Music Theory and Piano Professor is back in

Music Theory and Piano Professor is back in
Also give me songwriting questions
And music technology too

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sup professor you want to listen to some grooves?

ya hmu

I'm not musically trained in any way shape or form but I like making synths and hobbling some stuff together, would be interested in knowing what you think of this as someone who actually understands music at a higher level

soundcloud.com/sollcat/jul19

Is it 'useful' to learn to play piano in jazz style if you don't want to play in a band?

Not OP, but when you say that you don't want to play in a band, what DO you want out of your musical learning?

Yes get yourseelf some fake books, learn your chords, and start playing. It's very gratifying. Then take those chord progressions from the songs, and play some improv with your right hand over top. It will develop your improv skills. Plus, you could get a job playing in a hotel lobby or restaurant. And you will learn new chord progressions that you could use to write some songs with!!

i like how you layer sounds in as it progresses.
dropping the beat in sounds great. maybe bring in the snare earlier?
nice ducking effects as well.
you seem to have different elements happening and you are successfully blending them.
Also i like that you dont have too much repetition -- -when the snare comes in later i like that you add the echoing to it --- it keeps it fresh
Dude just keep rocking!

Thanks man! I have fun with it, I enjoy the process of music making just in and of itself, the finished product always feels less satisfying than the effort put into trying to make it work. I know it sounds silly, but I almost feel like properly training myself in music theory would ruin the whole mystique behind how I put it together off the top of my head.

Cheers, thanks for the kind words

yeah -
not knowing about theory can provide your music with freshness.
knowing about it however can help you to direct your creativty to create specific moods, and effects at specific times.
either way you choose, be true to yourself and what you want out of your experience with making music!!!

That's what it's all about! Spread those vibes everywhere you go

What are common mistakes songwriters make?

depends on the age of the songwriter.
young songwriters often think repetition is better than it is. however, they often make up for it by writing with a true and bold heart.
older songwriters try to recapture that. however they make the mistake of recycling too many old ideas.

what mistakes do you make?

What's the most important component to songwriting if I was a beginner? Chord progressions? Melodies? Song structure? Most of the time when I'm trying to actually write something I just feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark and I don't know what to focus on to make myself better

find some popular song you like.
learn the chord progression.
try hooktheory.com to find it.
use that same progression and practice writing different melodies over top.

stick to pop song format structure --
Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Chorus
until you get the hang of writing some songs.

and keep practicing!
LEARN the rules before you BREAK them!

Also, dont forget --- WESTERN music dictates that you learn chords. Go to INDIA or CHINA and you will need an entirely different set of rules! So choose a culture!

Who is your favorite musician and why is it Brian Wilson?

I'm interested in that, how different is the music in other cultures, what rules do you mean?

Also approximately how do you deal with getting tired of playing. I am learning bass and have been putting in probably 3-5 hours of practice 5 times a week for a year and it's not that I hate it but I am starting to get bored. Any advice for being stuck in this kinda rut and how to get out of it. I would like to continue to learn and I feel taking a break would only hurt me.

i only look like brian wilson.
i look up to a small list
stephen schwartz
stephen merritt magnetic fields
michael gira
jim thirlwell
frederic chopin
sergey prokofiev
nikolai kapustin
sonic youth
alain jourgensen
perry farrell
joanna newsom

these are but a few

one example the western scale has 12 tones that are organized into 8 note scales.
india has many more microtones, and are organized into ragas. they also organize their rhythms, which are used as a basis for writing songs. however, there is a great deal of improv like jazz -- so the whole compositional process is different.

i don't get tired of playing. thats a LOT of practicing. you should change it up. don't practice according to TIME segments. practice according to your GOALS --- stop practicing once you finish the day's goal, whether it takes 2 hours or 20 minutes. This will help you set goals for yourself -- not time segments.

A break will not hurt you. When i was in conservatory, punk rock music was very fucking punk and it was a great escape from the classical that surrounded me.

When i moved into a punk commune, classical was very fucking punk and was a great escape from the punk that surrounded me.

Find your escape!

Dear, Music Theory and Piano Professor
Me and my band are having a hard time progressing musically. I think its how we practice, but I am not really sure how to change things up. We tend to jam a lot and focus on specific things a lot which I feel is good, but sometimes we can get unfocused. Also I don't think we are using our time effectively. Do you have any suggestions for methods or practice?
-user

do you ever have a business meeting as a band?
you need to ALL get together with some ideas. Maybe have everyone take some time to evaluate what they think the bands
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
(use the grid)
Evaluate them, discuss them, don't jump down each other's throats.

Also ALIGN your GOALS. Come up with collective goals. Make some 6 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year goals.

This is as good as, and can help guide your practice.