Do you consider this cheating?

[trimph1]

I was lucky to have actually been in a choir at one time..reading music made things so much easier then.

What made it interesting was the issue of music publishing and what version of a certain piece you got...if you got a version that was transcribed from the original mss you had to be careful of certain little things...dots over notes...or were they dashes? That type of thing....

[ghettosynth]

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[Loki Fuego]

Let me just go on the record as saying, I don't think that you are cheating yourself if you don't learn how to roof a house or shave yaks. You simply do not have the time to learn everything and you cannot be expert in everything. A decision to not learn a new skill might be a great way of staying focused on what you really want to do.

[vurt]

I'm still worried, that by using knowledge of musical theory developed by someone else, I might be in fact cheating. Shouldn't I develop my own musical theory and only then start composing and playing something?

this. and if you use things other people build, thats cheating too.
and dont give me that "i build my own guitars" did you grow the tree from seed? did you mine the nickel for the strings? pah! cheater!


do what you do, its the end result what counts.
and if it pisses someone off, thats a bonus.

[debra1rlo]

I'm still worried, that by using knowledge of musical theory developed by someone else, I might be in fact cheating. Shouldn't I develop my own musical theory and only then start composing and playing something?

this. and if you use things other people build, thats cheating too.
and dont give me that "i build my own guitars" did you grow the tree from seed? did you mine the nickel for the strings? pah! cheater!


do what you do, its the end result what counts.
and if it pisses someone off, thats a bonus.

especially that last bit

[Mike777]

When I hear a singer using auto pitch are they cheating? Sure they are. But I have no problem with any tool any musician wants to use. 'Cheating' is standard music business practice now- auto tune, transpose button, samples, midi, music software, etc.

All these tools are fine and speed up the production process (my gosh what if we didn't have digital tech?) BUT then ask me who has real talent and I will insist on an even playing field, and raw ability.

Sure I can listen to Bach created with midi on a software sampled piano, and be inspired. But then I can watch Martha Argerich actually play Bach, and I'm inspired AND blown away by her talent.

Performance art has an extra factor it seems of delivering inspiration and expression. Great performing takes skill and talent, usually years of study and practice. A musician, actor, or any kind of performer, who has achieved a master level of their craft is something I DO know when it's real. I do know when a performer delivers a higher level of craftsmanship, inspiration, and expression.

[bmrzycki]

Nah, all you need to know is in this video. You'll be playing rock n' roll in no time.

[ghettosynth]

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[zerocrossing]

It doesn't matter so much really. If it feels good do it. Just keeping making music

Just think of it like a guitarist moving a capo up and down the neck on the guitar (even though technically not the same).

As a guitar player, this is exactly how I think of it. Though it's super easy to transpose on guitar compared to a keyboard. My "cheat" is I use Live's MIDI transpose plug-ins, and that can get even fancier doing non-chromatic scales. Who cares if it's cheating?

[ghettosynth]

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