Music Production Analysis

Course Authors: Stephen Webber

View a video of course author Stephen Webber discussing Music Production Analysis.

Watch a video of course author Stephen Webber interviewing legendary producer Don Was.

Music Production Analysis distills decades of experience from record producers (including course author Stephen Webber, as well as Phil Ramone, Kyle Lehning, Don Was and more) into a focused step-by-step approach of the essential elements of successful records. The genres may change, the message and the lyrics may change, but the actual craft of how to make a great record remains the same. This course will develop your listening skills, and teach you how producers who have 30 years of experience listen to music differently than developing producers.

The course begins with an analysis and appraisal of one of the most important facets of a production: the emotional effectiveness of the music. From there, you'll learn arrangement techniques designed to guide musicians in a way which they add value to the recording, as opposed to just playing their own parts. You'll learn the difference between producing a mix and engineering a mix, and transform the way that you approach mixing a record so your work reaches its full potential.

Music Production Analysis uses many popular music examples (including the Beatles, Miles Davis, Radiohead, Billie Holiday, Bonnie Raitt, Bjork, Randy Travis, Bob Marley, and many others), insights from some of the world's most successful record producers, and rare demos—gathered from the original producers, artists, and songwriters—to reveal the exact production processes which contributed to the final recorded product.

At the conclusion of this course, you'll have the skills to listen to music like a seasoned producer. You'll learn to identify the elements of effective records through in depth analysis of a number of classic records, and you'll gain the skills to bring these elements to your own productions. It's also important to note that by taking this course you will avoid much of the trial and error that comes with learning music production, and by doing so, you will save time and make better records, quicker.

While designed especially for aspiring record producers, this course will also be extremely helpful to recording artists, recording engineers, songwriters, record labels, publishers, artist managers, session players, music journalists, and music educators.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Analyze the essential elements of effective records
• Identify key vocal production techniques: doubling, layering, distressing, tuning, compression, echo, and reverb; and apply these skills to your own productions
• Discover musical, emotional, performance and arrangement techniques designed to make your records into something that people are going to really want to listen to.
• Make your recording stand out from the tens of thousands of records released every year.

What You Should Know

• Course Outline / Syllabus
• Requirements for Music Production Analysis

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