Early synthesizers, such as the Moog Minimoog, were capable of producing only one tone at a time (monophonic). These synthesizers could not produce the secondary tones that other musical instruments could, although some synthesizers could produce two pitches at once if two keys were pressed. From the mid-1970s on, synthesizers that can produce multiple tones at once (polyphonic) have been available, allowing you to produce chords as well as individual notes. [2] X Research source Most early synthesizers were separate from the means used to control the sounds they made. Many electronic musical instruments, particularly those for casual home use, now feature the synthesizer physically integrated with its control unit.

Keyboard. This is the most common synthesizer controller. Keyboards range in size from the full 88-key (7-octave) keyboard found on digital pianos to as few as 25 keys (2 octaves) on a toy-sized keyboard. Keyboards for home use typically have 49, 61, or 76 keys (4, 5, or 6 octaves). Some keyboards feature weighted keys to simulate the responsiveness of a piano, while others feature spring-loaded keys, and still others combine springs with lighter weights than fully weighted keys. [3] X Research source . Many feature touch sensitivity, where the hardness of the keys (how hard they are struck) determines how loud the sound generated is. Mouthpiece/wind controller. This controller is found on a wind synthesizer, an electronic instrument designed similar to a soprano saxophone, clarinet, recorder, or trumpet. You blow into it to regulate the sound, which can be modified by using your thumb or jaw in certain ways. [4] X Research source MIDI guitar. This is software that lets you use your acoustic or electric guitar, with a pickup, to control a synthesizer. [5] X Research source [6] X Research source MIDI guitars work by attempting to convert string vibrations into digital data. There is often a delay between the input and output because of the amount of sampling necessary to create the digitized sound. [7] X Research source SynthAxe: No longer made, the SynthAxe worked by dividing the fretboard into 6 diagonal zones and used the strings as sensors. How much bending the strings were subjected to determined the tone generated. [8] X Research source Keytar: This controller is shaped like the body and neck of a guitar, but has a 3-octave keyboard on the guitar body and other sound-manipulating controls on the neck. Inspired by an 18th-century instrument called the orphica, it offers players the control of a keyboard and the mobility of a guitar. [9] X Research source Electronic drum pads: Introduced in 1971, electronic drum pads are usually available in kits similar to that of acoustic drums, including cymbals. Early versions played pre-recorded samples, while later versions create the sounds mathematically. Used with headphones, it is possible to play an electronic drum kit so that only the player hears the sound it makes. [10] X Research source Radio drum. Originally intended for use as a three-dimensional “mouse,” the radio drum senses the position of its two sticks in three dimensions, varying the sound produced according to where on the “drum” surface it is touching. [11] X Research source BodySynth. This was a wearable controller that used muscle tension and body movement to control sound and lighting. It was intended for use by dancers and performance artists, but in many cases was too difficult to control. Simpler forms of the BodySynth have used gloves or shoes to serve as control units. [12] X Research source

A desktop or laptop works well for creating music. If you plan on producing music at a fixed location, you’ll probably want a desktop. If you want to produce music at different locations, such as wherever your band rehearses, you’ll probably want a laptop. Use the operating system you’re most comfortable with. However, you should use the most recent version of Windows or MacOS that you can get access to. Your system should have a powerful enough CPU and enough memory to easily handle creating music with it. If you don’t know what to look for, a custom-built system designed for audio or video game usage should give you an idea of what kind of specifications to look for. [13] X Research source

Sound card. Using a sound card designed for making electronic music is recommended if you plan to do a lot of external recording. [14] X Research source Studio monitors. These are not computer monitors, but rather loudspeakers designed for studio recording. (“Monitor” in this sense means that the speaker accurately reproduces the source audio with no or minimal distortion. [15] X Research source ) Lower-cost quality studio monitors include those made by M-Audio and KRK Systems, while higher-end monitors include those made by Focal, Genelec, and Mackie. [16] X Research source Studio-grade headphones. Listening through headphones instead of speakers lets you concentrate on individual parts of your song better, helping you track rhythms and sound levels. Studio headphone manufacturers include Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser. [17] X Research source

