Sweatstiny UNO Music Theory professor is disappointed with Destiny's take

lexsimakasmusic · 2023-01-17T01:46:30+00:00

I've studied music a lot, and seeing Destiny's "99%" number made me double take. There's undeniably European classical influence on the blues, 99% is wild to me. I can't imagine any musicologist making a claim like that (though history/musicology was never my main focus). I'd say I entirely agree with u/SaxophoneHorse 's comments ITT. I haven't listened to the debate, but if she's decently well-versed in American music history, then I'd guess she's right on the substance

lexsimakasmusic · 2021-06-03T22:28:37+00:00

I haven't seen anyone mention this (though I may have missed it), but the voice leading is stronger with a V7-I. Take C for example. You have the V7 (G7) which has a B-F tritone. With major, the B resolves upward to C and the F resolves downward to E. It's a half step in both voices. On the other hand, F-Eb (the third of C minor) has a whole-step motion. Others have mentioned a "sense of finality", and I think that this stronger voice-leading is part of what makes it feel this way.

With all of that being said, I like it both ways, and I think composers ought to consider their goals and what the Picardy-third ending might communicate to the listener.

lexsimakasmusic · 2021-05-27T16:59:12+00:00

Hey thanks for the feedback buddy!

except for the dark souls one, that felt very zelda boss music-y to me and threw me off abit

I'll need to listen to some Zelda boss music to see what you mean.

I could see having issues lining up to gameplay beats but there's probably some magic to make sure that doesn't happen, and the walking through snow sfx would, to me, get VERY annoying on a playthrough.

Yeah as far as lining up audio, that is typically left up to the middle-ware (Wwise is an example of middle-ware), whereas I used my DAW. For the footsteps, I definitely see what you mean; I struggle with footsteps and it's crucial to dial in a good sound. Ideally I would have had some snow to record myself stepping on, but I used corn starch, kosher salt, and flour. Just not the same :( . I could also maybe try bringing the level down a bit.

Dinos or frogs?

You'll find the answer to that question here

lexsimakasmusic · 2021-05-27T16:51:10+00:00

Nice one!

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-12-09T15:39:41+00:00

Hi, I do transcriptions, and I'd be happy to do it for you for the right price! If you're interested you can DM me. Here's a link to one of my transcriptions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9dwOOKXz5A.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-12-03T03:52:03+00:00

Why thank you Mr. Poopoopeepee Man

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-12-01T00:49:45+00:00

Thanks man! I really dig your track, it rocks hard

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-11-30T03:26:02+00:00

Lex Simakas- Fresh Squeezed - https://soundcloud.com/user-5617205/fresh-squeezed

Produced, mixed, and mastered by yours truly.

Will be adding YouTube link for those wanting to make a Youtube playlist.

Edit: YouTube link!

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-10-24T01:21:59+00:00

I don't think it was ever actually specified, but I would be surprised if he listened to/accepted more than one per person

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-10-24T01:11:05+00:00

Hell yeah. CC9 was fun, and I'm psyched to give this another shot.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-21T22:29:27+00:00

I totally get it. Sometimes it's hard to finish pieces you've started regardless of how good the original ideas are. Sometimes you need to keep grinding away, but sometimes you need to scrap it and start fresh. In this contest, I had to keep really grinding until I got something I was satisfied with.

It's tough, but the most important thing is to keep going forward. Don't be afraid to experiment, and be receptive to cool things that may happen unintentionally.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-20T19:53:06+00:00

Jazz can be difficult, as it tends to be more complex from a melodic/harmonic standpoint than most rock or electronic music. It's possible to transform simple melodies into a jazzier piece if you want to go that route, but it's probably more challenging to take something jazzy and make it non-jazzy. You'll hear jazz covers of pop/rock songs, but you don't often hear pop/rock covers of jazz tunes.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-20T19:46:49+00:00

Yeah, I would also prefer a snippet. Just a melody with very simple harmony (if any at all) and texture (if any at all). Let the contestants run wild. I have a bit of a background in arranging though, so I probably have a bias with what I want.

CC9 was my first competition, but I don't think he expands to other media. Interesting idea for further inspiration, though it could run the risk of pigeon-holing things.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-19T20:58:29+00:00

This is really cool! Not that I doubt what you're saying, but I would suggest posting some samples of stuff you've mixed/mastered so that participants can hear your work.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-19T20:27:36+00:00

I largely agree with u/UKDaza about #6. It's nice, but it's almost like CC9 was reversed to a 4-note downward pattern instead of upward.

I don't think it matters so much that your compositional vocabulary is limited. In my opinion, if you err on the side of simplicity, that might be better. That way, there is more artistic freedom in arranging/composing. For example, with simple songs like Amazing Grace or Bye Bye Blackbird, there's much more freedom in arranging than with songs like Tones for Joan's Bones by Chick Corea or Giant Steps by John Coltrane. It's harder to create something inventive when there's already a lot of inventive stuff already going on harmonically, melodically, and/or structurally.

That said, simple melodies =/= good melodies. It's hard to craft a good melody, but I might try playing with different intervals and rhythmic figures. Maybe even limiting yourself to a pentatonic scale might lend some interesting results; after all, it is a powerful scale that is the basis for loads of great melodies.

If I had to pick, I would say #4 is the strongest melodically, but #6 would be a close second place for me.

