ITT:
We talk about being musicians and discuss the struggles and joys of creating music.
Im in a band, i play guitar.
recently hit a rut
feeling like im at a plateu
going crazy trying to make the music flow
THE SPICE MUST FLOW
I make music only for my personal enjoyment. It's a great way to dump away unnecessary emotional states.Apparently some people like it on soundcloud but I don't care.
>>53667622
how you do that mate
i feel like i need others to like it
lots of others why, cant i be like you.
Whenever I write something it's usually pretty okay. Thing is, I only get 'the vibes' like thrice a year and then I go into a manic state where I write and record a song in a couple of hours and after that everything else I try to write feels really boring and trite for a couple of months. Anyone else?
>>53667640
here recently everything ive been writing seems like a re hash of all the old stuff. i go weeks without getting vibes
you guys are niggers
i've recently been having trouble knowing what i want to say with my music, and even when i do i've been having trouble figuring out what kinds of sounds and stuff mean the things i want to say.
>>53667636
I don't know, it just happens. I don't even consider myself a good musician but when I hear that the certain feeling is embedded in the song I am satisfied. I also don't spend more than 2-3 hours on making a song because I feel like it's just a waste of time.
>>53667640
>>53667654
speaking about 'the vibes', how do you guys get 'em?
>dat feeling when inspired and everything you write is just so smooth and beautiful
Too bad it can't happen all the time...
currently play guitar, sing backup vocals, etc in a cover band, but we wrote an original a couple weekends ago. It's probably the best thing I've ever been a part of musically.
>tfw other guitarist has ego issues sometimes that can get in the way
For the most part he's good to work with, but occasionally his ego will inflate and there's no coming back for the rest of practice.
>>53667598
Every time I go to make music I get pretty frustrated, I have a pretty good grasp of theory and I can make complex synth patches no problem, but whenever I try to compose I can't even make a cohesive melody. It's weird since I was going through some chiptune tracks I made a few years ago when I was getting into music and I thought that they were pretty good, but I have no clue how I made them.
I feel like I made better music a couple of months ago when I knew less about production. I've learned a lot but my musical ideas are sort of deteriorating, or maybe just changing. I like the way my music used to sound
>tfw live in the middle of nowhere
i really want to get a band together, but i have no idea where to start and i'm not really confident enough in my own abilities as a writer or musician
any advice?
>mfw when i play in a band and we practice twice a week and have dope music and regularly drop records and play shows and open for local touring acts all the time
>>53668021
Then don't try as hard. Focus on the writing and not the recording aspect of it.
I really want to release the music I've made but I can't think of an artist name and I feel like I need a really good one
>>53669002
Take two words you think sound cool
Combine them somehow
If that doesn't sound cool translate them to Spanish
>mfw I'm 22 and have never been able to get a band going. I have practices with people, but they always end up being flakes or just generally directionless.
>>53669002
steal a line or a title or something out of literature
>>53667726
How long do you spend making a song, and what sort of thing do you do?
I used to just love getting stoned and playing guitar, and then maybe covering/half singing covers in a really shit way. Then I got into recording myself, and overdubbing vocals, and liking the sound of making something new. I had this darkness, this toil, annoyance, so took to writing in order to express. I found an enjoyment in words, and began to combine sombre poems with guitar chords, because, when stoned, it is so intriguing to listen to something you've created out of nothing, literally an invention of a thing, using pre-existing tools - you are stripped of critical self judgement, the only way you think you may make some progress, or sound any good. Being directionless in life, playing guitar and writing stupid little songs was a safe haven for me, a way to keep busy, progress, and escape the day to day drawl. I met a jamming partner through a mutual friend, and we jammed it for about a year - the guy was solid and knew how to write songs from a technical standpoint; I learnt a lot from him, and had fun, but at the end of the day it ended up as his project and I lost my sense of self; lost that safe haven of being director and actor of my own creative whims, becoming a rhythm guitarist for someone who in essence was similar to me, but in will and belief we differed far too much, so due to what was pretty much 'creative differences' I cut that off and went back to working on my own. Now I just write songs in my room, record bits here and there, have fun, and I like that cos it's my own and it's all I've got. One day I'll do an open mic night and record an EP, just wanting to polish the act to begin with.
