Musicians: Where does your inspiration come from?

I'm a musical retard and know very little about music writing/sequencing. So forgive my ignorance when responding to the below questions. They're only to nurture my own respect for the skill.

When you're making music, do you get ideas from listening to other peoples music? Or can listening to other peoples music kinda discourage you if the stuff you would want to make already exists in pretty big volume? If you hum a tune, are you able to reproduce it exactly or is sequencing mostly just like throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks? Do you ever find yourself not making the kind of music you would want to hear if you don't feel skilled enough so you make stuff in a different genre because its easier?


Lets say youre invited to help make music for someone's project, does it help when people describe the kind of music they want, or link you to music they like and what they want their project to sound like? Or do you just make whatever you feel like making at the time and the users can take it or leave it? Does it help to see or participate in the project you'll be making music for? What kind of information best helps draw out your best work, or rather what worked for your best stuff in the past? What are some of your own favorite works and what's special about it?

You don't have to answer the questions specifically, I'm just curious. There seems to be many musicians here but I rarely see threads talking about the struggles of challenges with making it like mapping or graphic editing or scripting seems to make.

I used to struggle with creative block really badly, but I've managed the last 6 months without any burnout, that's been quite nice.

I don't really have any formal music education - I'm doing a production course at the moment, but for writing music I've learnt basically everything I know from studying other MIDIs, particularly these from when I was still starting out: 1, 2, 3). The first of those directly led to Revilution MAP32's music, the second to MAP31, and the third not to any specific track but it was definitely very influential on me (Revilution has some of my oldest stuff, and it's still not released ._.).
I still sort of do this I guess. Occasionally hear I songs that make me think "damn I wish I wrote that," and this happened literally yesterday with Cloud Soup by Jimmy. Rather than be discouraged that it's already been written*, I think it's better to study the track to try and figure out why it's so good, and incorporate some of that in some future work. Preferably without ripping it off but I don't always succeed in that!

_{* Though I can't resist mentioning that Cloud Soup sounds a bit like my first ever midi, except Cloud Soup is actually good!}

I did one song for Into the Void, Obsidian linked me to some Tool song (Parabola) and it was nothing like the track he had sitting on his map at that time (AV MAP20). I took the general idea of quieter ambientish parts and loud heavy metal parts and ended up with Descent of Madness. I wish Into the Void was actually going somewhere, seemed like a really interesting project to write for.

Hope this answered some of the questions, I do waffle on a lot about music.. D:

40oz said:

When you're making music, do you get ideas from listening to other peoples music?

Yes. It's interesting to hear other people's perspective, and get ideas for new techniques, or be inspired by the skills of other people. Just like any other field (and life itself), it's easy to become myopic in your viewpoint so I think it's critical to listen to what other people are doing to help avoid this.

40oz said:

Or can listening to other peoples music kinda discourage you if the stuff you would want to make already exists in pretty big volume?

I don't want to make redundant music, but I'll only be discouraged if I feel like there's no new ground to cover. But there is always new ground to cover, even in an old genre, because a large component in art is self expression, and there's only ever been one me. I'll avoid directly copying things, and occasionally do a cover of a piece of music I really like, but mostly I view other people's music as interesting places to explore further, rather than barriers to move forward.

40oz said:

If you hum a tune, are you able to reproduce it exactly or is sequencing mostly just like throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks?

I can reproduce it exactly. I mean, I can always just record myself humming... I don't view this as a particularly high level skill.

As far as coming up with new things, it is somewhat like throwing stuff at a wall in the sense that there is always a period of time where I'm fiddling around trying to get something I'm happy with. I normally have some idea of what I'm trying to do (e.g. make a bass part), but I'm normally not set on what the end result will be going in.

40oz said:

Do you ever find yourself not making the kind of music you would want to hear if you don't feel skilled enough so you make stuff in a different genre because its easier?

Over time I have learned to do what I want to do. I've failed to achieve what I wanted at various points, but I've never avoided doing what I want to do because it's too hard. I just do it badly till I can to it well.

40oz said:

Lets say youre invited to help make music for someone's project, does it help when people describe the kind of music they want, or link you to music they like and what they want their project to sound like? Or do you just make whatever you feel like making at the time and the users can take it or leave it?

Describing what you want as well as linking to something similar to what you want are both helpful. When describing, be general and big picture, focusing on things like emotion/mood, tempo (how fast it should be), loud/quiet, and perhaps a broad genre description (rock/ambient/reggae etc). If you want to get any more specific than that and you should be writing the music yourself.

40oz said:

Does it help to see or participate in the project you'll be making music for?

To have the option to see the visuals and gameplay your music will be matched with can't hurt.

40oz said:

What kind of information best helps draw out your best work, or rather what worked for your best stuff in the past?

Art is subjective, but if you're going to work with an artist you can develop somewhat objective guidelines that will increase the likelihood you'll get what you want. Describe what type of level it is in terms that relate to music, like pace, intensity, mood. Don't try to micromanage, it won't work.

40oz said:

What are some of your own favorite works and what's special about it?

I'm not a doom music person, but just a music person. But if we're talking doom, the original doom (1 & 2) music is pretty good. If I had to pick one track, probably E1L2 (The Imp's Song). I love the bassline, and the whole thing sets an amazing mood. It's so doom.

As far as music in general, The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails is my biggest inspiration. The production on that album is fantastic. I still don't think it's been beaten. The density of ideas and cool sounds is mind boggling. They really went all out with it.

40oz said:

You don't have to answer the questions specifically, I'm just curious. There seems to be many musicians here but I rarely see threads talking about the struggles of challenges with making it like mapping or graphic editing or scripting seems to make.

Music is a hard thing to talk about. It's one of those things where every individual has their own personal relationship. Music deals with emotion, and emotion is subjective. And it goes deep.

I hope this helps.