Originality - a rare quality

[Azaro]

Hi, this is just an observation, more so because it applies to myself, but I'm just as curious about other musicians. I find that there is very little originality in the songs we write, because everything is a derivative of something we've heard, and somehow we end up sounding like the idols we worship.

Every guitar sound, drum beat, bass line, keyboard phrase, is culled off the favourite artistes list, and we end up as hollow clones of the very music we love.
Original songs especially suffer from such symptoms, and I can tell you I tried to steer away. It's a problem I am trying to deal with - where's the originality in original songs?

On another point, there're scores of people who can shred note for note - Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen etc (in the case of guitar players), but again, when it comes to playing something of their own, they are stumped, and fall back on what they have learnt by rote, even mimicking the tone and sounds of their fav guitar heroes. Just a cursory scan at any classifieds will show you how far we've gone in idol worship. Again, where's the originality in that? Are we so stuck in imitation mode that we can't outgrow it to find our individual voices?

Mind you, every day in the seedy and smoky clubs of New York or LA, for example, there're scores of wannabes doing the very same thing, and sometimes much better than what we'll be able to achieve over here. But that again leaves them as wannabe bands.

There are the exceptions, of course, but they are getting rarer in today's formuliac world of music, and I wonder if I'm just wasting time trying to discover that my path out of 'wannabe-dom' is inexorably linked back to the musical heroes I've known, and whom i've come to internalise, over the years. Can we ever break out of this vicious cycle? And what good will it do us?

 

[azacamis]

that is why it is always good to capitilise on any idea, especially if it sounds weird because if it sounds weird, it is usually something you've never heard which means impossible for you to copy from. Also, when played from the heart and not head (memory), it should be pretty original too.

Staying truly original is hard for sure. Whites listen to arabic music and integrate them into their music. That is a way is not original too but people call it inspiration. Which side is up to you.

 

[Vaiyen]

this arabic shit is getting REALLY old...

 

[DoubleBlade]

check out my song Arabian Rhapsody in the Open Mic section.

i was juz experimenting wif arabian scales for the guitar and converted it onto the piano although like wad vaiyern said it's old shit but hey at least i need to start somewhere right? :lol:

 

[soft]

Copy, learn, develop.

This is how we progress. The normal way.

To break through, we got to unlearn and uncopy then develop.

Can we dream of things we never see before? :smt015

 

[Azaro]

Food for thought - can we ever dream of what we haven't seen before? I dunno. Maybe that's what visions are called.

But back to the thread, I guess my instinct is to try and sound like my favourite players, and try to obtain their tones. This is done through blindly copying their equipment set-up, pedal settings, and even buying their signature gear. And of course hours upon hours of practising to sound just like them.

And when it comes to writing your own songs, the trapdoor is wide open. Just step right in and boom! you're a 'favourite artiste' clone.

I agree that sometimes the accidental weird sounds/chords will lift us out of the trap, but it's a one-trick pony that threatens the originality and quality of songs we write if used too often.

So can we write original songs? I dunno. Can we play original lines/phrases? Maybe. Are we a victim of too much formulaic music subconciously influencing our songs? You bet.

 

[seekz]

aiyah, it can never be 100 % original in the sense of the word lah.

and i think its not really right to be saying that we're mainly empty clones of the originals. Music evolve one what. The so called "original" music you hear now is whatever that has progressed over the years.

Thats why the stuff we hear nowadays are more or less the same.
Thats why ethnic music is truely unique. Music made from the digeredoo from the ethnic autrailians, or those indian sitar riffs. you know what i mean.

we're too connected to not be influenced by each other.

 

[thor666]

unfortunately, if u find something u hear very original and good, chances are, the artist(s) are really really very influenced by some obscure music. that's why they sound damn original.

i don't think there's anything too original. theorically if u don't want to be influenced, you should stop listening to music.

but that's not the point. good music is meant to be heard and aspiring. listen to them, but keep in mind that idea u want to be. just remember that when u write a song, or perform live, you are the one playing, not hendrix, satch, vai or anyone else u aspire. be yourself and u will be as original as u can get.

 

[reyrey]

i believe that famous guitarist like gilbert, vai or satriani, has someone or a few guitarist that influenced their way of playing guitar, just my 10 cents

 

[aeumusic]

My thoughts,

...nothing is ever truly original but more of a natural development of his/her/their combined influences, tastes & preferences to produce something, as mentioned by most folks above, & then again it's a case of being unique & sounding original to those who have not come across the music before, as compared to sounding like the norm to those who had come across that particular form of music. It just boils down to a matter of each individual's perception.

My observation is that some folks (music, arts or any other industry)that are simply too caught up with the idea of being original ultimately falls flat because trying too hard to be original is in itself not original, & worst case scenario, killing creativity itself. So why not simply sit back, relax & enjoy the process of it's creation & of course creating something that fulfills a personal enjoyment?

 

[Pulse_ironica]

The way i see it, You take what you can from the artist that inspires you then you progress to learn from diffrent influences.. when your more comfy with what you have you will branch of into a new direction and create sounds thats totally original,

fuseing what youve learned from the various artists will create a sound that will be "originally" you.. Alot of times things tend to sound the same, thats probably because alot of people have the same influences.. but honestly i have to say that there are many people in singapore who are capable of creating good original music.. To name a few Rafe, Electrico, B.quartet, soul in progress. They play totally whacked out music, kick ass and original.. They get thier inspirations from people that they idolise, fuse it together with thier other influences and the produce thier own originals..

Our influences pave the way, but theres always alternating routes down that long road..

Just my 2 cents, Nice topic man! couldnt refrain from posting my thoughts on this one.. carpe diem!

 

[3notesAbar]

Go Pulse Go!

 

[rottenramone]

..

as far as fusing goes, at one time or another, there will be some band/musician who will blow us away to bits with their style and originality. then their influence will spread across in the world of popular music.

say for example... comparing guitarists before hendrix and after hendrix.

 

[clicktokill]

its not so much as copy. but rather, we try to emulate the style because it appeals to us. eventually as we grow and mature into our respective musical err... placements, we come up with our own style.

it takes time.

and we've all got to start somewhere.

 

[Azaro]

Emulation is great, but when it subsconsiously dictates the stuff you play, then I guess that's where originality gets clobbered.

I've stopped myself at various instances of the songwriting/jamming process, often thinking 'where did I pull that line/riff/phrase from', and most times,. I end up smiling because I realise I'm channeling my musical heroes through me.

While I'm in the process of retropection with regards to songwriting, the inevitable reaction is for someone to dismiss (accurately or inaccurately), for example, that Electrico is a lousy knockoff of U2 or some other Brit band. That's the problem, isn't it?

Lenny Kravitz has the same issue of trying to escape the Hendrix-wannabe or Lennon-wannabe labels, and in that way, has lost some degree of respect among fellow musicians. Thankfully his fans aren't too bothered about his 'wannabe-dom'.

So I guess each song evolves from the music before it, but if it's just a rearrangement of the song structure, it ain't going to get us anywhere beyond the limits of what we're hearing.

I agree that playing from the heart is one way to demonstrate sincerity, but how often is that done before a thought pops in your head, and you wonder if you're getting that tone right, and if your favourite music hero were to do it, would he/she do it this way etc?

BTW, kudos to the likes of B.Quartet for showing us that there is some way out of this problem - you've just got to be gifted.

 

[3notesAbar]

They are simply a wonder of the sg music scene