KVR Audio

Mike777 · Post by **Mike777** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:26 pm

Today we have almost every music instrument and recording tool available, and while I hear a lot of great music productions being posted, it's too often the music composition is just so-so.

Performing is made easier for instruments using midi. Recording is easier. This exposes the one thing our PC's can not do for us, writing the music. Writing a good song, or instrumental work, with a great melody and song structure etc is truly the hardest part.

So is writing great music more a craft or a talent?

el-bo (formerly ebow) · Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:29 pm

Mike777 wrote:Performing and recording is now easy

No! It's simple. There is a difference

Unaspected · Post by **Unaspected** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:59 pm

It is as hard to write good music as it is to know yourself.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:14 pm

It takes talent, and most people don't have it. Anyone can buy a football, but there's only one Ronaldo (for example).

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:16 pm

How is "performing now easy"?

Also, there's no accounting for taste. What one person considers "good music" is often disliked by another.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:18 pm

thecontrolcentre wrote:It takes talent, and most people don't have it.

Yeah. Creative talent. TBH, i quite struggle on that. Never was overly creative, already in school.

bbtr · Post by **bbtr** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:28 pm

Brain. The missing ingredient is brain.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:32 pm

Has someone defined "good music." Seems like that's where you want to begin a discussion like this. Then again, I'm 80% through killing a bottle of pinot all by myself, and, well, I'm a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. So, yeah, I could be wayTF off base.

Mike777 · Post by **Mike777** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:33 pm

Jace-BeOS wrote:How is "performing now easy"?

I will rephrase that. Performing is easier then before because we can edit in midi. Except when playing a real instrument, then performing next as difficult as composing.

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:37 pm

Good is highly subjective but I know what "good" means to me... For every one song that I consider good enough to bring to full production there are at least 5 to 10 ideas that are just not ready or never will be. Sometimes you need a lyric, a story, a hook , a chord change and it can elude you. I've taken songs really far that I believe in only to discard them when i realize that they aren't cutting it.. on the other hand I have stubbornly refused to give up on an idea and have had it work out. It is always work for me... mixed in with some inspiration and happy accidents - but mostly work.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:39 pm

Mike777 wrote:
Jace-BeOS wrote:How is "performing now easy"?

I will rephrase that. Performing is easier then before because we can edit in midi. Except when playing a real instrument, then performing next as difficult as composing.

Gotta size with Jace here, I don't think that performing is "easier", in fact, I would argue that, if anything, standards and expectations are much much higher. What passed for performance in the sixties would be laughed at today.

Mike777 · Post by **Mike777** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:51 pm

ghettosynth wrote:
Mike777 wrote:
Jace-BeOS wrote:How is "performing now easy"?

I will rephrase that. Performing is easier then before because we can edit in midi. Except when playing a real instrument, then performing next as difficult as composing.
Gotta size with Jace here, I don't think that performing is "easier", in fact, I would argue that, if anything, standards and expectations are much much higher. What passed for performance in the sixties would be laughed at today.

True. That's why I rephrased what I said- if using midi, then it's easier then before. Otherwise, performance standards are higher today.

Harry_HH · Post by **Harry_HH** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:54 pm

I agree with all the above.
Plus, there's in addition to the change in technology and music busines, there's one important think, which separates us from those who started writing music in the 50-70's. And that's the audience.
The babyboomers created one big, rather homogeneous cosumer cohort.
The "youth culture" was rather new thing, and rock/pop increased feeling of togetherness. The pre-tv babyboomers was a huge consumer force.
The fragmentation started, of course, a long time ago, and today we can't talk about culture of uniform taste in the same cohort.

The challenge of writing (and performing) good music is today exactly the same, as earlier.
But the change to develop the skill, to grow up as a writer/performing artist is more difficult, there aren't enough audience, who grows up with you, who are willing to "pay your living" while you are developing yourself.

Lennon-McCartney were't that great writer in the first 3 years time (1959-61), when they wrote together (and separately). And if you listen to the Beatles Decca audition tapes, the band didn't sound that great.
But they were giving (thanks to Brian Esptein, George Martin, and babyboomers) time to develop - and that they did!
If I should name one thing, which separates L&M and the Beatles from million other bands, it is the DEVELOPMENT. To be able to develop yourself, you need, talent, of course, but you need a change, time and motivation.

How motivated you are - with your unlimited DAW universe, 1034 plugins and virtual instruments, bedroom studio and all the music of the world available?

lfm · Post by **lfm** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:56 pm

Everything created with a heart - will probably find an audience somewhere in this internet global world.

We have an expression for many swedish artists "BIG IN JAPAN"-thingy. Locally and even otherwise in neighbour countries they could not care less. So expression symbolizes this fenomena more than actually talking about Japan in particular.

The difficulty with "good music" is that you get tired rather soon on certain music, while some that will be an aquired taste is what I found is the goto in the long run. Hit music is often "good music" that wear off rather quickly.

I'm not a hiphop/rap genre guy at all - does not get any of that genre almost. But one track that really get me every time is Eminem "loose yourself" or whatever it is called. It take it's time to build to a climax and there is no way to guard yourself against it - you get reeled in. Really brilliant track.

So the formula might be to catch people with the guard down - and then build up and reel in. Sounds simple doesn't it

Nielzie · Post by **Nielzie** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:02 pm

Harry_HH wrote: How motivated you are - with your unlimited DAW universe, 1034 plugins and virtual instruments, bedroom studio and all the music of the world available?

Agreed. Motivation it such an important factor.. And focus (perhaps translated to "less is more", for some people)! Probably about 75% motivation/focus and only about 25% talent required.

I should know as I lack either of them.

why is it hard to write good music?