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Any musicians here?

musicalman

Well-Known Member
Well... I don't think it would be hard for anyone to guess that I am a music geek of sorts, based on my name here. So was popping in to see if anyone shared similar interests with me. Maybe if I'm lucky, this post will connect me with more friends who share my interests, but I figured I'd just throw this out here to see what comes up. So here's a bit of an introduction to my interests, and in many aspects, my existence, or at least as I perceive it.

I am pretty proficient at playing keyboards because I had some piano lessons as a kid. I took them on and off. If I had to guess, I had taken 9 years of piano lessons by the time I graduated high school. About a third of that was jazz/rock/pop, and the rest was mostly classical. In college I took additional piano lessons, mostly classical but a bit of jazz too.

I'm in a band which a few friends and I formed while we were in college. Most of us have graduated now but we still play together and do gigs occasionally (maybe a few times a year). We mostly play jazz but go into genres like fusion, pop/rock etc. and we add our own flavor to stuff. I also play with other musicians in our area. When we play music, there is a chemistry that keeps us enjoying our time spent practicing together and doing gigs at local restaurants, bars etc. and occasionally playing with bigger name jazz musicians.

Outside of that life, I am a music technology geek. I distinctly remember during my adolescence when I discovered my interest in technology as well as music, and since I didn't have an outlet for it other than my own exploration, I sort of let it take over my private life. I taught myself most of the stuff I know about the field. I wouldn't say I'm an expert really, more of a fascinated dabbler who spends so much time working with it that I tend to figure stuff out pretty quickly. Doing that has sort of rekindled my interest in math too. I still have an intense phobia of it, but when working with some technical aspect of music, I can make it my friend for a while.

I enjoy trying to recreate the sounds I hear, whether they be purely electronic, or more acoustic. For instance I might hear a song and try to figure out how one sound was made, or I might get a pretty big kick out of trying to make a sort of realistic instrument sound with primitive synthesizers.

My interest in more primitive technology has led me into the world of chiptunes and music for old video game consoles, even though I am not old enough to have appreciated those consoles when they were current . Maybe my aspie logical mind is to blame for this, but working with the unique limitations of old sound chips makes me feel like I am doing one of those puzzles that have multiple solutions (I hate puzzles BTW), but the saving grace is that because there are multiple solutions and it's all a very subjective matter, I can freely choose the angle I approach a challenge and not worry so much about being right or wrong. If I'm wrong, I'll know simply because I won't like it and that will be the motivation for trying again, or rethinking things. Of course music is always like that, but under restraint, it's different. It feels more tactical. You don't have an unlimited stock to work with, you've got to make everything you do count.

The types of sound chips I like working with most are the ones that use short samples or recordings of sounds. Consoles that do this are the Snes and pretty much anything after the Playstation (though I generally stick to the older or more gritty side of that like PSX, N64, GBA and a few others). The Snes is probably my favorite right now because I actually have a tool to write Snes music natively so it could be played on real hardware if there was ever a reason to do so. The 8 bit and other related stuff is cool, but I feel more disconnected with it, probably because it's too primitive for my more acoustic upbringing. I don't dislike it, in fact I love working in that style, but I am far more able to do it if I'm actually thinking an 8 bit idea as opposed to trying to adapt something.

Every time I find a new tool to play with, whether it be a synthesizer that promises things I don't yet have, or a new tool for composing for a sound chip or whatever, it is literally as exciting for me, if not even more so, as getting the Christmas/birthday present I always wanted. At the end of the day though, this is really an obsession that sometimes completely takes over. I get myself into depressive fits because I set the bar impossibly high for myself. I've found it difficult to enjoy the music I once did, simply because I've torn it apart so much and have either succeeded or failed to figure it out, and now there's no thrill in it. Hopefully that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I could ramble on and on about more specifics but I have no clue if anyone will even understand me up to this point, so I'll close. Even if it's not exactly the things I've been talking about, does anyone relate to my experiences with their own interests, or perhaps share any of my interests? I'd be eager to hear from you either way!
 
