Today I want to talk about one important concept that you might not be aware of.
It's the key to a great mix, and it's the key to a great song.
It's important when writing music, as well as when recording and mixing it.
I'm talking about contrast.
What do I mean by contrast?
Its very simple, contrast equals interest.
Think about it...
When everything is the same, whether we're talking about music or anything else, it appears to be very boring.
When things are different they create interest.
Let me explain.
Think of it this way, vocal harmonies are very cool, and are often used in the chorus section of a song to make it sound bigger.
But what if every single word of your song was harmonized?
Suddenly the vocals sound very boring, and the chorus doesn't sound bigger at all.
Because it's not only the harmony that creates the pleasant effect, it's the contrast.
Contrast can appear in many ways, and can be implemented on different applications.
For example, panning is a way of creating contrast When we pan things, whether we know it or not, we do it to create contrast.
Some instruments are on the right and some instruments are on the left.
It's interesting to our ears.
If every instrument was completely centered it would be a much more boring mix.
Though it's much more than just panning. Almost every mixing tool we have can create contrast between tracks.
I'm talking about volume, EQ, compression, distortion, reverb, delay, pitch effects, etc.
All of them (and more) are ways to create contrast, not only to create a good sounding mix.
But it's not all about mixing.
The biggest part of the contrast of a song is the arrangement.
We have to create contrast in our arrangement in order to make our song interesting.
Is the chorus different than the verse?
Is the second verse the same as the first one?
Does the arrangement build up throughout the song?
Is the first chorus identical to the last one?
If every section of the song sounds too similar, the song will sound super boring.
Let's look on a few methods of creating contrast in a song, regarding both arrangement and mixing.
Record Different Sounding Tracks
One way to improve your mix before you even start mixing, is to record different sounding tracks.
An easy way to do that is to use different gear.
You can use different microphones, different guitars, different amps, etc.
Even if you have one expensive guitar and one cheap guitar, it's better to use both of them, than using just the expensive one to record all of the tracks.
The difference in sound is more important than the fact that one guitar sounds better than the other.
This applies to almost every type of gear you have.
Don't Repeat Identical Sections Of Your Song
It's a very common problem among amateur song writers.
You start out with a nice intro, going into a cool verse and then to a great chorus, so far so good.
The problem starts when you go to the second verse and chorus, which sound identical to the first verse and chorus.
By the time you get to the bridge section, the listener has already got bored of the song and tuned out.
You have to keep interest through the entire song.
Don't make the second verse and chorus identical to the first ones.
Change things up from one section to another.
It can be an arrangement move, it can be some different sounds.
The key is to keep the listener interested
Use Contrast To Create Brightness
If you're a fan of bright mixes, you might be surprised to hear that you don't have to make every track bright in order to create a bright mix.
In fact, if you listen to your favorite bright mixes, you'll hear that only about 3 main tracks are actually bright.
It's the darker tracks that make us perceive the brighter tracks as bright.
The contrast between them is what makes the mix sound bright.
If every track was bright, the mix won't sound bright, because there won't be any contrast between the tracks to "tell us" what sounds bright and what doesn't.
It might just sound harsh instead.
So if you want to create a bright sounding mix, choose a few elements and make them sound bright, rather than the whole mix.
Keep Your Mix Dynamic
Dynamics are crucial for a great mix, and for a great song.
Almost every great song you love is dynamic.
It has louder parts, it has softer parts, it may feel different from section to section.
A big part of our job when mixing is to control and reduce the dynamics of certain tracks, but it's important to do it with moderation.
If you end up with tracks with no dynamics at all, you'll probably ruin the song entirely.
Don't Make Every Track Stereo
I already mentioned this point in my 7 tips for a wider mix article, but it's relevant for today's topic as well. Just like the bright mix concept, in order to create a wide mix, most of your tracks have to be mono, and only a few have to be actually stereo. If all or most of your tracks are stereo, there's a very good chance you'll end up with a cluttered mix that sounds like "big mono" rather than an actually clear and wide mix.
Now let's sum it all up.
Contrast is an important key in every stage of music making, from song writing and arranging to recording and mixing.
Use the effect of contrast to your advantage, and create engaging and exciting music.
Did you find the concept of contrast useful?
Do you already use it in your own music?
Let us know in the comments!
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