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Introduction to Electronic Music

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Based on 223 ratings
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J. Anthony Allen

100% Answer Rate.   Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.

This is a general course for people with little or no experience producing electronic music. This course will cover all general aspects of music-making (key, pitch, form, harmony), through basic audio concepts (waveforms, frequency spectrum, etc.) ending at basic concepts of synthesis and MIDI. 

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100% Answer Rate.   Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.

This is a general course for people with little or no experience producing electronic music. This course will cover all general aspects of music-making (key, pitch, form, harmony), through basic audio concepts (waveforms, frequency spectrum, etc.) ending at basic concepts of synthesis and MIDI. 

The class will be taught by J. Anthony Allen (Ph.D.), an instructor of music composition at Slam Academy, McNally Smith College of Music, and an Ableton Certified Trainer. All ages and skill levels are welcome. 

My Promise to You:

I am a full-time music producer, composer, and Educator. If you have any questions please post them in the class or send me a direct message. I will respond within 24 hours. And if you find this class isn't for you, I am more than happy for you to take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.

What makes me qualified to teach you?

In addition to being a composer and educator,  I also have a Ph.D. in music, I am a university music professor, and have a long list of awards for teaching.

But more importantly: I use this stuff every day. I write music professionally, I am an active guitarist, and I stay on top of all the latest production techniques, workflows, and styles. As you will see in this class, I just love this stuff. And I love teaching it.

Let's get started.  

See you in lesson 1.

All best,

Jason (but call me Jay...)

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of audio signal processing and recording.
  • You will learn how midi works, where it comes from, and how to use it to produce.
  • You will walk through the history of these tools in a light and fun way.

Syllabus

Digital Audio Production

Why take this class, what we will cover, and how I will cover it.

Video 1: Orientation

A summary of the main points in the first video.

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As you might guess, this is one of my favorite things to talk about. In the lecture below, I've condensed my normal lecture on this down a little bit, but you still get all the main points. If you are going to be making electronic music, you should know your roots.

Summary and recap of video 2.

Electronic music production as come a long way since Max Matthews. Like I said in Lesson 1, the fundamental principals are the same. But we don't need a computer the size of a building any more. In fact, by todays standards, you don't need a particularly fast computer. You need something speedy, but not super top of the line.

What kinds of hardware and software do we need in order to make some music? In this lesson we explore the options from several perspectives - including price.

Summary and recap of video 3.

You can kind of think about all the work we do as producers being the crafting of 2 kinds of material: Audio and MIDI. That's probably a big over-simplification, but it holds true on a general level. In our first 2 lessons we talked about working with audio, and in these next 2 lessons, we will talk about working with MIDI.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) - how to use it, how not to use it, and how to incorporate it into your music.

Summary and recap of video 4.

In this lessons we are going to look at building some music using the piano roll editor in Ableton. If you are not an Ableton Live user, don't worry. Everything I'm going to talk about in this lesson is pretty universal on the different DAWs. So you should be able to apply it in whatever you are using.

Summary and recap of video 5.

In this video: Working with loops. We talk about file types, file formats, and other general production tips.

Summary and recap of video 6.

In this lesson: Reason (another app), ReWire (a way for apps to talk to each other), Flattening (a way to simplify your session) and Exporting (a way to finish your tracks).

Using Reason, Rewire, and Exporting to complete and polish your tracks.

Summary and main points of video 7.

Synthesis, generating our own sounds in a synthesizer from scratch, is a very important aspect of Electronic Music. It's fairly tricky to learn and can be daunting. In this lesson, I try to simplify synthesis into it's four most important aspects.

The basics of audio synthesis, how to use a synthesizer, and how to program your own sounds.

Recap and Review of Video 8.

Hurray - you made it to the end of Introduction to Electronic Music - Online!

In this video, we will take a preset in the Subtractor in Reason and pick it apart. We will walk through what makes it tick, and how slight adjustments can have big effects.

In this video, we will take a preset in the Analog Synthesizer in Ableton Live and pick it apart. We will walk through what makes it tick, and how slight adjustments can have big effects.

I've been asked to talk a little about Audacity - a free program useful for audio editing. Here is a short overview of it. Its a great program!

There is so much more to learn!

