5 Tips for Creating Mash Up Music

If you have a good idea of how to create a mash-up song, and maybe you've even made one or two of your own, then this article will help you. The tips in this article will lay down some of the fundamentals, allowing you to create a higher-quality, better-sounding mash-up song.

1. Less is more.

If you're using too many tracks at once, then there won't be enough stereo space to go around. Tracks that have a lot of different, quick-changing samples can be well done. However, it's best to keep it simple until you have some experience. Just use 2 or 3 tracks at a time. A lot of the best mash-ups only use 2 or 3 tracks.

2. Use filters.

There are a lot of filters, but primarily, you'll want to use filters that cut out low frequencies(high-pass filters) and filters that cut out high frequencies(low-pass filters). Use a high-pass filter to cut out some of the low-end frequencies from a cappella tracks. This will allow the instrumental track's bass to come through. Also, sometimes you'll want to cut some of the high frequencies from a track if it's noisy or has obnoxious cymbals.

3. Mash up songs in the same key.

Tracks in the same key have a better chance of making a good mash-up. You can think of it like a guitar player soloing out of key from the rest of the band: Even if he's incredible, shredding up and down the fret board, he still sounds bad. If you can't do this by ear, then there are programs that can help. My favorite is Mixed In Key. It's made for harmonic mixing, and it works well for creating mash-up songs.

4. Use traditional song structures.

A good song structure will pace your mix right, giving it a sense of excitement. This should be easy because you're working with songs that already have a structure. Usually the dominant structure will present itself early on, and you can work from there. If you're really chopping clips and using a lot of samples, then just use a normal intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus type of structure. You can work on some variations of this structure, but keep it simple and short, preferably under 4 or 5 minutes.

5. Master your mash-up.

Like any produced track, you'll want to master your mash-up songs. This improves the overall quality of the mash-up. There are plenty of tutorials on the Internet that can teach you, but if you're going to make mash-up songs, you probably aren't interested in becoming a sound engineer. You just want to have fun. Use Platinum Notes. It automatically masters any track you throw at, does it faster than a human, and does a better job than your average mash-up d.j.

Mash-up songs are a fun and easy way to make music, especially if you don't play any instruments, and a lot of people really like them because you can put a twist on a song everyone knows. Now that you have a few ideas on how to improve your mash-up songs, you should incorporate them and experiment. After all, trial and error is how you learn most of this stuff.