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-- Why I want to learn about music

Why I want to learn about music

A couple days ago I started a thread in Music Discussion that probably should have gone in here. In spite of the "general" tone I took in that thread, this is kind of a personal topic for me, but I'm posting about it in here because I think that some of you might be able to relate. I'll start things off with an excerpt from a BT interview that I read not too long ago:

quote:

"OK, look, the laptop is the folk instrument of the 21st century. It is, right? The thing that gets lost in that leap is a knowledge of the past. If you�re 14 now and rocking some crazy in Reaktor, you think you�re doing something new that actually was happening 30 years ago. So in having these incredibly sophisticated tools, I think we�re losing perspective historically on what�s already happened. Secondly, so many systems are in place now for instantaneous satisfaction of generation of musical ideas--and not like cool aleatoric things where it�s randomization, but just like, �Hey, here�s a cool breakbeat track.� That is taking the tools and having them impose their will on your creative works. That�s why I prefer to create a lot of my own tools. I�ve been prototyping a lot of my own instruments, and I have four guys that are building stuff in C++ for me because I can�t work out the syntax of that . And I don�t have the time to mess with it. But the third and most important thing is that nobody can play an instrument anymore. Until you have had the feeling of your hand on a string of a guitar or on the keys of a piano or the bow of a cello or on two drumsticks, and you�ve dug in and locked into this frictive space, and there�s a connection between your neurology and your physiology, to me, it�s not music. Ironically enough for someone who works so much with synthesis and computers and programming, I�m a musician, man. I like to play with musicians. I just like using weird to shape those sounds that I create. ... I could sit my mom or a 14-year-old kid down with a garage band, and they can do something that�s not only dope but encourages them to go, �Hey, I like this a lot.� From that point, you start experimenting and discovering other tools. I actually think the level of proficiency to create interesting music is zero, seriously. If you can send email, you can make music with a computer now. There�s this incredible supersaturation of people making electronic music. That�s good because what�s really interesting and engaging and bleeding edge and important rises to the top. But the thing that I like to encourage people to do is, if you think this is something you actually like, go study music, not computers. The way you�re going to make really meaningful music and be an actualized musician is to play something. Music is about interfacing with an instrument and musicians, and the computer as a tool for sound design and manipulation. But you need that joy of sitting down with your instrument and another musician and pulling something out of the air. You�re not getting what music is until you have that experience.

I used to take the attitude that only the "end result" matters, and I still think that is true in a sense. But concentrating on that sentiment obscures the fact that the "end result" will be affected quite a bit by the process, and the process includes the route(s) by which one comes to learn musical principles. And it is my impression that while guesswork and instinct may allow some "untutored" people to come up with brilliant stuff, the whole thing can be made more precise and perhaps more enjoyable by a more "systematic" education in music (which can include a lot of self-education, if one has the discipline). So here are a few things I want to educate myself on:

I want to learn to play an instrument and play it fairly well. I want that tactile experience available. And I would like to learn how to read and write music using "traditional" notation so that I don't have to feel like a whole world of music waiting to be played, understood, and analyzed is not essentially "closed off" to me.

I admit, these are partly ego things for me. I don't want to feel like I come up short in a significant way compared to "real" musicians who play instruments, and I don't want to be scoffed at by people who have taken the time to learn how to perform and write music in the "traditional" way. I guess it's stupid, caring that much about how other people are going to react to what I do, but it is how I feel on a "gut" level and I don't see any easy way to change that. But I also think that knowing this stuff will prove useful in the long run.

I want to learn music theory -- much more than the little I know right now -- because I want to know why some melodic and harmonic things "work" the way they do and how to utilize this knowledge in coming up with progressions in a track, and I want to be able to recognize how other producers are using these principles in their tracks.

I want to learn a good bit about the history of music in general and electronic music in particular. I want to learn when and why all the abovementioned principles developed in the way they did, who the pioneers of musical principles were, and why the principles are how they are today.

I want to learn more about synthesis and sound processing. This is probably the area where I have so far been best about seeking knowledge, probably because it provides very immediate and tangible results ("Oh, so that's why the synth sounds like that when I turn that knob to the right!"), but I could stand to learn quite a bit more.

