What does everyone think about "complex" verses "simple" music - General

[QUOTE=En-Guage V2;25632639]That's because they were revolutionary though Nobody had seen anything like them before[/QUOTE] But doesn't that prove the point? The music itself is simplistic, but what they did with it was revolutionary. It's not the complexity of the music, its the way that the music as a whole is applied.

I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on. And how many chords a song has in it´s chord progression doesn´t really tell anything about the song´s complexity. It´s the time signatures and song structure that make most prog complex and interesting to me. You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on.[/QUOTE] You'll probably love things like Minimalism, where the rhythms and styles vary very slowly. But Prog Rock is in a different league to any pop music released nowadays.

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on. And how many chords a song has in it´s chord progression doesn´t really tell anything about the song´s complexity. It´s the time signatures and song structure that make most prog complex and interesting to me. You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.[/QUOTE] Whilst prog is the best genre out there, be careful, you're starting to sound like I did a year or so ago. We can be quite pretentious, us prog fans.

[QUOTE=kitthehacker;25632996]But doesn't that prove the point? The music itself is simplistic, but what they did with it was revolutionary. It's not the complexity of the music, its the way that the music as a whole is applied.[/QUOTE] Well, it was definitely a MASSIVE upgrade in complexity, seeing as almost every rock song only used I IV V until they came along.

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on. And how many chords a song has in it´s chord progression doesn´t really tell anything about the song´s complexity. It´s the time signatures and song structure that make most prog complex and interesting to me. You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.[/QUOTE] I feel bad for you [editline]25th October 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=kitthehacker;25632996]But doesn't that prove the point? The music itself is simplistic, but what they did with it was revolutionary. It's not the complexity of the music, its the way that the music as a whole is applied.[/QUOTE] Very true

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on. And how many chords a song has in it´s chord progression doesn´t really tell anything about the song´s complexity. It´s the time signatures and song structure that make most prog complex and interesting to me. You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.[/QUOTE] I got over this phase recently, it's not the time signature that makes the song interesting, it's the unpredictability( to a certain point, I don't want to listen to randomness ). Do you listen to Meshuggah?

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]I have listened to prog for a couple of years now and I just can´t listen to any 4/4 songs anymore. They just sound so plain and dull. Also I find prog and other complex stuff much more rewarding than "normal music". It may take a couple of listens to like a song but they just never get old. I have loved many songs since I first listened to them. People listening to more simple music tend to like a song for a week and then move on. And how many chords a song has in it´s chord progression doesn´t really tell anything about the song´s complexity. It´s the time signatures and song structure that make most prog complex and interesting to me. You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.[/QUOTE] While prog rock is by far my favourite genre, nothing is stopping me from liking a balls-to-the-wall blues rock jam.

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25633068]You could make a one chord song intersting and complex by making it jump from 9/8 to 7/6 to 7/8. Time signatures are what makes complex music sort of hard to listen to.[/QUOTE] To me it's definitely the chords. Alot of time when I listen to prog I don't even notice that there's an odd time signature here and there, because it fits so well.

Here's one for you. Most of Mastodon's songs are in Phrygian or Dorian.

[QUOTE=kitthehacker;25633298]Whilst prog is the best genre out there, be careful, you're starting to sound like I did a year or so ago. We can be quite pretentious, us prog fans.[/QUOTE] I am aware of the elitism plaguing prog listeners, but I just can´t help feeling sorry for people who won´t bother even trying to listen something that´s over 4 minutes long. I´m trying to be as humble as I can. I´ve listened to more easily approachable stuff before but I just get so much more out of prog and alike. Each to his own, though. But really, if an entire song is based around one 4/4 four chord riff it will be catchy but it will also get old fast, and that´s a fact. [QUOTE=En-Guage V2;25634400]I feel bad for you[/QUOTE] Why would you feel bad for me? I´m happy listening to what I listen to. [QUOTE=whitespace;25634509]I got over this phase recently, it's not the time signature that makes the song interesting, it's the unpredictability( to a certain point, I don't want to listen to randomness ). Do you listen to Meshuggah?[/QUOTE] Odd time signatures, time signature changes and unconventional song structures are what create the unpredictability to me. I´m not really a fan of prog metal. Gojira, among others, has some good songs but I don´t really listen to any. Tool is about as metal as I go.

[QUOTE=TehKaboose;25638424]Odd time signatures, time signature changes and unconventional song structures are what create the unpredictability to me. I´m not really a fan of prog metal. Gojira, among others, has some good songs but I don´t really listen to any. Tool is about as metal as I go.[/QUOTE] Well you should, everything goes in 4/4 but it doesn't sound like it. Btw Tool's great, have a winner.

I never think of songs as simple or complex. I mean, I recognize that they can be simple or complex, but I've really never used it as a basis for judging the quality of the song. [editline]25th October 2010[/editline] I will say that a song is usually a lot more fun to play if it's more complex though.

