Yiir! Hope everybody is doing okay. Just a quick catch up and then I'll get right into it. Doing really well in classes, although this quarter has been a debacle on the faculty's part. Lots of crazy issues that don't really matter at this point. Suffice it to say that, regardless of the faculty issues, projects and assignments are still in full swing and due in a couple of weeks. Been learning a lot about how music is produced now-a-days. Actually had to re-create a few songs, all for finals, all of our choosing from a list. I chose to re-create Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" for my synth project. For this project, we were only allowed to use A certain synthesizer to create ALL of the sounds and instruments...drums also...no sample libraries allowed. Fun stuff. For my digital music project, we had to do a mash up. I chose to mash two Katy Perry songs, "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot and Cold". Again...fun stuff. Although, for this project, we were allowed to use sample libraries. Still had to re-create the whole song. So, next time you hear any of these songs, or any songs that sound like it, know this...I know how to create those sounds, from scratch. Fun stuff...SO...
Any of us that are producers or writers is all too familiar with the ever so aggravating block of creativity. We've all been there, whether it's having trouble writing a verse, the hook, or even the beat itself. Unfortunately, I've experienced more than my share of blocks on both sides of the coin. I actually bring this topic up in this blog because a friend of mine at school is going through it right now, and like I said, we all go there at some point. I felt this topic was blog worthy, and here we are.
In my opinion, producer's block is worse than writer's block...more than a little too, but not that much. When you have writer's block, you're having trouble trying to figure out what you're trying to say, same as producer's block. However, you either already have a song topic picked out, and are trying to stay on subject; or you are trying to let the music tell you what you should be writing by how it makes you feel. There's a rhythm there for you, a groove that you can feel and perhaps start to freestyle a flow to. You have your rhythm and syllable possibilities, but you just can't seem to find the right words. Maybe you want a wider ranged vocabulary, and saying "Fuck" five times in two bars just isn't satisfying anymore (Good for you!). Or maybe you have the vocabulary selected, you really want to say "Fuck" at least three times because it flows nice, but everything in-between just isn't sitting well with the MC on your shoulder. My point is that you have a bit of a crutch with the snare cracking in your ear every second and the music speaking to you.
When you're suffering from producer's block, all you hear is silence. You don't know what rhythm you want, you don't know the chords, the melody. Shit, you don't even know what instruments you wanna use. How bout the BPM's? There's step one: what's your tempo? You don't even know that? Shit dude...bad spot. You have nothing but silence. No groove, no rhythm. No melody to write to. Yes, you can freestyle melodys and bass lines. Maybe if you're a beat box you can spit a beat real quick and build off that...maybe. But if you're creative juices are blocked, you're gonna have a hard time.
Regardless of it being writer's or producer's block, I believe both to be symptoms of the same problem...stress. Not in the obvious way, either. I don't mean to say that you can't make beats or write lyrics just because you're stressed. No, not at all. Everything revolves around what you're feeling. Period. You write certain lyrics to certain instrumentals because it's how the beat made you feel when you sat down with your pen. Maybe you already have a song topic in mind, and are ready to make a beat for it. The lyrics will make you feel a certain way, and you'll produce a beat that is relevant to your lyrics. Every time.
When you're stressed, your judgment is blurry, and you can't focus. Sometimes it's best to just walk away for a while, however long that while may be. Could be a few hours, could be a day or two. Can't let it last too long though, ya gotta keep pressin. Otherwise, it gets the best of you and you just get lazy. Creative people have to stay creating, even if it's just a freestyle on the stoop. Stay focused. Sit down and just mess around on the piano. Don't try to write anything...just play. If you don't like what you're playing then stop. Totally. It'll come back to you when you're ready.
These situations can be very tricky, because you really need to become fully in-tune with your emotions when you have a block. It's your emotions that dictate your end result. If you're not in the best of moods, your music will reflect that. So don't try writing some awesome pop love song when you're angry as hell about your neighbors dog shitting on your doormat. Instead, write an angry ass song. If you're feeling really happy, same rules apply. Don't sit there and listen to some piano ballad in Eb minor, expecting to write the next billboard hit. You'll lose almost every time.
Gather yourself, gather your emotions and really think about how you're feeling. Make moves off of that, and stick to it. Everything is based off of your emotions, so trying to trick yourself into it is pointless. How many times have you heard someone say, "Man. I'm just not feelin it"? Blocks suck. No question. It's how we deal with them that makes us successful artists. You really have to find out what it is that's blocking your ideas and creativity. It's not like you aren't capable of doing it suddenly. It all comes from within. Stay centered, and control your emotions. Don't deny them...embrace them, and express them through your music. You have to know why you want to speak before you can communicate. What drove you to the piano? What drove you to your work station? What drove you to grab your pad?.......What drove you to put it down?
In closing...I leave you with a quote by E.L. Doctorow, an American author, slightly modified to suit..........
--Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the listener (reader) -not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.
Peace...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
If the drums ain't tight, the beat ain't right
Allow myself to re-introduce myself....
Welcome back, it's been a minute. I was fortunate enough to go home for the holidays, and it was very refreshing, if not "centering", to go back home and see all my boys again. For the cats I wasn't able to meet up with, my deepest apologies...but I'll be back again. So, let's get back to it.
