Hi,
I know lots of you want to get AWAY from styles instead of being labeled and pushed in a box. I'm trying to figure out what makes each style special, what's so typical about a song that we call it techno, trance, disco, R&R, RNB, funk or ...? Don't be afraid to generalise and simplify things.
Try to define what a particular style is all about. Which tricks do you use to make your own style. How do you recognise or define styles yourself? Nobody want's to be narrowed down to one style, but in this topic I want to talk about musical clichées for once.
I'm most interested in electronical dance music, but I have a very broad musical taste so every style is welcome!
-at0m.
Music style definitions.
more has been done with less
https://soundcloud.com/at0m-studio
https://soundcloud.com/at0m-studio
-
kensuguro
- Posts: 4434
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: BPM 60 to somewhere around 150
- Contact:
It would be quite pointless to start writing out characteristics of each styles.. so I'll be general, for starts.
Of course, there's the obvious tempo. There's not much to it. Certain types of songs have their own ranges of tempo. Typically, that is. Hiphop would range from 60 to anywhere around 120-ish.. while house ranges around 127-135.. stuff like that. Again, that's the typical case though.
Then most importantly, the drums/percussion style. The groove or swing rate is very important for one thing.. and then the content. Musical rhythms have a pretty intricate family tree... and a specific music style may be one of them, or a mixture of different styles. Of course, the timbre of the percussion may also be as important.
Then there's bass. Bass phrases and style, timbre will also influence what "style" a tune is percieved as. For me, alot of my bass comes from funk/disco, so there seems to be a strong vector towards those styles in anything I write.
After the bass, comes melody. The melody structure, relative to the bass and rhythm, creates the outline of the precieved style. IF there is a melody though. The timbre of the melody seems to be more important, when compared to the other parts.
The choice of chord progressions, and how to implement them also defines a specific style. Trance will not use much sophisticated chords, because the delays and the timbre structure of the instruments themselves do not allow such disharmony. So, most fast paced tunes that use lots of delay would tend to stay away from disharmonic chords. Typically, of course.
In the same way, orchestral pieces have to keep to good hormonizations too, because of the reverberation and harmonic makeup of the instrument's timbre. This may be considered a limitation, rather than a characteristic. So, the type of instruments used, and the space (real or virtual) they are played in, can identify the style also.
Finally, with recent trends toward focusing on the "texture" of the music, mixing becomes extremely important in defining style. A different set of instruments may be mixed to sound like a set of a different style. This would become a hybrid, but the "texture" would be defined as something different from its musical content.
On a more larger scale, the context in which the music is played may define the style. The type of theme of the tune may define its sub-genre (like gangsta hiphop).
There are so many levels in which any tune can be categorized... it's becomes a question of the listener's priorities. I personally categorize in the order I wrote above.
The bottom line is, everything is made of bits and pieces of something else. So there is no way to categorize anything. The percussion may be samba, while bass being a blazing trancy one... the melody might ot exist.. and a chord progression might be mega-pop.. but mixed and mastered like an underground hip hop vinyl. There would be no way to categorize something like that. (nor would I want to hear it!
) Hope you get my point.
Of course, there's the obvious tempo. There's not much to it. Certain types of songs have their own ranges of tempo. Typically, that is. Hiphop would range from 60 to anywhere around 120-ish.. while house ranges around 127-135.. stuff like that. Again, that's the typical case though.
Then most importantly, the drums/percussion style. The groove or swing rate is very important for one thing.. and then the content. Musical rhythms have a pretty intricate family tree... and a specific music style may be one of them, or a mixture of different styles. Of course, the timbre of the percussion may also be as important.
Then there's bass. Bass phrases and style, timbre will also influence what "style" a tune is percieved as. For me, alot of my bass comes from funk/disco, so there seems to be a strong vector towards those styles in anything I write.
After the bass, comes melody. The melody structure, relative to the bass and rhythm, creates the outline of the precieved style. IF there is a melody though. The timbre of the melody seems to be more important, when compared to the other parts.
The choice of chord progressions, and how to implement them also defines a specific style. Trance will not use much sophisticated chords, because the delays and the timbre structure of the instruments themselves do not allow such disharmony. So, most fast paced tunes that use lots of delay would tend to stay away from disharmonic chords. Typically, of course.
In the same way, orchestral pieces have to keep to good hormonizations too, because of the reverberation and harmonic makeup of the instrument's timbre. This may be considered a limitation, rather than a characteristic. So, the type of instruments used, and the space (real or virtual) they are played in, can identify the style also.