Complex music can be fun, but what really gets to me is simple music that capture an emotion Like the National, or White Stripes

It's because people don't find it enough to just enjoy their music. They have to [I]hate[/I] other people's and tell them [I]why[/I] they hate it. It makes them feel important. Like they know something others don't.

if you can't listen to the national because it's "too complex" i fell sorry for you because you are missing one hell of a band [editline]25th October 2010[/editline] if you can't listen to the national because it's "too complex" i feel sorry for you because you are missing one hell of a band

[QUOTE=Daily Bento Man;25641020]It's because people don't find it enough to just enjoy their music. They have to [I]hate[/I] other people's and tell them [I]why[/I] they hate it. It makes them feel important. Like they know something others don't.[/QUOTE] Or it's because they actually don't like it. I'm not sure why that's a difficult thing to grasp with the hugely subjective nature of music.

[QUOTE=thisispain;25641597]if you can't listen to the national because it's "too complex" i fell sorry for you because you are missing one hell of a band [editline]25th October 2010[/editline] if you can't listen to the national because it's "too complex" i feel sorry for you because you are missing one hell of a band[/QUOTE] If you are referring to my post, I meant that they use really really simple methods but are great anyway

Right now I'm liking the simple, but I can delve into complex shit, but usually Rush is as far as I go prog-wise, I tend to listen to more high-voltage, fast music. Punk and the like.

This here is more complex than the complexiest (?) material of Tool, Rush, Meshuggah, you name it.. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CwICXwLBmo[/media] Yet, it's not very hard to find a liking in this. I kind of makes you think, doesn't it?

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;25546039]I enjoy simple music more than advanced music, because it's just easier to sing along to, easier to get it stuck in your head... Easier to enjoy, I guess. Just look at Johnny Cash, not the best singer nor the best guitarist really, and his songs are quite simple but he's amazing. This is typical in folk. Just because it's advanced doesn't mean it's bad though, just look at jazz, that's a typical genre where it gets better the more advanced it gets (doesn't apply to everything, but alot).[/QUOTE] Awww mrjazzy... You stayed clean for like 3 months, then you got yourself banned...! :psyduck: Stop being crazy :v:

[QUOTE=Rad McCool;25644521]This here is more complex than the complexiest (?) material of Tool, Rush, Meshuggah, you name it.. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CwICXwLBmo[/media] Yet, it's not very hard to find a liking in this. I kind of makes you think, doesn't it?[/QUOTE] There's a difference between four or five dudes and a group the size of a small town.

[QUOTE=Nonikai;25636827]Here's one for you. Most of Mastodon's songs are in Phrygian or Dorian.[/QUOTE] purely by coincidence, though

[QUOTE=En-Guage V2;25545694]What does everybody else think?[/QUOTE] A man who applauds the complexity of any given piece of music while having no experience as a musician is a lot like a 12 year old talking about how sweet a sports car is. Cute, but fucking meaningless as an opinion. [editline]25th October 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=Rad McCool;25644521]I kind of makes you think, doesn't it?[/QUOTE] That J.S. Bach was hella overrated on anything but the organ, yeah. The fact that people just call him Bach and ignore say JCB kinda solidifies my stance on the "most people who talk about this shit are the same kids everyone hated in school for ranting about guns and shit they knew nothing about" thing.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm70afsCO7k&feature=related[/media] "Simplistic" but you can't tell me it is shit. Generally when someone judges music based of the skill it took to play they are being narrow minded elitists. Generally. There is a difference between being simple to play and sound very good melodically and emotionally and playing fast speed metal with sweeping arpeggios that sounds like utter shit. You can appreciate it for being skillful to play but often it lacks emotion and melodies. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMGgi4VhfQo[/media] A very simple song that sounds brilliant. You can't tell me this is terrible because it simple to play.

You have to be a musician to give judgement on complexities of music? :v: [editline]26th October 2010[/editline] Thanks for that xenocide

[QUOTE=Akayz;25646650]You have to be a musician to give judgement on complexities of music[/QUOTE] I think a lot of people over exaggerate the complexity of a lot of musical pieces. Imagine a hobbyist who makes electronic gadgets. He makes something, and it looks very confusing and complex, but it works and is impressive. Really, the thing he made isn't really complex at all, but to a person who doesn't know electronics, it appears to be complex. If someone who knew a good bit about electronics were to look at it and analyze it, they'll find that it's actually pretty simple and they can explain how just about everything in it works. [QUOTE=Nonikai;25636827]Here's one for you. Most of Mastodon's songs are in Phrygian or Dorian.[/QUOTE] I'm completely confused as to what that is supposed to mean...

[QUOTE=Shibbey;25646208]There's a difference between four or five dudes and a group the size of a small town.[/QUOTE] Nope.

[QUOTE=Shibbey;25646208]There's a difference between four or five dudes and a group the size of a small town.[/QUOTE] How? Bach composed it all himself.

[QUOTE=Pepin;25646974]I'm completely confused as to what that is supposed to mean...[/QUOTE] I'm sure it's something to do with guitar chords. The way you figure them out or something. I remember my music teacher touching on it briefly while we learnt chords a few years ago.