Can sort-of relate. I get hyper focused or obsessed with certain things then move on. Did so with music production for a few months. A year later some more weeks or months. A year after that put a bit more into it. There was sooo much to learn lol but that kept it interesting. When making music would end up having way too much going on in 1 song. It's alot like baking a cake or any other meal for that the ingredients have to compliment each other and one of the challenges was finding or creating the sounds that fit nice together... and get it to sound unique.
There was this one synth that is commonly used in film productions but the quality of the instruments were amazing and fun to play with. Forgot what it's called but people could contribute their own mods / instruments then if you were to use it in your production you would pay them a small fee for the right to use it.

Anyway i never got that good at music production. There are just so many elements that one would have to look after. Sound design, how to use synth's, music theory, progression, pacing and mood for lyrics, EQ and mastering and well... you know. While there is room for creativity i was surprised to find just how many strict rules one must follow. Timing, BPM, progression, note combinations and such. Had around 20 incompleted tracks but those got lost when a drive failed q. q

Don't have the money to make it commercially available anyway would have to hire or strike deals with singers maybe pay someone to eq then all the money for addons and synth's,good music production software... so expensive lol

If there's anything i'm good at musically it's lyrics. Creative writing. Descriptive with vivid imagery and powerful.

Anyway welcome to Aspie Central!
 
I'm not, I like downloading music but as to being a musician it's like I tell people: Growing up the only singer in the family was the sewing machine.
 
You can probably guess by my username where my musical interests lie. (Its one of my real names too so not a complete cheat) I have a few keyboards including a Roland Gaia, older Yamahas, plus Arturia Laboratory, virtual CS80, Maschine Studio and Komplete. I am completely self taught but can knock out a decent tune from time to time when boring things like real life and work don't get in the way.
 
When I first began to suspect I might be on the spectrum, I did a lot of research on it, and I was actually a little discouraged when I found the 'obsessive interests' symptom because I thought 'I don't have anything like that.' I'm not especially interested in any particular book, movie, person, or object. Then when I was voicing this concern to a friend last year she said 'You have music.' It hadn't even occurred to me that that might count as an obsession, and I'm still not entirely sure. But I'm definitely really into music in general. I'm not talking about specific artists or bands, but just notes and their relationships and patterns.

I've always had a really good ear, both for rhythm and for harmony. I have found video footage of when I was 2, happily singing and banging on the piano. When I was 3/4 and started to learn pieces, I would actually go and learn other pieces in the books on my own accord. I started making up my own pieces when I was 7 - I would ask my mum to pick a key and off I would go. Hearing music has always calmed me, as has playing music. I think when I started uni and studied software engineering, the main reason I hated it so much was because it was so far removed from music. Now that I'm studying music, my whole life is filled with music and I couldn't be happier. I play in as many amateur orchestras and ensembles as I can (for nearly a year I was in 7 different ensembles all rehearsing weekly). I'm a really good sightreader and complex rhythms come easily to me. I also compose really quickly, and really intuitively. If I could spend my entire life writing and performing music, that would be bliss. When I walk down the street, when I'm trying to get to sleep, when I'm cooking a meal, my mind will almost always be full of music. I find it really hard to connect with people who aren't particularly interested in music, but I love being around musicians. I love talking/thinking/even writing about music.
So I guess maybe this does count as an obsessive interest for me...?

My interest in more primitive technology has led me into the world of chiptunes and music for old video game consoles, even though I am not old enough to have appreciated those consoles when they were current .
You might be aware of this site already but if not I would recommend Battle of the Bits! They're a really friendly community and they have all sorts of chiptune writing opportunities there. I love writing chiptunes too, and I've been getting pretty good at it over the last few years :)
 
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Hello,
I have played some instruments ( drums, flute, sing, etc ), but have stoped long time ago. Since 5 years, i write electronic musics, already more than 100 musics written.
I don't have a lot of fans, but i don't care a lot, i write because it's for me relaxing to do it and listen them.
 
