Fantastic thread. So much useful information here. I enjoyed reading it not only for the handy tips but also the display of lively personalities. I wouldn't say anyone was going out of their way to be rude, they were just passionate, which is pretty much what you'd expect for people on this site. I'd be quite disappointed if everyone were indifferent.
The only thing I can add (still a novice here and I know it's not MIDI related) is that you should take a break from your music when you notice fatigue coming on. Although sometimes we don't realise when we need to rest because we get caught up in excitement. But the difference is quite noticeable and I wake up the next day to hear a completely different song...not in a good way either. It's like audio gremlins came out during the night and wrecked havoc in my studio! Because when I make the mistake of pushing myself too far I lose perspective. In my tired state I usually end up leaving the project in a direction where ideas becomes lost, mangled or lose coherency (my main sin). Then there's less inspiration and I get discouraged to complete the piece. Perhaps some of you can relate?
Second thing I can add is that sometimes it's tempting to use all your ideas that come to surface in the immediate track you're working on. But if it conflicts with the theme, unnecessarily complicates it, or adds nothing to it... it may be better suited for a forked off track or even discarded. Easier said than done though. I've committed this cardinal sin many times and probably will continue to do so .
But my most important lesson to take from this thread is that I've learnt I have a lot more to learn than I initially thought. Cliche. But true for me nonetheless. I grossly underestimated the vast ways of how I could improve on my compositions. And this frightened me at first because I knew it's going to be a long road ahead but then I realised I'd be encouraged by the extremely satisfying journey of musical discovery. But no, for those of you reading, I won't become obsessed with technicalities. I'm more interested in how I can use knowledge as a tool to ignite my creativity and free me from stagnation, not imprison me with its weight. No accusations here. It's from personal experience not just with music but other fields I dabble in too.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread and I hope it still continues to grow. I have benefited and read every single post in this thread without discounting anything. You never know what can come in handy even if it goes against "common sense". I have a lot of unlearning to do too; so many bad, bad habits. I feel a bit like I've just watched the director's commentary on my composer life past and shocked at all the things I missed. Many things I cringed at, at first because I had overlooked the obvious but I'm over that stage. No more self-flagellation... it's time for orchestration!
Oh, and the most important tip: don't forget to rehydrate. OK, kidding on that one.
The only thing I can add (still a novice here and I know it's not MIDI related) is that you should take a break from your music when you notice fatigue coming on. Although sometimes we don't realise when we need to rest because we get caught up in excitement. But the difference is quite noticeable and I wake up the next day to hear a completely different song...not in a good way either. It's like audio gremlins came out during the night and wrecked havoc in my studio! Because when I make the mistake of pushing myself too far I lose perspective. In my tired state I usually end up leaving the project in a direction where ideas becomes lost, mangled or lose coherency (my main sin). Then there's less inspiration and I get discouraged to complete the piece. Perhaps some of you can relate?
Second thing I can add is that sometimes it's tempting to use all your ideas that come to surface in the immediate track you're working on. But if it conflicts with the theme, unnecessarily complicates it, or adds nothing to it... it may be better suited for a forked off track or even discarded. Easier said than done though. I've committed this cardinal sin many times and probably will continue to do so .
But my most important lesson to take from this thread is that I've learnt I have a lot more to learn than I initially thought. Cliche. But true for me nonetheless. I grossly underestimated the vast ways of how I could improve on my compositions. And this frightened me at first because I knew it's going to be a long road ahead but then I realised I'd be encouraged by the extremely satisfying journey of musical discovery. But no, for those of you reading, I won't become obsessed with technicalities. I'm more interested in how I can use knowledge as a tool to ignite my creativity and free me from stagnation, not imprison me with its weight. No accusations here. It's from personal experience not just with music but other fields I dabble in too.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread and I hope it still continues to grow. I have benefited and read every single post in this thread without discounting anything. You never know what can come in handy even if it goes against "common sense". I have a lot of unlearning to do too; so many bad, bad habits. I feel a bit like I've just watched the director's commentary on my composer life past and shocked at all the things I missed. Many things I cringed at, at first because I had overlooked the obvious but I'm over that stage. No more self-flagellation... it's time for orchestration!
Oh, and the most important tip: don't forget to rehydrate. OK, kidding on that one.
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