Do you play an Instrument

[Ildon]

A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a musician, can serve as a musical instrument; but the expression is reserved generally to items that have that specific purpose

sounds too me that makes a computer an instrument...

I've only been saying that the entire time I've been to KVR.

[Diek]

I think computers are one more of the creators of the music. They couldn't do our music without us, but we can't do our music without them, so they are part of the team.
I do suppose someone is preparing the rope for hang me

I agree too, but can I hang you anyway, 'cos I'm bored?

If I can choose I would like to die for an excess of making love

[headquest]

I think computers are one more of the creators of the music. They couldn't do our music without us, but we can't do our music without them, so they are part of the team.
I do suppose someone is preparing the rope for hang me

I agree too, but can I hang you anyway, 'cos I'm bored?

If I can choose I would like to die for an excess of making love

Ah... well I can't help you there mate

[Arglebargle]

Sure do... guitar, violin and oboe. The latter two are the only ones that I can actually "play", though, I just kinda slop my way through guitar parts for the shit I write because I have no technical ability at all.

[Arglebargle]

There're two types of musicians. There are performers and there are composers. Some composers double as performers and some performers double as composers. Being strictly a composer doesn't make a person any less of a musician, it just means they choose to focus their talents on writing music as opposed to playing it.

Very true!

[flippya2000]

To be able to make music on a computer takes alot of skill. It definitely requires more knowledge than someone who knows one instrument very well. While people who know instruments can play solos, they can never produce the sounds of a whole band on their own.

To make (good) music on a computer, one has to know music theory, how to play each instrument/synth properly (eg try to play a slow attack pad with fast 16th/32nd notes, & u'll see it has to be played with slower/longer notes than lead instruments), how to mix instruments, song form, mastering, etc, etc

I think itz pointless saying that s/he uses just a computer therefore they're not a musician - It takes alot of skill & knowledge to make a complete track. At the same time I have the upmost respect for people who can play instruments, or try to learn instruments, because you can improvise music & do things v.quickly that would take ages to make on a computer; not to mention the fact that it takes alot of practice to master an instrument.

Anyways, these are just my opinions.

[G&L_player]

This topic came up at work the other day, some one said that people who use computers to make music are not musicians, I say it's not true.....

I'm willing to bet that the people who spend more time pointing and clicking their way through a tune are no longer the musicians that they were and/or could be. Let's face it, one has to trade the larger slice of the pie (i.e. practice) to acquire a new piece entitled "HDD recording." Part of the new slice will, of course, be dedicated to learning; part of it application. If one compared the HDD guy who spends most of their time in front of a screen to the working musician who is gigging and working it out, one will most likely find quite a variance in the perceived talent(s). The key, of course, is balance.

[Sascha Franck]

IMO a computer is an instrument just as much as anything else. Plus, the strings don't break.

FWIW, I'm a socalled "professional" musician, formally trained and all that shit - but I enjoy using the PC/sequencer (something I don't have any formal education for) as an instrument just as much as I (still) enjoy playing guitar, sometimes even more.

FWIW #2: Excellent posts, headquest (a few pages back). I'm teaching as well, and quite sometimes I'm amazed by the sheer ignorance (or let me better say lack of knowledge) of anything computerbased things could do, even for classically trained musicians.
Just recently I've been teaching some computer music workshop, and (fortunately) there's been a few classical students of the local music university. They were truly amazed to see their 4-part choral voice leading practice things being played back almost instantly (by some string patches or so). And most of them were even more amazed when I showed them how to route each voice to some strange VSTis and effects. That's when the fun started. One of them actually almost created a little classical/electronic symphony in 3 days, unfortunately some idiot deleted the files from the machine, I would've posted it otherwise.

[fritzman]

IMO a computer is an instrument just as much as anything else. Plus, the strings don't break.

Yes, one of the main reasons my guitars were kept cold most of the time last year.

Just recently I've been teaching some computer music workshop, and (fortunately) there's been a few classical students of the local music university. They were truly amazed to see their 4-part choral voice leading practice things being played back almost instantly (by some string patches or so). And most of them were even more amazed when I showed them how to route each voice to some strange VSTis and effects. That's when the fun started. One of them actually almost created a little classical/electronic symphony in 3 days, unfortunately some idiot deleted the files from the machine, I would've posted it otherwise.

Oh, this is cool stuff. If you ever get such stuff please post it. This brings up the old question (sorry if already posted, didn't read the whole thread): What would people like Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, etc. have made with todays possibilities?


Best wishes, FRitz

[BONES]

I'm surprised no one thinks of there computer as an instrument

Well, I think computers are one more of the creators of the music. They couldn't do our music without us, but we can't do our music without them, so they are part of the team.
I do suppose someone is preparing the rope for hang me

I got by just fine, doing much the same kind fo stuff that I do now, for 15 years without a computer, thank-you very much. The computer has just made it a lot cheaper for me.

[G&L_player]

IMO a computer is an instrument just as much as anything else.

I can appreciate that, however, I'd be more inclined to call it a tool. More precisely, one should first understand the basics of harmony/melody, etc..., and then come to the computer to formulate and capture the thoughts in conjunction with actual instruments. After all, the MIDI controllers and/or I/O devices enable us to connect with the same devices that we'd ordinarily play (i.e. keys; guitars; etc...), even before the whole MIDI invasion.

[Diek]

I'm surprised no one thinks of there computer as an instrument

Well, I think computers are one more of the creators of the music. They couldn't do our music without us, but we can't do our music without them, so they are part of the team.
I do suppose someone is preparing the rope for hang me

I got by just fine, doing much the same kind fo stuff that I do now, for 15 years without a computer, thank-you very much. The computer has just made it a lot cheaper for me.

For me a computer is anything that's got a processor, microprocessor or the same done with discrete components inside. So, for me, a synth, a multiFx, most mixing consoles ... are speciallized kinds of computers.
Of course, i don't want dismiss nobody's work. You can take great music out of a single flute, but we are electricity dependent in the way we use to work (or so it seems to me).

[Sascha Franck]

I can appreciate that, however, I'd be more inclined to call it a tool.

Ok, but then every instrument would only be a tool as well.
Quite a philosophical thing...

Anyways, I don't think you need to grasp the basics of harmony and melody first. I'm pretty good at all that theory shit, yet I know about a lot of people with a way higher creative (musical) output than me, knowing almost nothing.
And sometimes their very interesting output seems to be related to their lack of knowledge. They can just use an Emaj as a dominant for Amin whereas with my glorious theoretical knowledge I'd never even try (unless I'd be treating it as some sort of modulation).

[soulata]

Anyways, I don't think you need to grasp the basics of harmony and melody first. I'm pretty good at all that theory shit, yet I know about a lot of people with a way higher creative (musical) output than me, knowing almost nothing.
And sometimes their very interesting output seems to be related to their lack of knowledge. They can just use an Emaj as a dominant for Amin whereas with my glorious theoretical knowledge I'd never even try (unless I'd be treating it as some sort of modulation).

agreed (and time for sleep I guess )

Lately I haven't really done much, except transcribing some cool ueberfast stuff. inspiration sadly doesn't always come with knowledge.

k

[BONES]

For me a computer is anything that's got a processor, microprocessor or the same done with discrete components inside. So, for me, a synth, a multiFx, most mixing consoles ... are speciallized kinds of computers.

Which is fine but when I first performed live I used a fully analogue set-up with no microprocessors in sight, except maybe in my 303's which I used as my sequencers back then. Hardly comparable to what anyone thinks of as a computer.