Music Theory vs Chord VST

[xbitz]

some examples: https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/co ... ogressions

and the chord progression builder : https://www.hooktheory.com/trends

[jancivil]

Those are good, that's reasonable while remaining basic.

One will note things such as V4/2 to i6, and the cadential I6/4, which are items I imagine one could possibly code an algorithm to provide. However, if you know what to look for enough to grab that from a preset, you should go the next step and be able to practice it. In music, there is now the consideration of actually voicing your parts, and what works in terms of distributing it to instruments in their range and to their strengths.

[Stamped Records]

Yeah, I can see how a chord progression could be imitated by software, but I don't really see how it would handle the number of options for voice leading that a real composer or musician bases their decision on.

I must give them a try, only out of curiosity, but another issue is passing notes in the melody, not every note gets a chord.

As far as electronic musicians go, even if you don't talk to other musicians, theory is an excellent way of remembering things, and personally, its given me a path to walk whereby I'm fully aware of things I've already done so that my musical progress is always forward, adding new things to what I've already tried in the past. I don't really see how that's possible in any real sense without a musical vocabulary. I'm gonna be controversial and say that sounds are very expressive, but words and symbols are more easily mentally organised IMHO.

[jancivil]

but another issue is passing notes in the melody, not every note gets a chord.

Yes, and we see that we're now in the realm of ideas, and one would hope we're responsible for them rather than outsource the inconvenient bits out to an algorithm, & not necessarily one built to read minds.

[Michael L]

words and symbols are more easily mentally organised

in your own mind, rather than in another developer's user interface? In other words, is info storage, and retrieval of useful info more efficient over the long term in your memory vs in others' software? Time spent learning Music Theory is a better investment than the same time spent learning Chord VSTs?

[Stamped Records]

words and symbols are more easily mentally organised

in your own mind, rather than in another developer's user interface? In other words, is info storage, and retrieval of useful info more efficient over the long term in your memory vs in others' software? Time spent learning Music Theory is a better investment than the same time spent learning Chord VSTs?

Well, I think it stands to reason that a chord VST is simpler than music theory, and therefore holds fewer options, because, if it were to house the same number of options as music theory, it wouldn't be a time-saver and it would be just as difficult to learn. It is by it's very limitations that it is easy, I would suggest.

However, the answer to your question, is yes, time spent learning theory is time better spent, for it is knowledge that is built upon and added to - a snowball effect. It's options (in the case of the chord VST) vs decisions (in the case of theory). Surely a decision is a more desirable act for an artist.

[vurt]

you're assuming anyone making music considers themselves an artist.
there are other reasons people make music, be it commercial reasons or just relaxing after a hard days graft.
if someone enjoys knocking up a chord progression, then just tweaking a synth for an hour to relax, why not?
if someone wants to use a chord vst to knock up a progression, then tell me "listen to me! aren't i great" that's different. then they're deluding themselves.

i know a girl, who after spending time with me, watching me mess around with my guitar and fx, went out and bought a cheap ass guitar and a stack of pedals (not so cheap). i offered to give her se basic lessons, she said "not interested, just liked the sounds with the pedals"
she sits around plucking odd notes through fx chains, just to zone out. no intentions of anyone else even hearing her

[vurt]

and no, im not against anyone learning anything.
but not everyone wants to learn things, or the same things...
leave them to find their own way.

maybe after using one for a while, a chord vst may inspire someone to seek knowledge, maybe they'll use it as a crutch.
not my issue, either way doesn't effect me

[Stamped Records]

Well, that's all well and good, but in commercial dance music, cheating is just a part of the game as I see it.

Person 'A' will say, oh great, now that computers are so powerful, I can do all these things by myself.

Person 'B' will say, oh great, now that computers are so powerful, I don't have to do these things by myself, but, nobody will know anyway. The words 'nobody will know' don't work for me, I will know, and what I also know is that I can't truly be inspired by the music I love this way.