I'm still doing the same things here, songwriting and film scoring. My film scoring class has gotten slightly more intense, which I think is friggin awesome. One thing, for sure, is this....film scoring is hard. Real hard. I think it's harder than songwriting, at least for me it is. You really have to get very artistic with it, and let your emotions get deeply involved. In fact, a very famous film composer, Hanz Zimmer said "All these intellectual ideas go only so far, then you have to own up to the truth that it better have an emotional content". This basically means, that all the theory and technical shit you know is great and necessary, but you have to care and get in touch with your project. Everything else will eventually fall into place. You also have to decide who's perspective you're writing the music from, meaning which character is your music going to relate to. You need to have a main theme of the movie, but you also have to make sure that it tells the story of the characters. There's also times where your music will actually fill in the holes of the story that are left by the dialogue. Maybe even hint to something underlying the story that the characters haven't discussed yet. Pretty involved stuff.
Welcome back, it's been a minute. I was fortunate enough to go home for the holidays, and it was very refreshing, if not "centering", to go back home and see all my boys again. For the cats I wasn't able to meet up with, my deepest apologies...but I'll be back again. So, let's get back to it.
I'm still doing the same things here, songwriting and film scoring. My film scoring class has gotten slightly more intense, which I think is friggin awesome. One thing, for sure, is this....film scoring is hard. Real hard. I think it's harder than songwriting, at least for me it is. You really have to get very artistic with it, and let your emotions get deeply involved. In fact, a very famous film composer, Hanz Zimmer said "All these intellectual ideas go only so far, then you have to own up to the truth that it better have an emotional content". This basically means, that all the theory and technical shit you know is great and necessary, but you have to care and get in touch with your project. Everything else will eventually fall into place. You also have to decide who's perspective you're writing the music from, meaning which character is your music going to relate to. You need to have a main theme of the movie, but you also have to make sure that it tells the story of the characters. There's also times where your music will actually fill in the holes of the story that are left by the dialogue. Maybe even hint to something underlying the story that the characters haven't discussed yet. Pretty involved stuff.
Now, to the title of this...I believe it was Premier who said, "If the drums ain't tight, the beat ain't right". My God, the truth behind this statement is uncanny. Drums decide everything for you. Yes, melody and chord progression, rhythm, etc, are all very important. But your music is trash if your drums are trash...point blank. Unfortunately, drums are my weakest asset. Seriously, my drums are not tight lol. So, that is something that I'm going to need to work on and study...a lot. Another beef I have with my drums is that they always develop into a hip hop sound, which does NOT work for an R&B track or a pop track. Just isn't gonna work. So, what I need to do is take ALL of the hip hop tracks out of my iPod, and replace them with R&B songs. I need to really listen and analyze these songs, so I can learn how to do this stuff.
Luckily, I'm in the company of some percussion beasts, so for now I'm making instrumentals and letting the drums be done elsewhere. Gotta utilize your sources, and admit when you need the help.
I also need to watch various genre's of movies and study the scores, see what they're doing. So, I guess I will no longer listen to music or watch movies for enjoyment, but for studying purposes. Jessica's going to hate me lol.
Until next time, I leave you with this...
"The manner in which Americans ''consume'' music has a lot to do with leaving it on their coffee tables, or using it as wallpaper for their lifestyles, like the score of a movie --it's consumed that way without any regard for how and why it's made."-Frank Zappa.Friday, December 10, 2010
In Conclusion
Well, allow me to begin by apologizing to anyone who actually is following this thing of mine. It's finals week as of next week, and things have been getting hectic. Thankfully, after this upcoming week, this semester will be over with. Then, it's off to Jersey I go. Hopefully, a good dose of underground hip-hop and some home town reality will give me a musical boost like Popeye and his spinach. So, since this semester is coming to a close, and the next semester starts on the 3rd of January, I figure why not wrap things up with some things that I've learned about song writing as a whole.
To start....it's complicated. Sometimes, when I'm sitting at my piano, I think everything I'm coming up with has already been done before, either by myself or someone else. Which leads me to believe that I still have a lot to learn. That's beside the point, however. My point is that song writing is hard...well...GOOD song writing at least. The slightest change in rhythm or tone, could ultimately define the genre of your song. Instrumentation is another huge aspect. Depending on what sounds you have, you may have a pop track, R&B, hip-hop, or even a symphonic piece.
I've also learned that it's very easy to stray away from what you initially sat down to do in the first place. You can't sit down to write a pop song, and start playing some classical piano piece, expecting it to sound nice with lyrics. I mean, sure...it happens. It's awesome when it does happen. Unfortunately, it's not what you sat down to do. So, the question rises...should I continue down this new avenue I've taken my song? Or should I record something like that really quick so I don't forget it, and then get back to the original project? Normally, I go with whichever piece I happen to like more at the time. Unless, of course, it's a project that was assigned to me and is due in two days.
I believe I'm babbling.... everything within the song matters a great deal. The chord progression, the length of the progression, the key it's in, what instruments you're using, the rhythm...everything. Even which snare, kick or hi hat to use makes a huge difference between genre's. The audience is another huge factor.
It really is amazing to know how important everything about the song really is. I've learned that certain chords, used in a certain way, tend to sound good only with certain genre's. Which is probably why I feel that everything I'm doing sounds like a duplicate of something else...I think I really only know how to do things one or two different ways. BUT, that's what I'm here for.
