Licks vs Scales · Fix-The-Mix™

Licks vs Scales

Most of you reading this will be somewhat familiar with the process of learning an instrument.

There are a lot of ways we can compare learning an instrument to learning music production and draw some useful analogies.

One core idea is this:

Licks vs Scales

Let’s say you’re learning guitar. Most people start by learning “licks”.

Instead of learning the fundamentals of the instrument… you learn to play different songs and different phrases. You’re effectively emulating good playing, rather than becoming a good player.

At the beginning, this is fine. After all, it’s okay to steal like an artist.

But at a certain point, if all you have is a bunch of licks — aka musical phrases — that you use again, and again, and again…

It becomes a prison that’s hard to escape.

“Why am I playing that same phrase every time I solo?!” you ask yourself for the hundredth time.

Here’s the solution:

Instead of learning licks, learn scales.

Then play them every day until it’s muscle memory.

By learning scales, you’re learning the fundamental building blocks of the instrument, rather than throwaway phrases. You develop proficiency by playing them repeatedly. Then when it’s time to rip a solo, the scales are there under your fingers and you don’t even have to think. You can lose yourself in the moment and simply… play.

Here’s how this translates to learning production, mixing and mastering:

Licks = Tips, Tricks, Cheat Sheets, Presets, Magic Frequencies

Scales = Frequencies, Volume, Dynamics

99% of people only ever learn licks. They never get a true understanding of the fundamental principles of audio. They never learn how to truly understand and manipulate the basic building blocks.

But when you…

Understand the frequency spectrum and how to shape it using an equalizer
Understand volume and the key role it plays in all areas of production
Understand macro/micro dynamics and how to manipulate them to achieve a desired outcome

Then you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing. You just do.

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