KVR Audio

The_Hidden_Goose · Post by **The_Hidden_Goose** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:49 am

I think I realised today, playing along with the rain slashing down on the flat roof outside my window and birds calling each other from their respective bushes and dry hidey-holes, that I've gotten good enough to play the keyboard without having to think so much about it...I can now do a bit of noodling!

I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Never really been something I thought me and my fingers would ever be able to do. Thought I'd have to program everything forever.

I'm no virtuoso or anything, my left hand is way behind my right, my velocity control isn't great, and my chord dictionary for playing is still limited, but I feel I've broken through a little barrier over the last few months and it's made me look forward to the next one, rather than dread it (I'm naturally pessimistic, if not defeatist).

Anyway, just wanted to express a little Joy-Of-Noodling for noodling's sake. Nothing recorded as it was all fairly aimless. Put me in mind of a theme arising in another thread where someone was expressing the idea that making without recording isn't really creating...not sure if this was creative, perhaps not, but I don't think it would be any more creative if it was recorded! It was fulfilling in it's own right though - a moment that was just for that moment, playing with a natural orchestra (nature!) that I had no control over and couldn't really predict.

Redmerkurii · Post by **Redmerkurii** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:01 am

ntom · Post by **ntom** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:51 am

nasenmann · Post by **nasenmann** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:25 am

The_Hidden_Goose wrote:Put me in mind of a theme arising in another thread where someone was expressing the idea that making without recording isn't really creating...

That's just f**king stupid if you ask me...creation has nothing to do with permanence.
All just castles in the sand. Even digital recordings have a finite lifetime.

I've been feeling similar to what you describe lately, bought this used 73 keys M50 and have good fun jamming on it, without any thought about recording anything or sequencing around it.
I've learned a lot of harmony stuff over the sequencing years that i can slowly apply more and more to my playing, but my timing is still anything but tight, and independence of hands barely improved over the last years.
It doesn't detract from my enjoyment as much anymore though. My general thought process on life has developed as follows: technique is alright, but doesn't get you anywhere unless you feel emotionally connected to what you're doing. Once that happens, new technique can just pop up as a byproduct while you're enjoying yourself and getting inventive.

I have a pretty intense stoner period behind me...one of the good things that happened during that time was that enjoying the moment in music making became far easier. I got a glimpse of how powerful happy accidents can be, and some basic understanding of the jazz notion that there really are no mistakes.
Lately, i feel i'm slowly reconnecting to that understanding, without the weed.

Still a sloppy player by any means, but i understand musicality in a broader sense than that now.

The_Hidden_Goose · Post by **The_Hidden_Goose** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:28 pm

I'm still a bit of a stoner, but I found that I can't really make music while under the influence of anything - nothing ever gets finished! I get stuck in a loop that goes nowhere. So I have lengthy dry periods where I leave all poisons alone and I can get some stuff done.

My independence of hands has improved a little, but my kb is only a mini one (axiom 25), so there's only so much I can do to practice at that. I'll be getting a bigger kb when I have a bit more room to put it in - or maybe dust off my old controller kb with it's midi cable and seperate chunky power supply....I don't miss the days before USB!

Touch The Universe · Post by **Touch The Universe** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:20 pm

noodle hunting

nasenmann · Post by **nasenmann** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:58 pm

Weed and sequencing didn't mix well for me either - when i was a casual smoker i could sometimes use it working on a tune already half done, and found that contrary to my regular impatience, i could have fun 'working' on a 2 second drumfill forever. If you tend to be a moderate user it can spice up the workflow a little now and then, i suppose. But i didn't turn out to be one

Basically, the stuff is shit for composing but potentially very good for playing, esp. If you got trouble loosening up. If composing and playing is very much the same thing for someone, maybe he can be a happy pothead 24/7, idk.
Other factors came in ofc, but it was part of the cause for a ~3 year sequencing break here.

I def recommend a bigger keyboard, optimally with its own sounds, that you can boot up without any other gear. I had a 61 controller before the m50, but not having to boot the laptop, open sequencer and load sounds makes everything smoother when you just wanna play some.
The m50 has a "drumtrack" button that just plays some custom beat to every patch. I like that, might help with my sloppyness.