Glad to see this post was well-received! Long post responding to your awesome comments :)

I'm not talking about specific artists or bands, but just notes and their relationships and patterns.
I find it really hard to connect with people who aren't particularly interested in music, but I love being around musicians.
It sounds like you and I will get along. I'm not really interested in artists or bands either. In fact if you ask me to name my influences I can't really give you anything. I can show you stuff I like, but it'd be 3-30 second samples of whatever I've managed to find as I explore my interests. I often find it discouraging because I don't know many people like that. When someone tells me to check out this particular artist or album, I often get overwhelmed because I don't know where to start if it makes any sense. But if you show me one thing at a time, and if I like it, then I will be all over that one thing for a while. Like I say though, it seems I'm in the minority on this.

You might be aware of this site already but if not I would recommend Battle of the Bits! They're a really friendly community and they have all sorts of chiptune writing opportunities there. I love writing chiptunes too, and I've been getting pretty good at it over the last few years :)
I've vaguely heard of the site, but thanks for passing it on. I'll definitely look into it! Are you on there?

Right now I spend a fair bit of time on SMW Central, which is a community for making romhacks for Super Mario World. I only do music, but I find it a ton of fun. here's the submissions page on my profileand here's a thread with a few more bits of my music. You'll need something that can play .spc files to hear all of these because they're in the native Snes sound format. I hope you don't mind me sharing and if you do check it out, that you like the music!

There was this one synth that is commonly used in film productions but the quality of the instruments were amazing and fun to play with. Forgot what it's called but people could contribute their own mods / instruments then if you were to use it in your production you would pay them a small fee for the right to use it.
I've heard of such things before but I can't recall any names. It was never something I got around to exploring, but it does sound like fun. IF I come across something like that, I wonder what I would contribute.

While there is room for creativity i was surprised to find just how many strict rules one must follow.
It's weird, and admittedly has been a point of a bit of contention for me since I was a child. When I started taking piano lessons, I had a horrible attention span (I still do but back then it was even worse). I could never pay attention to the theory and the explanation. I recently found some old cassettes which demonstrated this in the most embarrassing fashion, so this isn't from distant memories or anything. What caught my attention though was when my teacher would often improvise during demonstrations of how to play or use something. After some explanation he would say something like, "are you paying attention? 'cause you have to get this stuff if you're going to get better and eventually do stuff like this..." And then he would proceed to improvise and do things far outside what I was physically and mentally capable of doing. He never made me feel inferior. In fact I became envious. Not in the least bit jealous, I just envied him and wanted to get better so I could do the things he was doing and see some progress.

I also have perfect pitch which basically means I can nearly instantly tell what notes and chords I'm hearing. I could hear things far more clearly than I could play them or even analyze them, and it frustrated me. If my hands were bigger, if my brain was faster, if I didn't feel so clumsy and was better able to translate what's in my head to the keyboard, I could do it. Gradually I got better and faster, both at adapting what I heard to the keyboard, and realizing my limitations and simplifying. Like I said I was never very attentive during lessons, so I didn't really take the songs and teaching seriously and never measured my progress through that. I measured it through being able to do the things I'd heard before and wished I could do. And it sort of took off like that. I hear something, try to do it, and evaluate my attempt. I've never been much of a composer, and I think it's for that reason. I can improvise and compose that way, but that's about as far as it goes. Nothing thematic or deeply emotive or anything like that really.

While I took theory classes in high school and college and learned a lot of the rules, I was fearful of doing so because I was afraid that what I described above would be undermined by knowing all the rules and perhaps being forced to stick to them. I realize that a lot of people learn best with rules, especially in subjects they aren't familiar with. I can totally relate. But with art, I think a certain measure of unsupervised learning and capacity to absorb has to exist. After some compass has already been established, you learn rules and try to make them practical. By the time I took those classes I already had a lot, but I'm still glad I took them because they allowed things to make more sense. Not only did I have an aural compass that I could hear, but a logical one that tried to find a reason why it works.

I'm not a rule book by any means and I don't endeavor to become one. In fact I've forgotten a fair bit of knowledge. but I have enough to get by, and I know that if I need to learn something, I can pick it up quickly. I believe learning the rules or even how to break them won't mean anything if that's all you have, unless you enjoy academically-minded learning (I don't, though I sometimes wish I did). I'm glad I have this talent, because I don't really have any others. I couldn't study in school to save my life so I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have this. Lol
 
I've vaguely heard of the site, but thanks for passing it on. I'll definitely look into it! Are you on there?
I'm on the site, though not under this name. It's for original music rather than ports/covers though. I'd encourage you to check out Winter Chip XIII :: a BotB Battle which has been the latest 'competition' and is currently in the voting stage - there are a few .spc's there as well! I'm more of a NES guy, since I'm pretty used to FamiTracker by now.