It looks like the handout has gone missing from earlier lectures. Here it is again in case it doesn't show up above anywhere.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers general aspects of music-making like key, pitch, form, and harmony, providing a solid foundation for those new to electronic music production
Explores basic audio concepts such as waveforms and frequency spectrum, which are essential for understanding sound manipulation in electronic music
Introduces basic concepts of synthesis and MIDI, which are core components in creating and manipulating electronic sounds and musical arrangements
Includes a brief history of recorded audio, giving context to the evolution and development of electronic music production techniques and technologies
Uses Ableton Live as a primary tool, but the lessons are designed to be universal across different DAWs, making it adaptable for users of various software
Features a segment on Audacity, a free program useful for audio editing, which may be helpful for learners seeking cost-effective tools

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Reviews summary

Introduction to electronic music

According to learners, this course offers a solid introduction to the fundamentals of electronic music production, making complex topics like synthesis and MIDI understandable for absolute beginners. Students particularly praise the engaging and knowledgeable instructor, Dr. J. Anthony Allen, and his commitment to answering questions quickly and thoroughly. While some reviewers mention needing to supplement the content or finding parts challenging if they lack musical background, the overall sentiment is highly positive, with many appreciating the course's ability to demystify the production process and provide a strong foundation. The course is seen as a great starting point before diving into more advanced techniques or specific DAWs.
Beneficial with prior music knowledge.
"Having some basic music theory knowledge beforehand was helpful, though not strictly required."
"It was a bit challenging at times without a background in music theory."
"While introductory, understanding basic musical concepts helps in applying the production techniques."
"If you know some music terms already, you'll likely grasp the material faster."
Broad overview, some topics are basic.
"It covers a wide range of topics, giving a good overview of electronic music basics."
"While a great intro, it only scratches the surface of some topics like synthesis."
"The course provides a solid foundation but doesn't go into extreme depth on any single area."
"Good coverage of MIDI and synthesis basics, but I needed outside resources for more detail."
"It gives you a taste of many concepts, but for true mastery, further study is needed."
Lectures are clear and engaging.
"The lectures were clear, concise, and easy to digest."
"I found the video lessons engaging and well-produced."
"The way the material is presented makes potentially dry topics interesting."
"The video and audio quality of the lectures were very good."
Concepts apply to various DAWs.
"Although Ableton is shown, the concepts taught are universal to any DAW."
"I use Logic Pro, and I could easily apply the lessons to my software."
"The principles of MIDI, audio, and synthesis are explained in a way that isn't tied to one program."
"It's great that I didn't have to buy or learn Ableton just for this course; it works with any DAW."
Clear foundation for newcomers.
"This course provided a fantastic introduction to electronic music production for someone with no prior experience."
"As a complete beginner, I found the material easy to follow and understand."
"Perfect course if you're just starting out and need to grasp the basic concepts."
"It demystified the complex world of DAWs, MIDI, and synthesis in a very accessible way."
"This course is an excellent starting point before moving on to more complex topics or software."
Prompt and helpful instructor feedback.
"The instructor answered my questions within a day - always with a thorough and helpful response."
"The instructor is very responsive to questions, answering them within 24 hours as promised."
"I was very impressed by the instructor's promise and fulfillment of answering all questions promptly."
"The instructor is knowledgeable and genuinely wants students to succeed, readily available for help."
"Any questions I had were answered fast and completely, which is really motivating."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Electronic Music with these activities:
Review Basic Music Theory
Reinforce your understanding of music theory concepts like scales, chords, and rhythm, which are essential for understanding harmony and melody in electronic music production.
Browse courses on Music Theory
Show steps
  • Review scales and key signatures.
  • Practice identifying intervals and chords.
  • Study basic rhythmic notation.
Read 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition'
Supplement your understanding of music theory with a comprehensive guide that covers essential concepts in a clear and accessible way.
View Music Theory Note by Note: Your Guide to How... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on scales and chords.
  • Complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
  • Take notes on key concepts.
Practice MIDI Keyboard Skills
Improve your MIDI keyboard skills to enhance your ability to create melodies and harmonies within your DAW.
Show steps
  • Practice playing scales and chords on a MIDI keyboard.
  • Experiment with different rhythms and melodies.
  • Record short MIDI sequences in your DAW.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Simple Beat
Apply your knowledge of MIDI and audio to create a simple electronic music beat using your DAW.
Show steps
  • Choose a tempo and time signature.
  • Create a drum pattern using MIDI or samples.
  • Add a bassline and a simple melody.
  • Mix and master your beat.
Follow DAW Tutorials
Enhance your proficiency with your chosen DAW by following tutorials on specific features and workflows.
Show steps
  • Select a tutorial on a specific DAW feature.
  • Follow the tutorial step-by-step.
  • Experiment with the feature on your own.
Analyze a Song
