# The Guy Michelmore Appreciation Thread



## robgb

This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.









Guy Michelmore


ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...




www.youtube.com


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## Marsen

robgb said:


> This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guy Michelmore
> 
> 
> ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.youtube.com



+1 

and I´m pretty sure, he is a member of this forum.


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## SlHarder

+1


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## MauroPantin

He's a total class act. I have taken a few of the courses Thinkspace offers. Can't say enough good things about the very pragmatic approach they have, I love those guys.


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## JohnG

he's great. Good thread, @robgb


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## Andrajas

He is a joy to watch! So funny and entertaining! And great composer ofc


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## Gerbil

I remember when he was a local news reporter for an East England tv company.


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## AndyP

+1 Whenever I have writer's block I watch his videos.


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## Sunny Schramm

he is absolutely great and makes me always happy with his funny attitude ❤


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## Markrs

Love his videos! it is his videos that started me on this journey, I had no idea about virtual instruments or even what a DAW was until I watched his videos! He is an absolute legend!


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## devonmyles

He's terrific fun. I did one of his courses about 15 years ago and very much enjoyed it.


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## Markrs

Plus I am also taking his Music Theory and How to Make music courses (I really am that much of a beginner )


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## Markrs

I also love that he shows all his mistakes, or when he doesn't like something. He even does it on his courses. Brings huge honesty to what he does and makes you feel less incompetent!


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## MarcHedenberg

While I consistently fail at it, my life goal is to become as humble as he is.


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## CDNmusic

He's a blast and inspiring to watch (musically and emotionally). Thanks for all your contributions Guy!


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## Keith Theodosiou

robgb said:


> This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guy Michelmore
> 
> 
> ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.youtube.com


I have done a few of his courses and been watching him for a while now. The guy is fantastic, he gives us his knowledge and he makes us laugh too.
I think he is just brilliant!!


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## ALittleNightMusic

Have learned a lot from him over the years! He's very generous with his knowledge and time!


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## dcoscina

I love his videos. He’s so animated he reminds me of a Wallace and Gromit character, except he’s real! 

but seriously I enjoy his walk through videos.


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## GingerMaestro

Indeed, very funny guy..He makes music light hearted and fun, just like it should be. His experience as a TV presenter I'm sure is why he is so good on camera. His father was also a TV presenter..Love you videos Guy..Keep up the amazing work and bad jokes !


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## MikeK

Markrs said:


> Plus I am also taking his Music Theory and How to Make music courses (I really am that much of a beginner )



Another beginner here and I’m doing the same. I started the Make Music course but quickly realized some theory might not hurt. So I put a pause on Make Music and will return to it after the Theory course.

Like everyone else, I appreciate his videos. They’re fun, and clearly demonstrate how simple it is to take a basic idea and build it into something pretty good. And he also confirms that you’re likely to make some mistakes along the way, and that’s OK, too. 

An e-mail alert of a new video from him always brightens my day.


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## Scamper

What I like most about watching his videos is his energy and spontaneous attitude to just go and write something. I find it inspiring and motivating to do the same without being too serious and perfectionist, which can be quite a block for the composition and takes the fun out of it.

It's great to have positive people like him, where some of that energy rubs off on you.


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## doctoremmet

+1. Love Guy and his cardboard composer friends. Such an uplifting experience every time I hear him talk, play and witness his enthusiasm and humour. I hope he’s a member here secretly... if you’re reading this Guy: thanks!

Cool thread Rob!


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## LudovicVDP

+1
Every video is fun to watch.
You just can't not like him. 
I can't anyway.


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## StillLife

Agree with all that is said before. Great to watch him. Always a reminder that life is about enthousiasm and enjoying the things you do.


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## Geoff Grace

+1 to all the praise for Guy.

Best,

Geoff


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## davidhewitson

I love how curious and funny he is in his YouTube videos. For someone who grew up terrified of music theory, Guy's videos were one of the things that made me want to explore it more seriously. 

He constantly shows how it's possible to be curious and childlike in your work and still be a craftsman


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## proxima

Hello everybody! 

Guy's videos are amazing and entertaining. I've also purchased a handful of his courses. I'm still in awe of his ability to get lovely music made in a short time all the while making fun of himself.


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## bvaughn0402

Throwing in my praise as well ...

As someone mentioned ... never really thought about it until today ... but I greatly appreciate how he doesn't hide his mistakes. That is incredibly refreshing.


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## devonmyles

Guy's current comedy sketch on his latest video...
"Remove Piccolo"...


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## TomislavEP

I watch his channel quite regularly. He always manages to bring a smile on my face, which is not an easy task. Also, I often pick up a tip or two that I can really put into practical use and into my workflow. I wish there are more of such educational channels out there.


