Beginner looking for some help

[Feel Good]

I am an 18 year old incoming freshman in college and have recently started DJing. I have been honing in my mixing skills for the past 5 months and have gravitated mostly to Electro House and Progressive House. I am very interested in producing my own electronic music, but am running into some problems because I am so new.
Having been a sports guy most of my life, music was always a tool used for inspiration and relaxation. Although I played a few wind instruments as a child, I don't know very much about music theory or production at all. I have herd from many that music theory in dance music isnt the most important thing and it should not be focused on. However, never having played guitar, piano, drums, or any other instruments like that, I feel as though I have no idea what I'm doing.
I am currently running Ableton Live 8 on my PC and am mixing with a Traktor Kontrol s2 and Traktor Pro. My question for you guys is if it would be worth while/beneficial for me to learn keyboard as a side project over summer. Would that help teach me concepts that I would need to know for production? Also, what books would you recommend for someone in my position (I know about the reading thread I'm just asking anyway)?
Thanks for any and all help guys! I'm very passionate for my music and inspired to create it! I just feel very behind because I don't know alot about music. I plan on taking music courses throughout my time at the University as well.

[Byca]

I would highly recommend learning the piano (keyboard). I always use my piano to help take the melodies from my head onto the keys. Once I figure it all out, I plug them into my DAW. If you want to learn the piano right off the bat - just search 'beginner piano tutorial' on youtube and I am sure you will fine dozens of them online.

I hope this helps!

[yoski]

Piano is one of the fundamentals you can fudge the music theory but if you cant put the music from your head to notes your sol.

[Sequence2]

LEARN MUSIC THEORY
Keep in mind I am not a 'pro' or any sort of musical teacher
Learning how to 'play' the paino isn't necessarily key to becoming an EDM producer though it will help a great deal (I mean.. A LOT)
I say this because it's not like you are going to be performing on stage with a keyboard (Unless you wanna keytar and spin knobs and slide jog wheels all at the same time)
What's key is music theory because you will learn which notes go together to make chords, what is a 'key' of a song, why you need to know what notes are in each key of a musical note, etc.
There are PLENTY of other reasons why music theory is an absolute must for production, but these are some very basic but VERY important aspects
This is why I suggest books to EDM producers and not Piano teaches. Piano teachers are great and what they have to offer is amazing as you will learn EVERYTHING there is to know about the piano and you can apply that knowledge to EDM music production.. but at the same time you will also learn skills which are not exactly necessary for EDM production (learning how to read notes, how to play and read notes, how to hold your wrists up properly blah blah blah)
Now if you can find a piano teacher that produces EDM then you are 100% set
I suggest picking up a book (I purchased piano for dummies and it has everything a noob needs to learn the basics in piano music theory and some more)
You should also think about picking up a midi keyboard to practice with

From my own personal experience.. learn music theory
you can sit there and hit 1 key, then another key and think "WHOA these sound great together"
but music needs variation.. change.. movement
it will probably take you hours to figure out which keys will go together when you approach producing this way
or you can read 3 pages in a piano book and BAYM it tells you exactly how to figure out which keys will go together (IE Natural, Harmonic, Melodic minor scales)
Hope this helps!

[Feel Good]

Hey guys I really appreciate the responses! I gotta admit I wasn't expecting to get so much so much positive constructive criticism. Im going to go ahead and get a used keyboard and teach myself as well as get some quality books geared towards EDM. Any specifics youd personnaly recommend?

(Edit)- I could probably just get a MIDI piano controller and learn on the computer considering I need one anyway.

[Zepa]

Hey guys I really appreciate the responses! I gotta admit I wasn't expecting to get so much so much positive constructive criticism. Im going to go ahead and get a used keyboard and teach myself as well as get some quality books geared towards EDM. Any specifics youd personnaly recommend?

Good choice piano is very important for EDM. Yestrday I got my hands on " The Complete Idiot's Guide To Music Theory " I read maybe like 10 pages but the book is definatly worth of reading and it has great advices

[kebeats]

Just learn from everywhere you can. From YouTube videos, to 'real books', to eBooks, to Music Theory courses, etc. Ta me it's uh must. There was countless times I thought I fully understood what was being taught, but it takes repetition & in some cases it being explained, or looked at, by another person or a different perspective. & DON'T overlook the basics. Some topics may seem confusing at first, but I assure you the farther you go along the easier it gets. Dude up there acted like your posture & shit like that ain't important.. For me I know the fingering is. If you got any questions along the way PM me.

[Feel Good]

Just learn from everywhere you can. From YouTube videos, to 'real books', to eBooks, to Music Theory courses, etc. Ta me it's uh must. There was countless times I thought I fully understood what was being taught, but it takes repetition & in some cases it being explained, or looked at, by another person or a different perspective. & DON'T overlook the basics. Some topics may seem confusing at first, but I assure you the farther you go along the easier it gets. Dude up there acted like your posture & shit like that ain't important.. For me I know the fingering is. If you got any questions along the way PM me.

Thanks for the hospitality man, I'll definetly letcha know If I got any questions.
I checked your website out. Good shit man

[rayzer]

your djing can also come into use when learning producing, for example youll be doing some sort of bpm sync, eq, mixing and song structure. once you know them pretty well you can analyse the songs your mixing then use some of the same features for your own tracks. then its a case of learning some scales, keyboard, melody building etc and add that to what you already know.

[Sequence2]

For EDM production I suggest Rick Snowmans Dance Music Manual Second edition
It goes through the very basic but most utilized audio units you will need to understand (Compressor, Gate, EQ, Limiter, etc)

I also think Djing is a great way to improve your production skills. ESPECIALLY with electro and prog house as these DJ's tend to utilize effects more than others (Such as Trance Dj's) that being said, while you DJ you will start to add the effects (And I know Traktor has a shit ton as I do own one myself) to your set. You may throw in a flanger to hype up a build up, or a HPF when the bass is gone.. even using a gating effect during you set will help to create tension on a build. not only will you start to understand production audio units by using the effects your Traktor comes with, but it will also open up a new world to you as you will start to connect both production and djing. Since you will learn through djing when a flanger comes into use, you can then apply that to production and throw in a flanger where you see appropriate, along with other audio units.

p.s If you are serious about production, read your manuals!