The struggles are: getting started and getting yourself out there. Varying song subjects; I'm passionate about truth seeking and refuse to write love songs or anything cliché, it wants to be wacky, playful and self-conscious. This kind of writing doesn't come forced it has to come naturally I feel.
>>53669059
>mfw 25 and played in a kinda mediocre grunge band from like 2006-2009.
>broke up and since then never been able to play in /get a band together.
>recently started playing in 2 bands again.
>doing like half of the overall demos by myself, then fleshing them out with the others
>band 1 consisting of me and my 2 best friends
>slowly developing & getting better.
>have to stress the drummer into learning the songs and remembering the parts tho
>band 2 consisting of good friend and 2 other dudes
>first few practices start promising
>drummer is technically really good but has no damn clue how to play the songs so they sound good.
>show him a couple times how to play but he just doesnt remember.
>think it would get better over time but it doesnt
>this goes on for half a year
>everyone feels lack of feel during practice
>drummer mentions eventually leaving the band
>singer (whos one of my close friends) insists on pursuing the project, tries to calm everyone down
>getting frustrated cuz I have to drive like 45 mins to get to the city we practice each time.
>also I'm the only one with a car so I have to pick them up every time.
>2 weeks ago tell em that I dont see a future for the band if it stays like it is and that I want to quit.
>friend gets fucking furious at me
>after some talk he convinces me to stay under the conditions of me replacing the drummer and giving me gas money each time we practice
>kinda pumped for next practice now bc I love playing drums even tho I'm not a very technical drummer since I taught it myself
>>53667598
PEOPLE WANTING TO COLLABORATE AND BAILING ON YOU
Little question for you guys, how many of you know anythign about music theory? It can be anything, from the most basic shit (scales and their degrees), to newage shit (pitch sets, 12-tone, geometric music).
Recently I've lost my sense of vocal melody because all I've been listening to has been outside of the song format. But once I'm satisfied with my understanding of theory I'll go right back to listening to songs to regain that.
I got the vibes right now. Been going through some shit (girl shit/quitting my study and moving back in with parents) recently and one morning I woke up and remembered a very beautiful and meaningful dream I'd had, and I had a great idea. I started writing down the dreams I had, and basing lyrics and melodies on them. The idea is to make a concept album made up of many different fragments, all with different atmospheres and stories behind them, flowing into each other like dreams fading in and out. There's a lot of very deep emotional stuff going on, and it really helps me to record it all and make sense of it. I've already recorded about 20 minutes without vocals, and I'm almost done writing the rest. I really hope it'll work out.
>>53670903
fucking drummers man. the good ones are always rare
>>53670978
I have a basic understanding of music theory..Not much more. But I mean, I'm always open to learning when I can.
I think though that music can be good without being written by someone with an insane understanding of music theory. idk, that doesn't mean anyone should refuse the knowledge when presented with an opportunity to learn it, though
>>53671089
Of course it can. But music knowledge can only enrich the music, it will never be detrimental to it unless the focus moves away from "being good" to "being interesting."
The most intelligent and interesting of composers never got up in the morning and said to themselves "Boy, today I sure will write music that is more interesting than good!"
At the end of the day, the goal is to make "good" music, and that is up to the maker.
>>53671060
Agreed
>/mu/ "musicians"
They're about 70% kids with pirated copies of FL or Ableton who make derivative EDM or """ambient/drone/noise""", 29.9% hipsters making garbage "indie" shit on an acoustic guitar, and 0.1% people who know what they're talking about.
>>53667598
>struggles
Pft, keep try
bands are fucking gay. I'd rather do projects and let people I know sit in. that way it's not a constant fucking struggle to get on the same page musically.
