Inspirations for music

[Quzumm]

This isn't really a bass subjekt, rather a subjekt about music in general.

A lot of people talk about special events, or moods that made them write a special piece of music, like if "their emotions wrote it." This may be found in all kind of music. When I want to create music, I just start to play my bass. If I have a good day, I might end up with something that sounds good. It could be everything from a sweet little bass melody, to the heaviest riff. And sometimes a sweet little bass melody, and then a really heavy riff, in the very same five minutes. Although there aren't any emotions in my bass playing, I do, and I think some other people do, enjoy my music.

What do you think about this? Are there emotions in your music?

[Cornbread]

If you enjoy your music, it must be emotional. Otherwise, you and others wouldn't feel anything when they listened to you.

Dave

[jazzbo]

Always.


PS. When I mess up, there's a lot of emotions. Not really good ones either.

[thayer182]

I find a lot of emotion in my music. most of the time, it is the music that makes the emotion, not the emotion that makes the music. I just sit down, start playing and if I'm lucky, this awesome bass line comes out. I'm a riff rock kinda guy. I'm not into jazz, although I respect it as a form of music. even though I've only been playing bass for over half a year, I've written several riffs, and a few fully arranged songs. and depending on the type of sound it has, it creates emotions w/in me. most of the time it is the feeling of pride of writing such an awesome riff

[Quzumm]

I guess it works the same way with me as with you thayer182; it's the music that makes the emotion, not the emotion that makes the music.

[Bassmonster]

Yeah, there is alot of emotion in music!!! Whenever I'm having a bad day I just go into my room and playing. It's when I'm emotionally distraught that I think I write my best stuff. It's alot easier than writing, because you can let your emotions take over and the instrument just seems to come alive.

[nickis thebest]

im completely uninspired
everything i do is spontaneous
im just out to be loud and annoying
but it helps to sound good i guess, so i do that too

[Steve Lawson]

Good Question - I think that as you learn more about music, and about your instrument, you'll become aware of specific sounds, chords, progressions, effects, techniques, rhythms and the infinite combinations of the above and how they imply certain emotions. If you're feeling down and want to reflect that, at its most simple, you're gonna start with a minor chord, more often than not. If you're angry, some dissonance might help to convey that. The more you know about music and technique, the easier it is to connect. In asking this question, you're setting yourself on the right path as all theory and technique should eventually lead to self expression, not just 'showing off' or whatever. As you learn a new technique, think about what is says, the stories that can be told using it - like you do with words as a child, trying out new words in conversation and seeing what effect they have on the people you're talking to.

I'd suggest that it's important to jam with lots of other musicians as well, as the combination of different emotions and stories is often more powerful than one person's ideas...

If you hear a track that makes you feel a certain way, try and work out what it is about it that has that effect - the chords? the tune? The rhythm? All three? experiment!!

good luck,

Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk