I need a unique idea!!!!!!!

MajesterX wrote:   StyLaZyn wrote: Ummm..no.   Maybe you've never been around a person with natural talent. It is astonishing.  And no, not everyone can become adept at it, regardless of practice. I been around and have seen those who can, and those who can't. That's like saying anyone can become a good painter. As a musician since I was 10 years old- I can play in many odd times. I don't pretend I have any natural talent however- I had to work very hard to be able to count in odd times. People with so-called "natural talent" are those who have been exposed to musical training at a young age. I'd be hard pressed to find a 30 year old who just picked up a guitar that can be considered a natural talent. It's a matter of upbringing- not genes, IMO.

Well then I guess I have been lucky to see it, twice at different times. Two young musicians, one on piano(14 yo), one on guitar(19 yo), with the ability to naturally (w/o musical training...played by ear), play Crimson, Genesis, Kansas, and Saga.  I witnessed the guitar player play Saga's - On The Loose, what seemed almost note for note right after it was played on the radio as a new release. He listened and taped it during a new release broadcast. After one half hour of relistening to the tape and practicing, he nailed it.  If that isn't natural ability, I don't know what it is.

Some people are more inclined to pick things up more quickly than others. That is natural ability.

don't feel angry, timesignature, some posters tend to approach other people's thoughts as if they were logic puzzles. it's hard to stop =P

I'm also a struggling musician in need of inspiration. sometimes I speedread a book and immediately move to my keyboard and play odd improvisations, or just nothing for minutes at a time followed by a big smashing chord that tends to shortcircuit the poor thing - it's great fun, and sounds far more fresh than anything I could write intentionally, but I don't know how to capture this lightning in a bottle :\

I never asked for others advice! That was simply an assumption made by others because I stated that I needed a new idea, hence not anyone else's. Don't read between the lines.

timesignature wrote: - infact I stated that I hate the interference of other people's advice on my music, no one's ideas can improve my music because the ideas would clash since my mind works different from theirs. ........................no, no one can help me. This is my own task.

....So you basically started this thread in search of a unique idea from other people- now you're saying you hate other people's advice?? Don't ask if you don't want answers from us.

Judging by the last line of your original post- you said poly rhythms and such have already been done, you are looking for a new musical technique- not idea per se.

maybe...

Why don't you become a recluse and go live on a private island? 

And you can upload your music stuff to megaupload.com or other site like that.

I must say that I think it's a funny idea to ask for other people to offer new , unique ideas when considering new/ unique ideas for your music.  If someone else suggests it and you use it, then it's a not a new or unique idea by the time you get around to utilising it. Ergo, you're still more of a follower than an innovator.

If we heard some of your music, we could offer some suggestions on how to improve it and make it more interesting.

Better to come up with your own ideas -- and one that suits the kind of music you can play, and that you like to compose.  But in asking such questions, I don't think you're approaching the making of music from the right direction.  Make it a personal statement, find your own ways to experiment with your music -- ones that work for you. And remember, being experimental and innovative doesn't make the music good.

Draw inspiration from others (you can't help but do that), expand on others' works, but give it your own twist and personality.  Better to be favorably compared to others, than considered a worthless composer of noise who resides in your own little, bizarre world.

Who knows, you might be responsible for a new subgenre of Prog some day.

As for me, I'm hoping to do some experimental electric kazoo music.  I like the thought of being a major force behind Kazoo Prog, and Kazoo-Related Prog.

timesignature wrote: Why do the drummers where I live suck! They just bang around and the only time signature they can play is 4/4, most don't even know what a time signature is! Everyone here is tonedeaf and they know absolutey nothing about music theory! Maybe it's normal to be the only one who knows anything in your local area... My dad has his masters degree in music theory, and I used to live in knoxville, Tennessee where there are schools of the arts where I studied classical and jazz piano... maybe I'm just lucky to have had some musical education.. but I want to know more, and no one here can teach me. I want to know new ways to experiment with my music. Irregular time signatures, polytonality, and poly rhythm have already been done... I need a new unique idea.

Forgive me for finding your post highly amusing.  Its normal to live in an area where there are few virtuoso instrumentalists in the area you wish to specialize.  Welcome to life.  If you really want to learn those techniques, there is a very simple way to go about it; listen to recordings, watch videos, and experiment on your own.  Polyrhythms are not actually very hard to create if you understand it intellectually.

Additionally, why do you want to learn how to play different percussive techniques and rhythmic variety from other people if you are obsessed with creating a new form or expressing a new idea?  Your contrary nature is what's making you unhappy.  In order to create something completely new, you need to reject the past ideas, not mix them together differently.

It sounds like you are trying to hard to be original, without putting in the time to create personally for yourself and evaluating the work.  Its the same in any field of art.  Create organically, work beyond your influences, create a vision or concept you wish to achieve, and work to achieve it.  Perhaps you suffer from what almost every artist suffers from at some time, laziness (yes laziness).  Just keep composing, and eventually you'll strike upon something original (if you have the talent).  Of course, its best not to have a predisposition coloring your thoughts when you prepare to start the composition process (such as:  make something unique).

  Yeah -- you come on here saying you need X (a drummer) but you want to do Y (the unknown or originality).

Look at bands like van der graaf -- no bass player (bass was handled thru organ pedals) and no lead guitarist (guitar is sparingly used) however they are one of the darkest bands.

The minute you start asking for X, consider moving on without X; that may give you the originality you seek!

A new, unique idea? That's a tall order.  I imagine it's all pretty much been done before (experimentalism should not supersede listenability I feel).

I suggest you go without a drummer, as you don't need one to create interesting rhythms.  If you want to add such percussion, there are many ways you can do it yourself, through overlaying and editing.  You could even play the drums yourself this way with limited knowledge of percussive techniques, but with knowledge of percussive/ rhythm theory.

I think I'd use the piano as the primary percussion instrument -- and other world instruments for rhythm and texture.