10 Things I Check When a Track Isn't Working

After years in the studio, I tend to come back to the same things.

Key.

Pitch.

Rhythm.

Melody.

Harmony.

Frequency.

Width.

Timbre.

Arrangement.

The language of the genre.

If a track isn't quite working, one of these is usually where I start looking.

Not because every track needs the same thing.

But because these are the parts that shape how the music works.

1. Key

Key is the emotional and harmonic anchor of a track.

It shapes the mood.

And sometimes choosing the right key can unlock the whole thing.

A vocal suddenly sits.

A lead feels right.

The mood appears.

Then there are modes.

Minor can darken the mood.

Dorian has its own kind of cool.

Lydian can lift everything.

Understanding key and mode gives you control over where the music wants to be.

2. Pitch

Pitch starts with tuning.

Are the instruments in tune?

Are the synths sitting where they should?

Is the vocal right?

Before anything else, check the pitch.

Then you can move it.

Pitch bends.

Vibrato.

Glide.

Automation.

But it starts with making sure the sound is in tune.

3. Rhythm & Groove

The kick is the heartbeat of the track.

Everything moves around it.

But groove isn't just timing.

It's feel.

The space between the notes.

Swing.

Microtiming.

Tiny movements forward and back.

Those small differences can define the feel of an entire genre.

Listen to how the parts move together.

4. Melody

Does the melody have something to say?

Does it work with the chords?

Does it repeat enough to become familiar?

Is there a phrase or fragment the listener can hold onto?

Sometimes the melody is doing too much.

Sometimes there simply isn't enough of an idea.

A small, clear phrase can be all the track needs.

5. Chords

Do the chords support the mood of the track?

Is the progression creating movement?

Or is it moving too much?

Sometimes two chords are enough.

Check the inversions.

The voicing.

How one chord moves into the next.

The chords don't need to be complicated.

They need to feel right for the track.

6. EQ & Frequencies

Is everything sitting in its own space?

Is the low end clear?

Is something masking something else?

Check the frequency ranges.

The lows.

The mids.

The highs.

Don't EQ because you think you should.

Listen for the problem.

Sometimes the answer is a cut.

Sometimes it's changing the sound.

Sometimes it's muting it completely.

Find the problem first. Then reach for the EQ.

7. Stereo Width

I check the mid and sides all the way through a mix.

Can the mid carry the track?

Does it feel solid?

Then I listen to the sides.

Can they carry me through the whole track too?

There needs to be something happening there.

Movement.

Space.

Interest.

I want the mid to carry the mix.

And I want the sides to carry it too.

I'm constantly checking both.

8. Timbre

Do the sounds belong in the same track?

The kick.

The bass.

The synths.

The percussion.

Each sound has its own tone and texture.

Harmonics.

Envelopes.

Filtering.

Modulation.

But I'm listening to the whole thing.

Do these sounds feel like they come from the same world?

Sometimes the part is right.

It's just the wrong sound.

9. Arrangement

Does the track take you somewhere?

Even a four-minute track needs a journey.

Is something holding your attention?

Does the track build?

Change?

Pull back?

Transitions and contrast help guide the listener through it.

The genre might give you a structure.

But the arrangement still has to carry you from the beginning to the end.

10. The Language of the Genre

Does the track sound like it belongs to the genre?

Every style has its own language.

The drums.

The groove.

The sounds.

The arrangement.

House feels like house for a reason.

Drum & bass feels like drum & bass for a reason.

You can break the rules.

But it helps to understand what you're breaking.

Sometimes a track isn't working because one part is speaking a different language.

Where I Look First

If a track isn't quite working, these are the places I look.

I don't necessarily check them in order.

I listen to the track.

Then I work out where the problem is.

That's the process.