While I took theory classes in high school and college and learned a lot of the rules, I was fearful of doing so because I was afraid that what I described above would be undermined by knowing all the rules and perhaps being forced to stick to them.
I started composing with my own intuition for years, then learned a few rules at high school and college through theory classes. Now that I'm studying composition at a fairly high-end conservatoire, I'm really glad I do know the 'rules'. I've done enough thinking about them that I feel like I understand why they're there, what they're useful for, and how to use them creatively. My compositional style is relatively 'traditional' so the rules are pretty relevant.
 
I'm on the site, though not under this name. It's for original music rather than ports/covers though. I'd encourage you to check out Winter Chip XIII :: a BotB Battle which has been the latest 'competition' and is currently in the voting stage - there are a few .spc's there as well! I'm more of a NES guy, since I'm pretty used to FamiTracker by now.
Fun times. I'm glad you told me it's for original stuff. It'll be an interesting challenge, since I've never composed a chiptune. I've done stuff with vsts and the like with various degrees of authenticity to the original hardware, which I've later thought about adapting, but never went and did it. I get overwhelmed thinking about how I'd do it much of the time, but it's something I've wanted to try.
I'd love to use Famitracker but my visual impairment makes that very difficult, as trackers are highly visual. Creating and editing instruments is easy enough, but putting in notes and working with patterns even with the extensive keyboard support is a chore, because most stuff you need is elusive to adaptive software and screen reading programs. They simply can't make heads or tails of it. I do have a blind friend who's sketched some amazing ideas with it and he's taught me a lot, though we still struggle. So I've stuck to mml (writing musical data in a text file), which is just as well since it's closer to midi sequencing which I'm better at. From my understanding this is most popular in Japan, so most of the tools available for MML are difficult to use if you don't know Japanese, and the Nes MML ones aren't as powerful as Famitracker. Not trying to complain or anything though.

My compositional style is relatively 'traditional' so the rules are pretty relevant.
Same here. I like music that sticks to traditional, if not somewhat adventurous harmonies, but I don't like music that basically leaves all tradition behind, like atonal or experimental stuff. That's not to say I wouldn't like any of it, just that I'm less enthusiastic about listening to it and so far I've not enjoyed it.
 
Music has always been important to me but never really played an instrument until high school where I had 6 months of violin lessons. I continued after I finished school but only self taught therefore I don't play well. I started recording in 2005. I don't have a band but in the past have had friends help me, I would love a band but don't know anyone that could play anymore
 
Music has always been important to me but never really played an instrument until high school where I had 6 months of violin lessons.
Nice. In fourth grade, I took violin lessons because there was some thing at our school where all fourth graders were at least encouraged to try an instrument (I don't know if it was mandatory or what, but it was a big thing). And while I liked the sound of the violin and understood how to produce notes, I couldn't get bowing down at all. It was one of those elusive things that I just couldn't figure out. I don't think most people in my class were having much more success but I was too shy to approach anyone to find out, or to press people to help me. Maybe if I had vision I could've figured it out more easily. Or if Youtube had been as filled with content as it is, and I'd known how to use it, I would've figured it out that way, though I was too scared of being scolded if I tried DIY stuff as a kid. But hey, I would've wanted to try that avenue.

I do wish I'd stuck to it more, or perhaps tried another instrument that may have been easier for me to learn physically. I remember trying Clarinet once and I was actually able to play a few notes when I was told how to do so. It was very exciting! But we ultimately settled for violin and I don't really know why.