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:52 pm

The_Hidden_Goose wrote:I think I realised today, playing along with the rain slashing down on the flat roof outside my window and birds calling each other from their respective bushes and dry hidey-holes, that I've gotten good enough to play the keyboard without having to think so much about it...I can now do a bit of noodling!

I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Never really been something I thought me and my fingers would ever be able to do. Thought I'd have to program everything forever.

I'm no virtuoso or anything, my left hand is way behind my right, my velocity control isn't great, and my chord dictionary for playing is still limited, but I feel I've broken through a little barrier over the last few months and it's made me look forward to the next one, rather than dread it (I'm naturally pessimistic, if not defeatist).

Anyway, just wanted to express a little Joy-Of-Noodling for noodling's sake. Nothing recorded as it was all fairly aimless. Put me in mind of a theme arising in another thread where someone was expressing the idea that making without recording isn't really creating...not sure if this was creative, perhaps not, but I don't think it would be any more creative if it was recorded! It was fulfilling in it's own right though - a moment that was just for that moment, playing with a natural orchestra (nature!) that I had no control over and couldn't really predict.

Yeah, i'm right with you! It's a great feeling to discover an amount of dexterity one day... like "OOoo! i can kinda do this!"

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:58 pm

No drugs for me, but i can absolutely agree that a large keyboard, with some weight on the keys and room for both hands to wander, with some built-in sounds (or accessible sound editing on the fly), can be a fun evening. Or even just an evening of forcing myself to use my gear, when otherwise uninspired. Music need not be recorded to be enjoyed, but i love stumbling on things i DO wish to record while i'm auditioning sounds with my noodling

The_Hidden_Goose · Post by **The_Hidden_Goose** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:26 pm

Yeah I've been finding melodies and harmonies by just doing too, far more than if I have to think about playing a lot - seems to leave a little room in my brain for remembering what I've been doing instinctively, whereas I used to slowly use the kb to effectively program stuff in but had to concentrate so much on it that if I didn't save or record the phrase or melody or whatever, I wouldn't remember it the next day. That also might be the stonerism and its effect on short term thingy...wossname...memory.

nasenmann · Post by **nasenmann** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:42 am

Haha, yeah. Used to tell myself "uuh well if that slipped off my mind it can't have been that good", but that was just part coping mechanism.

quite happy here that everything seems fully operational again, after about a year of (near) abstinence.
Now i just gotta learn how to get the good effects of weed, without the weed....

The_Hidden_Goose · Post by **The_Hidden_Goose** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:13 am

All the good effects of it for music for me are in the listening, not the making.

But maybe it's a bit like coffee - you only get the good effects of caffeine when you're body is used to it and is low for a lack of it, otherwise the stimulant effects of it are negligable.

Don't do it kids, it's bad for your brainz!

The only negative I have for not doing it is sleep is a bit harder to come by. That is less the case since I started cycling to work and back a couple of years ago. I still have a sleep phase disorder, but I've had that ever since I hit puberty (no idea why - I've not found sleeping pharmaceuticals that work except for Valerian, which wrecks your liver if you're on it for too long). Doing some kind of exercise in the day seems to work better than anything for that in my case.

nasenmann · Post by **nasenmann** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:29 am

Give this a try then: don't smoke for a couple days, then, when in good spirits and relaxed, just take one good puff of good weed.
Then do some noodling. If you can't feel any difference, then i don't know. Everyone's different i guess.

Here's a bit of music related fortune cookie wisdom: good listening makes for good music making.
The problem with weed is being able and willing to still stand straight and perform actions, beyond just listening. It's a dosage issue, if you use it, use it super lightly!

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:17 pm

Noodling is fun on any instrument. You either stumble upon some great, usable melodies, or develop your arsenal of licks that can be used in soloing

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:49 pm

Consider: believing something was unmemorable and therefore unworthy of recording... is self censorship

Start a midi sequencer to record while noodling and catch the happy accidents of fun inspiration

I do noodle