Article: You don’t need to be a master guitar player or drummer, but knowing how to play a few instruments will improve your musical ear and will help you understand what it takes to make an instrument sound good. Take lessons or learn on your own how to play multiple instruments.  Learn how to play the drums so you can develop an understanding of how rhythm and beats work. Knowing the basics of an instrument such as a guitar will allow you to better collaborate with professional guitar players because you can make suggestions and get better performance from them. Musical theory refers to the study of composition, rhythm, harmony, and all of the other components that make up music. Earn a degree in musical theory or take a class so you can understand how to compose music, relate to sound engineers, and communicate with artists in their own, musical language.  Look for a music theory course that you can take at local colleges or music education schools. Search for an online musical theory course you can sign up for. Study books on musical theory the learn about it on your own. As a producer, you need to be familiar with all of the current trends in music as well as be able to think of new and original compositions. Listening to different genres and styles of music can spark your creative mind and give you unique ideas for your own songs. Have music playing every chance you get!  Look for artists and genres that you’ve never listened to before to inspire your own work and to stay current. If you plan to be a producer in a specific genre, like hip-hop or pop-punk, make sure you’re listening to new artists in your own genre so you’re up to date with new musical developments in your field. Get a job or an internship at a recording studio in your area so you can watch professional producers work. You can also visit or pay for recording time in a studio so you can see what professional studio looks like and how it operates.  Some recording studios may let you hang out if you ask them. You can take tours of larger record label studios to see the best of the best setups. An audio mixer, or soundboard, is a device that allows you to control multiple audio channels, altering the volume and effects of individual sounds to create a cohesive composition. You can take lessons from a music teacher or use video tutorials to learn how to use one so you can learn how to properly balance the layers of sounds that make up a song.  Search online for tutorials on how to use an audio mixer. Some audio mixers may come with instructional videos or pamphlets when you purchase them. Buy a book about how to use a mixer that you can keep handy as a reference.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Play multiple instruments to understand how they work. Take a musical theory course so you can better understand music. Listen to music constantly to come up with new ideas. Spend time in professional recording studios to learn how they work. Learn how to use an audio mixer.