>>53671139
this is true, but I honestly think that this is the new way for young music makers, who do not have access to education, to start learning and so on. it is their fault if they do not evolve past that however.
it feels essential
>>53671139
>>53671060
>16
>first band
>guitarist, drummer, and me on bass
>we're actually pretty good (all had great rhythm) and we dedicate equal attention to each instrument
>drummer is actually still to this day one of the top 5 drummers i have met
>then shit hits the fan, he becomes a hardcore christian
>tries to shovel this shit down our throats at every opportunity
>even carries a mini copy of the new testament with him that he will bring out on occasion
it would have been tolerable but
>i finally get recording equipment, learn enough to be pretty good
>talk to them about recording
>guitarist is all for it
>drummer is not, says everything has to be "organic"
>won't do takes
>won't write songs down
>everything has to be from a "jam"
>cannot play if told what to play because "it doesn't feel right"
fuck that guy so much holy shit
>>53671139
>>53671199
most people never make it past the "derivative shit" and "random noise" stage
>>53668080
DAWs/production are a good way to go. I've played instruments for almost a decade, and live an hour from the city. only two band offers I got out here, was "playing" bass for metalcore, or bass for a band who said their main inspirations were nickelback and 30 seconds to mars.
wound up playing solo folk/folk punk shows from ages 15-18 at house venues and shit. got into production last year when I was 19, and it's been great. can record tons of instruments tracks yourself, make your own samples, etc.
>>53670978
I mostly just know basics like intervals, building chords, etc. kinda know what modes are, but not how to use them well, as well as modulation in general (unless it's small change like G -> C)
>>53671089
>>53671120
you don't need theory in any form to be able to arrange good music, but it helps expedite things. theory is essentially a language, that allows the communication of ideas beyond just "it sounds like this, and your finger(s) go here."
yeah, you can definitely riff cool shit all day long without theory, but good luck when another musician asks you what you just played
>>53670978
Blind Willie Mctell shits on your theory.
>>53671279
Hook me up with your drummer man he sounds like a fuckin dude.
>>53671403
>Blind Willie Mctell
>muh black folk guitarist from the 20s
you're a fucking idiot
>>53671139
News flash... All art is derivative.
This post wants to imply fucking around with pirated software or a guitar is different from studying a 'real' instrument.
His way is the only one he knows, so it has to be best.
i have about four different versions of this composition i am working on, they all have their advantages and disadvantages
>>53671185
>that way it's not a constant fucking struggle to get on the same page musically.
if you're in the right band then it's not
>>53670991
that sounds really cool
>>53670978
Knowing theory will make you a better musician. There really isn't anyway around it. People who say it doesn't or it won't are deluding themselves, and limiting the music they write.
>>53670991
i agree with the other anon, the best art has always been conceptual. keep at it and flesh your idea out as much as possible m8.
>>53671506
it will further entrench you in europanism and other such bourgeois decadences, but it won't let you connect more intimately with the people or more effectively subvert the ruling elites
>>53671422
DUDE NO HE IS NOT.
Last I heard of him, he was in debt for 600 smackaroos (bought a drumset while working at kroger, then he got fired because he wouldn't shave so he lost his income), had sold his minifridge (with a fucking freezer bro) to a mutual friend for $50, and was going to reinvest that money in organic vegetables that he would sell to pay off his debt.
Not to mention, his mother is a psycho (hoarder, bipolar, insano) so I don't doubt that he himself is crazy.
>>53671479
That's very rare. Especially in a democratic band environment. Alot of players lack the basic skills necessary to coherently work with other people. And those who do, often have no interest in consistent collaboration.
>Produce orchestral trance and psytrance
The biggest struggle with these genres is the time consumption it takes to do everything you want to as well as experimenting, I.e layering, compressing, adding fx, mixdown, etc. But my when it goes to fruition it's so fucking worth it. Being that I'm a melody driven individual if I can get the climax just right for an orchestral trance tune I fucking freak out because it can be so tedious at times. The reward though is so perfect.