Something being given to me, followed by my acceptance or non-acceptance of this thing, is not creativity. Creativity in this situation, only ensues when I combine two things that are given to me, like putting McDonald's ketchup on KFC's Zinger burger. Creativity to me is much more than a sequence of random selections coming together into something that is only unique by virtue of it's randomness.

Adding randomness to creativity - wonderful - using randomness in place of creativity - disgusting. It's laziness and it's cheating, and it has become 'the way' in modern dance music.

[vurt]

mcdonalds ketchup on a kfc zinger
my, how avant garde.

[Stamped Records]

mcdonalds ketchup on a kfc zinger
my, how avant garde.

Exactly! Tune in next week when I'll be adding a lego brick to my mechano set, and, claiming ownership of both.

[DJ Warmonger]

The truth is, technology gets more and more advanced and can automagicaly and instantly handle what used to take a lot of human effort. It is inevitable that people who adapt these technologies will get ahead of other people who do it all from scratch, because the time is limited.

It's up to everyone decide how much technological edvancements one wished to use, and how. Let's give two examples of my recent encounters with Orb composer:

1. I made a nice, simple but catchy motiff. Then I asked Orb Composer to create all the rest, including chord progression out of a motiff which is not based on any chord in first place. Orb generated some (simple) chords everyone could came up on their own, but did that in split second, saving me time. It also generated a bunch or arpeggios, which I re-edited completely, but also some nontrivial strings for transition in breakdown. I wanted these, but didn't quite expect the result and if I made it on my own, it coudl turn out very different.
The track has been already signed a few weeks ago.

2. I had an idea for agressive psy made with Make Noise 0-Coast. I care only about sound design and techniques used, but I don't care about melody or specific chord progressions at all. Let Orb Composer go wild and I will just pick something that suits my taste.

[Stamped Records]

The truth is, technology gets more and more advanced and can automagicaly and instantly handle what used to take a lot of human effort. It is inevitable that people who adapt these technologies will get ahead of other people who do it all from scratch, because the time is limited.

It's up to everyone decide how much technological edvancements one wished to use, and how. Let's give two examples of my recent encounters with Orb composer:

1. I made a nice, simple but catchy motiff. Then I asked Orb Composer to create all the rest, including chord progression out of a motiff which is not based on any chord in first place. Orb generated some (simple) chords everyone could came up on their own, but did that in split second, saving me time. It also generated a bunch or arpeggios, which I re-edited completely, but also some nontrivial strings for transition in breakdown. I wanted these, but didn't quite expect the result and if I made it on my own, it coudl turn out very different.
The track has been already signed a few weeks ago.

2. I had an idea for agressive psy made with Make Noise 0-Coast. I care only about sound design and techniques used, but I don't care about melody or specific chord progressions at all. Let Orb Composer go wild and I will just pick something that suits my taste.

This is disgraceful.

You seem to suggest that human effort and these technologies both lead to the same thing i.e. technology is merely the fast way. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human effort is a way, getting fed by software is not.

You say it saved you time that orb created your chord progression for you. It's like saying you can print a painting faster than you can paint it, which on the one hand is true, but here's the thing, it's not a painting when you print it. You should be ashamed of yourself, not on here gloating about how you've got a computer that gets tracks signed for you.

Nobody who knows what they are doing uses this stuff, for if they did, they would question themselves as to what exactly was the point of their learning anything, only to allow a computer to do their job.

I simply can't converse with someone on your level of cheatery. Unbelievable that you can say that in the open.

[DJ Warmonger]

It's not "cheating" as I explained, it's the modern reality. What you say sounds like "KFC is for cheaters, a Real Man can hunt a boar in the woods and cook it bare-handed". Times have changed, no one does that anymore as there are easier ways.

Trust me, I'm an engineer.

[Stamped Records]

It's impossible to communicate with you, so I won't frustrate myself by trying. Sufficed to say, the results of your software, belong in the bin with the rest of the trash.