Finally, with recent trends toward focusing on the "texture" of the music, mixing becomes extremely important in defining style. A different set of instruments may be mixed to sound like a set of a different style. This would become a hybrid, but the "texture" would be defined as something different from its musical content.
On a more larger scale, the context in which the music is played may define the style. The type of theme of the tune may define its sub-genre (like gangsta hiphop).
There are so many levels in which any tune can be categorized... it's becomes a question of the listener's priorities. I personally categorize in the order I wrote above.
The bottom line is, everything is made of bits and pieces of something else. So there is no way to categorize anything. The percussion may be samba, while bass being a blazing trancy one... the melody might ot exist.. and a chord progression might be mega-pop.. but mixed and mastered like an underground hip hop vinyl. There would be no way to categorize something like that. (nor would I want to hear it!
) Hope you get my point.
that's a perfect description of 'Future Listening' of your collegue TowaTeiOn 2002-11-16 07:35, kensuguro wrote:
...The percussion may be samba, while bass being a blazing trancy one... the melody might ot exist.. and a chord progression might be mega-pop.. but mixed and mastered like an underground hip hop vinyl. There would be no way to categorize something like that. (nor would I want to hear it!
Your post is an excellent general definition of what influences or makes up a style, Ken.
Atomic's question made me remember the vast number of categories in the record shop I frequently visit
I guess the result is a kind of 'voting' by use of the records (either professional by DJs or private by listeners at home, on the job or anywhere else). Reminds a bit to behavior of a flock. One starts it up and all follow
cheers, Tom
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2002-11-16 15:14 ]</font>
-
Nestor
- Posts: 6676
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Fourth Dimension Paradise, Cloud Nine!
Waw, what an interesting question!
I need to analyse it in two ways to make sense on what I’m trying to say. First, I’ll talk about the psychological way, and then about the musical-physical way.
Music, for me, it is an absolute language, complete in itself. Through music you can SAY anything, as you would do through any spoken language of the world. In the same way you find many languages among peoples, there exist many languages in the music creation realm, too.
What people say can be sometimes perceived with an amazing precision and step-by-step. Music can sometimes be understood by thousands of peoples in the same way when it is evident enough, when the spoken language is simple and clear, like in the times of Charles Chaplin when he just started making silent movies; people would know when to laugh and when to cry thanks to the atmospheres created by a pianist playing life.
If what is being said it is intricate, complicated, few people will be able to perceive the same thing. For sure as it actually happens, the “many” will perceive different aspects of the same thing, maybe close to each other but still different depending on their on subjectivity and mental formation, cultural background, religious background, traumatisms, state of mind, etc. If somebody was to talk about something too deep, extremely few people will understand his talk; perhaps 5 or 10 people (to say something) will actually understand what he is trying to say. If you say: “I’m happy”, well, there is no much to think about, or to understand, it means what it means and that’s it… But if you say: “Through this magical feeling I can be reborn at any time, even if time disappears cos I can be old and young at the same moment all in a single heart” people could understand so many different things, words are not clear for most, even if in fact, the phrase is telling the same thing: “I’m happy”.
Music as a language can express absolutely any kind of ideas it doesn’t matter how strange, or mysterious, or deep, or ridiculous the idea is, anything at all can be said! Anything at all! The only interference to speak what you want is your inventivity and creativity, nothing else.
There are many people speaking in a rather popular, conventional way, the most we could say, and so many people understand them cos the ideas expressed are straightforward, simple to understand, they are just saying I’m happy!
If music can express any possible idea, it is obvious that it expresses the way people live, the way people are. It can express they LIVING PHYLOSOPHY!
We all think in a particular way, consciously or unconsciously and there thousands of concepts up into our brains that are conditioning what we are, this conditioning conditions our musical languages too. In fact, there is no human being without conditioning. Our conditioning it’s not wanted, it’s the result of our environment and many other factors that belongs to the way we are as receptors of life.
Is it by chance that people belonging to a particular world into society? Is it by chance that people, depending on what kind of music they are into, tend to behave and wear clothes that are completely in concomitance with what they like to hear and normally create musically? Is it by change that people liking the same kind of music eat, drink and visit common places? Is it by chance that there exists a special own vocabulary to such and such kind of music? Of course, not, they are all into the same conditioning.
