it before you bought it, take the time to experiment with your gear before tackling a serious project. You will have a clearer idea of its potential and maybe you will find some ideas for your compositions.
Step 3. Familiarize yourself with the genre of music you want to compose
Each musical genre has some elements associated with it. The easiest way to learn these elements is to listen to songs from genres that interest you and understand how they use these elements.
- Beat and rhythms. Rap and hip-hop are characterized by heavy, enthralling rhythms and beats, while big band jazz is known for syncopated and dynamic beats, and country music often has a shuffle beat.
- Tools. Jazz is known for using brass (trumpet, trombone) and woodwinds (clarinet, saxophone), while heavy metal is known for heavy electric guitars, Hawaiian music for ukulele, folk music for guitar acoustics, mariachi music for trumpets and guitars and polka for tuba and accordion. Many songs and artists, however, have successfully integrated instruments from other musical genres into their genre, such as Bob Dylan, who at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival made use of the electric guitar, Johnny Cash's use of mariachi trumpets. in the opening of “Ring of Fire”, or Ian Anderson, who played the flute as a solo instrument in the rock group Jethro Tull.
- Song Structure: Many songs with vocal tracks played on the radio begin with an introduction, followed by verse, chorus, another verse, chorus, bridge (often a shortened verse), chorus, and closing. In contrast, nearly all "trance" instrumental pieces played in discos begin with an introduction, followed by a melody that grows to the point where all the instruments are played together, and ends with a fading coda.
Part 4 of 4: Making Your Own Electronic Music
Step 1. Start with the beat
The beat and rhythm are the backbone of the song. To create them you will need to use the drum sounds from your sample packs.
Step 2. Add the bass line
The next element to add is the bass line, played by an electric bass or other instrument capable of producing low sounds. Make sure the bassline and drum beat are in tune before inserting the other instruments.
Step 3. Add other rhythms as desired
Not all songs have just one rhythm. Some use multiple rhythms, with the secondary rhythms used to grab the listener's attention or to emphasize key moments in the song's history. Make sure the additional rhythms work in concert with the main ones to produce the effect you want.
Step 4. Add melody and harmony
Here you will need to make use of your VST tools. You can use the preset sounds or experiment with the controls to find the sound you want.
Step 5. Mix the sounds to the desired levels
The beat, the rhythms and the melody must work well together. To achieve this, choose one component that serves as a reference sound to tune the others; in most cases it will be the beat.
- In some cases, you will want to get a "thicker" (richer) sound and not louder. To do this, you can use multiple instruments in one part of the song, or use the same instrument multiple times. The second effect is often obtained with vocal tracks, recorded by choristers or by the singer himself. It is thanks to this technique that the singer Enya gets her characteristic sounds.
- You may want to introduce elements of variety by using different instruments in the different choruses of the song - particularly if you try to provoke different emotional reactions. You may also decide to vary the register, or key of the song, to make the song lively.
- You won't have to fill every second of your songs with all the elements at your disposal. In some cases, such as in stanzas, you can omit the chord harmonies and leave only the beats, melodies and vocals to drag on the song. In other cases, such as at the beginning and at the end, you might use only the vocal track.
Step 6. Understand what the audience expects
If you are producing electronic music for audiences, you will need to consider their expectations, such as creating an introduction that grabs their attention and encourages them to listen to the rest of the song. You won't have to submit to his every whim, though; if over-producing the chorus doesn't seem like the right choice, don't.
Advice
- When choosing the right DAW or other music production program, try the demo versions to find the one that's right for you.
- When you have created a song, try playing it on different audio systems, such as home stereo, car stereo, MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, many different speakers and headphones. Try to get the best possible sound on all media.
