I completely suck at producing

[Propellerhands]

People who learned an instrument and musical theory when they were children, are lucky, because then it is difficult to catch up

And I rarely see such people creating anything at all. My theory is that their creativity was squashed by the forced "education". It is no surprise that parents who were for instance piano players, force their kids to pick up a piano too or go to musical school even if they do not feel like music is their passion. Of course, exceptions exist. But that was my experience where I live, by observing people around me.

If a person wants to make music, he will find a way and will learn theory or instrument if he feels it is needed or is fun to do.

[mixyguy2]

If you look at the best musical talents around, I think you'll find almost all of them learned as a kid. I get not trying to force it on kids too much if they hate it, but they should at least give it a try. IMO the far more serious problem is lousy teachers who beat kids to death with boring exercises and even more boring songs to learn (the "classically trained" approach. barf.). Not that exercises aren't important, but you have to mix in and show some benefit to those exercises early on (by learning songs they'd actually like to learn) so they see the benefit of it....like don't just show them a few chords, show them and say "now see with just those chords look how you can play this" that kinda thing.

[Hink]

my parents never pushed it on me at all. In my school system you could start an instrument at 4th grade providing it was violin. I just wanted to play something, I begged and begged my parents but they felt I might not have the motor coordination to play violin which in hindsight may have been true at the time but I got over it I went on to 5th grade and to play the trumpet for 4 years, I wasnt very good at all.

When my sister was ten (I was 8, 1967) my sister was teaching kids to play old folk songs (like skip to my loo, down in the valley, jimmy crack corn...that kind of thing) for 50 cents a lesson. She didnt play guitar once after 12, my dad bought her an Aria but it had steel strings and I think that may have caused her to quit. She did teach me though, however I do not consider myself playing guitar until I was 12 when I got my first guitar. I did have a friend who moved across the street, he had an acoustic available (I didn have my own yet) and we use to make noises.

I saw him in '75, I was in Mass he moved to Ithica NY, I had my first electric an Alamo El Dorado with me, he had an Alamo Fiesta and I was shocked...I often wondered what we might have done musically at that time...I have never seen him again.

I got my first guitar in '71, a "Blackjack Acoustic, tobacco finish but I didnt play the songs my sister showed me, I did sit down and figure out Smoke on the Water though. Then I told my dad I needed an electric guitar, he taped a dynamic speaker on the front of the guitar, wired in a jack, we then took one of his old tube ham radios and made an amp for me. Wasnt exactly what I meant, I am sure I was a bit frustrated at the time but since I have built several guitars, a lovely 12/11 hammered dulcimer (which in itself kind of created the DIY forum here), pedals.

A couple years later all excited (still with the same amp) I went to the local music store and bought that Alamo...most dreadful instrument, horrid action but I learned a lot on that guitar...the first night I took it completely apart (at this time in my life I was in high school at a tech high school in machine shop)...that's probably why it played so bad. A year or so later I got my hands on a Hagstrom II and a small Gibson amp.

Playing music has always called to me, I know no other greater passion and it has absolutely defined my life. If anyone was forceful it was me because I was pigheaded as all hell about it, my mother always hated my music or as she would say she didnt understand my music, I said good

The thing is playing music is my passion, I have a few songs online but I dont promote myself because that's not me. I love my DAW because it allows me to explore and create in a dream environment (naturally I started with a 4 track tape when they first came out, mine was a Cutec). My goal is not producing though, that suggests a product and I offer no product, that's not me.

My DAW is the greatest vehicle ever to take me there (some good herb in the gas tank though). My playing is very personal to me, it became many things to me over the years. This is what my saying I play for heart and soul is about, I cant describe it but I am very much at peace then, it's a gift but not of mine, it's for me and it has been.

I dont know why music grabbed me like this, maybe it was the fact my parents took us to see The Sound of Music 8 times before I was 8. I do know however it was never forced on me, I also know that I never would have made it this far without it...rock on

[donkey tugger]

Never been interested in the 'theory' side of it, more 'dive in and have a go' (bit surprising given my high-falutin' political jibber jabber... ).

'Learning' guitar (my own choice, not forced) from about 13, then drums later at about 20 (crap but can do what I need to. ) has been very, very much of a boon to songwriting, which is my primary focus in these things. Sure, I could cobble together some stuff using a mouse and piano roll, but nothing gets the inspiration going more than being able to do stuff 'on the fly', without arseing around clicking and moving stuff. As I've said before, when I'm on form I can write the basics of a song (i.e the guitar chords and vocal melody) in less time than it takes to play it...then the hard part starts...

[Hink]

People who learned an instrument and musical theory when they were children, are lucky, because then it is difficult to catch up

And I rarely see such people creating anything at all. My theory is that their creativity was squashed by the forced "education". It is no surprise that parents who were for instance piano players, force their kids to pick up a piano too or go to musical school even if they do not feel like music is their passion. Of course, exceptions exist. But that was my experience where I live, by observing people around me.

If a person wants to make music, he will find a way and will learn theory or instrument if he feels it is needed or is fun to do.

so I took this this evening, what do you see me creating here?


There are no recorders, no computers, no mixers, not even anything digital, all 100% analog (even a tube amp), certainly no product be created here.

And I rarely see such people creating anything at all.

I would suggest you concentrate on what you get from your music and not define others by what might be misguided theories, my pic is a perfect pic of what "playing for peace of heart and soul looks like.

[imrae]

We often see these mental contortions in the theory forum. Some people are really determined to convince thenselves that having less musical skill/knowledge makes them superior to those who have them.

"My theory is" that they are insecure and this is a defensive reaction to the idea that they might not be as well-prepared as others.

It's effort that would be better spent studying music, in my view. It is of course possible to create good inventive music without these tools, but that is "doing it the hard way".

The premise that meaningful music has to be recorded and has to consist new compositions is of course ridiculous. If its author had any hands-on experience with folk or jazz traditions they would know that.

[brausoca]

This may not be directly involved with learning music, but you may want to take different perspective and find what your strengths in music are. If you focus in what "you suck" (also that thought doesn't encourage you), its very likely that you will stop having fun doing it, and also your creativity can be stuck. Music is about finding your own expression, even if it doesn't fit in other people's parameters.

I recommend this video

[jthekidd427]

Haha I had to come to this realization… this is why I’m selling my equipment and software programs… no amount of money can help you make better music