This tiny shift in a core music production skill makes a universe of difference...
Would you know what to improve if I asked you to listen to your music through a woollen blanket behind a thick studio door?
You might gain some insight into the bass end or the general structure of the piece.
But is the "under blanket behind door" strategy likely to lead to a quality song?
I'm asking you this to demonstrate a deafeningly obvious (but often ignored) fact:
Your ability to listen is the tiny hinge that swings the door of your entire music production process.
What you hear when you listen determines everything you do and don't do.
It's the most critical skill.
In my Oxford music degree, I was taught to listen in a specific way. There’s no doubt this was valuable.
Every week (in one of those ancient rooms you see in movies set in Oxford), a couple of students and I would listen to a piece of music. The professor teaching us was often a world authority on the composer.
We'd analyse the music simply by listening and have to talk "intelligently" (usually with a hangover) about what we heard. We'd then go away and write an essay on it, answering some "unanswerable question" or other. I'd invariably complete this work of genius 10 minutes before the next class (under another hangover).
At Oxford, this was called "Critical Comment".
So I'm sold on the value of critical listening.
But there is another way to listen that NO ONE at Oxford taught me. No music teacher anywhere has mentioned it. I've not even heard another music producer or composer talk about it.
So let's say you're critically listening to your music...making notes...figuring out what to improve as it's playing.
Isn't this the RIGHT thing to do?
Every teacher I've ever had would scream YES!
But hang on a minute...
When you're listening analytically, are you listening to the music?
Sorta. Kinda.
But kinda NOT.
Because when you listen critically, your focus is not ONLY on the music.
You are also focused on your THOUGHTS ABOUT the music.
Believe it or not, the music and your thoughts about the music are not the same!
It takes a highly developed awareness and a great deal of experience to know the difference...when you're critically listening.
If you're struggling to believe this, here's just one (of many) pieces of evidence:
Have you ever been listening to your music and realised you're NOT listening at all and have to rewind?
That's just one example of focusing on your thoughts, not the music.
You can't listen to your music clearly as a listener would - and critically listen at the same time.
There is definitely a place for analytical listening.
But there is also a place for simply listening.
Nothing else.
Reserving judgement.
Letting thoughts on what's good or bad simply come and go.
Because you can always do the analytical listening LATER.
I call this skill:
DIRECT LISTENING.
I've trained 1000s of music producers in this.
It's an integral part of the Magic Music Machine.
They finally HEAR the music clearly, allowing them to focus on the whole picture.
Direct listening is the ability to listen as a listener.
An essential practice for anyone who makes music.
If you've ever wondered why you love your music one minute - and can’t stand the SAME piece of music the next - practice Direct Listening.
Onwards & upwards,
Mike
"What you hear is what you do."
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Don't Criticise...yet.