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## Oliver

i love him!
Took many courses and was always very satisfied!
Also, his positive energy in everything is amazing


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## Danny

+1

Thanks Guy!


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## Daidy

I lean a lot at every one of his videos, they are such a pleasure to watch. His energy makes me stop watching videos on youtube and start playing music...


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## Morning Coffee

Apart from his enthusiasm, I like his home studio shed (man cave!). Parked in the back yard, lots of natural light, a view of the outside world, lots of greenery and garden, birds etc. Wunderful!


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## GtrString

Yeah, very enjoyable, both Guy's attitude and the content. ThinkSpace courses are good value too. I've done a couple.


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## ChrisSiuMusic

One of my favourite people out there to watch, no doubt. Keep doing what you're doing Guy, please!


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## R. Soul

Another fan here. 
I did his course on Udemy and despite it being aimed at complete beginners, I found plenty of interesting stuff there. It also gave quite a few of those 'I never thought of it like that before' moments.


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## tc9000

+1 Guy's a complete ledge! Love his energy, humour, and honesty. What I love most is that it looks like Guy's having so much FUN with it! Like the carwash episode... or jumping in the pool with a midi keyboard. A complete legend!


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## Takabuntu

+1 for Guy (and his team) from a long time Thinkspace Education student.


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## heisenberg

+1 Yes, he is awesome. Glad others dig him as well. Decent chap!


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## ridgero

Guy is one of the coolest people on Youtube. Honest, donw to earth, veeeeeeeery funny, intelligent and very motivating. He even answers to almost every question on Youtube

I love his approach to music very much

Thank you Guy!


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## Uiroo

Hate him, terrible guy.

_nah, he's cool._


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## classified_the_x

not meaning to be toxic here, I like Guy, a friend sent me one of his videos and I watched some.

The video my friend sent was something like Keep things simple, then I realized Guy has like 100s of Kontakt libraries and advertises a 34 quid course. Then I felt good about my loaded studio...

Still one of the best content on Youtube, if not the best, for orchestration composing in the box


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## rottoy

classified_the_x said:


> not meaning to be toxic here, I like Guy, a friend sent me one of his videos and I watched some.
> 
> The video my friend sent was something like Keep things simple, then I realized Guy has like 100s of Kontakt libraries and advertises a 34 quid course. Then I felt good about my loaded studio...
> 
> Still one of the best content on Youtube, if not the best, for orchestration composing in the box


Probably Guy right now:


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## Daniel

OMG,.... for many years I thought Guy Rowland is Guy Michelmore.
Both of them have provided valuable lessons for me in the music world.


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## daBOOSH

I'll jump in... I had only just found Guy's youtube channel about a year ago, and now I can't look away!
Thank you Guy for my continued procrastination!


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## Yogevs

Guy is awesome - I want to be Guy's friend


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## robgb

Yogevs said:


> Guy is awesome - I want to be Guy's friend


I think we all do.


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## Keith Theodosiou

robgb said:


> I think we all do.


 I think i agree with you lol


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## Markrs

They always say though, "never meet your heros!" 

Though with Guy I am sure he is as lovely in real life as he is on youtube, in part because everything he does is so unpolished and authentic, he is just being himself


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## Kent

classified_the_x said:


> not meaning to be toxic here, I like Guy, a friend sent me one of his videos and I watched some.
> 
> The video my friend sent was something like Keep things simple, then I realized Guy has like 100s of Kontakt libraries and advertises a 34 quid course. Then I felt good about my loaded studio...
> 
> Still one of the best content on Youtube, if not the best, for orchestration composing in the box


Isn’t it saying something if someone who has hundreds of Kontakt libraries says to keep it simple? Learning that lesson is expensive...


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## shropshirelad

I'm old enough to remember Guy's father, Cliff Michelmore, who was seemingly omnipresent on the BBC when I was a nipper.


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## classified_the_x

kmaster said:


> Isn’t it saying something if someone who has hundreds of Kontakt libraries says to keep it simple? Learning that lesson is expensive...



yea, I got friends with walls of modulars and I'm not sure how they feel atm... another sold most of his hardware synths. I have some, the essential really, but I took a path in 2010 towards VST when I enrolled in NI focused courses... glad with that...


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## DoubleTap

I thoroughly enjoy the few videos of his that I've seen; like many things the proper tutorials are on my to do list.


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## visiblenoise

He's a good Guy


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## dbudimir

I love Guy!!! Nothing like learning and laughing in the same breath!!


