tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216426411647598645.post2141272301145654339..comments2024-03-21T01:27:18.312-04:00Comments on Pipomixes: Strive for Imperfectionpipomixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17903210277284075753noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216426411647598645.post-61561044945632825012013-03-20T15:51:39.065-04:002013-03-20T15:51:39.065-04:00thanks so much
now i know i was expecting to muc...thanks so much <br /><br />now i know i was expecting to much from othersanaloghdeschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11373667738504956740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216426411647598645.post-57102215648854015382013-03-11T21:55:49.651-04:002013-03-11T21:55:49.651-04:00Eric,
I think your description of the power of su...Eric,<br /><br />I think your description of the power of suggestion was very insightful. That is something that I've always appreciated about my favorite music and poetry, but was never quite able to put into words like you did. Suggestion! What a revolutionary concept. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. All of my favorite sources of music have one thing in common, SUGGESTION. From Miles Davis to Ghostface, it's all about SUGGESTION.pipomixeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17903210277284075753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8216426411647598645.post-37584804668826229112013-03-11T21:33:40.776-04:002013-03-11T21:33:40.776-04:00I'm not sure the term "perfect" or &...I'm not sure the term "perfect" or "imperfect" applies in the same way to all the various elements of music. The biggest distinction would be between the acoustic/timbral aspects of a recording or performance, versus its rhythmic/melodic aspects.<br /><br />The term "perfect" means something very different when applied to a rhythm than, say, a timbre or acoustic quality. A "perfect" timbre would I guess be a sine, saw, or ramp wave. These sorts of discussions rarely yield substantive answers unless they focus on very specific, discrete aspects of music because music is psychological/cultural.<br /><br />That said, one piece of general theory that does hold up across many aspects of music is the notion of "suggestion". Music is often more powerful when it suggests something (an emotion, mood, experience, concept), rather than trying to perfectly mathematically represent it. Those "imperfections" help create a vibe of suggestion. The reason why suggestion is effective is because it creates anticipation, curiosity, and imagination in the listener. It helps sustain tension and interest, which can then be released at the appropriate moment (say, in a chorus or climax) or sustained until the piece is over. <br /><br />One of the distinguishing characteristics of hip hop is the abundance of "songs" without choruses. In some ways, the lack of a chorus (or at least a full chorus) is an imperfection. But the omission of a chorus is also a powerful method for sustaining tension throughout the song. One man's imperfection is another's perfection.<br /><br />One of the reasons why this debate is happening now is because digital instruments have very rational/mathematical interfaces. The building blocks of digital music (pure waves, snapping grids, lack of analog acoustics, etc.) default to a very un-musical base setting. The "ingredients" of digital music are extremely raw. These digital tools have their origins, not in the music world, but in the world of physics, eletrical engineering, and computer science. So it shouldn't be surprising that they aren't inherently "musical" by nature. In general, a musician needs to break away from the often rigid/mathematical tendencies of digital instruments to create compelling music.<br />Eric Nordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657372211544059883noreply@blogger.com