Deepen your understanding of electronic music production by analyzing the structure, arrangement, and sound design of a song.
Show steps
  • Choose an electronic music track.
  • Identify the song's structure and arrangement.
  • Analyze the sound design and mixing techniques.
  • Write a short analysis of your findings.
Read 'Electronic Music: A Beginner's Guide'
Expand your knowledge of electronic music with a guide that covers the history, technology, and techniques used in the genre.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on synthesis and sampling.
  • Take notes on key concepts and techniques.
  • Research the artists and genres mentioned in the book.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Electronic Music will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Music Producer
A music producer shapes the sound of a musical track, overseeing all aspects of recording and mixing. This role requires a deep understanding of music theory, audio engineering, and digital audio workstations. This course introduces core concepts of music production including key, pitch, form, and harmony, and the basics of synthesis and MIDI. The course covers MIDI and its incorporation into music, which is a crucial tool for any music producer. A music producer may be tasked with creating music from scratch, or by editing and mixing recorded tracks. This course helps build a foundation for understanding the technical aspects of music production, as well as how to work with loops and different file formats.
See salaries and explore the career path for Music Producer
Audio Engineer
An audio engineer works with the technical aspects of sound. This includes recording, mixing, and mastering audio for music, film, and other media. This role helps ensure the highest quality of audio. In this course, learners are introduced to the fundamentals of audio signal processing and recording. It also covers basic audio concepts such as waveforms and the frequency spectrum. An audio engineer should understand digital audio workstations. The course also introduces the history of recorded audio, which is helpful in the context of understanding modern production techniques and the evolution of audio engineering. This course may be helpful for those interested in becoming an audio engineer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer
Sound Designer
A sound designer creates and manipulates audio elements for various media like video games, film, and theater. This role requires creative use of audio tools and an understanding of how sound can be used to evoke emotion or create an atmosphere. This course introduces basic concepts of synthesis, and also covers the history of audio, and how digital audio production has developed over time. This background helps a sound designer to make novel choices in sound design. The course also teaches the basics of synthesizers, and how to program one's own sounds, which is a major component of sound design. This course may be useful to aspiring sound designers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer
DJ
A DJ selects and plays recorded music for an audience, often in live settings. Many DJs also produce their own music. DJs who produce music require an understanding of music production, mixing, audio concepts and synthesis which are all concepts covered in this course. The course teaches the basics of music making including key, pitch, form, and harmony, which helps improve a DJ's musical sense. This course may be useful to those aspiring to be DJs who want to get into music production.
See salaries and explore the career path for DJ
Composer
A composer writes original music for various purposes, such as film, television, video games, or live performance. Composers also often arrange or orchestrate their own compositions. This role requires a strong understanding of music theory and the ability to bring musical ideas to life. This course introduces key musical elements such as key, pitch, form, and harmony, which are fundamental to being a composer. The course also covers the basics of synthesis, which helps build a foundation for the electronic and modern modes of composing. The course may be useful for those interested in composition.
See salaries and explore the career path for Composer
Music Editor
A music editor works with the audio tracks of a film or other media and ensures the music is properly synced, edited, and mixed. This role requires a strong understanding of editing software as well as detailed knowledge and experience with digital audio. This course covers digital audio production and different file formats, which is relevant to the everyday work of a music editor. The course also discusses the use of loops, which often make their way into the kinds of tracks a music editor is working with. The course may be useful for those interested in music editing.
See salaries and explore the career path for Music Editor
Audio Technician
An audio technician is responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining audio equipment for live events, recordings, or broadcasts. This role requires both a fundamental understanding of audio concepts and a working knowledge of the signal chain. This course may be useful for those who wish to be audio technicians, as it covers the basics of audio signals, and also briefly touches on the history of recorded audio. While it does not cover the physical aspects of the signal chain, it may be useful for those who wish to become audio technicians, as it helps them to understand how the signal chain functions from the point of view of recorded audio.
See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Technician
Game Audio Designer
A game audio designer creates and implements the sound and music for video games. This role requires a mix of creative and technical skills and it is important that a game audio designer understands the technical aspects of audio production, as well as concepts of MIDI and synthesis, which are covered in this course. The course goes into the details of working with audio using digital audio workstations. Additionally, the course covers the basics of using synths, which is vital in the production of game audio. This course may be helpful to those interested in game audio design.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Audio Designer
Podcast Producer
A podcast producer is responsible for the technical and creative aspects of creating a podcast. This role ranges from recording and editing the audio to selecting music and special effects. This course may be helpful for those interested in becoming podcast producers, as it covers basic audio concepts such as waveforms and frequency spectrum. It also covers the history of audio and its development, which helps provide context for choosing production techniques. The course also covers loops and file formats, which are commonly used by podcast producers. This course may be helpful to those interested in podcast production.
See salaries and explore the career path for Podcast Producer
Multimedia Artist
A multimedia artist creates art using various forms of technology, often combining video, audio, images, and text. This role requires a wide skill set including audio and visual design. This course may be useful for multimedia artists who wish to incorporate audio into their pieces. The course covers the basics of digital audio production, as well as concepts of MIDI and synthesis, which a multimedia artist can use to create their own unique audio elements. The course also covers loops, which can be used to enhance multimedia artworks. It may be helpful for a multimedia artist to take a course such as this one.
See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist
Film Editor
A film editor is responsible for assembling footage and audio into a coherent film. Film editors must have an understanding of timing, rhythm, and the narrative arc of a story. They also need to use audio and video editing tools. The course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of audio production, which may be useful to a film editor. The course also touches on working with loops, which are sometimes used in the creation of film. The course may be useful to aspiring film editors.
See salaries and explore the career path for Film Editor
Video Editor
A video editor is responsible for assembling video footage and audio into a coherent video. Video editors must have an understanding of timing, rhythm, and the narrative arc of a story. They usually use both audio and video editing tools. The course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of audio production, which may be useful to a video editor. The course also touches on working with loops, which may be helpful in the creation of video. The course may be useful to aspiring video editors.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Editor
Content Creator
A content creator produces original content for various digital platforms. This role often includes creating videos, writing articles, or producing audio content. This course covers the fundamentals of digital audio production, including the basics of synthesis and MIDI. These concepts would be helpful for content creators who want to produce original music soundtracks for their content. The course may be useful for those interested in content creation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Educator
An educator teaches a variety of subjects, often at the secondary or university level. This course may be helpful for an educator, especially if they are looking to integrate music production or audio concepts into their curriculum. This course is particularly useful in this regard because it has been designed by a Ph.D. level educator. This course could be useful for any educator interested in introducing their students to digital music production.
See salaries and explore the career path for Educator
Software Developer
A software developer writes, tests, and maintains applications, operating systems, and other software programs. Software developers who work in the area of audio production may find this course to be useful. This course can help a software developer better understand the fundamental concepts of audio processing and MIDI, and the evolution of the field. This background may inform the software developer's work. This course may be useful for a software developer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Introduction to Electronic Music.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of electronic music. It covers the history, technology, and techniques used in electronic music production. It is particularly helpful for students who want to gain a broader understanding of the genre and its evolution. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Music Theory Note by Note
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of music theory concepts, making it an excellent resource for beginners. It covers topics such as scales, chords, rhythm, and harmony in a clear and accessible manner. It is particularly helpful for students who want to build a solid foundation in music theory before diving into electronic music production. This book is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.
Music Theory Note by Note: Your Guide to How Music...
Kindle Edition
$$

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Rating
4.3 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Effort
4.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
J. Anthony Allen
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers general aspects of music-making like key, pitch, form, and harmony, providing a solid foundation for those new to electronic music production
Explores basic audio concepts such as waveforms and frequency spectrum, which are essential for understanding sound manipulation in electronic music
Introduces basic concepts of synthesis and MIDI, which are core components in creating and manipulating electronic sounds and musical arrangements
Includes a brief history of recorded audio, giving context to the evolution and development of electronic music production techniques and technologies
Uses Ableton Live as a primary tool, but the lessons are designed to be universal across different DAWs, making it adaptable for users of various software
Features a segment on Audacity, a free program useful for audio editing, which may be helpful for learners seeking cost-effective tools
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