Nowadays there are hundreds of genres of music that are very near each other if you analyse the background, they actually are born from each other and it’s even difficult to know what is what. This many music styles are in fact, a whole, single thing most of the time. I mean, there are a few mother styles that are the generators of all the other styles. For instance: Jazz, Classical Music and Rock, very different from each other, from which there have been born thousands of new styles.
So that is why there are different styles of music, cos there are different kind of people and different ways of perceiving and understanding life, so different values and awareness. I cannot go into which is the correct way or not, this is too complicated and I think that every body is free to think, search and find what they need to find in life, nevertheless, I do expect it is hopefully good for others too! Of course I do have my own way of thinking as well and my own living philosophy but it would probably be sort of a disrespect to my many friends here, to desire putting it onto others peoples ideas, so I keep it to myself. Part of this personal philosophy anyway, is that I do believe entirely in the existence of a Superior Spirit, but not cos somebody told me so, by my own self.
Music styles are “living philosophies”.
When you have your mind closed, you are into a single style of music forever, don’t you? Open minded people would rather search and try out new things to understand others and so will emulate their way of thinking and their living philosophy. Of course, there is positive and negative content in practically everything, so you can always get what is best forgetting what is worst. Again, this is very personal and, even if I do have strong ideas about music and styles and ways of composing music, I think I have to respect whatever anybody else does and so, I prefer to shut up! One day, I come to emulate one or other style of music by my own, deeply inside myself, and so I can understand better this person and the way he thinks and understands life.
Very open minded people, will not dress in a particular style every day… and will feel comfortable with long and short heir people surrounding them… Will feel comfortable with rich and poor people… Will feel comfortable with classical rock and Irish Folk kind of music and people… Will feel comfortable with all nations peoples… Will be able to talk with a beggar respectfully but naturally, as he would have a conversation with the Prime Minister, respectfully, but naturally too!
A music style I really is a thinking way, a philosophy and investigating the surroundings of a particular style of music, you can perfectly see by yourself this is like that and not my imagination.
What tricks do I use when I compose my real music, my own expression speaking my own language? None, I don’t need tricks to say what I want to say, if I use a trick, I would be tricking myself I think. Your expression is exactly this, your expression! When you go into which style is what, well… its extremely interesting to learn all the names and going into it for a learning-ship purpose, yes… but you can get easily lost about what you really feel and WHO you really ARE. I think the best way of thinking is not to think, when talking about this creation aspects, let’s put your mind in a drawer and get composing using your heart! When you are finished, then you start using your mind to make sense of what you have felt. Mind kills love, and as with love, mind kills creativity! When I compose something I want to compose, not for working or learning etc., when I compose cos I want to, I don’t care about the style I’m composing at all, absolutely not. My personal trick so, is not to have ANY trick.
Our personal style goes farther up as we cultivate our mind and spiritually together, as we open up our understanding to others, discover ourselves, etc. Something is sure… when YOU change, your MUSIC changes with you!
Talking now about the musical-physical thing, I think music is influenced by manufacturers cos they give us the instruments with what we compose and this is the other 50% of the HOW we reach a particular style of music. Many new songs have been created by the “sounding structure” of your instrument. Yes, of course, instruments are leading you to start something it is already within yourself, but it is nevertheless part of the composing process and so, part of the upcoming music. This is a frustrating idea for many, cos we think we are creating absolutely everything but this is not true. In fact, when a modular synth preset already sequenced is played with a single finger building up a complete pattern that sounds superb, somebody there… in Creamware or NI, etc., an engineer whoever, is in fact composing for you, he has done half of your job, cos he has given, in the first place, the idea, then you have developed it till reaching something you want.
Conclusion: 50% of the building up of a music style comes from who you are within and your living philosophy. The other 50% comes from the instruments you own, the platform you use, the economical resources you have at your disposition to buy them, and finally, the space in which you do your music.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nestor on 2002-11-18 00:59 ]</font>
I need to analyse it in two ways to make sense on what I’m trying to say. First, I’ll talk about the psychological way, and then about the musical-physical way.
Music, for me, it is an absolute language, complete in itself. Through music you can SAY anything, as you would do through any spoken language of the world. In the same way you find many languages among peoples, there exist many languages in the music creation realm, too.
What people say can be sometimes perceived with an amazing precision and step-by-step. Music can sometimes be understood by thousands of peoples in the same way when it is evident enough, when the spoken language is simple and clear, like in the times of Charles Chaplin when he just started making silent movies; people would know when to laugh and when to cry thanks to the atmospheres created by a pianist playing life.
