The relationship between music producer and artist is the most important in any creation of a song.
Therefore it is quite vital to establish a working relationship with your producer in order for you to properly give information to them pertaining to execution, process or suggestions.
This post will effectively run down how to establish great communication with your music producer.
Listen As Much As You Speak
One of the most common barriers in any sort of communication is not listening enough to what you’re being said.
This sends out a bad signal to the other person by making their opinion feel unimportant.
One of the useful tools of communication that you should employ with your
producer is careful listening in order for you to have some context around what is being discussed.
Your music will always be a collaborative effort between you and the producer therefore it is vital that you value what they have to say.
Careful listening is the tool that will let you ask the right questions (the right questions to ask a music producer) at the right time.
If you talk all the time, communication will be difficult not only for you but for your producer as well.
Speak Clearly
This cannot be emphasized enough.
You have to be very clear when you speak!.
Relay the information to your producer in a manner that helps them to understand and be able to give you feedback and advice.
Try and speak slowly if you can, take the time to properly convey your ideas.
Thinking about what you want to say and then speaking clearly will help you get your ideas out effectively because you will have taken time to process your thought pattern.
Speaking clearly also helps eliminate conversations that lead to misunderstandings.
Reference Tracks
Good reference tracks will save you so much time in explaining details and things of that nature.
Provide good reference tracks to your producer to give them an idea of what you’re looking for.
This will help the producer tailor the song to your specifications and references.
a reference will say more than words could ever say and it is vital that you look at things this way.
Provide atleast 3 reference tracks that explain exactly what you’re looking for.
Give Feedback
Don’t be a person that only points out the missteps or the flaws in the process but also be attentive to give feedback when things are going well too.
This will give a signal to the producer that their good work is being appreciated. An incentive like this can be really helpful to the whole process.
General good feedback will also give the producer some context as to what is being required from them.
This context can then become the foundation for the whole song
Ask Questions
The best way to get an idea of the producer you intend to work with is to ask questions.
This is one of the key things that should be established at the beginning of your working relationship with the producer.
The more you both know about each other, the better.
If you already have a relationship it’s still good to ask because Music production requires a lot nuance and technique to it and the producer is usually the one with this information.
When you ask and seek advice they can give you responses that can help you understand the process a whole lot better.
If you’re just getting started working with a music producer some specific questions can work in your favour.
I have a post about what questions you need to ask a music producer HERE.
Be Specific
There is really no other barrier to communication than being vague.
You have to be very specific about what you want in order for the producer to be in a better position to help you.
Music requires a surgical approach and this usually means having the idea down to a T.
Regularly Communicate Plans
To create a good working relationship that has you both working towards the same goal is what every artist-producer relationship should lead to.
Therefore communicating your plans and vision for your music to the producer is a good way of giving some to context to everything.
Have An Understanding Of Musical Terms
One of the barriers that can lead to poor communication with a producer is trying to explain details you do not understand.
Therefore be sure to have some background with some music terms like delay, reverb, compression, decay etc.
This may not be a requirement for effective communication but it can something that makes the process easier.
My advice is learn from your producer as much as you can and ask when you need to.
Understanding the basic music terms will help you be able to convey your messages a lot easier.
Keep Things Simple
Your ideas should not be conveyed in a complicated way, you should not be too arcane.
Its easier for people to understand language that is explained simply.
Granted there may be times when technical terms would be employed, but try as much as possible to keep everything light and less complicated.
One effective technique you can use is employing examples to aid your explanations.
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EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PRODUCER – Artisan Music
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