Jack of all trades/ master of one?

[BulimicLemur]

Hey guys, I've experimented with making a few different kinds of music- rock music, indie, drum'n'bass, house, dubstep, hip hop (a lot of the the songs I posted in some genres I've deleted off the portal because I didn't like what I'd made), and I was wondering on your thoughts about whether it'd be best to concentrate on one single genre of music, or to just experiment with everything. There are probably pros and cons to both paths, but I'm curious about what you guys think.

Really I don't think genre is that important, and you'll make whatever type of music you're listening to at the time, but is that the smartest thing to do if you want a career in music? Is it even the smartest thing to do just making music for yourself? Thoughts?

[Xyresic]

When it comes down to it, I think you should just make whatever music you feel like making. Not much point trying to make a track that you don't like (unless it's some sort of comission.)

[ZStriefel]

I think it's a pretty good idea to explore different genres on regular basis. Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone might be really good for you, and in the process you'll learn new tricks and skills to apply to other genres. Don't limit yourself! You can only benefit from exploring new things.

[midimachine]

I was thinking about this today, how guys like Madeon and Louis La Roche are doin' amazing shit at the age of 17 and I'm old and not finding significant success in any one field. I mean, Louis' a bit older now but he got mistaken for fuckin' Thomas Bangalter when I was still faffin about with no idea what I wanted to do.

But here's the thing; couple nights ago I started making a track in a genre I've never done before. Not "properly". Anyway, it sounds fuckin' ace so far; perhaps not to the highest commercial standards, but if I didn't say anything you'd think I did this a whole lot more. I guess what I'm trying to say is that when you get to a point and realize that you can make all sorts of music without prior experience in a genre and it still sounds pretty fuckin' good I think it's safe to say "holy shit, I'm actually pretty good at production!".

[Buoy]

Doing several genres makes you better at all of them. Fact

[uint]

At 12/15/11 01:29 AM, SBB wrote: Doing several genres makes you better at all of them. Fact

It's an opinion actually. But I do share it.

[eatmeatleet]

My observations so far:
If you want to get good at making soundtracks, film scores, at some level you have to become jack of all trades. You still need to be extremely good at one narrow subgenre

If you want to be a signed electro artist, focus mostly on perfecting one genre

[dontpanic01]

how to become a jack of all trades
1. learn how to make music with programs like puredata
2. learn how to play drums
3. learn how to play piano
4. learn how to play wind instruments
5. learn how to play string instruments
6. compose

[PSvils]

At 12/15/11 11:07 AM, eatmeatleet wrote: If you want to be a signed electro artist, focus mostly on perfecting one genre

I disagree.

Like others above have already stated, the more genres I tried to do, the more skilled I became overall, exponentially. I was stuck in a rut trying to make trance and house for ages (like 1-2 years), but as soon as I picked up a new genre, just BOOM. Since then I have made lots and lots and lots of genres, and now I don't even give a shit about genres, I just make what I make, and put a genre on it afterwards.

[SineRider]

I try to do all different styles and genres but the only thing I'm good at is Ambient music wtf :C

[midimachine]

At 12/15/11 01:04 PM, SineRider wrote: I try to do all different styles and genres but the only thing I'm good at is Ambient music wtf :C

you do amazing shoegaze too, right? or was that someone else? :V

[Buoy]

At 12/15/11 06:00 AM, uint wrote:

At 12/15/11 01:29 AM, SBB wrote: Doing several genres makes you better at all of them. Fact

It's an opinion actually.

actually, fact

[jpbear]

If you're a proper musician you'll naturally gravitate towards new things, especially genres.

If you're name is skrillex and you keep on pooping out the same samples and bass patches and song progressions then you're losing an essential part of being a true musician.

[Buoy]

note that you need to both keep on pooping out the same samples and bass patches and song progressions AND have the name skrillex for this to be true

[jpbear]

At 12/15/11 06:54 PM, SBB wrote: note that you need to both keep on pooping out the same samples and bass patches and song progressions AND have the name skrillex for this to be true

I AM ENLIGHTENED

[BulimicLemur]

At 12/15/11 08:27 PM, jpbear wrote:

At 12/15/11 06:54 PM, SBB wrote: note that you need to both keep on pooping out the same samples and bass patches and song progressions AND have the name skrillex for this to be true

I AM ENLIGHTENED

Hahaha, If your name isn't skrillex, you can keep using the same patches and you'll still be original, that's how it works.

