Need some help in music

[The Hero]

I have released a few small songs over the years but my knowledge is pretty limited I don't know sheet music or play any instruments my strength  is loops and samples but the ones i have I have used so many times i need a new fresh sound   I am looking for 1 of 2 things  someone to take me under there wing and help me further my skills or a site with quality free loops to expand my sounds?

[Lambonius]

quilty free loos to expand my sounds?

Any Brits or Aussies want to help him expand his sounds in the free loo?

[The Hero]

Oh way to jump on the missing P seriously

[Fierce Deity]

When it comes to using loops, there's nothing that can really be taught. Music to one person could be an act of cruelty to another. So whatever you have at your disposal is all you need and all you have to work with. Now, when it comes to using free loops, that's tricky. While loops are royalty-free, they are still regarded as licensed material for their respective programs. I personally use a few loops that come with programs like Garage Band, Logic, or Pro Tools. I layer those tracks with whatever instrument I'm recording at the time. Making songs out of pure loops would be a difficult feat. I don't have any sites for free loops or any advice other than to broaden your horizons by learning to play or write music. But good luck with whatever it is you are trying to accomplish.

[Lambonius]

Or at the very least, get some recording equipment and record your own sounds to make into loops.

[Fierce Deity]

Or at the very least, get some recording equipment and record your own sounds to make into loops.

This too. 

Actually, the easiest piece of equipment you may need if you're trying to record off of Garage Band is an Apogee One. They're kind of pricey, but they are so convenient. They plug into USB and have a microphone that picks up sounds from all around it regardless of what position they are in. I'd recommend it for starting out.

Apogee One

[Blackthorne]

I love this modern age we live in.  "I don't read sheet music or play any instruments.... but I want to make music." When I was a youth, you had to practice till you were bored and your fingers bled.  That was it. 

I've spent the better part of 20 years learning music theory, practicing instruments and spending countless hours refining my technique.  Learning music takes time and effort.  Even prodigies spend time learning how to read, write and play instruments.

Whatever you do, it'll take time, practice and effort.  There's no good shortcut. 


Bt

[Fierce Deity]

It's actually funny. My dad's a musician, and he inspired me to learn how to play at a young age and I worked diligently to progress and get better at playing and reading music. But anytime my friends heard me play, they would want to know how to play music, but not learn how to. As if this was the Matrix and you could just download a music program into your brain. Clearly, if you don't want to take that extra step to learn music, then music just isn't your thing. It's harsh, but true.

[snabbott]

Yeah - I took piano lessons as a kid, but I hated practicing. I would love to be able to play, but it was never enough of a priority for the amount of work it takes.

[Blackthorne]

It's actually funny. My dad's a musician, and he inspired me to learn how to play at a young age and I worked diligently to progress and get better at playing and reading music. But anytime my friends heard me play, they would want to know how to play music, but not learn how to. As if this was the Matrix and you could just download a music program into your brain. Clearly, if you don't want to take that extra step to learn music, then music just isn't your thing. It's harsh, but true.

This.

I get asked so often how to play guitar, and I say "practice" and it's like no one believes me.  I didn't just wake up one day with the ability to play.  I spent a lot of time working on it, and a lot of time being belittled by my close friends and even family for "sucking"!  It takes time..... I think your line about "the Matrix" is spot on, and I don't think what you said is harsh.  It's just true.  People want to be able to do every and anything these days without putting in the effort, and that's just NOT how the world works.  I don't think it's harsh to tell someone that can't do something, especially if they don't want to put in the time.  It's the touchy-feely types who think they can tell everyone "You can do anything!" that have mucked this all up.  Sure, you can do anything - if you put the TIME AND EFFORT into it.  That's the little codicil they forget with their catchy phrase....


Bt

[The Hero]

In my defense MJ did not read sheet music and only played a little piano and he was the king of pop just saying

[Blackthorne]

In my defense MJ did not read sheet music and only played a little piano and he was the king of pop just saying

True, he didn't read sheet music - but Quincy Jones DID, and he was the one behind all of Micheal's great success.  The dude could sang - and boy, he could dance.  He was a great performer - but there's a great difference between being a good musician and a performer. 

Michael Jackson had the good fortune of working with some of the best songwriters and musicians in Motown's history, and then with Quincy Jones who is probably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.  Being the King of Pop and being an amazing musician is the difference between Britney Spears and Miles Davis.

Bt

[MusicallyInspired]

He probably still practiced. A lot. Nobody is amazing at music right off the bat. Even the most naturally talented have to work at it to make it better. You always suck at the beginning. You might be impressive considering you have zero experience, but you'll still partially suck.

[Lambonius]

In my defense MJ did not read sheet music and only played a little piano and he was the king of pop just saying

True, he didn't read sheet music - but Quincy Jones DID, and he was the one behind all of Micheal's great success.  The dude could sang - and boy, he could dance.  He was a great performer - but there's a great difference between being a good musician and a performer. 

Michael Jackson had the good fortune of working with some of the best songwriters and musicians in Motown's history, and then with Quincy Jones who is probably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.  Being the King of Pop and being an amazing musician is the difference between Britney Spears and Miles Davis.

Bt

QFT.  Awesome. 

[Rosella]

And just so everyone is aware, both singing and dancing are skills that take incredible amounts of work to refine. Just like nobody is amazing at music, nobody is amazing at singing right off the bat. Just like any other skill, it's not based on innate talent, but practice.

