In a previous post, I pointed to my “Star Wars” theory of guitar solos. This is the idea that solos should be like stories; they should offer a variety of dynamic levels, from mellow to exciting. To build the solo effectively, the first half should have more mellow sections and the last half should have…… Continue reading Creating dynamics in guitar solos
I’ve occasionally stumbled unto the advice that a guitar solo should tell a story. But what is really meant by that? Let’s take a look a great story: Star Wars. What happens in that movie? Well, Luke Skywalker stumbles across some lost droids belonging to the old nomad, Ben Kenobi. Upon receiving the droids, Ben tells…… Continue reading What can Star Wars teach us about writing a great guitar solo?
I’ve been writing lately about the rise of computer songwriting/composition and how that could affect the job market for musicians. There’s another concern tied to all this, a more philosophical concern. How does the rise of creative software affect our notion of what it is to be human? This question really transcends music and applies…… Continue reading How could creative computers affect human psychology?
My recent posts have tackled the advent of computers creating music. It’s exciting stuff but also daunting for anyone who makes money making music. There’s a fear, as I think there is with many industries, that the “robots will take over.” This has spurred me to think about what humans bring to the game. What…… Continue reading The value of being unique
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been following the emergence of computer-composed music for some time. In that post I link to some of the software tools out there making music. What do I think of the state of the industry? There’s no doubt that computers are creating some decent experimental music, as…… Continue reading If computers make music, what do musicians do?
(Note: I retitled this post on March 10, 2017.) A topic that has fascinated me in recent years is that of computers writing music. They’ve actually been doing it for some time. This is, of course, a controversial idea and questions abound. Will computer songwriters put working human composers out of work? Should we even…… Continue reading Individuals/Companies Creating Computer Composed Music
How does one create a melody? It’s an interesting question with a lot of possible answers. For years, I tended to noodle around on guitar until I discovered a riff or chord progression I liked. Then I would basically just hear a melody in my head that would fit the guitar part. I really didn’t…… Continue reading Writing melodies using melodic shapes
