A few steps on how YOU can become a better musician, or music 101
40 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Croix;31304804]If you are doing electronic music and come up with a really good synth and stuff, but ti doesn't work with what you're doing right now be sure to save the preset and/or bounce the track to audio so you can use it later. When you've done this for a while you have a nice amount of self made drumloops and synth patches which can be really cool. I[/QUOTE]
Seems like you had something else to say and stopped randomly. Glad to see someone else does that. To be very clear, my definition of a part that isn't working is a part that overall doesn't sound good and can't really be fixed. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it wasn't. It's not something you'd want to save because it doesn't work and it doesn't have any use. It's not a part that sounds good but doesn't fit into the song, it's a part that don't sound good. I used to make these kinds of parts all the time, and I would spend a lot of time trying to make the part sound good, but it was just impossible because the part was bad. You can't make a bad melody sound good, though you can make a good melody sound bad. Most songs that sound overproduced tend to have a a very weak musical foundation which leads to a reliance on the mixing to give the illusion that the musical ideas are someone good.
[QUOTE=Renin V3;31309946]Umm, more like compare deadmau5 to Daft Punk or Justice or any of the more classic electro artists. Madeon is great but he's pretty similar to stuff that's been around for over a decade, and I'd consider him to be around the same musical generation as deadmau5.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but I meant to take to examples from the same genre. I wouldn't say they are too similar either. But yeah, I guess comparing deadmau5 to Justice does make more sense, I just came up with something quickly from the top of my head.
[QUOTE=Pepin;31310556] words[/QUOTE]
I see. Well my point is valid anyway I recon?
[QUOTE=Croix;31310702]I see. Well my point is valid anyway I recon?[/QUOTE]
Within context of parts that could work in some situation. It's never a bad thing to save ideas. Though I don't think there is any reason to save bad ideas.
I make shit sounds sound good all the time. You never really know how something is going to sound until you hear it in the context of a full mix. Often time something will sound like ass until it's part of the bigger picture or layered with something else that has what the "bad" sound is lacking. The real trick is learning how to figure out why the sound is bad and how to fix that. With pitch shifting + EQ automation you can pretty much turn any sound in to something useable.
Can't you also make songs online through different people around the world, by uploading tracks to a website privately and then someone mixes them? I could probably do that. Does this section have a thread for that?
[QUOTE=Pepin;31301051]Might as well give a few tips.
-Take a few days off from the song you are working on and then make changes. It ends up that spending hours working on a song often alters your ability to make good judgement, so it is likely that something you may have loved actually makes the song quite bad. When I started out I had a huge issue with using too much reverb, but I wouldn't notice is until after a decent break from the song.
-If a part isn't working just throw it away and start form scratch. Realize that you can't easily fix broken glass and spending hours to fix it is like polishing a turd. It's also good to analyze and figure out why the part doesn't work. A common effect is that you can admit most what you wrote is bad, but there is one part you really like, but you can get that part to work. This is especially common with lyrics, you come up with a great line, but can't find an excuse to use it without it sounding natural. The best solution is just to scrap it.
-Know and realize your limits. I have major issues in that I have a sound in my head, but I can never achieve it. This is common among musicians. Even famous musicians who seem like they have no limitations talk about this. It's always good to try to emulate the music in your head, but it's important to realize that you're not likely to get the same sound without a ton of experience. Just accept that what you are trying to do is out of your reach, and accept the part in the best form you can make it.
-Push the limits of your skills and what you can do. You will likely fail, but the experience is what matters. I was really pushing my musical ability with the first progressive song I did and to me this is the biggest part in pushing forward. Set goals for songs and try your best to achieve them. One of my goals a while back was to have all the recordings be done in one take as opposed to segmenting. This has now turned into a typical thing for me to do. It's always good to push your abilities and to work in a zone you are not as comfortable with.
-Think your music out. I doubt it shows as easy in my music, but I put a lot of thought into most every part and try to convey something. A lot of times I use symbolism. I had a song about getting high and a guitar part with a slide went way too high. Certainly a big abstract, but a few people got it. This also gives your music some meaning and a purpose.
-[B]My biggest piece of advice is to provide criticism for other people's music[/B]. Not just an opinion, but really dissect what works and doesn't work and explain it. Why do I suggest this? Because it makes you more conscious about what works and what doesn't and the details as to why. More importantly, being able to objectively judge musical ideas allows you to judge your own ideas more accurately.[/QUOTE]
These are some solid tips, and I wouldn't have expected anything else from you Pepin. =)
[editline]25th July 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=CheeserCrice;31304347]Good idea for a thread but all the points in the OP are kind of obvious imo, nice for beginners tho. (you might want to provide a few more links to music software sites etc. for people starting out)
[editline]24th July 2011[/editline]
I'd also advice pretty much all musicians to try and play live gigs and shows regularly, if you want to make a career out of it and want to be successful you won't get anywhere just sitting at home uploading your songs to soundcloud and waiting for a record deal.[/QUOTE]
I disagree with all of the points being obvious, I know a lot of people who think that to make metal music you should only listen to metal music for instance, and making excuses is something everyone does, sometimes without even realizing it. Your idea with beginner stuff is good though, but that information easily warrants its own thread I think. =)
Good advice there Dick. I have played drums for 7 years without having the slight interest for music-theory, and I'm paying for it now. I'm taking piano-lessons and music theory(to prepare me for a higher musical education), and I find theory more easy now, since I can "hook" it on the piano-lessons I'm taking.
Theory has also helped my drumming too, since I'm starting to write down drum-parts(incase I forget), read from sheets when playing with a band, so I know precisely where I am, where to stop and so on.
The piano-lessons themselves have made my compositions more complex even at this early stage.
Playing with others is also a very good way to practice(I'm in 3 bands and a studio-project at the moment), which gives me many new experiences and impulses.
I also recommend that people make practice routines if they want to be become better at their instruments. Make a plan with goals, and practice at least 20 minutes a day(not 1 hour 2 days a week).
Practice with a metronome, and most importantly RECORD YOURSELF. It's a bit daunting at first, but after a while you can pinpoint what you're doing wrong, and practice so that you become better.
You can also practice to electronic music, rap etc, so that you get your inner metronome sharpened.
I think one of the best things to do is to find people who play the same instrument/style of music as you, its great to have someone you can go to, to get another perspective on what you're trying to do.
And also, take every opportunity to play in front of an audience
One more thing, if something you're trying to do just isn't fun for you, keep trying for a while, but if it never gets more enjoyable to play, stop trying it for a while and come back to it later.
I'm trying to learn more intruments, I know how to play most plucked string instruments (Guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, stand-up bass etc.) and I can play chords and melodies on piano-style instruments. Not a very good piano improviser though.
I'm learning violin but it's so damn hard
[QUOTE=Eric95;31332897]Not a very good piano improviser though.[/QUOTE]
Try playing with jam tracks, it helps out a lot. If you can do rhythm or bass with your left hand just play standard progressions and do a lead. It takes a while to get this down.
I am currently taking a summer course on basic music theory. Its actually helping a lot and I can't wait to take a further course in the subject.
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