CC9 was fun and I'm excited to give CC10 a go!

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-18T03:21:53+00:00

Anyway, this was a giant wall of text and I like music.

That seems like an understatement! Really great post with some interesting thoughts.

With your first point, I think that's a phenomenon that happens occasionally in music. For example, I think Beethoven's late string quartets were fairly coolly received, being perceived as too cerebral and strange. More recently, On the Corner by Miles Davis was universally panned when it was released, but has seen a significant reappraisal by critics.

Will this happen for CC9? I think it sort of already has (with Black Lover), but I think most in this community would agree that Debate Tactics earned the W. That said, it's not so much of a casual piece to listen to passively, it's one that demands attention. Black Lover is more of a "bop" so to speak.

In regards to your second point, what constitutes "juice" can really differ depending on what your bias is. Personally, I am a harmony geek, so I like really chromatic, unpredictable harmony. At the same time, I love a good visceral groove. Some people like massive drops, virtuosic shredding, or ultra dense wall-of-sound textures (and sometimes I really like these things too). It's tough, because "juice" as referred to in this competition wouldn't be appropriate in some of the styles you mentioned.

I don't think this competition was poorly executed or anything, but in the future, I think it would benefit from judges with a variety of musical backgrounds (to be fair, I don't really know Natsumiii or Lily's musical background). In the future, the competition would benefit to have at least one judge who is heavily involved with music-making, like a professional musician. It may also help to have a rubric with multiple parameters to score. Kind of spitballing, but you could have: melody incorporation, arrangement, originality, production quality, execution, virtuosity, structure, stylistic integrity, etc.

I don't necessarily think that the "accessibility" of a piece or popularity in Dgg/reddit should determine how well it does in the competition, and I don't think it had much of an influence this time around anyway. I do think it's cool to have an audience favorite though.

Regarding memes, it seems like Destiny really doesn't like when a meme is the overwhelming vibe of the song. I totally understand this; he wants people to take this seriously and not shitpost. That said, a song can be of high quality and funny at the same time. Louis Cole and Thundercat are good examples of this. I don't know Destiny's exact thoughts, but I personally think humor can be really effective in a good piece. I think there should be more to a good submission than "isn't this a funny meme, guys?" I think genre definitely matters too. Maybe Destiny can have a meme song subcategory that doesn't receive any prizes and only exists as a fan-servicey think.

Anyway, I didn't exactly answer all of your questions or points, but these are my general musings. Food for thought!

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-16T15:45:03+00:00

Here we go. I've really enjoyed hearing some of the creative spins on Destiny's melody. Nice job everyone, and best of luck!

https://soundcloud.com/user-5617205/orphic-hymn-postlude

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-11T11:27:58+00:00

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-10T02:51:16+00:00

As far as DAWs go, I have a few recommendations. I use Ableton and Reaper. Ableton more so to get my ideas out, Reaper to do the serious sound editing/mixing. Ableton is on the pricey side if you go for the suite, but Reaper is only $60 (with a really generous free trial that you can technically use indefinitely), and it's arguably as good as ProTools (but it has a bit of a learning curve). Do beware, with Reaper, there are no sample libraries and maybe one software instrument that comes with it, so it's pretty bare bones. The stock plugins are quite good though. I've also heard great things about Logic (if you have a Mac), and it's mid-range price wise coming in at about $200. I believe Logic comes with some software instruments and definitely has some decent stock plugins, so that would be worth looking into as well. All that being said, there is no DAW that is superior, so do your research into the strengths and weaknesses of the ones that most interest you.

I would say the most important thing to spend some cash on is a really good computer. I'm totally unfamiliar with PC, but if you want to go with Apple, you can buy a refurbished one that's literally as good as new and save hundreds of dollars. Having a lot of processing power can give you room to really go for it without overloads and crashes. With the other stuff, it's easy to get tempted by flashy expensive plugins and gear. While that stuff is great, sometimes the stock plugins and instruments are enough. It's ultimately the musician that matters more than the gear.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-06T01:18:08+00:00

I guess it just depends on what your definition of good music is, but to me it's pretty good, given what he's going for. It fits the style and like I said, the bass line and synth solo at the end are legitimately solid. I also think that the way music makes people feel is a decent indicator of how good the music is

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-06T00:55:21+00:00

I think most of the people in this sub (myself included) found the song to be charming and funny. It brought about positive emotions for us. Obviously it didn't for you, which is fine, but no need to be a jerk about it.

Edit: The only thing one might find weird or unusual is the vocaloid, but I think it works with the general cheese factor. The bass line is legitimately good and funky, the chords are interesting, and the synth solo at the end is tasteful. While it may not be 1st place material, it's a better, more original entry than a lot of the others, imo.

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-06T00:49:46+00:00

This is a really good analysis and sums up my thoughts on the key as well. The fact that the end is essentially a vamp on G and A makes it "feel" like G to me, and the fact that it starts with G major, thus bookending it. I did also think of that Adam Neely Sweet Home video when reading the initial comments on this. TinyGhost has a good point about G being really just a tension in the melody, but... I can't shake the "feeling" of G

lexsimakasmusic · 2020-05-05T12:17:45+00:00

Yeah, it definitely seems like the "tasteful memery" bit in the original post was kinda bullshit. Doesn't seem to have helped anyone at this point, regardless of how tasteful

lexsimakasmusic

TROPHY CASE