Another thing to consider is that if I ever (the horror!) stop wanting to make electronic music but still really want to make some other kind of music, I'll have a very good base to draw from. I doubt that I'll ever abandon this entirely, but still, it's good to keep things like that in mind.

The bottom line is that I hate feeling ignorant, especially about things I love as much as music in general and electronic music in particular, and I think that remedying this ignorance by educating myself will be pleasurable and will add to my production skills, too. Maybe some of you feel the same way.

[Maybe you could post your long rant in here, DigiNut.]

good point.

ive played the bass for 9 years now, and am decent at guitar and piano...

jamming is where its at. music is what music is to everyone, but its also communication, like an audible train of thought as it happens.

good stuff

I think it's all open for interpretation really, in other words, whatever makes your heart beat faster when you're creating something, whatever keeps you coming back for more is what's going to make you do your best when you create and that's what it's really all about in my honest opinion.

I've been playing guitar for 14 years now, piano for 12, I've played in various bands from blues to heavy metal and I've always been interested in EDM.
I think having knowledge of musical instruments definitely can help in the creative process but the sum of everything is that music is an art form with many different canvasses.

Whatever it takes to bring out the best in your creative process is all that should be important I strongly believe.

Of course I also believe having at least a basic knowledge of music theory is essential to writing good music.

traditional knowledge in music is seriously only like 25% the work of making a trance track... at most.

Maybe, but I want to make lots of different kinds of music. Trance just happens to be the one I want to make the most right now.

You're in the right place then.

It's simple to start... download-----er i mean buy an interface sequencer or recording application, read up on music theory tutorials on the web, check out this forum often to learn the ropes, buy an instrument that you feel is right for you and what you plan to do, then practice practice practice.

It takes less time than you'd think if you're dedicated, and it's really satisfying in a lot of ways.

Being able to hear music by other people as both art and engineering is really a great feeling, and it makes music a lot better in my opinion. And since music is a large part of life for me (well.. all of us!), it makes things just that little bit sweeter.

Lets get something clear. Focusing on one type of music and producing only that is the most stupid thing you could do to start your producing carreer..right now is the best time for all of you to experiment on different type of music styles to understand them and see how things like drums (beat) melodies and bass lines and such works in each one..you could only say you�re a true musician when you understand the concept of �music� not just �trance, house , etc..� cuz as BT said anyone who knows how to e-mail, knows how to make music now adays..specially trance and house..most people come up to this conclusion too late like BT and Tiesto and many more..these are the people who if you read their interviews you realize that they have realized this whole concept and you could even see it in their music..

quote:

It's simple to start... download-----er i mean buy an interface sequencer or recording application, read up on music theory tutorials on the web, check out this forum often to learn the ropes, buy an instrument that you feel is right for you and what you plan to do, then practice practice practice.

I've had two sequencers for a while (Reason and Ableton), plus Komplete and some other VSTs. I know my way around sequencers and synths okay, but I am pretty ignorant about "traditional" modes of playing and composing music. After reading around, I think that studying up on that will help me become better-rounded and more confident as a producer, which is why I posted the message and want to start this "journey" I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by System101 Lets get something clear. Focusing on one type of music and producing only that is the most stupid thing you could do to start your producing carreer..right now is the best time for all of you to experiment on different type of music styles to understand them and see how things like drums (beat) melodies and bass lines and such works in each one..you could only say you�re a true musician when you understand the concept of �music� not just �trance, house , etc..� cuz as BT said anyone who knows how to e-mail, knows how to make music now adays..specially trance and house..most people come up to this conclusion too late like BT and Tiesto and many more..these are the people who if you read their interviews you realize that they have realized this whole concept and you could even see it in their music..

+1

I think I said something about how a piano could be superior to a sequencer a while ago and almost started a flame war, but to me there's no feeling like actually touching (dare I say carressing?) a real instrument (like, not software...) into creating music for you. Well, maybe there are some feelings but they're either not g rated or not legal! I play guitar, piano and I sing, as well as trying to produce (which is my weakest skill) and I love to make music with just my hands and my vocal chords and nothing else, it just feels more pure somehow, I enjoy it more I think.

quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips +1 I think I said something about how a piano could be superior to a sequencer a while ago and almost started a flame war, but to me there's no feeling like actually touching (dare I say carressing?) a real instrument (like, not software...) into creating music for you. Well, maybe there are some feelings but they're either not g rated or not legal! I play guitar, piano and I sing, as well as trying to produce (which is my weakest skill) and I love to make music with just my hands and my vocal chords and nothing else, it just feels more pure somehow, I enjoy it more I think.

Piano... vs.. Sequencer?

That's apples and oranges. lol

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Shibby Piano... vs.. Sequencer? That's apples and oranges. lol

yeh sorry, in context, we were talking about ways of writing. I was saying that I prefer to just sit down and play at the piano then take it away to a completely seperate room and record it with midi or whatever. As opposed to writing in a sequencer.

I like trying to do that, too. It takes the emphasis off of "sound design" and puts it back on the arrangement and melody.

I used to play the saxophone, and was very skilled (years ago). However, being forced to move AGAIN left me depressed, without my musical "mentor", a lack of instructurs in general, and with new things in life to deal with. Since I moved away from Colorado I never played saxophone again and I regret that -- I actually feel very stupid (especially since I no longer have it).

I tried to teach myself piano, but am only half-successful. If I wasn't taking a whopping 18 credits next semester, I'd be taking piano lessons at my current college.

I realize that the saxophone is not a "trance" instrument... but like MrJiveBoJingles said, I like other forms of music too. However, the piano... (cough)...

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles It takes the emphasis off of "sound design" and puts it back on the arrangement and melody.

Interesting statement and that has a lot to do with the "rant" I had planned for earlier. It's not so much of a rant mind you, in that it's not angry or targeted at anyone, just more of an essay. And being an essay, I think it's simply too long-winded to post wholesale, nobody will read past the first paragraph or two.

So I'm going to give the super-condensed version here:

I think it's completely fine if you consider yourself a "sound designer" or a "sound engineer", as long as you understand that as a professional or aspiring professional, the success of your trade depends upon certain principles of good design, those being:

a) Knowing the theory behind your trade and understanding the role of context;
b) Knowing the field itself - i.e. common practices, important developments, useful techniques, etc., both historical and current;
c) Knowing the constraints and trade-offs inherent in your profession and your designs, and knowing why those constraints exist and how they can be worked around (if at all).

These are accepted, proven principles in any design or engineering field and no honest person would call him/herself a professional without at least some level of adherence to them. As an electronic music producer, your craft actually spans two fields: traditional composition and audio technology. That means in order to be a good music designer, you have to know both sides:

a) The theory - both music theory and sound theory.
b) The field - musical composers and their work, as well as current producers and their techniques. This knowledge can't be limited to one genre or one decade to qualify as in-depth.
c) The art - generally that's playing an instrument because it teaches you what sounds natural based on a real human's limitations. Perhaps you don't actually have to play an instrument, but you should at least have a solid grasp of what the instruments are (both modern and "classical"), what they sound like played by a human, what their pitch registers are, etc. As a bare minimum this means listening to many different genres of music from many different types of instrumentalists or vocalists.

So, are you a designer or a musician? Doesn't matter, either way you have a responsibility to yourself to learn about music in much greater depth than one acquires by hoarding EDM tracks on one's hard drive and going out to the clubs. That may make you an expert on EDM subculture but it doesn't make you a designer.

That is great that you have such an appreciation for music that you want to take the time to learn an instrument and also theory. I feel that is very important and these programs today are allowing everyone to produce quite easily. Of course you need to know the basics of which notes and chords go together, but I feel there is quite a difference between pressing down the keys of a piano and clicking a mouse.
I do have a great admiration for what some producers can do with these programs (amazing stuff actually) ....but I think getting training on an instrument and learning music theory would be a great start and create a greater admiration of music for potential producers.

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