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## Keith Theodosiou

shropshirelad said:


> I'm old enough to remember Guy's father, Cliff Michelmore, who was seemingly omnipresent on the BBC when I was a nipper.


Oh, I didn't realise that was his dad, I remember him too.


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## Henrik B. Jensen

Someone ought to tag him to make sure he sees this thread


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## Christopher Rocky

Guy always makes me smile, what an awesome bloke, 
AND he loves bird watching, because of coarse Guy loves bird watching, he's just so chipper and lovely.


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## KEM

Absolutely love his videos, I always get excited when I see a new video of his pop up on my feed!!


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## russmyers93

One of the few YouTube channels where I have notifications turned on! His videos always brighten my day, plus I always come away having learnt something new.


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## Jay Panikkar

I'm a big fan of Guy Michelmore. Although I don't think I've actually learned much from his videos, the most important lesson one can learn from Guy is what he doesn't explicitly teach: don't forget to have fun while you follow your passion.


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## Cheezus

Markrs said:


> They always say though, "never meet your heros!"



Wise words, a friend of mine said he met Rick Beato at NAMM and that he had a shitty attitude, so he doesn't watch his videos anymore. I want to enjoy Guy's videos and believe he's just as friendly in real life.


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## robgb

Cheezus said:


> Wise words, a friend of mine said he met Rick Beato at NAMM and that he had a shitty attitude, so he doesn't watch his videos anymore. I want to enjoy Guy's videos and believe he's just as friendly in real life.


Lol. Was your friend surprised? Beato doesn't strike me as Mr. Warmth.


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## Cheezus

robgb said:


> Lol. Was your friend surprised? Beato doesn't strike me as Mr. Warmth.


I’m not sure, but I can see how getting that vibe in person would make him not want to watch anymore.


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## Geoff Grace

Jay Panikkar said:


> I'm a big fan of Guy Michelmore. Although I don't think I've actually learned much from his videos, the most important lesson one can learn from Guy is what he doesn't explicitly teach: don't forget to have fun while you follow your passion.


...And that's a BIG lesson to keep in mind!

I mean, none of us got into the music business for the money; and there are a lot of disappointments, frustrations, and headaches associated with making music your career.

After decades of being a professional musician, I haven't completely lost my playfulness and joy in making music, not even close; but admittedly, some days are better than others. Guy's videos are like a booster shot of positive energy. Always helpful!

Even though I have less to learn from Guy's channel than a newcomer would, there are still a few odds and ends from Guy's approach that I've managed to cobble into my way of working. Those are valuable as well.

Best,

Geoff


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## robcs

shropshirelad said:


> I'm old enough to remember Guy's father, Cliff Michelmore, who was seemingly omnipresent on the BBC when I was a nipper.


Ha yes - I remember many episodes of the Holiday Program with Guy’s dad jetting off to some obscure bit of the Costas


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## yiph2

Also, what kind of mask is that


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## Markrs

yiph2 said:


> Also, what kind of mask is that



Guy has replied to a comment on that video that he has seen this thread


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## bvaughn0402

I hope at some point I can meet a few of my heroes here ... Guy would be one. @christianhenson would be another. @paulthomson @ChrisSiuMusic 

I'd risk it even if they weren't nice to me. 

I was hoping to meet Christian at the last NAMM, but I got sick and didn't end up going.


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## ChrisSiuMusic

bvaughn0402 said:


> I hope at some point I can meet a few of my heroes here ... Guy would be one. @christianhenson would be another. @paulthomson @ChrisSiuMusic
> 
> I'd risk it even if they weren't nice to me.
> 
> I was hoping to meet Christian at the last NAMM, but I got sick and didn't end up going.


You're too kind man! I really appreciate the mention. Hope we can meet one day, perhaps at NAMM! Never been.


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## ZosterX

I'm looking to getting the course "sampled orchestration in a week-end", does it worth it ? Do we really learn that much of how makin samples realistic ?


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## Macrawn

I just want to love life, be as full of energy and as active as he is, when I get his age. The music and passion has kept him young. That's the kind of guy I want to be. That's an inspiration to me, plus he makes great music too like so easily.


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## el-bo

@Markrs and @MikeK :

What is your experience with his basic theory course? Have you finished it, and how solid a foundation do you feel it has given you?

Cheers!



--------------

Also, would like to add my general appreciation for his Youtube content. 

One thing I've really taken from his videos is to stop second-guessing one's ideas. Get a basic motif/chord-structure up 'n' running, just hit record, and keep moving horizontally until the momentum drops. Tidying-up and getting it right is for 'later'. Seems like the perfect antidote for getting stuck in loop/vertical composition i.e the musical equivalent of ''Missing the forest for the trees'.