Digital audio workstation (DAW). The DAW is the actual music-making software that enables all your other software components work together to make music. Their interface usually simulates the mixer, track, and transport controls of analog music studios, as well as a waveform display of the recorded sound. [18] X Research source Various DAWs include Ableton Live, Cakewalk Sonar, Cubase, FL Studio, Logic Pro (operates in MacOS only), Pro Tools, Reaper, and Reason. There are also freeware DAWs such as Ardour and Zynewave Podium. [19] X Research source Audio editor program. An audio editor program provides greater musical editing capability than that found in DAW software, including the ability to edit samples and to convert your composition to MP3 format. Sound Forge Audio Studio is an example of an inexpensive audio editor, while Audacity is one of many freeware versions available. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) synthesizers/instruments. These are software versions of the synthesizer components of the electronic musical instruments described in the previous section. You install them as plugins into your DAW. Many of these plugins can be found online for free by doing a search for “free soft synths” (free software synthesizers) or “free vsti,” or you can purchase VST synthesizers from providers such as Artvera, H. G. Fortune, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, or reFX. VST effects. These plugins provide musical effects such as reverberation, choral sound, delay, and others. They are available from many of the same providers as VST synthesizer plugins, in either paid or freeware versions. Samples. Samples are snatches of musical sounds, beats, and rhythms you can use to enhance your compositions. They are usually organized in packs specific to a given musical genre (such as blues, jazz, country, rap, or rock) and include both individual sounds and sound loops. Commercial sample packs usually offer their samples royalty-free; you buy the license to use them in your own compositions when you buy the sample pack. Some audio software companies include access to free samples online, and there are third-party sources of both free samples and samples you have to pay for. [20] X Research source

Some of the music theory that can help you is covered in the wikiHow article “How to Make Music. ”

Beats and rhythms. Rap and hip-hop are noted for heavy, driving beats and rhythms, while big band jazz is noted for bouncy, syncopated rhythms and country music often features a shuffle beat. Instrumentation. Jazz is noted for its use of brass (trumpet, trombone) and woodwind instruments (clarinet, saxophone), while heavy metal is noted for loud electric guitars, Hawaiian music for steel guitars, folk music for acoustic guitars, mariachi for trumpets and guitars, and polka for tuba and accordion. However, many songs and artists in one genre have successfully incorporated instrument sounds from another genre, such as Bob Dylan’s adopting the electric guitar for folk music at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival,[21] X Research source the use of mariachi trumpets to open Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,”[22] X Research source or Ian Anderson’s flute-playing as lead musician for the rock group Jethro Tull. [23] X Research source Song structure: Many songs with vocals played on the radio begin with an introduction, followed by a verse, then a chorus, another verse, repeat the chorus, a bridge (often an abbreviated verse), the chorus, and a closing (called an “outro”). In contrast, most of the instrumental “trance” music played in dance clubs begins with an introduction, followed by a melody hook that builds to a point where all the elements of the song are played together, concluding with a fading outro. [24] X Research source

In some cases, you’ll be looking for a “fatter” (richer) sound instead of a louder sound. To do this, you can use multiple instruments on a given part or use the same instrument multiple times. The latter is often done with vocal recordings, either of background singers or sometimes the lead singer. [28] X Research source This is how singer Enya achieves her sound on her records. You may want to introduce some variety by using different instruments on different choruses of the song, particularly if you’re trying to evoke different emotional responses from your listeners at different places. You may also want to vary the register, the pitch at which the song is being played, to keep the song lively. You don’t have to fill every second of your composition with every trick at your disposal. Sometimes, such as on the verses, you can leave out the chordal harmonies and let the beat, melody, and vocals carry your song. At other times, such as at the beginning and end, you may want to use only vocals. [29] X Research source