So, in conclusion, here's my stat sheet so far...all A's in all of my classes. Any performances I've had to do were super awesome, and the grades reflect that. I've written two song projects for one of my classes, and both got great reviews. In fact, one of those and another one that I just recently recorded will soon be on a friends mix tape, and I believe he's signed with Capital Records (which I can see out of my living room window, by the way). Hopefully, that ship hasn't totally sunk just yet. I've also scored a three minute clip for my scoring for film class, and that shit was pretty awesome, too. Got great reviews as well. I can also write music using roman numerals now. Yes...roman numerals. It's actually not that complicated at all, but it sounds really cool, right?
So, that's where I'm at, in a nutshell.
My only words of wisdom this time....
Peace
See you in January...
To start....it's complicated. Sometimes, when I'm sitting at my piano, I think everything I'm coming up with has already been done before, either by myself or someone else. Which leads me to believe that I still have a lot to learn. That's beside the point, however. My point is that song writing is hard...well...GOOD song writing at least. The slightest change in rhythm or tone, could ultimately define the genre of your song. Instrumentation is another huge aspect. Depending on what sounds you have, you may have a pop track, R&B, hip-hop, or even a symphonic piece.
I've also learned that it's very easy to stray away from what you initially sat down to do in the first place. You can't sit down to write a pop song, and start playing some classical piano piece, expecting it to sound nice with lyrics. I mean, sure...it happens. It's awesome when it does happen. Unfortunately, it's not what you sat down to do. So, the question rises...should I continue down this new avenue I've taken my song? Or should I record something like that really quick so I don't forget it, and then get back to the original project? Normally, I go with whichever piece I happen to like more at the time. Unless, of course, it's a project that was assigned to me and is due in two days.
I believe I'm babbling.... everything within the song matters a great deal. The chord progression, the length of the progression, the key it's in, what instruments you're using, the rhythm...everything. Even which snare, kick or hi hat to use makes a huge difference between genre's. The audience is another huge factor.
It really is amazing to know how important everything about the song really is. I've learned that certain chords, used in a certain way, tend to sound good only with certain genre's. Which is probably why I feel that everything I'm doing sounds like a duplicate of something else...I think I really only know how to do things one or two different ways. BUT, that's what I'm here for.
So, in conclusion, here's my stat sheet so far...all A's in all of my classes. Any performances I've had to do were super awesome, and the grades reflect that. I've written two song projects for one of my classes, and both got great reviews. In fact, one of those and another one that I just recently recorded will soon be on a friends mix tape, and I believe he's signed with Capital Records (which I can see out of my living room window, by the way). Hopefully, that ship hasn't totally sunk just yet. I've also scored a three minute clip for my scoring for film class, and that shit was pretty awesome, too. Got great reviews as well. I can also write music using roman numerals now. Yes...roman numerals. It's actually not that complicated at all, but it sounds really cool, right?
So, that's where I'm at, in a nutshell.
My only words of wisdom this time....
Peace
See you in January...
Saturday, November 27, 2010
It's More Than Just Skill
First, I just wanna say I hope everybody enjoyed their holiday. I mean that...but having said that...
I was in a pretty shitty mood last night after Jess and I came home. We went to my friends house from school. Had an amazing time with some other friends from class and his awesome family. The food was absolutely delicious, and I had a blast. Unfortunately, that escape from reality was a temporary fix. Things around here aren't going as well as Jess and I had hoped due to me being unable to find a job. Living off student loans really only goes so far, and not having a job is a serious bummer. Anyway...
I went down to the gym and continued my daily routine, and was very specific as to what music I wanted to listen to during this time. Normally, I let my Ipod play on random, and get busy to whatever comes on next. But this time, I wanted certain songs. Why? Why was this time so different? Simply, because I was so pissed off and upset, that Sublime or James Brown just weren't welcome in my house that night. I needed the angry, hard hittin beats. I have a pretty good mix of stuff like that. Some Biggie mix tape stuff where the beats are super hard and BIG rips it, got some Pac in there, so on and so on. But, more specifically, I fell back to my original favorite angry blond, Eminem. Now, you can say whatever you want about this dude, his latest album is serious. I've always been a crazy fan of Em's, and I'll be the first to say that, before "Relapse", his last two albums were friggin terrible. God awful, not worth breakin buds up on. But his most recent album, "Recovery", makes me remember why I love this dude so much. I'm not gonna get into a crazy review about this album. If you haven't heard it yet, you should. If you don't like his music, whatever. It's the principle. His lyrics are back to the "I don't give a fuck" attitude that, well, I've always found very easy to relate to. Especially last night, I needed that edge in my headphones. Plus, this album is very much like what I'm going through right now. Kind of like my 2nd chance to do something with myself here, and to not give up.
Now, the subject of this "blog". It all thrived on my emotion. When a person is really angry and irritated, they don't wanna listen to Etta James singin "Sunday Kind of Love", dig? I didn't even wanna listen to Pac's "Hail Mary", or Biggie's "Who Shot Ya?"...not hard enough. I wasn't depressed enough for "Suicidal Thoughts", or anything like that. I needed something that fit my mood.