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## JonS

robgb said:


> This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guy Michelmore
> 
> 
> ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.youtube.com


What a tremendous positive and fun spirit!! Very few people in the world are as special as Guy Michelmore, he is such a joy to watch. The world needs to be filled up with more Guy Michelmores!!


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## ZosterX

surely wished having a grandpa like that


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## Markrs

el-bo said:


> @Markrs and @MikeK :
> 
> What is your experience with his basic theory course? Have you finished it, and how solid a foundation do you feel it has given you?
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> 
> 
> --------------
> 
> Also, would like to add my general appreciation for his Youtube content.
> 
> One thing I've really taken from his videos is to stop second-guessing one's ideas. Get a basic motif/chord-structure up 'n' running, just hit record, and keep moving horizontally until the momentum drops. Tidying-up and getting it right is for 'later'. Seems like the perfect antidote for getting stuck in loop/vertical composition i.e the musical equivalent of ''Missing the forest for the trees'.



Yep I did finish it. He goes at a fair pace and covers lots of the basic theory covering 7ths, 9ths, 11th, plus all the modes. He also goes through rythym. There is plenty there and he often has extra material on a topic if you still need more help. The only negative is you are not pinning the knowledge to anything, like using it in a composition. The way i used it was to get that information, knowing I will forget some of it, then to refer back when needed.

I find it helps when you watch something like a youtube video that mentions a mode or more advanced chord you know a little more about what they are talking about.

However I am still using other composition and theory courses on both Udemy and Skillshare to supplement the knowledge.


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## NekujaK

+1 to all that's been said. I only discovered Guy's videos a couple of months ago, and his channel instantly became one of the very few that I follow. What's not to love about Guy!


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## el-bo

Thanks for responding!



Markrs said:


> Yep I did finish it. He goes at a fair pace and covers lots of the basic theory covering 7ths, 9ths, 11th, plus all the modes. He also goes through rythym. There is plenty there and he often has extra material on a topic if you still need more help. The only negative is you are not pinning the knowledge to anything, like using it in a composition. The way i used it was to get that information, knowing I will forget some of it, then to refer back when needed.



I like the idea of moving at a faster pace. Good for holding attention and interest. It would be good to have examples in a working project/context, but I guess he's making a clear delineation between this and his other courses. 




Markrs said:


> I find it helps when you watch something like a youtube video that mentions a mode or more advanced chord you know a little more about what they are talking about.



No doubt! Good to be able to speak the lingo 



Markrs said:


> However I am still using other composition and theory courses on both Udemy and Skillshare to supplement the knowledge.



I already bought a few parts of Jason Allen's 'Music Theory Comprehensive Complete' course (Udemy), a while back, thinking that the best way to proceed would be to start right at the beginning and move slowly. That hasn't happened. I guess I need a much quicker pay-off; enough to kindle the fires of interest and motivate to go deeper, at which point I think Jason's course will feel a little more approachable.

Curious to know, however, if it felt like it was complete, in and of itself i.e If you had no access to any further resources (Other than re-watching Guy's course, over and over), do you feel that you have a solid enough foundation?

Thanks, again.


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## el-bo

p.s: Sorry to robgb, for the derail. Wasn't really thinking. Happy to delete my comments and take it to pm's, if need be.


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## Markrs

el-bo said:


> I already bought a few parts of Jason Allen's 'Music Theory Comprehensive Complete' course (Udemy), a while back, thinking that the best way to proceed would be to start right at the beginning and move slowly. That hasn't happened. I guess I need a much quicker pay-off; enough to kindle the fires of interest and motivate to go deeper, at which point I think Jason's course will feel a little more approachable.
> 
> Curious to know, however, if it felt like it was complete, in and of itself i.e If you had no access to any further resources (Other than re-watching Guy's course, over and over), do you feel that you have a solid enough foundation?
> 
> Thanks, again.



I have the Jason Allen courses as well (he has quite a few variations, such as Music Theory Comprehensive Complete!, Music Theory for Electronic Music COMPLETE, Composition & Film Scoring 1 & 2, Music Theory for Electronic Musicians and Music Composition), which I haven't really got into yet, but they do look ver comprehensive. I have been mainly using Music Composition with the Piano: Ultimate Keyboard Theory Music Composition and Practicing & Arranging with the Piano by Jack Vaughan which are much more about technique than theory, but do include theory. I find these the best and worked well with the Guy Michelmore Theory lessons.

There is also the videos by lessons by Jonathan Peters that cover theory but also go into orchestration and harmony. For practical composing there are lots of lessons by Mikael Baggström. I also have 2 courses on orchestating for strings and woodwinds Karleen Heong but I am yet to try them out.