I often wish I would've pursued something in addition to piano/keyboard. A lot of people tell me to do drums, but I think I'm too shy to feel comfortable around a naturally loud instrument (e-drums would be better but I can do a lot of that on keyboard anyway), and besides I'm not confident enough in my rhythmical abilities to keep a rock solid groove. Of course I could improve myself and work at it, but learning drums or another instrument isn't something I feel motivated to do at present. Now if I become truly inspired by something one day, I will definitely be open to reconsider. But right now, I think I'm best where I'm at. Stuck between wanting something enough to wish for it, but not enough to do it. Lol
 
I used to have music as main activity for several years, but now, due to mental issues (and not handling musicianship well while being on the spectrum), I have another job, more stable one.

I studied jazz guitar at the music college and had regular gigs for a few years, both jazz and pop/rock. I was doing fine all the time while still studying, I loved music theory and jazz theory and how everything "made sense" in music, but after the school things got tough. I suddenly realised how much my success as a musician depends on how well do I handle people - networking, socialising, how outgoing person I am etc... and how well do you handle totally chaotic life. Music skill itself is just a prerequisite. Of course, if I was talented as hell, this social thing wouldn't probably matter, but unfortunately I'm just an average talent. I don't think I'm bad at music, just average, just like most musicians I've known personally. It's just that they have something I don't - a warm, nice, outgoing personality. As an aspie, I would never be the person in room who radiates warmth and energy and who everyone wants to be with. I think, (from my years of observation) that this is the so-called x-factor and every successful musician I know has it.
Of course, I could still be making music without the x-factor, but that, in my opinion, creates a negative feedback loop, so my self-confidence as a musician drops. Knowing that I could never ,as a person, live up to my full musical potential, is just demotivating and eventually you give up.

But on a bright note, I still love music and play my guitar sometimes at home and when offered, I even do some gigs.
 
I played the flute for years, played guitar, and sang in a band. I also briefly dabbled in producing electronic music. However, it’s been years since I engaged in any of those hobbies. So many interests, so little time... These days I just listen to music all the time.
 
Music absolutely runs in my dad's side of the family. My grandma sings and plays piano. Great uncle plays bass, and built one (that worked) out of a toilet seat. 3 uncles play all different guitars including steel, 1 aunt plays keyboard and drums and bass. My dad sings quite well but he's too shy to do it. My cousins play guitar, bass, drums. My sister played piano and clarinet, and her daughters play clarinet and ukulele and keyboard. I play bass and keyboard, and my daughter plays guitar and ukulele. Just comes easy for us so we do it. Many are/were in bands, my uncles have jammed with some big name acts back in the day.

I had piano lessons from about age 10-12. So unlike my cousins and uncles, I could read music, but my ear was lacking. Got my first bass at 15. Began learning songs off sheet music, so I learned my own finger patterns, not someone else's. That alone gave me my own perspective. Within the first couple years, I got a beat down, and relative pitch came to me. Huge difference. Then my cousins and I pooled our money for David Burge's perfect pitch course. I listened to it and understood the jist, but came up with my own way. By picking prominent pieces of songs that began with that note. It worked great, and for my cousin too. (Mind you I was a bored high school senior, I lost most of it when life happened). But while it lasted, it was amazing. I even had colors and feelings tied to each note. When I'm able to settle my life back down, this would be a nice thing to get back.

In late 1994 I researched how to build a 6 string fretless bass since I could never afford one, designed it to fit me, threw in some of my own engineering to make it function, and built it on my dad's garage floor in 1995 using no power tools but a router. Played better than anything I have to this day. It does need the truss rod cleaned up and the fingerboard reattached and leveled, which I'm currently doing on the side at work. This is the one thing I have that can't truly be replaced. So with great pitch recognition, I could play that thing in tune, and I took it to many jams in the 90s. Played quite a bit with some church guys on the side, as none of them smoked. We played teen hangouts and things.

Then until now, I quit playing out, to raise my daughter as she would be born soon. But I always played in the house. Played while she was in mom's belly, and in the crib, and whatever. Wondered for years if she would ever show musical interest, but never pushed her. Then all of a sudden at 14 she just picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing it with not a lot of effort. She was hooked. The torch is hers now to pass on.

I've always been on the trailing end of music, but that's how I get so much. First it was tapes, 99c each, now practically free for the taking. 800+ tapes. Bought a handful of used CDs in the late 90s, but really started collecting in the last 5 years. They're down to 50c each in some places, and I've got probably close to 400. Great time to collect music, no other time in my life could I have gotten this much music for so little.