If what is being said it is intricate, complicated, few people will be able to perceive the same thing. For sure as it actually happens, the “many” will perceive different aspects of the same thing, maybe close to each other but still different depending on their on subjectivity and mental formation, cultural background, religious background, traumatisms, state of mind, etc. If somebody was to talk about something too deep, extremely few people will understand his talk; perhaps 5 or 10 people (to say something) will actually understand what he is trying to say. If you say: “I’m happy”, well, there is no much to think about, or to understand, it means what it means and that’s it… But if you say: “Through this magical feeling I can be reborn at any time, even if time disappears cos I can be old and young at the same moment all in a single heart” people could understand so many different things, words are not clear for most, even if in fact, the phrase is telling the same thing: “I’m happy”.
Music as a language can express absolutely any kind of ideas it doesn’t matter how strange, or mysterious, or deep, or ridiculous the idea is, anything at all can be said! Anything at all! The only interference to speak what you want is your inventivity and creativity, nothing else.
There are many people speaking in a rather popular, conventional way, the most we could say, and so many people understand them cos the ideas expressed are straightforward, simple to understand, they are just saying I’m happy!
If music can express any possible idea, it is obvious that it expresses the way people live, the way people are. It can express they LIVING PHYLOSOPHY!
We all think in a particular way, consciously or unconsciously and there thousands of concepts up into our brains that are conditioning what we are, this conditioning conditions our musical languages too. In fact, there is no human being without conditioning. Our conditioning it’s not wanted, it’s the result of our environment and many other factors that belongs to the way we are as receptors of life.
Is it by chance that people belonging to a particular world into society? Is it by chance that people, depending on what kind of music they are into, tend to behave and wear clothes that are completely in concomitance with what they like to hear and normally create musically? Is it by change that people liking the same kind of music eat, drink and visit common places? Is it by chance that there exists a special own vocabulary to such and such kind of music? Of course, not, they are all into the same conditioning.
Nowadays there are hundreds of genres of music that are very near each other if you analyse the background, they actually are born from each other and it’s even difficult to know what is what. This many music styles are in fact, a whole, single thing most of the time. I mean, there are a few mother styles that are the generators of all the other styles. For instance: Jazz, Classical Music and Rock, very different from each other, from which there have been born thousands of new styles.
So that is why there are different styles of music, cos there are different kind of people and different ways of perceiving and understanding life, so different values and awareness. I cannot go into which is the correct way or not, this is too complicated and I think that every body is free to think, search and find what they need to find in life, nevertheless, I do expect it is hopefully good for others too! Of course I do have my own way of thinking as well and my own living philosophy but it would probably be sort of a disrespect to my many friends here, to desire putting it onto others peoples ideas, so I keep it to myself. Part of this personal philosophy anyway, is that I do believe entirely in the existence of a Superior Spirit, but not cos somebody told me so, by my own self.
Music styles are “living philosophies”.
When you have your mind closed, you are into a single style of music forever, don’t you? Open minded people would rather search and try out new things to understand others and so will emulate their way of thinking and their living philosophy. Of course, there is positive and negative content in practically everything, so you can always get what is best forgetting what is worst. Again, this is very personal and, even if I do have strong ideas about music and styles and ways of composing music, I think I have to respect whatever anybody else does and so, I prefer to shut up! One day, I come to emulate one or other style of music by my own, deeply inside myself, and so I can understand better this person and the way he thinks and understands life.
Very open minded people, will not dress in a particular style every day… and will feel comfortable with long and short heir people surrounding them… Will feel comfortable with rich and poor people… Will feel comfortable with classical rock and Irish Folk kind of music and people… Will feel comfortable with all nations peoples… Will be able to talk with a beggar respectfully but naturally, as he would have a conversation with the Prime Minister, respectfully, but naturally too!
A music style I really is a thinking way, a philosophy and investigating the surroundings of a particular style of music, you can perfectly see by yourself this is like that and not my imagination.
What tricks do I use when I compose my real music, my own expression speaking my own language? None, I don’t need tricks to say what I want to say, if I use a trick, I would be tricking myself I think. Your expression is exactly this, your expression! When you go into which style is what, well… its extremely interesting to learn all the names and going into it for a learning-ship purpose, yes… but you can get easily lost about what you really feel and WHO you really ARE. I think the best way of thinking is not to think, when talking about this creation aspects, let’s put your mind in a drawer and get composing using your heart! When you are finished, then you start using your mind to make sense of what you have felt. Mind kills love, and as with love, mind kills creativity! When I compose something I want to compose, not for working or learning etc., when I compose cos I want to, I don’t care about the style I’m composing at all, absolutely not. My personal trick so, is not to have ANY trick.
