How to Begin a Music Production

Beginning a new production from scratch can often be intimidating because it is usually the first real interaction the client has with the producer. It can be an enormous undertaking for both parties—however, once you get beyond the initial fear it will become an amazing experience.

In this article I'll discuss some preliminary steps towards getting the project off the ground.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Organize a meeting between the artist and producer, commonly referred to as "pre-production." This is where all of the goals and expectations of the project are established.

2. In this meeting you may pose questions like:
   
   Is this considered a project for commercial release or is it more of an indie project?
   Do you want to retain an organic quality to the music or perhaps more slickness?
   Will musicians be hired to perform or do you wish to program much of the material?

3. You may choose to pose a few questions just to understand the artist's vision and expectations such as:
   
   Is this project slated for commercial release or is it more of an indie project?
   Do you wish to retain an organic quality or do you intend to achieve a "slick" sound?
   Do you intend to hire musicians or prefer to program much of the material?
   What expectation do you have of me as a producer?

4. Once you have established a common goal and understanding of the project you can now take steps to make it a reality.

5. If you are working with a vocalist it is a good idea to have them sing a bit A cappella just to hear their performance. You may decide that the key of the song they have chosen is not within their "comfortable range," and thus harder to sing. In which case you may lower or raise the key of the song, by say, a half-step.

6. Find an appropriate tempo for the song. It is not uncommon for the vocalist/composer to construct the tempo slower than what is acceptable. It's an unconscious mistake and typically derived from making it easier to compose and rehearse. It's only later that the artist discovers the song needs to be increased in speed to really be effective.

7. Once the preliminaries are in place I like to record a scratch track of them performing the song in its new form. This way we can both determine whether or not our changes have worked. Sometimes they don't. We can then come together as a team to find ways to make it work on the fly.
   
   As a result of this interaction the "ice has been broken" and a relationship has been established.
   
   We can move on to make some music!