When I was done, I came back upstairs to our apartment, and sat down at our piano. What better time to write a song than when all of this emotion is coming out of my pores faster than the sweat dripping down my spine? That's where it all comes from...you can be all types of knowledgeable in music, know everything about theory and reading. Kill your voicings and writing music...but if you have no emotion...dawg...stop wasting my time. Music is all about emotion. From the music we enjoy listening to, to the music that reminds of a certain time or a certain someone, it's all based on emotion. The best songs ever written, I'd be willing to bet, were written when the writer was overdosing on emotions (and drugs..but more so emotion for the sake of conversation). Whether it be cheerful, angry, sad or whatever, there was a rush of emotion. Songwriters and artists who are really good at what they do are capable of channeling those emotions at any given time, but still...their best music is written when it's a natural flood of feeling.
I sat down, and came out with this chord progression...and I loved it. This chord progression had everything that was going on inside my head, and turned it into music. Sometimes, thanks to my classes, now...I can even hear it before I sit down at the piano and play it. That's why Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder are such beasts...sight is irrelevant. That's how incredible emotion is when it comes to music. You don't even need to be able to see...shit...Beethoven was DEAF! Figure that shit out...
My whole thing is this...the music that you create, and the music that people grow to love, will always be the best thing you ever wrote, so long as your heart is in it. You can make people feel exactly what you were feeling at the time you wrote that song, you just gotta put your true self into it. And, you also have to be able to hold onto that feeling. I came back to the piano, and sat down this morning to play that same progression...played that shit all happy and cheerful..basically a totally different song. Now, I could just flip it like that and take it in a completely different direction. But, that's not what that song was started for, so it wouldn't end up as genuine or sincere. I probably wouldn't even enjoy doing it. So, I have to hold onto that emotion, and act on it via music. Any songwriters, or poets, or producers for that matter out there, know how great it feels to write a piece and get things off your chest through a song. Prolly saved a decent amount of lives...
'Till next time, think about this...
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible...is music.
Peace.
I was in a pretty shitty mood last night after Jess and I came home. We went to my friends house from school. Had an amazing time with some other friends from class and his awesome family. The food was absolutely delicious, and I had a blast. Unfortunately, that escape from reality was a temporary fix. Things around here aren't going as well as Jess and I had hoped due to me being unable to find a job. Living off student loans really only goes so far, and not having a job is a serious bummer. Anyway...
I went down to the gym and continued my daily routine, and was very specific as to what music I wanted to listen to during this time. Normally, I let my Ipod play on random, and get busy to whatever comes on next. But this time, I wanted certain songs. Why? Why was this time so different? Simply, because I was so pissed off and upset, that Sublime or James Brown just weren't welcome in my house that night. I needed the angry, hard hittin beats. I have a pretty good mix of stuff like that. Some Biggie mix tape stuff where the beats are super hard and BIG rips it, got some Pac in there, so on and so on. But, more specifically, I fell back to my original favorite angry blond, Eminem. Now, you can say whatever you want about this dude, his latest album is serious. I've always been a crazy fan of Em's, and I'll be the first to say that, before "Relapse", his last two albums were friggin terrible. God awful, not worth breakin buds up on. But his most recent album, "Recovery", makes me remember why I love this dude so much. I'm not gonna get into a crazy review about this album. If you haven't heard it yet, you should. If you don't like his music, whatever. It's the principle. His lyrics are back to the "I don't give a fuck" attitude that, well, I've always found very easy to relate to. Especially last night, I needed that edge in my headphones. Plus, this album is very much like what I'm going through right now. Kind of like my 2nd chance to do something with myself here, and to not give up.
Now, the subject of this "blog". It all thrived on my emotion. When a person is really angry and irritated, they don't wanna listen to Etta James singin "Sunday Kind of Love", dig? I didn't even wanna listen to Pac's "Hail Mary", or Biggie's "Who Shot Ya?"...not hard enough. I wasn't depressed enough for "Suicidal Thoughts", or anything like that. I needed something that fit my mood.
When I was done, I came back upstairs to our apartment, and sat down at our piano. What better time to write a song than when all of this emotion is coming out of my pores faster than the sweat dripping down my spine? That's where it all comes from...you can be all types of knowledgeable in music, know everything about theory and reading. Kill your voicings and writing music...but if you have no emotion...dawg...stop wasting my time. Music is all about emotion. From the music we enjoy listening to, to the music that reminds of a certain time or a certain someone, it's all based on emotion. The best songs ever written, I'd be willing to bet, were written when the writer was overdosing on emotions (and drugs..but more so emotion for the sake of conversation). Whether it be cheerful, angry, sad or whatever, there was a rush of emotion. Songwriters and artists who are really good at what they do are capable of channeling those emotions at any given time, but still...their best music is written when it's a natural flood of feeling.
I sat down, and came out with this chord progression...and I loved it. This chord progression had everything that was going on inside my head, and turned it into music. Sometimes, thanks to my classes, now...I can even hear it before I sit down at the piano and play it. That's why Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder are such beasts...sight is irrelevant. That's how incredible emotion is when it comes to music. You don't even need to be able to see...shit...Beethoven was DEAF! Figure that shit out...
