Music Production Is Like an Onion — And You’re Probably Still on the First Couple Layers
Ever opened Ableton for the first time, dropped in a kick drum, and thought, “Cool, I made a beat”—only to later discover how deep the rabbit hole really goes? Music production isn’t a checklist. It’s an evolving craft. Like an onion, it has layers—and the more you peel back, the more your sound (and your curiosity) expands.
So what’s this article about?
This piece is for anyone on the production journey—whether you've just started or you’re stuck in a creative plateau. We’ll break down the layers of music production, from the basics to the often-overlooked psychological and creative processes that define your growth. Each layer represents a stage of learning, and none of them are ‘one-and-done’. Like revisiting an old track with fresh ears, each layer invites you back with new perspective.
Teaching Through the Layers
As a teacher, one of the most important parts of my job is figuring out where someone is in the layers.
Sometimes, students come to me after months—or years—of self-teaching, unsure why their tracks aren’t clicking. Other times, they’re total beginners who’ve just installed Ableton and don’t even know what they don’t know yet.
Either way, I have to meet people where they are—and be honest about what lies ahead.
That means:
Helping you build confidence in the layer you’re currently in
Filling in blind spots that might be holding you back
And guiding you through the next stage without overwhelming you
There’s no shame in being early in your journey. What matters is having someone who knows the map—and can help you navigate it with clarity, momentum, and a sense of fun.
Let’s peel them back.
Layer 1: Getting Started — Scratching the Surface
At this stage, you’re focused on the fundamentals:
Loading samples, building loops, playing with Drum Racks.
Arranging clips in Session or Arrangement View.
Experimenting with warp modes, EQ Eight, and maybe a few presets.
It’s exciting, but also overwhelming. You’re learning what each button does—not necessarily why you’d use it.
Common mindset: “I’ve made a tune!”
Reality: You’ve built a loop or sketch—great start, but this is only the first rung on the ladder.
Key insight:
Many learners stay here longer than they need to because they don’t realize there is a structure behind what makes tracks sound pro. This is where having guidance speeds up the process massively.
Layer 2: Structure & Flow
Here’s where things get sticky. You can make great 8-bar loops—but turning them into a track that flows? That’s a different skill set.
In this layer, you learn:
How to build intros, breakdowns, drops, and outros.
The art of tension and release using filters, automation, and silence.
How professional producers use variation to hold attention without overwhelming the listener.
Key insight:
A track should feel like a story. Without structure, your loop becomes repetitive noise. With structure, you create movement—and movement is music.
Layer 3: Sound Design & FX
Once you’ve nailed structure, your curiosity shifts:
“How do I make my own sounds?”
“How do they get that squelchy bass or that airy pad?”
This is where you dive into:
Synthesis (Subtractive, FM, Wavetable, etc.)
Sampling techniques beyond just drag-and-drop
Effect chains and creative processing with reverb, delay, distortion, vocoders, and more
Resampling and audio manipulation tricks that give your work character
Key insight:
Preset hunting can only get you so far. This layer is about expressing your sound and understanding why something sounds the way it does.
Layer 4: Mixing & Space
Now you’re not just thinking about the music—but the sound environment.
You begin to:
Think in frequency ranges (lows, mids, highs)
Use EQ surgically—not just “make it sound better”
Balance elements with volume, stereo placement, compression
Learn about gain staging, headroom, and reference tracks
Understand how sounds sit together in the mix vs. in isolation
Key insight:
Mixing isn’t just a technical process—it’s how you shape emotion and energy. Great production sounds simple on the surface because the mix is clean, deliberate, and emotionally intentional.
Layer 5: The Psychology of Production
This layer is the most overlooked—and often the most important.
Here, you face:
Perfectionism: “It’s not finished until it’s perfect… so I never finish it.”
Comparison paralysis: “Why does their mix sound better than mine?”
Creative fatigue: “I’ve been working on this track for 6 months and I hate it now.”
The Drop-Off Cliff: “I’ve learned loads… now I’m stuck.”
This is where coaching and community become game-changers.
You don’t need more plugins—you need a better feedback loop, some accountability, and the reminder that fun and momentum matter more than technical mastery alone.
Key insight:
Your mindset determines your output. You’re not just learning how to use Ableton—you’re learning how to stay inspired over the long term.
Layer 6: Mastery — Understanding Sound as Material
At this depth, you’re no longer just arranging sounds. You’re shaping energy.
You’ve moved past workflows, past tricks, past templates—and now you’re listening differently.
This is where music production becomes less about tools and more about material intuition. Like a blacksmith working steel, you begin to understand sound as something you can feel and bend with intent.
You start to ask:
Why does this harmonic cluster feel tense?
How can microtonal shifts evoke entirely new emotional shades?
What frequencies aren’t being heard, but are still being felt?
Here, you’re working with:
Resonance, dissonance, and harmonic structure
Psychoacoustics and how the ear prioritises frequencies
Microtonality and alternative tuning systems
Shaping sound based on feeling and flow, not just meter or key
Key insight:
This layer isn’t about showing off technical mastery. It’s about removing friction between what you hear in your head and what comes out of your speakers. It’s the point where production feels less like construction—and more like channeling.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Just Learn Music Production—You Grow With It
Each layer builds on the last—but none of them are truly ‘finished’.
You’ll revisit them all as your skills evolve, sometimes looping back to the basics with new eyes and ears.
My main advice here would be to never stop learning, never stop digging into each layer and discovering new techniques and ideas. The music production learning journey is long and winding and it is there to be enjoyed.
I would also like to add that great music can be created with only the first few layers peeled back - limitation is often the source of creativity and it is true that the more you know, the harder it can be to decide what direction to take. However, the deeper you go, the more personalised your sound will become, the more intentional your decisions will be, and the more technical your production techniques will be.
