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salman
Joined: May 17, 2008
Posts: 3
Location: England
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 Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 9:39 am Post subject:
 Learning Synthesizer Music |
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Hey everyone hows it going I'm new here.
The set up I currently have is a MIDI keyboard connected to a PC and I use VSTs in Fl-Studio and I use Reason.
I was wondering how to learn to play music for the synthesizer (I don't mean as in how to set a synthesizer up), but more learning the music that is to be played on syntheszier.
Can anyone recommend any websites or books please?
Thanks a lot everyone. |
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salman
Joined: May 17, 2008
Posts: 3
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:28 am Post subject:
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damn this place is dead 
Articles havent been updated in yonks
so many threads un replyed to |
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elektro80
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Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:42 am Post subject:
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Yup, it´s a bit empty here.
Well, not really. Have you checked if there are some similar threads here already? I´m pretty sure there are some.. . 
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Wayne Higgins
Joined: Aug 16, 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Greenville, FL
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:37 am Post subject:
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I'll reply.... 
I've been busy at work lately.
Learn synthesizer music? hmmmm
I took Electronic music at FSU in 1979. There was this story about some guy attempting a phD in electronic music. They told him to recreate "The Wild Bull." He disappeared, never to be seen again...
I'm sure there is something out there on midis. Most of the stuff is manuals put out by the manufacturer.
Here's an idea.  Go for it! Tackle the problem head on. Write a book on the way.
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laura woodswalker
Joined: Oct 06, 2007
Posts: 463
Location: phoenixville pa
Audio files: 18
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:
Re: Learning Synthesizer Music |
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| salman wrote: |
I was wondering how to learn to play music for the synthesizer (I don't mean as in how to set a synthesizer up), but more learning the music that is to be played on syntheszier.
Can anyone recommend any websites or books please?
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I was going to reply but I was waiting till other people replied who actually know something. I'm a beginner too and i'd like to know the same question  .
For starters do you know how to play keyboards? If so, what kind of synth music do you like? Synths are used in lots of kinds of music including 80's pop, Progressive, ambient & trance. A question I'd like to know about ambient & trance, which seem to use a lot of MIDI... how much of it is actually played in realtime and how much is samples and MIDI.
I am actually new at keyboards as well as synths. So I am training myself, mostly by listening to stuff I like and trying to play it. A lot of the riffs I hear in ambient music are actually simple (compared to, say, classical or Dream Theater.) The best way to learn anything is listen & copy.
As far as basic keyboard training, you can find lots of books on that, I have a good one called Rock Keyboard by Scott Miller (Hal Leonard keyboard style series). When I get really good I also have "Progressive Rock Keyboard" by Dan Maske in the same series. I think in this context, "keyboard" and "synth" are interchangeable.
The most important tip I can give anybody in any subject: "GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND."
Good luck & when you find the answer to your question, can you tell me?
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The most important gear is the brain behind the instrument. |
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elektro80
Site Admin
Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:
Re: Learning Synthesizer Music |
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| salman wrote: | | I was wondering how to learn to play music for the synthesizer (I don't mean as in how to set a synthesizer up), but more learning the music that is to be played on syntheszier. |
You are getting some good advice here.
If we look at the bulk of "synth music" out there then it will be obvious that most of it is fairly conventional in the sense that it is fairly mainstream.
Learning Chariots of Fire ( by Vangelis ) is done pretty much as you would Satisfaction ( The Rolling Stones or Smells LIke Teen Spirit ( Nirvana ). You can even buy the sheet music for most of the synth pop hits.
There is however more to synth music than this. You also have the weird and wonderful stuff that isn´t really 100% tonal ( in a traditional way ). Still, listening to it and copying it will probably work just fine. You might also want to study some music theory.
You should start out with the easy stuff.
A point to make is that some of the easy stuff is not always truly easy. There might be ideas going on inside the music that even though copying it will be easy you will still have a hard time understanding what makes it work. It is often a lot harder to write in the style of someone than actually learning to play a tune.
I haven´t mentioned improvisation yet as you haven´t actually told us anything about the actual styles you want to learn to play.
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laura woodswalker
Joined: Oct 06, 2007
Posts: 463
Location: phoenixville pa
Audio files: 18
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject:
Re: Learning Synthesizer Music |
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| elektro80 wrote: |
A point to make is that some of the easy stuff is not always truly easy. There might be ideas going on inside the music that even though copying it will be easy you will still have a hard time understanding what makes it work. |
This is a good point about Ambient, I listen to it a lot & try to analyze why some of it works and some doesn't. It is usually repetitive, easy-sounding (not a lot of difficult runs), deceptively simple. So you have to listen very carefully and notice how the musician makes it interesting with varied effects & textures even if the riffs keep repeating. (I assume a musician is playing it? or is it mostly MIDI loops. Still not sure.) Sometimes the same riffs with different instruments makes it interesting. I assume in this case it is done with MIDI, 'cause it's easy to switch instruments...?
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The most important gear is the brain behind the instrument. |
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plagal
Joined: Dec 28, 2007
Posts: 18
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject:
Re: Learning Synthesizer Music |
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| salman wrote: |
The set up I currently have is a MIDI keyboard connected to a PC and I use VSTs in Fl-Studio and I use Reason.
I was wondering how to learn to play music for the synthesizer (I don't mean as in how to set a synthesizer up), but more learning the music that is to be played on syntheszier.
Can anyone recommend any websites or books please?
Thanks a lot everyone. |
If Fl-Studio and Reason is not helping you learn the craft of synth music creation, why would they be listed among the most popular products for this? |
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elektro80
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Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject:
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?
Like...
marketing and they are easy to crack?
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elektro80
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject:
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A point to make might be that the tools aren´t the music. You are.
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plagal
Joined: Dec 28, 2007
Posts: 18
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject:
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Well, if the most popular programs won't help you learn to create music, might as well forget it, cause all the rest are just cheap imitations trying to catch up to them.
Oh... You were asking about a book.
Start with 'Elementary Harmony' by Robert Ottman. |
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salman
Joined: May 17, 2008
Posts: 3
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 7:00 am Post subject:
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Hey thanks a lot for all the replies very much appreciated:
Yeh to be honest I think I'm trying to jump into the deep end, learning how to play the more main stream stuff on my keyboard sounds like a good idea, and learning more of the easy stuff. I'm considering a teacher.
Fl-Studio and Reason are great I have nothing against them what so ever, its myself that doesn't have the skill to play keyboard well.
Thanks for all the advice.
Oh and the styles of music I enjoy are: fast paced techno, Drum and bass. |
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elektro80
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plagal
Joined: Dec 28, 2007
Posts: 18
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 11:26 am Post subject:
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Don't waist your time posting other software innovations.
Everybody's at Walmart. |
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