So I've got 5 basses including my first one. And 2 Casio CTK-611 keyboards on a stand I made, I got for like $40 each. Kind of a little treasure for the price, not a full blown synth but you can edit many parameters and layer and all that.

There was this one synth that is commonly used in film productions but the quality of the instruments were amazing and fun to play with. Forgot what it's called but people could contribute their own mods / instruments then if you were to use it in your production you would pay them a small fee for the right to use it.

Not sure what timeframe you're talking about, but I've always been a fan of the Roland D50 in film productions, and music. Nowadays I'm lost, but back then, not much sounded like it besides maybe the Fairlight.

As far as the old video game sounds, I've absolutely listened to them. Sounds like a square wave from a Minimoog, 2 parts one low and one high. An octave pedal on my keyboard also approximated it. I'd often just play the low part on my bass. :)

V Me back in the day at 21. 3 years after I built this bass. Where did the years go?

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I started doing guitar again. I bought a used Yamaha guitar (strat copy) and an amp from a guy at work. I upgraded to an Epiphone Les Paul and a Mustang LT50 amp. Things are way different than years ago. It so much easier. I go to Guitarcenter here for most of my stuff. I have trouble with my hands and wrist, not so much age as overuse. It seems easier to make music now.

I restored the Yamaha with steel wool and polishes. It was actually relaxing and fun. I watch Herman Li on twitch everyday. He seems so wholesome.
 
My new post got moved to this old thread from Feb. 2018. So that is almost 3yrs ago. So does it then come alive again and people add their new posts to it? I can go back and read the old ones, which I will. I am new to the forum thing, I mean I never moderated one. reddit is moderated by bots that are frustrating. I got a post removed in the math subreddit. I could not figure it out. Then I realized I had used the word "conspiracy". That is a bot for you. I miss humans.

I kind of wanted a live ongoing discussion for a feeling of interaction and community. I am worried this post now disappear as part of something old.
 
I cannot read music, but I have been a singer in choirs & plays growing up. I'm a baritone, now, but started off as soprano, followed by alto (skipped tenor).

Madrigals were fun in high school.

I was in choir at Navy boot camp.
 
This is a nice post to find; I was just about to ask if there were any musicians here because I figured there had to be. I just joined the board two days ago.

I took about 8 years of classical piano lessons when I was little. I fell in love with the piano because all the notes seemed to be there all at once, like pouring legos onto a carpet, instead of one after another like with violins or flutes. In August 2010, I had an epiphany that enabled me to compose music after analogizing it to languages, which I can learn very well and quickly. Since then, I've written and arranged a bunch of music but just for fun. Unfortunately, I'm a much better composer/arranger than player, so I can't really advocate for my music or perform it enough to get attention for it although I do sell it on Sheet Music Plus under a pseudonym.

I also bought myself a small used pedal harp and have been arranging for that, although I haven't sat behind it for a few months. It's a lot of fun -- similar to a piano in how it structures its music but you're closer to the mechanics of the sound production.

I also finally got tired of playing large pieces of furniture and bought myself a 19th century flute because it's small, lightweight and easy to buy left-handed versions. The idea of playing it right-handed is like nails on a blackboard, and if you buy a 19th century style flute, there's no stigma attached to playing left-handed for a variety of historical reasons having to do with how it passed through Irish folk music, and folk musics never care if you play left-handed. It's very different and very hard since you have to control a basic bodily function to play it, but it's a lot of fun.

I tried viola, but again, I had to play left-handed and classical string players will literally scream at you if you do that, despite there being no difference if the instrument is also mirrored. Viola is also really heavy and painful to play.

I tend to rotate through my instruments -- playing harp for a few months at a time, then flute for a few months at a time, then piano for a few months at a time.

I also do a lot of handcrafting, and I think music is part of that. Now that I think about it, I can't sit still without moving my hands at all. All of my hobbies involve compulsively using my hands.

Everyone's music stories are very interesting. I'm glad I found this post and its replies.
 

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