[KB50MJ]

Now I am trying to get in the music field. I know a lot about it, but believe it or not, I am not familiar with all the instruments out there and what they look and sound like.

Does anyone know of any sites that could help? Or if anyone had some advise for me.

[Clough]

Hi, KB50MJ!

By "get in the music field", what do you specifically mean, please?

Thanks!

[Clough]

Okay.

I can see that you're no longe logged onto the site, KB50MJ. I was really looking forward to discussion with you about what you're wanting to know!

I hope that you return sometime in the near future!

Thanks!

[KB50MJ]

I mean, like I'm working on becoming a singer/songwriter/producer. And being a dancer, but that is irrelevant to this subject.

[Clough]

So, what would you like to know, please?

[KB50MJ]

Basically just what every instrument is, and what it sounds like. I don't need to know how to play. I just need to be able to identify a certain instrument when I hear it so I can successfully make records.

[Clough]

So you can successfully make recordings of what, please?

Also, do you mean like writing arrangements for the various instruments to use in songs as well as pieces?

[KB50MJ]

Well I want to make songs in the pop, rock, R&B, and soul genres.

And yes, I wan;t to be able to make arrangements on my songs.

[Clough]

By "make arrangements" on your songs, I'm assuming that you would like to be able to write the musical arrangements yourself.

Would that be correct, or do you mean something else?

[KB50MJ]

Well here is the thing.

Well you know how people like Lennon, McCartney, and Michael Jackson don't read music as in sheets of music. But they still made music and did all the arrangements on their songs. MJ even said himself that reading sheets of music is not necessary. That's what I'm looking for.

[Clough]

It's not that simple, KB50MJ...

Even if a person doesn't read music or says that they don't, most chances are that they've had a great deal of training and coaching as to what to look for in making an arrangement. If they could afford a professional arranger, then the arranger would go over with the artist as far as what the artist really liked according to what the arranger wrote. In essence, it wasn't necessarilly the artist that wrote or "made" the music before it was performed.

Any of the artists that you've mentioned, they were highly gifted as well as schooled in what they did. A great deal of that "schooling" came from being on the road with other musicians and learning from them. When the artist gives almost their entire life to what they do, of course they're going to learn how to do a lot of things to speed up the process of producing what they want to produce musically.

After you read the above, I'm going to go into more of the musical styles of those artists and how they "made" what they performed, published and produced.

[Clough]

Oops! I lost you again!

I hope that you return! :)

[KB50MJ]

It OK. I'm on and off.

And yes, I agree with everything you said. But I have most of the arrangement in my head believe it or not. I just need to know the prosess of getting the music from my head and teaching it to musicians so they can play it. Which is probably writing sheet music. And then from there, I want to listen to what I have and then see how I can expand and improve spots on the song where I feel needs improvement.

And yes, I would love for you to go into detail on how those artists made their music. Especially Michael Jackson, he's an artist I very much admire.

[Clough]

I just now noticed the you had returned...

I love the music of the Beatles! A lot of basic rock music, but some variety beyond that into other styles...

John Lennon's music tended to be beautiful, but very simple in it's design and construction. Very playable and singable by musicians with some understanding of keyboarding and guitar playing.

Paul McCartney was the most learned musician of the Beatles. Really was the "brains" behind their group. Really knew his stuff about singing, writing and arranging. The most progressive of the four in terms of style. Went on to do other things musically rather than stay in limited types of style and vision. His music can be more complex, and the more difficult pieces can be more challenging to play and sing at the same time.

I love the music of Michael Jackson! Most will call it "pop". But, most of the music that he performed was in the jazz rock genre with it being "pop" enough so that it would be insured of making the charts.

Michael almost always had a group of other supporting artists and arrangers a part of and behind the music that he performed.

Below, is a list of some of them as found for one song that can be found via clicking on the following link. LINK

Credits and Personnel

* Michael Jackson - writer, arranger, composer, co-producer, vocals[1]
* Linda Harmon - additional vocals
* Bill Bottrell - co-producer, drums, synthesizer
* Byran Loren - drums
* Louis Johnson - bass
* Brad Buxer - keyboards, keyboard arranger
* David Paich - keyboard arranger
* Larry Corbett - solo cello
* George del Barrio - string arranger
* Michael Boder - keyboards, keyboard arranger
* David Paich - keyboards, keyboard arranger
* Steve Porcaro - keyboards, keyboard arranger
* Jai Winding - keyboards, keyboard arranger

[Clough]

And yes, I agree with everything you said. But I have most of the arrangement in my head believe it or not. I just need to know the prosess of getting the music from my head and teaching it to musicians so they can play it. Which is probably writing sheet music. And then from there, I want to listen to what I have and then see how I can expand and improve spots on the song where I feel needs improvement.

If all you have is a melody, then a competent arranger will be able to come up with a basic arrangement for the keyboard instantly. I'm that kind of arranger.

From there, things evolve into adding the other instruments and voices, if that's what's desired.

[KB50MJ]

Thanks for the info. The Beatles are a great band. I'm not to into their music, but I do enjoy some of their songs like Help.

But MJ is defiantly an artist that inspires me.

So basically making a song is an evolutionary thing. Like you start with a melody, then from there you and whoever your working with, will add to the song from there?

If you could, could you explain to me the process of which a song is made?

[Clough]

Sometimes a song might even just start with a progression of chords and then the melody or melodies might be developed later.

Are you familiar with Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major"?

[KB50MJ]

No I'm not.

And OK I get what your saying. Not to go off topic, but I want to go back to learning what each instrument is and how it sounds. What are some ways that you suggest I learn this? Is there a site online that can teach me? Or anyhting like a CD that will teach me or something?

[Clough]

Please click on the following link and have a listen to what's on the audio/visual links
(videos).

LINK

More about that piece at a later time...

You can listen to the sounds of various instruments by clicking on the following link and subsequent links that you'll find there.

LINK

But, what each instrument does, in terms of an arrangement of music, that takes practical instruction to know how to put the instruments in their "proper place" so to speak.

[Clough]

I can help you on this site to be able to recognize the various instruments, what they do in a song or piece and how they might be placed best in an arrangement.

I can also help you with learning how to write your own music!

It's very late though, and I really need to get some sleep because I'm starting to turn into a pumpkin!