My whole thing is this...the music that you create, and the music that people grow to love, will always be the best thing you ever wrote, so long as your heart is in it. You can make people feel exactly what you were feeling at the time you wrote that song, you just gotta put your true self into it. And, you also have to be able to hold onto that feeling. I came back to the piano, and sat down this morning to play that same progression...played that shit all happy and cheerful..basically a totally different song. Now, I could just flip it like that and take it in a completely different direction. But, that's not what that song was started for, so it wouldn't end up as genuine or sincere. I probably wouldn't even enjoy doing it. So, I have to hold onto that emotion, and act on it via music. Any songwriters, or poets, or producers for that matter out there, know how great it feels to write a piece and get things off your chest through a song. Prolly saved a decent amount of lives...
'Till next time, think about this...
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible...is music.
Peace.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Living in a Digital World
So, one of the classes that I'm taking is a Scoring for Film and TV class. It's a really interesting class, and since it's what I want to do with my music career, I plan on taking the sequel next quarter (horrible pun intended). For our final exam, we actually have to score a 30 second clip of our choice out of three available clips. Since I am most comfortable with soft, smooth piano pieces, I've opted to score the love scene clip. I've pretty much already written my main theme and melody, and have started planning how I'm going to orchestrate everything and dress it up. While I was getting ready for bed last night, I really started thinking...
It is simply amazing at how digital and virtual the music world is now. Hardly any sound you hear on the radio now-a-days is an authentic sound...everything is sampled, and played by virtual instruments and sample libraries. When I am recording a piece that I wrote, or plugging in certain instruments (strings, horns, etc), it's all virtual. I do it all with a MIDI controller and a sampler library. Basically, for those that don't know, I click on a specific sound that I want, and the little keyboard in front of me now generates that sound in the program, based off samples of live instruments. I have an entire orchestra at my fingertips. And this applies to any genre of music, including rock, but more specifically club stuff, hip-hop, and pop. Classic rock music is still played with live instruments, but processed through digital programs like Pro-Tools. In these programs, you can plug in different sounds and effects, and add a virtual "something" to your actual "anything".
However, realistically speaking...you don't even need to know how to play or access live instruments anymore. You want a muted blues trumpet? Point and click. How about a slap bass? Point and click. Maybe a brush drum set with a grand piano, set beside a harp quartet? Point and click. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this... On the one hand, studying music and being a "musician" today really only gets you so far in this game. Anybody is totally capable of making music these days, and they really don't even need to know how to read or write music. That kinda pisses me off, but probably only because I'm hatin on them for being able to do so. I used to think that knowing how to read and write music, and orchestrate as well, was a serious advantage. While it is still an advantage, it doesn't really hold that much more weight (depending on the genre, of course). I mean, someone who doesn't know how to read or write music certainly couldn't write a classical piece for a 50+ piece orchestra, or a show tune for Broadway...but they certainly could produce the next hit song on 97.1 or Z100.
On the other hand, you have to consider where music would be without this digital and virtual advantage. Think about how many great songs we've all come to love, simply wouldn't exist. The synthesizer has evolved so much from the days of the first Theramin or Mini Moog
(Google them), and it really has helped the music world advance in sound and capability. I could almost guarantee that most of your favorite songs are made via virtual instrument, and EVERY club and techno song is. Which is fine...I mean imagine tryin to roll or trip to an acoustic guitar at The Tunnel in NYC...not happening.
After thinking about all of these club songs and techno stuff last night, it made me realize something...we have become so dependent on computers, that we now actually make music from and respond to computer sounds...like robots. All the high pitched and bending notes, sound like the same types of sounds computers make when they are communicating with one another. The rhythms...computers. These sounds enter our brains, and we are almost commanded into dancing and doing other things, that had this music not been played...we probably wouldn't have ever done in the first place. Kinda weird to think about.
I suppose the natural musician will and can't ever be totally phased out, because that's just ridiculous....but, I will say this...the natural musician better get with the program real fast, otherwise we'll all be broke piano men, playing at a bar, wondering what we're still doing here.
In closing, remember this...A painter paints pictures on canvas, but musician's paint their pictures on silence.
Peace.
It is simply amazing at how digital and virtual the music world is now. Hardly any sound you hear on the radio now-a-days is an authentic sound...everything is sampled, and played by virtual instruments and sample libraries. When I am recording a piece that I wrote, or plugging in certain instruments (strings, horns, etc), it's all virtual. I do it all with a MIDI controller and a sampler library. Basically, for those that don't know, I click on a specific sound that I want, and the little keyboard in front of me now generates that sound in the program, based off samples of live instruments. I have an entire orchestra at my fingertips. And this applies to any genre of music, including rock, but more specifically club stuff, hip-hop, and pop. Classic rock music is still played with live instruments, but processed through digital programs like Pro-Tools. In these programs, you can plug in different sounds and effects, and add a virtual "something" to your actual "anything".
However, realistically speaking...you don't even need to know how to play or access live instruments anymore. You want a muted blues trumpet? Point and click. How about a slap bass? Point and click. Maybe a brush drum set with a grand piano, set beside a harp quartet? Point and click. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this... On the one hand, studying music and being a "musician" today really only gets you so far in this game. Anybody is totally capable of making music these days, and they really don't even need to know how to read or write music. That kinda pisses me off, but probably only because I'm hatin on them for being able to do so. I used to think that knowing how to read and write music, and orchestrate as well, was a serious advantage. While it is still an advantage, it doesn't really hold that much more weight (depending on the genre, of course). I mean, someone who doesn't know how to read or write music certainly couldn't write a classical piece for a 50+ piece orchestra, or a show tune for Broadway...but they certainly could produce the next hit song on 97.1 or Z100.