I have have hundreds of youtube tutorials. At times it feels like there is a bit too much out there when it comes to composition. I find  Skillshare pretty good as it has most of these courses included and you can often sign up for 40% off for the year subscription (I think mine cost just £50)


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## el-bo

Markrs said:


> I have the Jason Allen courses as well (he has quite a few variations, such as Music Theory Comprehensive Complete!, Music Theory for Electronic Music COMPLETE, Composition & Film Scoring 1 & 2, Music Theory for Electronic Musicians and Music Composition), which I haven't really got into yet, but they do look ver comprehensive. I have been mainly using Music Composition with the Piano: Ultimate Keyboard Theory Music Composition and Practicing & Arranging with the Piano by Jack Vaughan which are much more about technique than theory, but do include theory. I find these the best and worked well with the Guy Michelmore Theory lessons.
> 
> There is also the videos by lessons by Jonathan Peters that cover theory but also go into orchestration and harmony. For practical composing there are lots of lessons by Mikael Baggström. I also have 2 courses on orchestating for strings and woodwinds Karleen Heong but I am yet to try them out.
> 
> I have have hundreds of youtube tutorials. At times it feels like there is a bit too much out there when it comes to composition. I find  Skillshare pretty good as it has most of these courses included and you can often sign up for 40% off for the year subscription (I think mine cost just £50)




Thanks for the detailed reply!

Have seen the other courses from Jason Allen. The reason i chose his main theory course was because I liked the idea of that much content being laid out so methodically, as opposed to two hours with one tutor...another three with someone else etc. Nothing wrong with supplementing like that. However, to try to grab information from disparate sources, without a solid framework (For me) would leave me with the feeling that I'd missed out on important stages.

Will definitely check out the others that you mention (Already subscribed to Mikael Baggström), and will keep an eye on Skillshare.

Cheers!


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## Crowe

Ahhh yes. One of my favorite youtubers indeed, one of the very few whose general demeanor inspires me to be a better person in general. A positive attitude I could never match and a level of humility one can only strive for. Of course this would all be pointless if the content wasn't interesting or fun and thankfully it usually is.

Well Guy, if you read this, I appreciate your work very much indeed.


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## MikeK

el-bo said:


> What is your experience with his basic theory course? Have you finished it, and how solid a foundation do you feel it has given you?



Yes, I did finish it. For me, I was trucking along well with the first half because I knew some of the info, and was overwhelmed in the second half. 

There’s a lot of great information, but for me, it would have been better in a setting where I was putting that knowledge to use right away. 

But it’s important to note that I’m doing all this for personal enrichment. I’m not in a formal study where there’s structure and reinforcement of new information. So while it was overwhelming, I didn’t feel bad about it, nor did I feel I wasted my time. I know that certain things will stick only in practice or when you really need to know it.

I guess my feeling on the course (and any theory course like it) is that, to get the most out of it, you should be doing something else in conjunction with it that forces you to use what you’re learning. 

For example, if you’re new like I am, you grab a short video on a site like Pixaby and decide to create a short score based on that video, incorporating what you’re learning in the theory course. As you learn more theory, you tweak your video score. I don’t know... just something where you’re putting some of what you learn to immediate use. Otherwise, it just feels like an avalanche of facts that you’d have no hope of remembering in isolation.


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## AcousTech

OMG! I have to chime in here, too. Also a huge Guy Michelmore fan. I'm a n00b as regards theory, and I bought his theory courses just as a way to say "thanks" for one very specific thing he clarified. After years of wondering why are Perfect 4ths, and Perfect 5ths named that way(told you I was a n00b!) - one of his YouTube videos clarified it for me. I was ecstatic!  I remain grateful, and generally giddy to see new videos as well - like many of you have already mentioned.

Guy - props for your excellent work! If you ever have a day when you doubt your contribution, please come back and re-read this thread!


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## Jay Panikkar

Totally off-topic post.

@Markrs @el-bo Jason Allen's course covers a lot of topics, but I thought it was not put together very well. It feels like he's not using a proper script, notably in the initial lessons where he skims through many basic concepts. He uses MuseScore to teach notation, which is a great piece of software for the purpose, but he stumbles though it for some reason.

If you're new to music theory, I would suggest getting a hold of Trinity College or ABRSM music theory workbooks and going through them from Grade 1 through 8 at your own pace. Use past exam papers to test yourself. That's how I started learning music theory; started from zero like 3 years ago, and eventually cleared the exams. You can probably use Jason Allen's course to fill in the gaps as you're learning.