Our personal style goes farther up as we cultivate our mind and spiritually together, as we open up our understanding to others, discover ourselves, etc. Something is sure… when YOU change, your MUSIC changes with you!
Talking now about the musical-physical thing, I think music is influenced by manufacturers cos they give us the instruments with what we compose and this is the other 50% of the HOW we reach a particular style of music. Many new songs have been created by the “sounding structure” of your instrument. Yes, of course, instruments are leading you to start something it is already within yourself, but it is nevertheless part of the composing process and so, part of the upcoming music. This is a frustrating idea for many, cos we think we are creating absolutely everything but this is not true. In fact, when a modular synth preset already sequenced is played with a single finger building up a complete pattern that sounds superb, somebody there… in Creamware or NI, etc., an engineer whoever, is in fact composing for you, he has done half of your job, cos he has given, in the first place, the idea, then you have developed it till reaching something you want.
Conclusion: 50% of the building up of a music style comes from who you are within and your living philosophy. The other 50% comes from the instruments you own, the platform you use, the economical resources you have at your disposition to buy them, and finally, the space in which you do your music.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nestor on 2002-11-18 00:59 ]</font>
-
kensuguro
- Posts: 4434
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: BPM 60 to somewhere around 150
- Contact:
>when YOU change, your MUSIC changes with you!
Nestor.. MAN, you have nailed it down! Only through the past year or so, have I come to notice this... on a very practical level. Of course, it's common kowledge.. but to realize it in every tune, every creative action that you take, is something else...
But anyway, the whole concept... of music rather being a reflection of oneself, a reflection of one's thoughts.. a vivid reflection, that communicates it clearly.. is of course true. Actually I think it should be that way, and I think music started off like that.. However, this seems to be precisely the point that commercialism has taken up, to use as its sales point.
Each piece of music in fact, hosts a long history, a bunch of ideas, and a lot of living phylosophy, just like you mensioned.. But imagine doing it the other way around. Patching together music, history, ideas, to build an image that you can wear. Collecting bits and pieces of who you want to be "seen" as. That's how most consumers use music for, unfortunately. And despite the entire truth that you have brought your mind to realize... no matter how much I completely agree with you... the people at the other end is more than eager to simply "wear" what we think of, and throw it away once they are tired of it. It's sad. And I think many of us are working hard to try to change it.
So this process also speed up the branching of genres and sub-genres... People got used to throwing things away so fast, and so light-heartedly, that new styles have to be built from continuous cross-breeding. Only to be thrown away in matters of weeks.
Though this may also sound like a speed up of evolution... the situation is different in that there is no actual danger. There is nothing music has to survive, no threat. So the choice of who lives, and who doesn't is totally unbeneficial to the entire race (or music as a whole). The choice is rather a simple one, made during the 1.7 sec attention span. It's hard to say that the survivor of such a random choice, is the stronger, better one. Furthermore, the the listener's choice will change for no good reasons too.. heh..
Nestor.. MAN, you have nailed it down! Only through the past year or so, have I come to notice this... on a very practical level. Of course, it's common kowledge.. but to realize it in every tune, every creative action that you take, is something else...
But anyway, the whole concept... of music rather being a reflection of oneself, a reflection of one's thoughts.. a vivid reflection, that communicates it clearly.. is of course true. Actually I think it should be that way, and I think music started off like that.. However, this seems to be precisely the point that commercialism has taken up, to use as its sales point.
Each piece of music in fact, hosts a long history, a bunch of ideas, and a lot of living phylosophy, just like you mensioned.. But imagine doing it the other way around. Patching together music, history, ideas, to build an image that you can wear. Collecting bits and pieces of who you want to be "seen" as. That's how most consumers use music for, unfortunately. And despite the entire truth that you have brought your mind to realize... no matter how much I completely agree with you... the people at the other end is more than eager to simply "wear" what we think of, and throw it away once they are tired of it. It's sad. And I think many of us are working hard to try to change it.
So this process also speed up the branching of genres and sub-genres... People got used to throwing things away so fast, and so light-heartedly, that new styles have to be built from continuous cross-breeding. Only to be thrown away in matters of weeks.