On the other hand, you have to consider where music would be without this digital and virtual advantage. Think about how many great songs we've all come to love, simply wouldn't exist. The synthesizer has evolved so much from the days of the first Theramin or Mini Moog
(Google them), and it really has helped the music world advance in sound and capability. I could almost guarantee that most of your favorite songs are made via virtual instrument, and EVERY club and techno song is. Which is fine...I mean imagine tryin to roll or trip to an acoustic guitar at The Tunnel in NYC...not happening.
After thinking about all of these club songs and techno stuff last night, it made me realize something...we have become so dependent on computers, that we now actually make music from and respond to computer sounds...like robots. All the high pitched and bending notes, sound like the same types of sounds computers make when they are communicating with one another. The rhythms...computers. These sounds enter our brains, and we are almost commanded into dancing and doing other things, that had this music not been played...we probably wouldn't have ever done in the first place. Kinda weird to think about.
I suppose the natural musician will and can't ever be totally phased out, because that's just ridiculous....but, I will say this...the natural musician better get with the program real fast, otherwise we'll all be broke piano men, playing at a bar, wondering what we're still doing here.
In closing, remember this...A painter paints pictures on canvas, but musician's paint their pictures on silence.
Peace.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
By The Way
Earlier today I was thinking about what I had said last night about the music making thing, and I feel the need to clarify something...
By no means what-so-ever, did I intend to imply that making instrumentals for any genre of music is easy to do. It obviously isn't, otherwise I wouldn't be having such a hard time with it. Whether it's sample or original, composing a beat and knowing what sounds good is a very intricate and involved process, and you really need to know your shit to be able to make any type of beat for any type of song. Naturally, some are harder than others, but that's irrelevant. The shit is hard to do...really hard. Okay....testicles...that is all...
By no means what-so-ever, did I intend to imply that making instrumentals for any genre of music is easy to do. It obviously isn't, otherwise I wouldn't be having such a hard time with it. Whether it's sample or original, composing a beat and knowing what sounds good is a very intricate and involved process, and you really need to know your shit to be able to make any type of beat for any type of song. Naturally, some are harder than others, but that's irrelevant. The shit is hard to do...really hard. Okay....testicles...that is all...
A Rock and A Hard Place
So, I really love the fact that I moved to Hollywood to go to Musicians Institute. I swear there is no sarcasm there. I really am learning a lot of interesting things about music composition, as well as music business and everything else. My "Groove" teacher even has us read articles on what happens in the brain while music is being played and listened to. For those interested, check out sad brain, happy brain in newsweek. You can basically just google it and the link will pop up. Pretty interesting shit. We've even looked at results of an MRI of a person playing guitar during the procedure. Rather awesome. Matter of fact....here..www.newsweek.com/2008/09/12/sad-brain-happy-brain.html..that's the link....Anyways...
One thing that I'm really focusing on here at school is scoring for film and TV, and video games as well. One of the electives I've taken is a scoring class, and my private lesson instructor does scores for film as his main profession. The private lessons are actually like a part time job for him. An interesting thing I've learned, among the hundreds, is motion of melody. This may take some explanation, so bear with me. Basically, when it comes to soundtracks and scores of compositions, melody is king. The main melody for "Indiana Jones", for example, is an infamous melody. By the sound of that melody, you know you're in store for a heroic episode of ridiculous situations, survived by the virtually invincible Indiana Jones, who just so happens to be an intelligent college professor, and who's only fear is of snakes, blah blah blah. My point is, that the sound of that melody immediately tells you what's going to happen. The main theme, the "promise" of what's to come.
The reasons this melody has such a heroic tune revolve all around the motion of the melody. First off, it's pretty much all major chords and progressions. Even deeper into that, however, is the fact that the melody is always moving in an upward motion. Sing it to yourself right now....the notes progressively raise in pitch as the melody goes on. Major chords and upward motion immediately signify heroism and positivity. Pretty cool stuff. When writing a melody, it's important to know what message you're trying to deliver.
Works basically the same way with sad stories, except the opposite. Sad melodies are mainly composed of minor chord progressions, and downward movement of melody. Take "The Godfather" love song, the famous song. Sing that melody to yourself....it moves downward on all of the strong beats. Minor chords and downward moving melodies immediately signal sadness and drama. Test it out the next time you watch a movie, and are listening to the main theme or just some music happening in the movie. If you don't know the difference between major and minor chords, you will after listening to certain songs. Happy songs are generally major, and sad minor. If you're really interested in a deeper explanation of this, hit me up. I'll explain what "strong beats" are, and further explain melody motion.
I also am trying to get deeper into songwriting, which is where my rock and hard place have been established. See, you can't just be limited to one genre of music if you are to be considered a song writer. Even when I was doing only hip-hop, I noticed that quite a few of my instrumentals really weren't used as often as I would have liked them to be. Don't get it twisted, fam, I'm not hatin on anyone for that. If you know me then you know that already. I think now I understand why. It's just a different type of instrumental making, and I wasn't going about it the right way. I'm learning the right way now, and taking what I already have learned with me the whole way. I had a hard time sampling and chopping stuff, honestly because I feel that I would just lose my patience with it, and eventually just start to work on something totally original. Plus, my camp already had so many dope ass producers, it was kinda unnecessary for me to be doing it. Aurc and Tab are two of the sickest producers I know. Not to mention Dee Ess, M-phasis, Dynomite, Anitek...you see my point yet? The fact of the matter is, I was trying too hard to compete with dudes that are just out of my league, and in turn writing songs that weren't considered hip hop, or even MC friendly. Which brings me to my next point.
