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Even Dr. Luke, a producer who is known for his attention to detail and his sophisticated grasp of music synthesis and sound design, emphasizes the importance of simplicity in pop music. With over 21 Billboard top 40 hits, Dr. Luke is one of the most successful writers and producers of all time. He is responsible for most of Ke$ha’s and Katy Perry’s hits, as well as a number of singles by Britney Spears, P!nk, and Kelly Clarkson. In an ABC Nightline feature, Luke says: “Sometimes the hardest thing, and the most difficult thing, is to do the most simple thing. I kind of feel that way about a good pop song too. When it’s right, it’s perfect.” A bit later in the video, we see him recording the main riff to Ke$ha’s #1 hit, “Tik Tok”, on a toy Yamaha keyboard. Even though he has millions of dollars worth of gear at his disposal, he chose to make a #1 track with a $20 keyboard. Again, you don’t need a $2,000 synthesizer to produce a hit; you just need to be creative.
All of these examples show that there’s no “right way” to produce pop music. The main thing these successful producers have in common is their ability to write songs that are simple, accessible, and infectiously catchy. Because most modern pop arrangements are created with virtual instruments, you can do 95% of the production in your bedroom. The only thing you might need a studio for is tracking vocals. Since you’ll only be recording a few vocal parts, you can get the session done in a few hours for less than $100. To make the song ready for the radio, you’ll probably also want to get the track professionally mixed and mastered. But again, you don’t need to spend a ton of money to make this happen.
So instead of getting hung up on what gear to use, focus on writing songs that are catchy, accessible, and creative. Next time you find yourself saying that you need better gear to be productive, just think: “If it’s good enough for Stargate, it’s good enough for me.” And remember, practice makes perfect; all of these producers worked hard to get to where they are today. Now, open up your DAW and start making those hits.
John Haupert is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with a diverse background spanning a number of musical genres, including pop, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and classical. John received his Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music where he studied production, songwriting, and mandolin performance. John has been teaching private music lessons for seven years and is delighted to join the Full Sail team. For more information, visit John’s website at www.johnhaupert.com.
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