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## Markrs

Jay Panikkar said:


> Totally off-topic post.
> 
> @Markrs @el-bo Jason Allen's course covers a lot of topics, but I thought it was not put together very well. It feels like he's not using a proper script, notably in the initial lessons where he skims through many basic concepts. He uses MuseScore to teach notation, which is a great piece of software for the purpose, but he stumbles though it for some reason.
> 
> If you're new to music theory, I would suggest getting a hold of Trinity College or ABRSM music theory workbooks and going through them from Grade 1 through 8 at your own pace. Use past exam papers to test yourself. That's how I started learning music theory; started from zero like 3 years ago, and eventually cleared the exams. You can probably use Jason Allen's course to fill in the gaps as you're learning.


Great advice,i will look into those recommendations, thank you!


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## dylanmixer

This guy actually causes me to have fun when I am composing. I feel like I'm able to sit down and relax and not take it so seriously. What a treasure.


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## jmauz

LOVE Guy!! Once we get our pool installed I plan to jump into it with a MIDI controller in homage to him.


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## el-bo

MikeK said:


> Yes, I did finish it. For me, I was trucking along well with the first half because I knew some of the info, and was overwhelmed in the second half.
> 
> There’s a lot of great information, but for me, it would have been better in a setting where I was putting that knowledge to use right away.
> 
> But it’s important to note that I’m doing all this for personal enrichment. I’m not in a formal study where there’s structure and reinforcement of new information. So while it was overwhelming, I didn’t feel bad about it, nor did I feel I wasted my time. I know that certain things will stick only in practice or when you really need to know it.
> 
> I guess my feeling on the course (and any theory course like it) is that, to get the most out of it, you should be doing something else in conjunction with it that forces you to use what you’re learning.
> 
> For example, if you’re new like I am, you grab a short video on a site like Pixaby and decide to create a short score based on that video, incorporating what you’re learning in the theory course. As you learn more theory, you tweak your video score. I don’t know... just something where you’re putting some of what you learn to immediate use. Otherwise, it just feels like an avalanche of facts that you’d have no hope of remembering in isolation.



Thanks for your reply!

Like you, i will be studying at my own pace, and without any real structure and reinforcement

I agree with the idea of using it in conjunction with other material. Ideally, I'd watch through a section just to get a general idea, and then re-watch to dissect and supplement with info from other sources and experimenting with real-world examples. That's the plan, anyway.

I think I'd prefer this course to be more info heavy, as it would seem a better use of the allotted time and an even greater value-proposition. I'm also gambling on Guy's general exuberant nature to help make that kind of rote learning more of a fun proposition. Besides, there are a lot of other courses that'll help provide a more hands-on context for applying music theory principals.

Thanks, again.


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## el-bo

Jay Panikkar said:


> Totally off-topic post.
> 
> @Markrs @el-bo Jason Allen's course covers a lot of topics, but I thought it was not put together very well. It feels like he's not using a proper script, notably in the initial lessons where he skims through many basic concepts. He uses MuseScore to teach notation, which is a great piece of software for the purpose, but he stumbles though it for some reason.
> 
> If you're new to music theory, I would suggest getting a hold of Trinity College or ABRSM music theory workbooks and going through them from Grade 1 through 8 at your own pace. Use past exam papers to test yourself. That's how I started learning music theory; started from zero like 3 years ago, and eventually cleared the exams. You can probably use Jason Allen's course to fill in the gaps as you're learning.



Thanks for your opinion on Jason's course. I did resist the temptation to buy his compete course (I did pick up the first 6 units, though, for about 20 quid), just in case I didn't take to the style. And going back to it, I did detect it to be a little 'dry'. Haven't used it enough to pick up on your points-of-criticism, however. I would be surprised if things start to improve as he gets deeper into the course, and finds a 'groove'. How far into it did you get?

As to the Trinity College and ABRSM suggestion: I tend to try to avoid physical media where possible. And though i do make exceptions for larger-format textbooks, collecting all these (Workbooks, sample books etc.) involves owning over twenty books. At this point in my life, I'm having a hard time imagining being of fixed-abode long enough for a collection like this to not be of some inconvenience. I dunno...Perhaps they are such a good option, that even selling them upon completion would lead to a real net gain. Just a shame they aren't available digitally  Perhaps I'll take a punt on the first workbook. They aren't expensive, and they have new versions, ready to preorder (Expected October, I believe).

Many thanks


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## Jay Panikkar

el-bo said:


> Thanks for your opinion on Jason's course. I did resist the temptation to buy his compete course (I did pick up the first 6 units, though, for about 20 quid), just in case I didn't take to the style. And going back to it, I did detect it to be a little 'dry'. Haven't used it enough to pick up on your points-of-criticism, however. I would be surprised if things start to improve as he gets deeper into the course, and finds a 'groove'. How far into it did you get?



