DoctorWho?

I had a friend who could see colors and identify keys as such. I was amazed. I would play random notes on the guitar and he would nail them 100% of the time. He would also associate different people's personalities with different keys. He saw himself as an F# minor and me too. He had a detailed description and mood or 'feel' for each person, color and key. I thought maybe he was a rare case but it sounds like many people have this to some degree.

Semantics. Replace with the phrase of your choice. ALL of which can be debated as subjective. Isn't the larger point obvious? How easy it for someone to level a charge of bigotry against someone these days? How many artists with delusions of grandeur can claim the mantle of victim..."the world is against me!" This topic is taken up with such solemn, 8,000 word posts. I view the topic as dubious at best. When it comes to legitimate discrimination I am the first to take it to the streets but until I see obvious "oppresion" of minorities in art I regard the premise as silly.

Really? I would like to ask those reading to provide personal examples or contemporary antecdotes of a quality composer or compositions being systematically supressed and hindered due to the artist's race or ethnicity. Provided they are out there does this qualify as proof of organized, systematic bigotry in the music world? Or rather proof that *gasp* there are actually some small minded twits in decision making positions who maybe shouldn't be? A little perspective people. I'm sure you can find many frustrated artists who will declare "racism" in regard to their non success when it actualy may be due to the fact that their music simply sucks.

LOL. I would have laughed with you...and then felt like a jerk too. :whistling:

:toothygrin: Not really. Kind of like drinking milk out of the carton without checking the expiration date. Your expecting something fresh and nourishing only to find sour chunks. If you put this much time and energy into composing you must be awesome.:toothygrin:

Well, okay. That's a lot of time and effort spent to facetiously drive home a point. Can I have the 5 minutes back that I spent reading and typing in this thread? :w00t:

I'm not sure you even understand your own question (or perhaps it's me) but if one person hears a "sad" melody and is "moved" by it while another experiences "apathy" as you say...then you just proved music has no inheirent quality. Otherwise we would all experience the same thing. Fire is inheirently "hot". We ALL agree on that. "Even Now" by Barry Manilow makes some people cry. But everybody? Believe me, I weep like a school girl to certain music but that is because I bring my thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, experiences etc to the table. It's the old "If a tree falls I'm the woods" question. I side with Stavinsky and Frank Zappa on this one. Music has no inherent value in and of ITSELF. It requires "perceivers".

You mean closed minded in the sense of not having a perfect, racially harmonious utopia like all of the other tolerant countries in the world? I really do hate to say this buy get over yourself. Welcome to the human race. When it comes to art race is a non issue. Societal issue?...sure. Art? No one cares. Please don't make me list one billion examples of this already self evident point. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but the focus on race, skin color, ethnicity etc makes me sick. Art transcends ALL of that crap. Rant over.

Oh yes, I did include the roots...whoops. That just happens to be the first examples in the book to learn how to target these voicings. Not being a piano player (guitarist for 25 yrs) I have beating the hell out of those examples in all 12 keys for what seems like forever :) In later chapters this book explodes with variations, ii-v's, blues and rhythm changes examples etc. I wish I had 150 more years to tackle all of the things I want to ;)

True but shell voicings give you the essential 3rd and 7th. Add your 9ths, 13ths etc at your discretion. Forget the 5th and dense block voicings (this all depends on context of course...context is everything). For comping and rhythmic accompanyment 3/7 voicings rule. Shell voicings provide all the harmonic support you need...without the fuss.

Two words: Shell voicings. Get JAZZ KEYBOARD HARMONY: A PRACTICAL VOICING METHOD FOR ALL MUSICIANS by PHIL DeGREG The frickin' Bible for formulating jazz chords. Starting with 2- note voicings and beyond! Those big four note voicings are going to be too dense in the wrong context. Bud Powell, Bill Evans et al used these sparse shell voicings (sometimes called 3/7 voicings or Bill Evans voicings). She only needs to comp basic 2- note voicings if she is going to accompany someone. For example, C maj 7= C and B. D min 7 = D and C. G dom 7 = G and F. Does she know how to comp basic jazz rhythms? That will go a long way to making it sound authentic if she just a straight classical player.

Yes. I've transcribed jazz solos for years with guitar in hand using the instrument for translation. I realized it was a crutch. Once you "own" an interval, say...the sound of a perfect fifth...you can identify it instantly. You can use the instrument to check your perception but soon enough you feel confidence in your abilities of perception...your 'inner ear'. Steadily progress through ALL intervals to "own" them all equally. As you come to rely more on your ear (and not the comfort of an instrument) your compositions or improvisations will take on more of your natural personality. This is not to say I don't love to compose on the guitar...just not as much. I feel liberated. YOU are the instrument. I wish to suggest a phenomenal book which some of you may know and which sent me down the path to putting music to paper directly. The book is HEARING AND WRITING MUSIC: PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR TODAY'S MUSICIAN by RON GOROW. I'm sure there are countless books out there which teach these skills as well but check this one out. It is comprehensive as hell, methodical, well organized and very encouraging and inspirational. It was the tipping point for me which gave me the confidence to move into composing what I hear in my head directly to paper...which I previously considered to be some unworldly skill reserved for freakishly talented, savant types with perfect pitch lol! So NOT the case. I strongly recommend this book if you want to develop the skill of directly expressing in notation what you hear in your head. For professionals as well as beginners.

You don't need perfect pitch to compose away from the instrument. Just use relative pitch in your head or with your voice. You can transpose to any key later on depending on what you want. If I have a good idea that I need to get down quick I hum it and jot it down in C major even though I have no idea what key Im singing in. The intervals are the same.

So true!! My wife and I used to live in California which was like an arts and culture Mecca compared to AZ. For natural beauty in can't be beat. Though I have found this and hope to check it out in the near future... Musica Nova

I live in Arizona and the sunsets are astonishingly beautiful. The cloud patterns here are amazing. When I happen to witness a good one I know I am seeing the finest composition one could ask for. Now if only I can convert that into sound...