What is the Best Musical Advice You've Ever Gotten?

[captain8]

I’ve gotten so much great advice from so many people that it seems like it’s endless but the advice that has best resonated with me has been.

1. never try to sell people music you wouldn’t buy yourself

2. think about your favorite song, album, or whatever and try to create something that makes you feel as good as that

3. don’t listen to anyone/ update: iow be yourself

4. if you really listen to a song it will tell you what it needs next and if you play it and then mute it , when muted you will hear what’s missing

the first two were given to me by the same person and #1 is the one I resonate with the most…

music creation is always like an high wire act for me because I don’t come from the especially creative end of the spectrum, I only write music that I’m already hearing so it’s always a race to get it down before it’s gone forever.

[hausland]

Goooooo sloooooow!

[LyingDalai]

Music needs silence.

I still struggle with this.

[Sundaybeat]

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (Act V, Scene 1)

Yes, it’s off topic… but it’s so good and truth!

[tnussb]

@captain8

don’t listen to anyone

IMHO that’s a really bad advice in general. Taking constructive critiques at least into consideration can be a major skill booster.

[Schnork]

• A track isn’t finished when you can’t add more, it’s finished when you can’t take anything away.

Robert Henke said that (not sure if it’s from an interview or from a talk).

• Haven’t you practised?
  My guitar teacher

[Sundaybeat]

Don’t forget dynamics!

[Schnork]

Didn’t Mozart say something like ‘silence is important, it’s as important as the notes.’ and ‘The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.’

Nevertheless great advice!

[Alienna]

many many years ago an artist told me whenever performing live, and something goes wrong, just keep on performing with a smile on your face, it’s part of the chemistry of live performing… until this day this is still a struggle though

[Fin25]

Don’t hide behind reverb.

[LyingDalai]

@Schnork

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between” — W.A. Mozart

This!
That was the citation, but I had forgotten the exact formula + the author
Thanks a lot, dear.

Beautiful citation, isn’t it? Very meaningful. Silence is what makes a note important. The space where its soul is conceived.
@pokk lives by this I guess ^^

[hausland]

My guitar teacher always says you wanna give notes enough space so that you can look each note straight in the eye and get what it is telling you

[Stickhit]

“Don’t give up your day job.”

[Unifono]

yeah, wanted to say something along those lines.
The notes you don’t play are as important as the notes you play.

Important lesson to every guitar solo shredder

[Six06]

Embrace limitations

[macinski]

Always record, listen later, look for interesting often accidental bits and build around them (midi or audio)

… and tune to 432hz

[Jhnns]

Details are important, just don’t forget it’s music you’re making, not sports. Stay comfortable.

[monomatik]

It’s interesting that the subject of silence has come up so many times.

My drum teacher used to point this out too - the pause is as important as any other note.

[Microtribe]

1. “Yeah, the Kick is too loud”

Some dudes at a techno thing I went to.

Solid mixing advice.

2. ‘Learn how to mix properly, then you dont need side chain compression.’

Me, to myself, once I discovered it.

[Uzinusa]

Practice.