Though this may also sound like a speed up of evolution... the situation is different in that there is no actual danger. There is nothing music has to survive, no threat. So the choice of who lives, and who doesn't is totally unbeneficial to the entire race (or music as a whole). The choice is rather a simple one, made during the 1.7 sec attention span. It's hard to say that the survivor of such a random choice, is the stronger, better one. Furthermore, the the listener's choice will change for no good reasons too.. heh..
at0mic:
To make your own style never play other people's music on your instrument, also try to listen to a variety of music. When practicing scales make up your own scales or a variation. If you play a wrong note every time you go through the scale that note belongs there. Try playing scales one way such as only up or only down. Try playing half a scale sometimes rather than the whole scale. When playing keyboard try to let your fingers play independently. See if your left hand can play at a different tempo than your right hand.
To make your own style never play other people's music on your instrument, also try to listen to a variety of music. When practicing scales make up your own scales or a variation. If you play a wrong note every time you go through the scale that note belongs there. Try playing scales one way such as only up or only down. Try playing half a scale sometimes rather than the whole scale. When playing keyboard try to let your fingers play independently. See if your left hand can play at a different tempo than your right hand.
-
paulrmartin
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Sun May 20, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
I hardly think that musical style is trivia. It's one of the most important things to think about. Even if you follow your own path as suggested you will have a style. There was a time when I felt my music became stale and I had to stop playing for years until it was fresh again. I try not to repete my previous music too closely but this can be difficult at times.
i say that style, in the sense of major pop forms, are well established immediately because that's what it takes to market things.there are no secrets about what is crucial for a form, so when you need money,the format is no secret,it is a tool,use it.
personal style is unavoidable,everyone has one.
any personal style is marketable,according to well known principles.
this is the one thing that u.s.a. as an entity has perfected.
"this too,is vanity"
personal style is unavoidable,everyone has one.
any personal style is marketable,according to well known principles.
this is the one thing that u.s.a. as an entity has perfected.
"this too,is vanity"
Interesting conversation you're having here.
I'll change my question. Try to answer as composer, not as a listener.
What do you think of when you think of disco? Reggae? Blues, rock & roll? Electro, house, techno? Just to name a few.
You can specify a sub-style if you please. As a practice, try to be as accurate as possible.
The question is quite simple. I realise there's a million possible answers. Don't let it scare you.
I'll change my question. Try to answer as composer, not as a listener.
What do you think of when you think of disco? Reggae? Blues, rock & roll? Electro, house, techno? Just to name a few.
You can specify a sub-style if you please. As a practice, try to be as accurate as possible.
The question is quite simple. I realise there's a million possible answers. Don't let it scare you.
-
Nestor
- Posts: 6676
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Fourth Dimension Paradise, Cloud Nine!
When I think about disco I think: I don’t like it, it just is not for me. When I think of Reggae I think: I want to listen one song, no more than that… I don’t really like it. When I think of Blues I think: I love it! But I don’t want to listen at it all day. When I think of Electro I think: wow, what an interesting an revolutionary process is going on, I want to go into it! I want to learn and explore! When I think about House I think: why my bloody landlord takes so much money for a such a bad house… he he… Now seriously, I think it’s entertaining, nice, but closed to itself, sort of I’m going but just to come back to the same place. When I think about classical music I think: the human spirit is really great and can sometimes be so deep, extraordinary holy, but I think too: what a piece of balderdash is this! How can they compose such rubbish! When I think about Jazz-Fusion I think: If nobody would have created it, I would certainly have done it myself cos I need it, its part of my life, why of thinking, feeling, going, understanding, etc. This is everything and nothing, you can play whatever you like and it suffices for it to have a little something of jazz and it’s called Jazz-Fusion, so cos I love Jazz and love fusion, it’s perfect for me. Nonetheless I sometimes hate it cos it’s so messy and closed to itself, it can be like whacking yourself in a mirror not willing to be acquainted with yourself, sort of running reality.
Is it ok atOmic or it’s not at all what you want?
Is it ok atOmic or it’s not at all what you want?
As a Composer I think disco is out of the question since it represents the 1970's. I want to move forward not backward. Blues is too simple for me to compose. Rock n Roll is for younger people than me and it's main focus is on the guitar bass and vocals not keyboards. I reject it. House is an american comercial dance floor version of techno. Leave it to the americans to make music horrible. For house music you need a thumping 4/4 909 Kick, synthesizers, bass and some normal instruments such as a piano and organ and a screaming black lady.
I listen mainly to Goa Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Trance and ambient, also some music that defies category such as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. I prefer music with no singing though because often the lyrics are depressing. I have enough pain of my own and I don't need someone elses.