Songs made for lyrics, when it comes to hip hop, pop and R&B, realistically, only consist of two, maybe three chords. But really only two, sometimes only one. When it comes to sampling and chopping stuff, it's basically the same loop carried by a bass line. But after analyzing the songs, it's basically one chord. Which is fine as far as hip hop goes, and which is what I didn't get. Pop songs are really only two chords battling another two chords when it comes to the bridge and the hook, basically. They're usually a very simple chord progression, and depending on the mood of the song, will be major or minor chords. Same goes with R&B for the most part. Next time you're listening to a song, really sit there and LISTEN to the music, and freeze it in your mind. You'll notice that it's basically the same couple of chords being bounced back and forth. Techno, or the new "Dub Step" (youtube "UFK Dub step") that's around, is one chord, with a deep and filthy bass. Hence, my rock...the melody is very important to these songs, but those basic chord progressions kick my ass for some reason. I just don't know what sounds good because I'm really not that into the music...which leads to the hard place.
My hard place (stop it) comes from the fact that I need to study this stuff in order to get it. The hip hop stuff I get, and I just need to practice it more. I still prefer to do original stuff, but I just have to realize that I'm making it way too complicated. Pop music and techno music, I really need to study...and this is my hard place...because man, this music is NOT my bag, baby. My God, this shit is hard to listen to. I can only do it in small doses, before running to my Ipod to listen to BackPack, or Rakim or something like that. Remarkable Mayor is a live saver, for real. I mean, it's only my opinion, but this is also my blog...this music sucks yo.
There's no creativity. There's no heart and soul. You can't really even say "well at least she can sing" because of auto tune. They should just call the radio "digital anesthetic", because that's what it is. From a musician's standpoint, this shit is boring to me. It's the same few power chords over and over again, with some chic or dude singin about some shit that people only care about on Friday nights. But, this is what sells (refer to my first blog for that argument).And it kills me that I have such a hard time writing these songs.
Engineering is engineering, and I know that shit is tedious and aggravating at times. I would never take anything away from the people behind the scenes, or really even the "artist" for that matter. I know a lot of hard work goes into touring and stuff like that, but dude...seriously...how long did it take to write some of these songs? I recently discovered that I now know how to make the EXACT instrumentals for Usher's "Fallin in love in this club" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" songs. THE EXACT INSTRUMENTAL...took me all of five minutes. No shit. Those songs, among many others I'm sure, were made from previously programmed loops in digital software. All they did was grab and drag, and boom....platinum record. Meanwhile, I'm spending $500 per credit to learn exactly how they did this....unreal.
Either way, I'm going to keep pressin, and keep makin original shit. Bottom line, eventually those sample libraries that come stocked with fat loops for people to use without risking copyright infringement will run dry...but my brain will always be able to create a new, original sound from a synthesizer to play a new, original melody. And that shit is mine, not a computer programs. At least if you're sampling Marvin Gaye or some other artist, there's credit to be given to the composer of the song. A sample that you have to dig for and pay for is WAY more appreciated and valued than some software sample, that all you had to do was drag into your arrangement window. I mean damn...at least chop it up a little bit. Change the tempo....something. Be creative, man.
Maybe I'm being too hard on the situation. Maybe I'm being unrealistic...whatever the case, allow me to close with this thought...
Regardless of what type of producer you are, whether it's hip hop, pop, rock, R&B, or a composer for films and movies, never take an easy way out past being creative. Put the work in, fam. If you're sampling other people's music, chop and screw it, change it up somehow. Shit, you could even just add a new instrument. Do something creative. Be your music.
Until next time, I leave you with this...Life is like a game of poker. If you don't put anything into the pot, there won't be anything for you to take out....Peace.
One thing that I'm really focusing on here at school is scoring for film and TV, and video games as well. One of the electives I've taken is a scoring class, and my private lesson instructor does scores for film as his main profession. The private lessons are actually like a part time job for him. An interesting thing I've learned, among the hundreds, is motion of melody. This may take some explanation, so bear with me. Basically, when it comes to soundtracks and scores of compositions, melody is king. The main melody for "Indiana Jones", for example, is an infamous melody. By the sound of that melody, you know you're in store for a heroic episode of ridiculous situations, survived by the virtually invincible Indiana Jones, who just so happens to be an intelligent college professor, and who's only fear is of snakes, blah blah blah. My point is, that the sound of that melody immediately tells you what's going to happen. The main theme, the "promise" of what's to come.
The reasons this melody has such a heroic tune revolve all around the motion of the melody. First off, it's pretty much all major chords and progressions. Even deeper into that, however, is the fact that the melody is always moving in an upward motion. Sing it to yourself right now....the notes progressively raise in pitch as the melody goes on. Major chords and upward motion immediately signify heroism and positivity. Pretty cool stuff. When writing a melody, it's important to know what message you're trying to deliver.
