The biggest debate among music enthusiasts usually doesn’t rage over what genre or artist is the best, but rather whether it is better to learn music by ear or by learning music theory.  Of course, many of the best musicians will be skilled to the point that they are fully competent when it comes to music theory, but are also equally capable of listening to something and replicating it immediately.

Who Learns by Ear?

Learning by ear tends to be associated with more simple types of music. Although many people might learn guitar or other instruments by ear, doing so will often be accompanied by reading tablature, or some other literature that directs them along the way.

Knowing Your Instrument

If you’re planning to learn music by ear, then it is worthwhile getting to know your instrument or the style prior to doing so. Even if you have a loose idea of notes, tone, and chords, it will help you to pick up what other people are doing quickly and easily.

From here, all you are left to do is to begin listening to the music you want to learn and replicate, before trying to put it together yourself. However, it isn’t as simple as just putting in your earphones and getting on with it. That covers the basics of what you need to do, but, as with learning music theory, breaking down music and training your ear will make things much easier.

Training Your Ear

You might have heard someone be described as being ‘tone deaf’. You might have even been called this yourself! However, musical ability isn’t something you’re born with and either have it or not; you can train yourself to de-construct music and identify notes and sounds, all of which will help you when it comes to learning by ear.

Chords and rhythm will be the big things you need to be able to pick up, which in turn will help you to train your tonal memory and become competent at learning music by ear.

Getting Help

While most people want to clearly define the differences between music theory and learning by ear, there are a number of music software platforms designed for theorists that are also excellent for learning by ear. EarMaster is a good example of such a service, although others are available.

Music by Ear

Learning music by ear can be challenging, but it is possible, even if you have in the past found yourself a little ‘tone deaf.’ Start by knowing the basics of your instrument, and how music is constructed, and you’ll find you quickly start to pick it up a lot easier. Most people who want to learn by ear would prefer to leave music theory alone, but it can actually be a great help in getting you started.

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You’ve all heard the famous stories about the musicians who don’t know the first thing about the technical theoretical side of music, and have made a living just by being able to write great lyrics and put a tune together on a guitar.

While that works for some, others prefer to learn music theory to ensure they are fully confident in what they’re doing. Having a sound knowledge of music theory can also be more useful if you have an interest in a particular genre, or are interested in the dynamics of a classical orchestra, for example. Music theorists also aren’t always instrument players; they might just want to move into production or another area of the industry.

What is Music Theory?

The easiest way to look at music theory is that it’s the equivalent of grammar in writing. It provides a foundation and a basis for creating robust, technically correct pieces of work, while for instrument players it allows them to understand music when it is written and play the sounds in the manner intended.

What do You Already Know?

What you already know or can do with an instrument can make learning music theory easy or difficult, depending on a number of variables. If you’re starting from scratch, then you should look for the most simplified resources available, whether that’s a book or an online platform, and ensure it is pitched at a level you can understand and relate to.

Take the time to do this; simply going straight for something like a ‘Dummies’ series might sound sensible, but it might just be telling you what you already know.

Master One Thing at a Time

Music theory is a huge spectrum of ideas and principles, and is going to take a long time to learn and master. With that in mind, fashioning an approach to learning music theory can be difficult.

The best approach to take is to learn one thing at a time, and then put it into practice, ensuring you’re great at it before moving onto the next step. The trick is to start building each new element of music theory into what you’re doing, so it’s a progressive journey where you’re continually adding new ideas and learning to your repertoire.

Finding a Focus

If you’re passionate about a particular niche, like rock music, for example, then ensure you focus on the areas that are most relevant to that. Learning about pentatonic scale will be more useful than maintaining rhythm or a consistent beat, for example, while harmonies might not be something you’re too bothered about, either.

Learning Music Theory

Learning music theory is a difficult thing to do, but you can make it as simple as possible my having a plan and focussing on the areas most relevant to you. Remember that practice makes perfect, and you’ll find learning music theory easier than you imagined possible.

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If you’re interested in music in any way, one of the most intriguing aspects of getting involved is learning how to mix music. Whether on a record or in a club, it is likely that you’ve heard tracks mixed and wondered how on Earth it happens.

The good news is that it isn’t too difficult to do, and that with a little practice, you can become brilliant at mixing music. You don’t need to shell out thousands on mixing equipment, either. If you want to, you can use a computer software program to mix music for you, but the best sound engineers, producers, and DJs, prefer to use a mixing board and do it themselves.

However, whichever method you choose, the elements are very similar. If you’re just getting started with mixing music, it is likely that you’ll opt for a software program, so the advice here is based on these.

Knowing Music

The big thing you need to be able to do before you get started with mixing is identify different instruments and beats within music. Learn to pick up bass lines, drumbeats, and guitar rhythms before you start, and it’ll be much easier to learn how to mix music.

Stereo Mixing

When you mix in stereo, essentially you’re mixing for both of your ears, so can build sounds that are to be picked up by either ear, or both. Sounds complicated, but it’ll make sense as you start to mix your track with headphones on.

Drum Mixing

The drumbeat is the basis for all music, and should be the first thing you build into your mix. Drums usually work best when they’re centred, but as you build your mixing skills you might want to move certain elements, such as the high-hat or cymbal, to either side.

Bass and Vocals

With bass and lead vocals, you’re pretty much restricted to keeping these in the centre, otherwise your track probably won’t make much sense. Depending in the track and effects you’re trying to create, you can use backing vocals on either side as you start to build the depth of your track.

Guitar Mixing

This is where you can have a little fun, as the guitars give you a lot of license to get creative and play around with your mixing. It is often worth doubling up on the guitar sounds to create a more distinct and powerful track, but if you’re mixing for a band who’ll be playing instruments in a live situation, you’ll need to ensure you’re not putting too much into the track. If you go too far, you’ll be putting the band in a position where their live music sounds weaker than a recording, when most bands prefer the opposite effect.

Does it Work in Mono?

When you’ve mixed your track in stereo, listen to it in mono. You have no control over how a listener or a radio station, for example, might present the track; the last thing you want is for someone to listen to a mono track and for it to sound rubbish!

Once you’re started with mixing, it’s quite easy to put together. Make sure you’re checking everything as you go, and you’ll quickly be mixing great sounding tracks whatever the genre.

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