>>53671551
This is the dumbest fucking thing I have ever read. Are you really stupid enough to think that the term "bourgeois" is not relative, and that all highly developed music fits that description? Get the fuck out with your shitty marxist viewpoints you edgelord
>>53671599
fucking kek
>>53671551
That's just fucking nonsense. It's music, not religion or mysticism.
>>53671599
Dude you just keep on selling this guy, seriously, got fired cos he wouldn't shave? Sold a mini fridge to invest in organic vegetables? YES YES YES.
>>53671439
Explain, bitch.
>>53671688
Dude I have known some crazy fucking people in my life, he is probably mid-tier in terms of insane-o meter.
One time, this fucker waited outside my house for 4 HOURS sitting on top of my fucking tree, thinking I was not home (had a homie cover for me because I didn't want to deal with him, he was really crazy at that time), and when I walked out with my sister (we were going to buy pot, yeah I know but that's for later) he fucking FLIPPED and called both me and her a liar. So I got fucking mad as fuck and yelled even louder than this fucko, and even gave him a ride home, JUST to get him the fuck away from my house.
I have stories for days bro.
>>53668021
growing pains. learning about engineering is different from writing and you need to think differently about it. trying to do both at the same time is hard, especially at first when you're not sure exactly what you're doing.
if you keep going and keep learning eventually things will even out and you can autopilot certain engineering tasks.
>>53671758
You must live in the south America.
Also, is your sister hot?
>>53671688
>Explain, bitch.
there's a reason nobody plays the fucking blues anymore you dickface. the music is viceral, yes, and definitely honest, but i lacks room for development. it's a novelty. blues is always on the same scale. it doesn't advance, it doesn't move. like other guys in this thread have said, the music is limited by the lack of theory. imagine what blues musicians could have done had they known theory? does jazz ring a bell? and even jazz is outdated now.
>>53671871
>Also, is your sister hot?
We're not blood related. And I don't know, you tell me. Pic related.
>>53667636
try other styles of music
don't spent too much time on the same track
do most if it spontaneously, learn to improvise with an instrument and just play without recording everything
that's how i do it, i'm making like 5 tracks a week for a year now, but overall i uploaded like 6 tracks to my soundcloud, because i just don't care and don't think i'm good enough to make anyone listen to it
>>53671935
just because a genre of music isn't popular with the current collective generation of consumers, it doesn't mean that it is "outdated"
>>53671539
>>53671495
Thanks, I'm working on it. I'll post it somewhere round here once it's done.
Everything I write is like...me saying what I think other people want to hear. I change moods/emotions really rapidly, it's hard for me to pin down whatever I might be feeling. Because of this, everything I write sounds generic, even though my friends tell me it's good.
I've been playing guitar for two and a half years and my progress is abysmal, spend most of my time playing the same shit over and over again, and it's not even my material. Then I think of artists like Max Bemis. I know more songs by Say Anything than any other artist, and I think about what it must have been like to write something like IARB at such a young age, and how I'll never be half as good as him.
you guys are all whiny pieces of shit and there's no way any of your bedroom music is any good
>>53672043
ah okay, I get it you're just 1 of those guys who was born in the wrong generation I understand
>>53671980
I'm gonna need some more exhibits in order for science to methodically identify the quantitative qualities of your step sisters aesthetics.
>>53671980
lol even if you're not blood related.. why would u have those pictures of her?
>>53672324
Does my bedroom music suck?
https://soundcloud.com/steal-strings/single-palm-slap
>>53672446
>doesn't read the filename
>>53672503
i wouldn't say it sucks but it's not really interesting at all
>>53672503
not anything remotely new
your inflection sucks you sound drunk and those double tracked vocals are super off
you're a competent guitarist technically but p lame all around
>>53672503
the playing is a bit sloppy but pretty fun and nice pleasing to the ears
your whole vocal style has potential but it either needs more confidence or a different recording setup with some distortion/effects because it sounds really cringy and forced as it is (i think a good artist to listen to for weird vocal styles is days and daze, their singer sings in the really stupid fake raspy kermit the frog voice but it works for some reason)
>tfw in a band for over a year and ever song we've written gets scrapped b/c the guitarist can't play guitar around his girlfriend because she startles easy and he/we plays fuckin noise music
>>53672723
that is the stupidest fucking thing i have ever heard in my life
just tell him to like i dont know fucking warn her?
how can someone be so stupid
>>53672632
I'll take that as a compliment cos you wanted to hate it. What would make you interested in it? More instrumentals? intro/outro etc. Egyptian scales?