There was a Udemy sale sometime back, so I bought the first 9 units. The pacing and delivery improves in the latter units but these units are not really advanced level. If I do purchase the advanced units, I'll let you know how it goes.



el-bo said:


> As to the Trinity College and ABRSM suggestion: I tend to try to avoid physical media where possible. And though i do make exceptions for larger-format textbooks, collecting all these (Workbooks, sample books etc.) involves owning over twenty books. At this point in my life, I'm having a hard time imagining being of fixed-abode long enough for a collection like this to not be of some inconvenience. I dunno...Perhaps they are such a good option, that even selling them upon completion would lead to a real net gain. Just a shame they aren't available digitally  Perhaps I'll take a punt on the first workbook. They aren't expensive, and they have new versions, ready to preorder (Expected October, I believe).



In this case, I think there is an advantage to using physical media. Learning music theory is identical to learning a language: it's all about comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. I think pen and paper is more suited to capturing these kinds of concepts. Also, notational handwriting can be a useful skill.

I had little prior musical training apart from a few mandatory (and boring) instrumental lessons in middle school. No one in my immediate family with any musical aptitude whatsoever. I worked in a recording studio for a while during college, which sparked an interest in music. The workbook format helped me learn in a more disciplined / systematic manner pretty much from scratch. There are plenty of free guides and resources online (including many sample exam papers) that go along with the workbooks.

I hope you find them as useful as I did.


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## el-bo

Jay Panikkar said:


> There was a Udemy sale sometime back, so I bought the first 9 units. The pacing and delivery improves in the latter units but these units are not really advanced level. If I do purchase the advanced units, I'll let you know how it goes.



Yup! Got the first six units in a sale. Glad to hear that things start to gel a bit better in the later videos




Jay Panikkar said:


> In this case, I think there is an advantage to using physical media. Learning music theory is identical to learning a language: it's all about comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. I think pen and paper is more suited to capturing these kinds of concepts. Also, notational handwriting can be a useful skill.



I agree about the advantages of physical media, in cases such as this. I just don't like the thought of having to be without them if I end up spending the rest of my days living out of a backpack.
I suppose, theoretically ( ), the fact that they are really covering the basics means that I'd eventually end up not needing to refer back to them (Once I have a good grounding, it would be easier to piece together further learning, from more disparate sources. 

As long as I do all the written wrk in pencil, they could be passed-on.





Jay Panikkar said:


> I had little prior musical training apart from a few mandatory (and boring) instrumental lessons in middle school. No one in my immediate family with any musical aptitude whatsoever. I worked in a recording studio for a while during college, which sparked an interest in music. The workbook format helped me learn in a more disciplined / systematic manner pretty much from scratch. There are plenty of free guides and resources online (including many sample exam papers) that go along with the workbooks.
> 
> I hope you find them as useful as I did.



Haha! I decided against pursuing work in studios for the exact opposite reason i.e that it would kill my interest in music :D

Will definitely check out the books. Will likely order the first book of the new editions. Will probably get it around the same time as Guy's course.

Many thanks for your help. Perhaps we should leave it there, though Things are now getting really off-topic (Not your fault)


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## Theladur

ZosterX said:


> I'm looking to getting the course "sampled orchestration in a week-end", does it worth it ? Do we really learn that much of how makin samples realistic ?



Depends how much you know already.

I have bought 8 of his courses (not completely finished all yet), and so far I am very impressed by nearly all of them, and really learned a lot. (Thank you Guy! )
However, "Sampled Orchestration in a Weekend" was - for me - the only one I more or less regret buying, because it was not what I expected.

I expected to learn stuff like how to modulate different VI parameters (like how to play with dynamics, vibrato etc. depending on the instruments; When do you increase/decrease dynamics, or when do you apply or remove vibrato, in order to make the instrument sound more realistic?), similar to things like Mike Verta is explaining in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OktpoOztRvQ (-this-) video; As the advertisement says "Learn to breathe life into your sampled orchestrations so they do not sound flat and artificial."
However, basically you only learn the fact that you can change dynamics and things like vibrato using CCs, but not really how to apply it depending on the contexts (e.g. when to increase/decrease dynamics)...

The course covers background to sampling in general (different approaches of sampling, what are dynamic layers, round robins etc.), the setup for working with sampled instruments (computer basics (CPU, RAM, HDD/SSD etc.), the "one track per instrument with key-switches approach" + Articulation IDs/Expression Maps, and the "multiple tracks per instrument and one track per articulation approach"), the basics of working with CCs, a bit on room-placement/Reverb, What are Legato patches and what are Perfomance-Samples, a bit on dynamics, a bit on layering (but also only basics, like adding a spicc to a sus sample, to give the sus sample a harder attack).