I have to agree with Bowie in a recent TV interview "We have to support the underground bands because what is being played on American radio is crap".
It is very difficult to define what makes music great because we live in a diverse world. Most poeple have one category of music they like and they hate everything else. Even if you do the best Trance music ever if the listener doesn't like trance he or she will tell you it sucks to your face. That is their reality and much like religion you can't argue with them. I am an atheist and clearly there is no God but I'm not going to change anyone's mind so why bother bringing it up?
What do you think of when you think of disco? Reggae? Blues, rock & roll? Electro, house, techno? Just to name a few.
You can specify a sub-style if you please. As a practice, try to be as accurate as possible.
I listen mainly to Goa Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Trance and ambient, also some music that defies category such as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. I prefer music with no singing though because often the lyrics are depressing. I have enough pain of my own and I don't need someone elses.
I have to agree with Bowie in a recent TV interview "We have to support the underground bands because what is being played on American radio is crap".
It is very difficult to define what makes music great because we live in a diverse world. Most poeple have one category of music they like and they hate everything else. Even if you do the best Trance music ever if the listener doesn't like trance he or she will tell you it sucks to your face. That is their reality and much like religion you can't argue with them. I am an atheist and clearly there is no God but I'm not going to change anyone's mind so why bother bringing it up?
What do you think of when you think of disco? Reggae? Blues, rock & roll? Electro, house, techno? Just to name a few.
You can specify a sub-style if you please. As a practice, try to be as accurate as possible.
I agree Nestor, good music transcends style, and time
Braincell - most people i know listen to all types of music!
I know a lot of people out there like to take sides (or ignore the culture that created a genre in the 1st place), but it is a fact that all peoples have and always will continue to make wonderful music.
...and shocking music too, it's true ' ya gotta be careful what gets to your ears
Which brings me to ...
disco.[4 on floor, octaving bass, strings &chorus]
I was born in '65, so i copped the '70's in some impressionable years - but as a youngster was taking the piss out of disco covers in a band. So disco to me has a rich comic value as well as some very funky lessons to be learned,if you come across them.
The cash-register sound of mainstream disco (born to be alive) had it's roots in a much nicer place - Parliament, Sly & Family, Kool & the gang, etc, although they weren't disco bands, it was elements of their music taken up by the money -makers.
Same with reggae [one drop, sparse woofy bass, skank guitar] - do i think of how i felt reading 'The Harder They Come' and touring Jamaica and jamming with locals, or is it UB40 or a plethora of local Australian reggae bands that comes to mind?
I think of Bob Marley, and more specifically Family Man on the bass, whose playing is an inspiration in simplicity.
I've been involved with so many different musical formats that style takes a back seat - what is important to remember is that we are creating culture ourselves, we absorb, we reject, we reflect our reality, we spit out the results.
If you move between cultures and musics a bit, it all begins to divide along other lines.
Music geared towards heavy chart success is a newish phenomenon. It demands pigeonholing.
Music in the rest of the world needs no such thing.
Rock on regardless
Braincell - most people i know listen to all types of music!
I know a lot of people out there like to take sides (or ignore the culture that created a genre in the 1st place), but it is a fact that all peoples have and always will continue to make wonderful music.
...and shocking music too, it's true ' ya gotta be careful what gets to your ears
Which brings me to ...
disco.[4 on floor, octaving bass, strings &chorus]
I was born in '65, so i copped the '70's in some impressionable years - but as a youngster was taking the piss out of disco covers in a band. So disco to me has a rich comic value as well as some very funky lessons to be learned,if you come across them.
The cash-register sound of mainstream disco (born to be alive) had it's roots in a much nicer place - Parliament, Sly & Family, Kool & the gang, etc, although they weren't disco bands, it was elements of their music taken up by the money -makers.
Same with reggae [one drop, sparse woofy bass, skank guitar] - do i think of how i felt reading 'The Harder They Come' and touring Jamaica and jamming with locals, or is it UB40 or a plethora of local Australian reggae bands that comes to mind?
I think of Bob Marley, and more specifically Family Man on the bass, whose playing is an inspiration in simplicity.
I've been involved with so many different musical formats that style takes a back seat - what is important to remember is that we are creating culture ourselves, we absorb, we reject, we reflect our reality, we spit out the results.
If you move between cultures and musics a bit, it all begins to divide along other lines.
Music geared towards heavy chart success is a newish phenomenon. It demands pigeonholing.
Music in the rest of the world needs no such thing.