[Lambonius]

And just so everyone is aware, both singing and dancing are skills that take incredible amounts of work to refine. Just like nobody is amazing at music, nobody is amazing at singing right off the bat. Just like any other skill, it's not based on innate talent, but practice.

I'd agree about dancing, but not singing.  I've known quite a few people who, no matter how much they practiced (or even took voice lessons for) singing, still sucked balls at it.  People can either sing, or they can't.  Sure, there are different degrees of "good singer," but it's definitely one of those talents that some got, some don't.  And by contrast, I've also known several absolutely amazing singers who never had one lesson, and rarely "practiced" in the traditional sense, who were pretty much pitch perfect and had fantastic soul to their voices.  It's absolutely an innate talent, in my opinion.

[Rosella]

I would venture a guess to say you aren't a singer then. You don't necessarily need to have a lesson to develop good vocal habits, but it does require practice. Someone may sound okay singing but it takes practice to develop that into something truly powerful and beautiful. It takes control. Just because you can't see the muscles involved doesn't mean there isn't muscle training involved. It's the same deal with needing to build up strength and good muscle memory, just in the tiny muscles involved in the vocal cords.

There is definitely some innate skill but don't undersell the work that goes into it. A good voice can easily, easily be stifled by poor vocal habits and end up nothing more than okay.

[Fierce Deity]

In my defense MJ did not read sheet music and only played a little piano and he was the king of pop just saying

True, he didn't read sheet music - but Quincy Jones DID, and he was the one behind all of Micheal's great success.  The dude could sang - and boy, he could dance.  He was a great performer - but there's a great difference between being a good musician and a performer. 

Michael Jackson had the good fortune of working with some of the best songwriters and musicians in Motown's history, and then with Quincy Jones who is probably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.  Being the King of Pop and being an amazing musician is the difference between Britney Spears and Miles Davis.

Bt

QFT.  Awesome. 

QFT^2. Couldn't have said it better.

And just so everyone is aware, both singing and dancing are skills that take incredible amounts of work to refine. Just like nobody is amazing at music, nobody is amazing at singing right off the bat. Just like any other skill, it's not based on innate talent, but practice.

I'd agree about dancing, but not singing.  I've known quite a few people who, no matter how much they practiced (or even took voice lessons for) singing, still sucked balls at it.  People can either sing, or they can't.  Sure, there are different degrees of "good singer," but it's definitely one of those talents that some got, some don't.  And by contrast, I've also known several absolutely amazing singers who never had one lesson, and rarely "practiced" in the traditional sense, who were pretty much pitch perfect and had fantastic soul to their voices.  It's absolutely an innate talent, in my opinion.

In my experience, I had a pretty decent voice when I was much younger. I sang karaoke a lot and sang along to the radio whenever it was on. But then I went through some, um . . . "changes". And my singing voice hasn't been the same since. I'm actually disappointed that I lost it. I try to work at it, but it's definitely hard to just get it back. I also think it's innate, to a degree. You either got it or you don't.

[Blackthorne]

I would venture a guess to say you aren't a singer then.

Actually, Lambo is a singer - I've heard his work, and it's honestly quite enjoyable.  I'd agree that singing is pretty much an innate ability.  Sure, it can be shaped, formed and improved with lessons and practice - but you really can't forge something if nothing exists there to begin with.  There has to be a base, and a pretty good base.

I have a relative, who I love,and he has a girlfriend who thinks she can sing.  She has "taken lessons" for years, and claims to have sung operas and arias and what have you.  This summer, I had my guitar and she asked if she could sing "Ain't No Sunshine", by Bill Withers.  The song is in the Key of D minor.  I could sing the first six notes to you right out of the top of my head because I hear them in my head.  So I say "Sure", and I play her a Dm chord to orient her to the key.  This crazy lady starts singing in God knows what key (I found it.  It was Fm, a whole 1 1/2 steps UP.... and then she later wavered down to Em).... she can't sing.  The tonal quality of her voice was nice enough, but she should find and stay in a damn key.


I've practiced singing for years - sight reading, complex harmony arrangements, vocal exercises, posture techniques... and I still can't sing as well as a friend of mine who has no idea what he's doing.   It's just in the head sometimes, if you have the talent.


Bt

[Lambonius]

Right--what Bt said.  I don't have a trained voice, but I can sing.  I've never had problems with pitch--I've always been able to pick out notes by ear, hear something once and tell people the notes they should be playing, that sort of thing.

The ear for pitch is the thing that can't be trained.  The tonal quality of the voice--singing from the gut, vibrato, etc.  THOSE can be trained.  But you can either sing in key consistently or you can't.  I even know people who have a good ear for vocal harmony, but can't hold pitch--and I didn't think that was possible.  It seems like you'd have to be able to do one before you could do the other, but anyway.

There are ASPECTS of singing that can be trained, practiced, and improved, but the ABILITY to sing--you've got to have that foundation, otherwise all the training in the world is just polishing a turd.  

On another note, I can't dance for s***.  I've never been formally trained, but I've definitely attempted to learn some dances, and had experienced dancers showing me the ropes, etc.  But to no avail.  All of my attempts usually turn into half-hearted arrhythmic groin thrusts.  But hey, at least I can sing.