Works basically the same way with sad stories, except the opposite. Sad melodies are mainly composed of minor chord progressions, and downward movement of melody. Take "The Godfather" love song, the famous song. Sing that melody to yourself....it moves downward on all of the strong beats. Minor chords and downward moving melodies immediately signal sadness and drama. Test it out the next time you watch a movie, and are listening to the main theme or just some music happening in the movie. If you don't know the difference between major and minor chords, you will after listening to certain songs. Happy songs are generally major, and sad minor. If you're really interested in a deeper explanation of this, hit me up. I'll explain what "strong beats" are, and further explain melody motion.
I also am trying to get deeper into songwriting, which is where my rock and hard place have been established. See, you can't just be limited to one genre of music if you are to be considered a song writer. Even when I was doing only hip-hop, I noticed that quite a few of my instrumentals really weren't used as often as I would have liked them to be. Don't get it twisted, fam, I'm not hatin on anyone for that. If you know me then you know that already. I think now I understand why. It's just a different type of instrumental making, and I wasn't going about it the right way. I'm learning the right way now, and taking what I already have learned with me the whole way. I had a hard time sampling and chopping stuff, honestly because I feel that I would just lose my patience with it, and eventually just start to work on something totally original. Plus, my camp already had so many dope ass producers, it was kinda unnecessary for me to be doing it. Aurc and Tab are two of the sickest producers I know. Not to mention Dee Ess, M-phasis, Dynomite, Anitek...you see my point yet? The fact of the matter is, I was trying too hard to compete with dudes that are just out of my league, and in turn writing songs that weren't considered hip hop, or even MC friendly. Which brings me to my next point.
Songs made for lyrics, when it comes to hip hop, pop and R&B, realistically, only consist of two, maybe three chords. But really only two, sometimes only one. When it comes to sampling and chopping stuff, it's basically the same loop carried by a bass line. But after analyzing the songs, it's basically one chord. Which is fine as far as hip hop goes, and which is what I didn't get. Pop songs are really only two chords battling another two chords when it comes to the bridge and the hook, basically. They're usually a very simple chord progression, and depending on the mood of the song, will be major or minor chords. Same goes with R&B for the most part. Next time you're listening to a song, really sit there and LISTEN to the music, and freeze it in your mind. You'll notice that it's basically the same couple of chords being bounced back and forth. Techno, or the new "Dub Step" (youtube "UFK Dub step") that's around, is one chord, with a deep and filthy bass. Hence, my rock...the melody is very important to these songs, but those basic chord progressions kick my ass for some reason. I just don't know what sounds good because I'm really not that into the music...which leads to the hard place.
My hard place (stop it) comes from the fact that I need to study this stuff in order to get it. The hip hop stuff I get, and I just need to practice it more. I still prefer to do original stuff, but I just have to realize that I'm making it way too complicated. Pop music and techno music, I really need to study...and this is my hard place...because man, this music is NOT my bag, baby. My God, this shit is hard to listen to. I can only do it in small doses, before running to my Ipod to listen to BackPack, or Rakim or something like that. Remarkable Mayor is a live saver, for real. I mean, it's only my opinion, but this is also my blog...this music sucks yo.
There's no creativity. There's no heart and soul. You can't really even say "well at least she can sing" because of auto tune. They should just call the radio "digital anesthetic", because that's what it is. From a musician's standpoint, this shit is boring to me. It's the same few power chords over and over again, with some chic or dude singin about some shit that people only care about on Friday nights. But, this is what sells (refer to my first blog for that argument).And it kills me that I have such a hard time writing these songs.
Engineering is engineering, and I know that shit is tedious and aggravating at times. I would never take anything away from the people behind the scenes, or really even the "artist" for that matter. I know a lot of hard work goes into touring and stuff like that, but dude...seriously...how long did it take to write some of these songs? I recently discovered that I now know how to make the EXACT instrumentals for Usher's "Fallin in love in this club" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" songs. THE EXACT INSTRUMENTAL...took me all of five minutes. No shit. Those songs, among many others I'm sure, were made from previously programmed loops in digital software. All they did was grab and drag, and boom....platinum record. Meanwhile, I'm spending $500 per credit to learn exactly how they did this....unreal.
Either way, I'm going to keep pressin, and keep makin original shit. Bottom line, eventually those sample libraries that come stocked with fat loops for people to use without risking copyright infringement will run dry...but my brain will always be able to create a new, original sound from a synthesizer to play a new, original melody. And that shit is mine, not a computer programs. At least if you're sampling Marvin Gaye or some other artist, there's credit to be given to the composer of the song. A sample that you have to dig for and pay for is WAY more appreciated and valued than some software sample, that all you had to do was drag into your arrangement window. I mean damn...at least chop it up a little bit. Change the tempo....something. Be creative, man.
Maybe I'm being too hard on the situation. Maybe I'm being unrealistic...whatever the case, allow me to close with this thought...
Regardless of what type of producer you are, whether it's hip hop, pop, rock, R&B, or a composer for films and movies, never take an easy way out past being creative. Put the work in, fam. If you're sampling other people's music, chop and screw it, change it up somehow. Shit, you could even just add a new instrument. Do something creative. Be your music.
Until next time, I leave you with this...Life is like a game of poker. If you don't put anything into the pot, there won't be anything for you to take out....Peace.
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