General Music Chat

Music should be fun yes, but it also should be a platform for hypercritical self examination. A place where your peers get to hear how critical you are about what you do with compilations and ideas. This of course comes out when you release a new tune, or perhaps a riff of some sort, or one part of a collaboration.
Take me for example. I write from the basis of 5 band members, and perhaps with one extra drummer in parts. I try to keep it as real as possible so that when asked, I can actually play what I've written.........
More here>>>> http://chipfryer.com

I still have that horrid sore throat, nothing will shift it.
Regards - Chippy

Hello @Chippy!

Read your article. I confess I do share some of your thoughts, especially on the music industry today such as it is. Well one can't stop the change, can we. We can only adapt.

The so called commercial scene has not produced a new Pink Floyd or Ozzy or Nirvana since 1992. "Muse", and "30 Seconds To Mars" are (in my humble and unprofessional opinion) sort of lead the scene and the rest are trying too hard to be another Tool, boys in the hood try to be another Dream Theater etc. (yes there are few exceptions here and there, but still no new Pink Floyd)

You say that working in a digital world is a real nightmare. This is where you and I disagree. We have discovered that it gives a lot of freedom and we can write tunes instead of fighting with sound, or dealing with politics and egos of the band members. Thus we left the Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock scene and switched to digital. There is whole huge underground digital and electronic scene that has all sorts of music, some of which is surprisingly very beautiful.

And as far as working in digital media, well, if you know what notes are need to be plaid just write them in the grid (drums included) and Logic Pro or Qubase will play it for you. You are in complete control of everything. You can have any sound you want. In 18th century people wrote music on a piece of dead sheep with a quill that they pulled out of a gooses ass, today it is written on a grid in a software, and plugins allow you to play your notes with any sound you want. it is not that hard to learn that software. One you do, all you need is ideas and creativity.

Carlos Santana said: "Do not try to follow what the other guy is doing, rather do what you are best at and listen to your inner most quite voice"

Nah . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi2C3PATcmQ

Tonight we're premiering three new songs, one of which is called "I Got The Herpes On Craigslist". So yeah.

I don't think about it Chip... just write whatever comes to me. If others get it... great. I do look for opinions to see if I hit the mark. If I missed... ok. Maybe I'll still learn something from it.
There's always another song to write.
Hope all is well in your world!

It all depends on the song - some of my recent writings have been based on very real (and serious) happenings. Others are more 'for the fun of it' Get too serious all the time and the audience (if there is one) will get depressed about the issues you are singing about unless you keep the tune upbeat or make it lighter/brighter (content-wise) towards the end of each song.

Some very good replies, thank you.
I wanted to pick on this one, though not pick at it, because I feel it is important.
Although someone may have written a symphony on leather, they eventually had to show the piece to someone in some form, usually by way of actually playing it. This is why I engaged the topic if you will.

@Jahva. Doing well man thanks, dang Flu is the problem right now, but that will pass, thanks for asking, hope you are ok too.

@Jimmy. Hope you got the right sort when you play, there are variants just like in scales, they all carry, warn the audience.

@ Sans. Typical

@ GuitarMikeB. Yep, on the nail and I totally agree

Many thanks.

Chippy

And as far as working in digital media, well, if you know what notes are need to be plaid just write them in the grid (drums included) and Logic Pro or Qubase will play it for you. You are in complete control of everything. You can have any sound you want. In 18th century people wrote music on a piece of dead sheep with a quill that they pulled out of a gooses ass, today it is written on a grid in a software, and plugins allow you to play your notes with any sound you want. it is not that hard to learn that software. One you do, all you need is ideas and creativity.

Carlos Santana said: "Do not try to follow what the other guy is doing, rather do what you are best at and listen to your inner most quite voice"

I reviewed 16 of my songs last night and decided that while I'm a pretty good lyricist - I'm also a complete psycho. And loving it!

For all that, I take them very seriously and have a sort of discipline I wish I'd had years ago.

Talbot

I never take anything seriously. As far as music, it's about performing on stage and having fun for me. I never play anything the same way twice so writing and recording is boring to me. I like getting crazy on stage so I like to bust out with some crazy sh!t to get the crowd going.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... i&newref=1

exactly, what you think of your music means squat

Hello @Chippy!

Read your article. I confess I do share some of your thoughts, especially on the music industry today such as it is. Well one can't stop the change, can we. We can only adapt.

The so called commercial scene has not produced a new Pink Floyd or Ozzy or Nirvana since 1992. "Muse", and "30 Seconds To Mars" are (in my humble and unprofessional opinion) sort of lead the scene and the rest are trying too hard to be another Tool, boys in the hood try to be another Dream Theater etc. (yes there are few exceptions here and there, but still no new Pink Floyd)

You say that working in a digital world is a real nightmare. This is where you and I disagree. We have discovered that it gives a lot of freedom and we can write tunes instead of fighting with sound, or dealing with politics and egos of the band members. Thus we left the Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock scene and switched to digital. There is whole huge underground digital and electronic scene that has all sorts of music, some of which is surprisingly very beautiful.

And as far as working in digital media, well, if you know what notes are need to be plaid just write them in the grid (drums included) and Logic Pro or Qubase will play it for you. You are in complete control of everything. You can have any sound you want. In 18th century people wrote music on a piece of dead sheep with a quill that they pulled out of a gooses ass, today it is written on a grid in a software, and plugins allow you to play your notes with any sound you want. it is not that hard to learn that software. One you do, all you need is ideas and creativity.

Carlos Santana said: "Do not try to follow what the other guy is doing, rather do what you are best at and listen to your inner most quite voice"

Wow, that's about as succinctly put as I ever heard it before..minus the Logic Pro or Qubase reference. I'd insert Cakewalk Sonar/Pro Tools instead. lol

The inner voice hears and creates what you need, you just have to be able to actually hear it.

Wow and I liked your music as well.. very nice!!!!!

I gotta say, being stuck in a self-made fort with digital contraptions doesen't feel musical after a while to me...and I've done a lot of it.

The internet is great, but there's more flaws for sure, and since we're talking some about music biz...well, the internet destroyed the business. The good sides too! You know, the side jobs that aren't needed anymore. Or the potential careers lost. Used to be an indie band could scrape by with a small fanbase.

I hate all these services you pay for...because they rip you off! If I want my song taken down from Songcast for instance, then they want a fee. In the meantime money is getting pulled out every month yet they want me to give them a payment via Paypal to take down my own song. Their "deal" disappeared from their site once I agreed like a dummy. I just wanted a short stint, but I can't do that with no sales and money being stolen from me that I wouldn't recover from sales. They should get sued for hog-tieing a person for their f**k money.

Its not that all free things are great, its just the internet is dangerous for musicians who want to invest...and it just is too anti-social. But word of mouth don't work like it used to either.

sad

These waters ( music industry) are Shark infested . . . a fair share of Remoras & bottom feeders too.
Hard to tell the Tuna from the tar balls. Damn it.

Throughout my life I have come up with some pretty good stuff..(well at least in my mind). Ive have never taken myself too seriously, though I do appreciate when someone enjoys the stuff I have written. Unless its former members that have "Borrowed" the stuff you came up with. When playing out I feel you need to play to your audience, the demographic attending. IMO if you have a room full of 20s and early 30 something crowd, you dont go out and play some old rare unknown songs from the 60s that only the owner of the club may recognize. But, when composing it should be what comes from within you, not to please someone else. though I have at times followed the current trends, I can say I have never been consumed by them.

If this insatiable drive gets any stronger.
I'll be as insane as the rest of you.