My impression is, it is a course for total "newbies" with respect to sampled instruments.
If you are a musician who never heard of "Kontakt", and only know that there are instruments inside the computer and want to start working with them, it might be a helpful course which covers the basics of what sampled instruments are and how you start working with them.
But if you already own sampled instruments, and already worked with them; when you know the basics of keyswitches, CCs and how to use them; when you know that for lyrical lines you should pick the legato patch instead of the sustains patch; when you know the basics of reverb and room placement... then, like me, you won't learn a lot new.


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## creativeforge

robgb said:


> This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guy Michelmore
> 
> 
> ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.youtube.com



Thanks for the mention, will check his channel.


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## justmjulie

Thinkspace education courses. They are on sale for one week!


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## AudioLoco

Yeah, he is awesome. He is a rare mix of outbursting, extrovert personality and "composer".

Really enjoy his videos. Informative AND funny.


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## tav.one

I've done 3 courses from him and plan to do a lot more.
I've learnt more from him than from any other single person.

I want to be like him when I grow up.


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## PaulieDC

robgb said:


> This guy has been killing it on YouTube for years. His upbeat delivery and enthusiasm for sample libraries and composing is infectious. I don't think he's a member of this forum, but I wish he were. I never miss one of his videos.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guy Michelmore
> 
> 
> ThinkSpace Education is an online film scoring school providing post-graduate degrees in film, TV and now video games. Our videos provide a fast, fun and eff...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.youtube.com


Absolutely one of the few I subscribe to AND watch when the bell tolls. Especially now that his assistant edits out the audio whenever Guy slurps his tea mug.


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## Paulogic

Same here. I only discovered Guy a few weeks ago and I'm now addicted to his channel.
Been watching and rewatching his video's almost daily.
He does give you the "go for it" feel with a very professional but also very amusing way of
presenting. 

Love the sunglasses gimmick too LOL


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## Haziel

LOVE Guy. He oozes happiness and positivity.


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## hessproject

Love his stuff, great mix of professionalism/experience and humor


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## khollister

++++1 Sort of _Top Gear_ for the vi-control crowd


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## Bluemount Score

I'm currently taking two of his courses at ThinkSpaceEducation. Highly recommended.


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## khollister

Haziel said:


> LOVE Guy. He oozes happiness and positivity.



Same reason I enjoy watching Carlo (Dr. MIX)


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## Trash Panda

I wish I loved what I did as much as Guy seems to love what he does. ❤


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## vvaidy

Guy has been single-handedly responsible for increasing the time I spend on playing music (and playing around with music) by 100%.

Beyond all the silliness and messing around is a passion and love for what he does that is infectious.

I think that's pretty much my definition of "inspiring" ...


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## HeliaVox

Anytime I have my Sunglasses of Doubt on, all I have to do is watch one of Guy's videos.
His exuberant enthusiasm always makes me excited to be a composer and keep writing.


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## widescreen

khollister said:


> ++++1 Sort of _Top Gear_ for the vi-control crowd


Funny, the first person Guy reminded me off when I saw him was Jeremy Clarkson. 
But I think Guy doesn't chop you when he hates your guts. He will just force you to compose the title song for the upcoming "Teletubbies: Resurrection" 

But seriously I have not seen more than 10% of his YouTube content because of the HUGE number of videos AND my struggle with time.
BUT what I have seen already led me to the best tools to buy, the best laughs for a long time (I had the same M-Audio Keystation 88 that fell into the pool , sold it last week) and the biggest jealousy of his lovely cabin in the green gardens of inspiration. 
Finally I started the first course about composition on ThinkSpaceEdu when it came on sale. The best course since I started doing music, together with Philip Johnston's https://orchestrationrecipes.thinkific.com/

Oh Guy, I would just LOVE to do an internship in your cabin and be your personal servant and driver with just open eyes and especially open EARS! I will service your gear and IT for free. Your keys will always be polished, your Jag or Range Rover will shine when you get in. You will not regret it!


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## Paulogic

Count me in as a backup. LOL


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## MiscMusic48

I just became a user on VI-CONTROL to post something on this thread! I hope I'm not too late!

I have been watching his videos for a good couple years now, and as a young aspiring composer, to say he's an inspiration to me would be an UNDERSTATEMENT! I will always look back to his videos to help me out of writer's block, or to cheer me up when I'm feeling down. There isn't another like our Guy! He's extremely hilariously insanely incredible!


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