>>53672723
my sides
>>53672748
music that doesn't sound like dollar bin acoustic rock.
it's just boring music dude
boring melody, no emotion, boring "sit round a campfire" guitar playing, its just not anything encapsulating to me
>>53672699
>>53672719
>sound drunk
I like that.
Double tracked vocals being off, I'll except that seeing as this was a first take on both accounts - didn't plan the vocal melodies. Yeah it needs more confidence there was people in the house, don't want to intrude on their shit, to sing via throat takes a force of energy and if it's slightly restrained it can come out 'cringy' and forced as you say. Appreciate the plus points though.
I'll definitely take more critical abuse if anyone's got it to give.
>>53672956
dude why even post music to share if this is the approach you take? of course we think it's shit you put in like 3/10 effort
>>53667689
I have that problem where I'll work something out to a point I'm happy with it, play it for someone and they'll say "oh, it's this"... and it's something I hadn't even considered. That's a big part of being a songwriter, knowing what certain sounds evoke in a listener and using them accordingly.
>>53672802
>dollar bin acoustic rock.
Thanks man I appreciate it. What do you listen to? How can I blend your likes into it so that you like it? Did you notice the lyrics?
I have so much musical potential and I have so many ideas, but I can't translate any of them from my mind to any instrument. It's incredibly frustrating.
>>53672391
I'm at school now mate, if this thread is still up when I get back yeah sure I'll share.
>>53672446
>filename
Was looking around my old shit and found that flash drive in there (her room became mine when she moved out). Popped that bitch in and voila.
>>53673110
lol
fuck you man, if you can't play an instrument you can't say you have "so much musical potential"
>>53673136
I can play 5 instruments proficiently, and several others at a basic level.
>>53673012
I actually think the reception has been not too bad. I don't just shit this stuff out, it's like a painful, synthesised scream. Certainly no Paul McCartney, and good for it too. And anyway, at the moment I'm curating a personal style and having fun before I put any serious effort into production.
>>53673171
so what are you complaining about
>>53673179
well for what it's worth the song you posted isn't good at all
>>53673193
I can't take ideas and inspiration and translate them into actual music.
>>53673245
that's cause your ear sucks so maybe youre not as proficient as you think you are. practice more.
>>53673220
What do you think was shit about it?
>>53673171
knowing how to play c major =/= proficient. if you can't convey your musical ideas from 5+ instruments then you obviously don't play them very well
if you are musical the instrument you play is irrelevant.
>>53673256
My ear and my ability to play have almost nothing to do with my compositional aptitude.
>>53671605
I think it's pretty important to have a democracy among the band, but somebody has to come up with the material. Work some basic song structures out on your own. When you practice with the band, start playing your new songs between the songs you have as a band. It's still a democracy if you play some chords and your band jams the fuck out overtop. That's how new songs are born.
I think the formula is to build a band that knows their strengths as individuals and what they can achieve as a group. Being the 'songwriter' doesn't make you anymore important to the group, which is something I think got distorted in the last 50 years. I can write because I hear melody in everything. I don't just hear what I play, I hear everything that could possibly accompany what I'm playing in my head. But I can't bring it to life without my bandmates. If it's in my head, it's not worth anything to anyone. They bring out. They give it life.
>>53673358
your attitude sucks too
>>53673358
there's no difference between playing and composing
>>53669045
fiesta de cumpleaños y la criada de la leche adolescente
HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN MUSICIANS?
>>53673450
bout tree fiddy
>>53673171
So you play 6-7 instruments proficiently but can't make music....what the fuck lol. What's the point in playing so many if you can't even play one of them properly