There is some interesting stuff here. I'm glad the time I spent playing shitty pop punk on my guitar when I was twelve may not have been completely worthless. :P Thanks guyssss

[jarrydn]

i use a lot of metal production techniques when i write dance music

[samulis]

Keep a broad focus but a narrow eye. Allow yourself to venture to various genres to broaden your skills, especially listening around (remember, creativity is often enhanced by comprehending and reverse-engineering the work of others, just don't post that proof of comprehension up on NG). I wrote two Ambiance-ish songs not because I like Ambiance, but because I wanted to work with a new medium for a bit... guess what, now my new songs have solid baselines and my transitions are much much better. I've tried some jazz stuff (never very good at composing) and it has helped me come up with neat rhythms.

However, draw all that knowledge with you wherever in the industry you go... I borrow Romantic Era, Medieval Era, and Contemporary Classical ideas often when writing an orchestral piece, and I don't much write outside of orchestral-cinematic.

[jarrydn]

Also strive to be better than everyone else, but don't get caught up in lying to yourself. You need to be your own worst critic.

[Kirbyfemur]

Fact: Working in genre based music forces you to limit what you can and should add to music based on the opinions and structure of the genre.

Fact: Making music that isn't constrained by genre allows for more originality and has helped provide all of the genres we know and love now.

Fact: If you touch your nose and rub your belly at the same time as reading this text you'll realize you would look silly doing so if you watched yourself doing it in the mirror.

[Xyresic]

This thread makes me feel woefully insecure about my own ability... I almost always constrain myself to starting a song in a particular genre, I can't really start it any other way...

[jarrydn]

At 12/17/11 11:52 PM, Xyresic wrote: This thread makes me feel woefully insecure about my own ability... I almost always constrain myself to starting a song in a particular genre, I can't really start it any other way...

Nah, I'd say that music is more of a technical expression for you, rather than an emotional one. I pretty much only mess with genre music myself...I've never felt compelled to write music based on emotion, I don't really have that kind of connection with music. I'm pretty good at articulating how I feel with words. I do like finding out how things work though, I like to dissect sound and try to find out what makes it sound good, and that's fine by me ;D

[PSvils]

At 12/18/11 01:03 AM, jarrydn wrote:

At 12/17/11 11:52 PM, Xyresic wrote: This thread makes me feel woefully insecure about my own ability... I almost always constrain myself to starting a song in a particular genre, I can't really start it any other way...

Nah, I'd say that music is more of a technical expression for you, rather than an emotional one. I pretty much only mess with genre music myself...I've never felt compelled to write music based on emotion, I don't really have that kind of connection with music. I'm pretty good at articulating how I feel with words. I do like finding out how things work though, I like to dissect sound and try to find out what makes it sound good, and that's fine by me ;D

The fact that you think it sounds good is already an emotional connection.

My emotions inevitably come out in my music, but I still do decide on a genre when starting a track, that way ye, I can focus on certain things, and I already know what it's going to sound like more or less (like a really really rough outline).

But I jump around genres a lot. It's okay to restrict yourself on a track by track basis, but on the whole you should experiment with everything, and then you won't even know that you're mixing genres, it'll come naturally.

P.

[Xyresic]

At 12/18/11 01:03 AM, jarrydn wrote:

Nah, I'd say that music is more of a technical expression for you, rather than an emotional one. I pretty much only mess with genre music myself...I've never felt compelled to write music based on emotion, I don't really have that kind of connection with music. I'm pretty good at articulating how I feel with words. I do like finding out how things work though, I like to dissect sound and try to find out what makes it sound good, and that's fine by me ;D

I'm not exactly an emotional person by nature, but I can feel a hugely powerful emotional connection with some songs. There are a select few that just can sway my emotions in an instant, be it chilling me the fuck out or getting all energised.
I just don't really feel that way about my own songs that often. What I do feel usually falls in the spectrum of "not good" to "meh" to "this is pretty good". Sometimes I'll get a vibe from one song and think "Yeah, I did good with this one".

Most of my songs start with an idea, and then before I even start it I think about which genre would best fit the idea. It's kind of like trying to fit a jigsaw puzzle piece in the right spot... the idea won't quite fit correctly in a genre that it isn't suited for.

[stormalot]

Definitely experiment around with everything man. What I try to do is find a genre that I've never attempted to write before and then write 3 or 4 songs within that genre and do everything I can to explore it in those few songs so that I can utilize those newly learned skills for the future. But also just experiment for the sake of experimenting, you'll grow much better musically and creatively, and it's fun either way!