The curse

[Karbon L. Forms]

I call it the curse.
The more you know about music. Scales and chords and effects and mixing. Everything. It all takes you away from how you used to hear music.
I mean, I used to just wonder at the amazing sounds I heard. Now I'm like "that'll be a G C D thang."
I just can't hear music the same way I used to. Sometimes I wish I'd never learnt this stuff. I want the wonder days back!

[kaze]

Ignorance is bliss eh?

[o'malley]

Yes, a while I felt that way. However, now I am realizing that music has absolutly nothing to do with notes and chords and intervals and theory. Music is about people, emotion, love, hate, instinct, sadness, happyness, the people who play it.....

I'm getting to a point where I have enough skill in theory and my chops are good enough, to where I can stop thinking so much about the page and start thinking about what the music means to me. How I can put my self into the music I play and write.

Now, obviously I still have to think about the other stuff a lot, but i think once you start to get to a certain point, things just come natural.

[o'malley]

*bump*

Come on guys, this topic is interesting...

[.jon]

I think this sort of "knowledge" I've aqcuired just helps me to get rid of shite- if I end up thinking a tune in technical terms, it's not a good one.

The best songs still take me away.

[Miro]

I'm getting to a point where I have enough skill in theory and my chops are good enough, to where I can stop thinking so much about the page and start thinking about what the music means to me. How I can put my self into the music I play and write.

Well stated. I would love to be at that point someday. Don't think I have the patience enough to sit down and work it out, but I KNOW that I would get more personal pleasure out of knowing WHY certain sounds appeal to me and creating those sounds based on a theory as an experiment, rather than just attempting to replicate a feeling with my limited knowledge.

[Genja]

I try to do as little theory as I have to for these very reasons. Once you start thinking about chords and intervals too much while playing, you hear the music differently and your options become limited to the theory in your head. The problem is, you really need to know alot of theory in order to play well to begin with, so for me the trick was learning it all, spending years learning licks and chords, and then trying to forget all the theory in my head, while keeping it in my hands, if that makes sense. When I play, I want my mind to be clear, so that I can hear (and play) the music that's in my head, not the theory.

[Arglebargle]

I don't know too much theory, and I don't care to. As far as I'm concerned, theory takes the fun out of writing music. I don't want to have to sit down and ponder what "proper" chords and progressions to use in a song, and their relationship with each other, I just want to write a goddamn song! There are some people that REALLY get into theory, and I respect that, but it's just not interesting for me.

[Hunter]

Aye, I ken fit ya mean there big man, I keep analysing all my favourite tunes instead of enjoying them now...

[pHz]

its not JUST theory though ... its technical knowledge too ...

... i know almost NOTHING about chords ... scales ... progressions ... whatever (to some extent a conscious decision) ... but i DO know a bit about sound design / composing / arranging / recording / producing / mixing / mastering techniques and i find myself picking those apart in music i listen to in a way i NEVER did before i got into this whole malarkey ...

... the best and most powerful tracks STILL take me somewhere else though ... but the 'workaday' stuff just ends up making me think stuff like 'hmmmnnn ... basic FM bass patch ... phaser ... tube distortion ... light compression' ... etc ...

... and the stuff inbetween powerful and workaday ??? thats the most productive area i reckon ... in the that-sounds-cool-i-wonder-if-i-use-symptohm > filterscape > retrodelay > neodynium-i-could-get-a-sound-like-that-???

(but then im a confirmed magpie anyway)

slainte rob

[bluedad]

I know enough theory to hear and know what chord changes, etc are. It's fascinating to listen and figure out what fx etc are being used and all that..but I'm with rob on this, the best and most powerful tracks are going to effect me emotionally someway.

[topaz]

try telling that to just about every Jazz musician in history.

that should read "the more I know" maybe.

bit generalising dont you think ?

one could get in a equal rut knowing nothing, the old stagnent scinario.

I call it the curse.
The more you know about music. Scales and chords and effects and mixing. Everything. It all takes you away from how you used to hear music.

[pHz]

try telling that to just about every Jazz musician in history.
that should read "the more I know" maybe.
bit generalising dont you think ?

I call it the curse.
The more you know about music. Scales and chords and effects and mixing. Everything. It all takes you away from how you used to hear music.

yeah ... but jazz IS crap you know ??? ...

... nuff said ...

slainte rob

[pHz]

[jazz]neeyah !!! look at ne ... i know more scales and weird time signatures than you !!! [/jazz]

slainte rob

[topaz]

that should read

"but i think Jazz is crap you know ??"

yeah ... but jazz IS crap you know ??? ...

... nuff said ...

slainte rob