Rock on regardless
-
Nestor
- Posts: 6676
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Fourth Dimension Paradise, Cloud Nine!
Wayne said: "I've been involved with so many different musical formats that style takes a back seat - what is important to remember is that we are creating culture ourselves, we absorb, we reject, we reflect our reality, we spit out the results"
I agree completely, this is the important thing in fact, and this means to express what you are
I agree completely, this is the important thing in fact, and this means to express what you are
Hello pz friends a cool thread,ok i'mpretty late to react but i do a kind of sample of your words.
here is the new christmas game Try to refind who has say the words of that ten points (Oupppsss it is not the Moise or Moses tables) i take off the names to show that at the end even if music is somethin particular like other arts we can share some common points and that's cool.
when i read that ,for me it could be the same person who has wrote all that.That's pz style.
1-Music, for me, it is an absolute language, complete in itself. Through music you can SAY anything, as you would do through any spoken language of the world.
2-when YOU change, your MUSIC changes with you!
3-personal style is unavoidable,everyone has one.
4-I realise there's a million possible answers.
5-It is very difficult to define what makes music great because we live in a diverse world.
6-Time does not define stiles..... Do what you feel to do an express yourself....
7-good music transcends style, and time
8-Music geared towards heavy chart success is a newish phenomenon. It demands pigeonholing.
9-......Music in the rest of the world needs no such thing.
10....what is important to remember is that we are creating culture ourselves, we absorb, we reject, we reflect our reality, we spit out the results"
personnaly the moment i prefer in music like as lessoner is when i say to myself "ouaaaahhhh what is that????"
when you can not associate sound to image (i often do that)i explain myself
disko....yellow pants ,shining shoes,coca trip
rock...black tee shirt ,beer
tech...crazy trancers jumpin everywhere,acids
classic....nice people with nice ladies nice cars nice dog...nice operas
reggae...jamaican guys smokin big joints with beautiful girls on the beach
That's the first level.But since that pre-historic period i hope that i have hopefully evoluate myself a little bit and at the end i understand that a classic musician can be as revolutionnary than an electro composer,a death metal guitarist can be cooler than a jamaican rasta ,a disco gogo dancer can be as beautiful than an opera dancer etc...etc...
I don't know why we create styles,maybe a brain necessecity a kind of human obsession....
But at the end the message is LOVE.
here is the new christmas game Try to refind who has say the words of that ten points (Oupppsss it is not the Moise or Moses tables) i take off the names to show that at the end even if music is somethin particular like other arts we can share some common points and that's cool.when i read that ,for me it could be the same person who has wrote all that.That's pz style.
1-Music, for me, it is an absolute language, complete in itself. Through music you can SAY anything, as you would do through any spoken language of the world.
2-when YOU change, your MUSIC changes with you!
3-personal style is unavoidable,everyone has one.
4-I realise there's a million possible answers.
5-It is very difficult to define what makes music great because we live in a diverse world.
6-Time does not define stiles..... Do what you feel to do an express yourself....
7-good music transcends style, and time
8-Music geared towards heavy chart success is a newish phenomenon. It demands pigeonholing.
9-......Music in the rest of the world needs no such thing.
10....what is important to remember is that we are creating culture ourselves, we absorb, we reject, we reflect our reality, we spit out the results"
personnaly the moment i prefer in music like as lessoner is when i say to myself "ouaaaahhhh what is that????"
when you can not associate sound to image (i often do that)i explain myself
disko....yellow pants ,shining shoes,coca trip
rock...black tee shirt ,beer
tech...crazy trancers jumpin everywhere,acids
classic....nice people with nice ladies nice cars nice dog...nice operas
reggae...jamaican guys smokin big joints with beautiful girls on the beach
That's the first level.But since that pre-historic period i hope that i have hopefully evoluate myself a little bit and at the end i understand that a classic musician can be as revolutionnary than an electro composer,a death metal guitarist can be cooler than a jamaican rasta ,a disco gogo dancer can be as beautiful than an opera dancer etc...etc...
I don't know why we create styles,maybe a brain necessecity a kind of human obsession....
But at the end the message is LOVE.
About transending time... I don't think we should worry about this. Everything will be forgotten, not in our lifetime but in furture generations. This is very upsetting for some people who want a sense of permanence for their favorite composers. I will never be able to prove this but I am 100% certain that all composers and all musicians will eventually not be listened to. Some elements of their music will be used and reused as genes are but the original source will not be known.
-
paulrmartin
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Sun May 20, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada