Members Yoozer Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 This is going to be a rather convoluted piece. I'm not much of a storyteller. After building up the gearstack and the studio for such a long time - starting 17 years ago with the gear and 9 years ago with the studio, I've come to a revelation that's far too late to do any good, but which might help other people. http://norvig.com/21-days.html What will you be doing most of the time, hopefully? Making music. What does this depend on? Your capability to play - after all, it's still one the fastest ways to input notes. I contend the following: the art of subtractive and FM-synthesis can be learned in 500 hours or so if you study things intensively. Physical modeling is not on such a basic level unless you plan to build your own Reaktor ensembles (and then it becomes more a matter of learning Reaktor) since you are already working with a limited framework - there's limits to horn size, driver settings, all that stuff; you have lots of parameters to deal with but they have their limits. The models are sort of known already and researched by minds a dozen times smarter than you - impulse, Karplus-strong, etc. so the trouble consists of implementing them. Even then, (sample-based) substitutes will work reasonably well, generically speaking; FM and subtractive are more of a building-blocks deal. But what's the thing - you're already standing on the shoulders of giants. When synthesizers got their memory, making presets could be left to other people - and it was. Before synthesizers, you'd have the piano which only had one preset to speak of anyway, and key velocity plus pedals as the only things you could tinker with (barring prepared pianos). If you consider this "outsourcing", you can outsource the following: - composition- playing- sound design- mixing- mastering You can play other people's work. You can compose and let other people play your work. Outsourcing the latter three disciplines was pretty much a given; you always see different names for the engineers and actual performing artists, and mastering - you send off your wave file and you get it back, hopefully polished in such a way that it out-pumps the rest of the hits. But the hard part to outsource if you consider yourself a musician who does not do session work or covers is playing your own songs - telling your own stories; if I can assume that you're playing a non-"exotic" piece of work (how many folks use alternative tunings or compose serially or aleatorically? 3-4 people there in the back? Yes, thank you.) you'll be dealing with music theory. An easy acid test (if you're not making acid, techno, gabber et al. is - does it sound good on just a piano? Does your story hold up when told in such a way? If it doesn't, try working on it until it does. Not learning this theory is an almost indefensible position; Eno's statement that naivety has its charm has as a dark side - it only works once. There's a strong tendency to hunt for chord progressions and melodies that work; mostly because you've heard 'm in other songs, or because if you're staring at a keyboard and you've got no idea how to become a virtuoso on this you simply have to try, try and try over again; until you find the "right" combination you wanted to make. While even a bit of theory would've saved you half an hour lost in frustration - and most likely would've made the result better too, thanks to the magic of substition and inversion. It doesn't mean you give up creativity or you remove the mystery of things (of course, every lesson has mystery - unexplored territory tentatively entered); it gives you more power to express yourself musically. So you can focus on the next bit; now that you can express yourself you can start telling your story. There are infinitely many stories - the semblances between them are figments of our own imagination, thanks to the great pattern-recognition machine that we call our brain. If you'd glue the first half of Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves together with the last half of Sleeping Beauty, you have a new movie - but you're still going to be sued into bitter poverty by Disney. This is the issue with stating that there are infinitely many melodies; you may be right, but a bunch of greedy people will say it is not so and the judge will rule in their favor; after all, some folks might like your version better while the relative effort was far less. That the original creator is already long dead is not an issue; with the movies, most people got paid for that work alone once anyway. So, it's probably a safer position to assume that you're not doing anything new; but you are doing anything uniquely yours. This problem was explored in Melancholy Elephants. Let's just put it this way; thank the forces of whatever that the copyright organizations of now did not exist in the 17th century (yes, there were medieval guilds - duly noted) so we have a great number of works in the public domain (more would be better; 20 years of protection when perused by the populace, 40 years of protection when perused by the corporation; that would generate revenue, not the current setup). Anyway, what I've come to realize is that I personally have been focusing on the wrong thing; and worse, I've been limiting myself. One creates walls for themselves. You see 'm here every day - the well-known "I will have no computer in my studio", "MPCs are for hiphop" and so on and so on. Constrained art can be fun; constrained thinking isn't, and I've been trying to find a way to break this - well, linearity - because it's picked up by people new to the craft, and it restricts their options and their means to learn. It's like you put on manacles and boxing gloves and then try to milk ants. The world of music, composition, sounddesign and synthesis is still wide open. There's a lot of unexplored territory left, even on a relatively small terrain (compared to playing proficiently and telling your story using your full means of expression) like synthesis; consider sampling and effects, which are usually not considered in the first place; either thanks to a crippling interface (which serves as a limit on your expression because the designer never considered it for expression; rather, a workhorse / utility kind of thing you'd probably stick in a rack, power on and never touch again), or because of a misplaced production ethic which is not or no longer grounded in reality. Shy no method to get something done; your gear will not care and you won't have to listen to anyone; your studio is your temple. The hybrid, non-linear approach is vigorous; it's the mutt that may survive with a few nicks while the purebred poodle is torn to shreds. Stop thinking linearly; it doesn't have to come out of a single box, it does not even have to follow a pre-ordained line of boxes; split it, merge it, route it back again because you can. If you can't, get the means. Follow the advice of the Buddha: Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.even if it's not confirmed to be his, this is sage advice - it means more work for you and more scary walls to climb and leaving the safe harbour for the stormy sea, because you actually have to go out and try new stuff. You are not half as edgy as you think you are; prove yourself! Do instead of trying, or worse, talking about trying. Document your failures; record everything, because it's not like you're going to run out of harddisk space soon. Learn; it'll always be interesting. Do not shy away from knowledge; you're not a child anymore that has to live for 16 years in a perfectly, always-sunny always green garden only to be kicked out of it harshly after that. The limits you create are yours; you have to be the one to break them, too. Your production method does not guarantee anything in the way of quality; the result does. Tell me your story; the steel, copper, plastic and bits that made it are of secondary interest, always. Spending money is a thousand times easier as spending time and effort. Do not hold back; nothing but your other obligations are going to stop you. Do cartwheels in an empty office hallway, just to see if you can. Oh yeah, I'm going to be a dad at the end of April or the beginning of May, if everything goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mediterranean Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 Fantastic essay and wisdom. And congratulations on becoming a father soon:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mildbill Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 ... Not learning this theory is an almost indefensible position; ... Umm? Is this the point you're trying to express? That you've neglected learning music theory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogberto Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 - it means more work for you and more scary walls to climb and leaving the safe harbour for the stormy sea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Allerian Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 This is going to be a rather convoluted piece. I'm not much of a storyteller. Ater reading that, I'm encouraged to feel that all is comparatively well in my own music-making world. I have the gear I need to do my thing and have learned to use it all quite well so that when ideas surface they can be quickly realized with few roadblocks. And still no computer in the studio. w00t! Congrats on the new child. My music got a whole lot better after the oldest two moved out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EerieDreamZ Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hey yoozer, glad to se you posting and another excellent thread worth saving and rereading. Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members midinut Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I want some of what HE'S having ...Congrat on the little one, your life will never be the same ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yoozer Posted February 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Umm? Is this the point you're trying to express? That you've neglected learning music theory? Partially, yes, and that it's far more important than I thought it was. It's sort of like huffing and puffing to climb up a hill and then seeing a mountain range in front of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stikygum Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Document your failures, break your limits, and just do it. That's actually a moto I really like. Those are the best points I thought you made. The part about nothing will stop you is true as far as making music and telling your story you want to portray, but the whole music theory point you were driving at can play a big part on what you can achieve, as you know. You can do a lot when you put your mind to it, but music theory is always good to know if your music incorporates melodies. I like the document your failures and break your limits though. That spells progress right there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members poumtschak Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hi, Is this the personal development course ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mildbill Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hi, Is this the personal development course ? Sounds like a mid-life crisis. And a coming to terms with the fact that one lifetime isn't nearly long enough to fully explore lots of interesting things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meatball Fulton Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Yoozer, Great post. Disdain for music theory or being able to actually play an instrument (it needn't be keys) has always seemed short sighted to me. Then again, I grew up in a time when we learned how to read music in elementary school. Being able to read music and understand simple harmony opens up the entire world of music to you, just go to the public library and borrow books full of sheet music by the masters and start learning. Copping some bass lines from Bach, melodies from Mozart and chords from Debussy will take you a lot farther a lot faster than you can imagine. Working through elementary piano exercise books will give you enough technique to actually play your keyboards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members plaid_emu Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 This thread needs more Tony Robbins [YOUTUBE]Cpc-t-Uwv1I[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aeon Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thanks for your thoughts and for posting them, Rob. I value what you wrote, and I found it a pleasure to read. I found additional meaning in it as I changed the context from music to other aspects of my life, and thought on them. Blessings unto you and yours regarding your soon-to-be fatherhood. Namaste,Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Congratulations on your upcoming child, Rob Here's praying and hoping that he or she will be healthy and a great joy to you and your wife/gf/significant other. I started taking piano lessons last year after saying all my life that I wanted to do it. Since I couldn't afford a piano in Brazil when I was a teen, I started to play the guitar and became an ok player. I had to stop the piano lessons this year as they have me coming in to work on Saturdays, and also I now have a 5-month old little guy who needs a dad, not to mention my wife needs me also. I completely stopped playing out at this point. I'll eventually get back to it - the lessons and playing out, too. Good to read your thoughts, Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bruto Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Playing instruments, composing, and recording are all just hobbies with me. I played in a few bands over 20 years ago, bass and guitar mainly, but after that ended I never had any aspirations to pursue music professionally. Still, I enjoyed reading your contemplations and revelations Yoozer. In fact, this is probably the best thread that's come up in the last few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grumphh Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Oh yeah, I'm going to be a dad at the end of April or the beginning of May, if everything goes well. That is one hell of an accelerated pregnancy. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members coyote-1 Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Nice essay. And one with which I'm generally inclined to agree. Except for this. Back in my teens I began to truly learn to read/play, in an effort to get OUT of my head a bunch of noise that neither I nor anyone else had ever heard before. The problem? By the time I achieved something close to my desired level of proficiency, that music was forgotten. The 'rules' and commonly accepted ways of doing things naturally overrode the original content. So I'd say to anyone in that position: It is correct that the "dark side" only works once. But if you have that original thing available, definitely USE that once to make it work! Most folk really don't have that original thing on tap. If your 'original' vision is to become the next Buddy Holly, then your vision ain't all that original and you might as well go to music school. ASIDE: The oddest thing happened to me in that process. I went to music school and learned jazz theory, only to find a couple years later a bunch of country music flowing from my pen. Since my original music in my head as a teen was somewhere between Coltrane and Yes, that came as something of a shock lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AfroRouge Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Well, it's also important to remember that you change, and your ideas change with you. The essential point of Yoozer's post is, I think, that developing skills so you can express your ideas as they arrive in a fluid way. The flip side is that your education will alter your ideas, and that, along with growing older, can sometimes lead to disappointing results compared to the "beginner's mind" aspect to untrained exploration. Ultimately, I think the really good musicians have both technical skill and that essential seed of creativity that allows for both. There's a duality to the egoism that goes with pursuing music, especially the pop-oriented (in broad terms) genres where it's as much about fashion as "the music." Part of Yoozer's point was that you're probably not a unique and special snowflake with mounds of genius so that your improvised music will have much value to anyone. That depressing reality can be slow to hit, especially in the synth world where you can indeed spend hours tweaking away, doing nothing. I'm certainly in that category. Musically, my most productive time was right after college, when I had a Tascam 4-track tape recorder, a POD and a guitar. Since getting into synths, I've not done a damned thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 VERY inspiring thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Since getting into synths, I've not done a damned thing. Maybe it's time to ask yourself: WWDLPD??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AfroRouge Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Ooh, no. That's the absolute worst thing to ever ask yourself in this situation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I like that avatar much better than the spooky tonyrobbins afrogreen, btw. As long as you have a red afro, who cares if you are producing anything musically? (and if you don't have it anymore just grow it back for teh lulz) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AfroRouge Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I just got teh haircut so I look profezhunul. The TrollRobins icon made me mean. It's actually some kind of demonic influence, I'm sure. It served it's purpose of lulzing at the banning of the real troll, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Hamburglar Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Nice post. I've meditated a lot throughout life on music theory and education and have always had conflicted feelings about it. I used to be afraid that learning it all would make me blander and less willing to take risks. I also had no interest in classical piano when I was first learning it (13/14.) At this point in my life, I find that knowing and understanding the rules and conventions of something just makes it all the more valid when you break them, or at least play off them in a new way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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