Sticking to the Basics

Music, like anything in this world, has a few rules of thumb that it generally sticks by.

Simply because we defined it, we have bounded it by rules.

Music theory is complex (to put it mildly), but for the scope of this article I would like to focus on something simple, but of the utmost importance.

I invite you to do the following exercise:

Whenever you are playing an instrument, imagine that a couple is dancing to your playing (no matter the genre) in front of you.

Your main goal is simple: Don't ruin their dance.

How do you do that, you ask?

By not breaking or suddenly changing the rhythm of the music.

In other words, by keeping the rhythm constant throughout the entirety of the song.

And your playing doesn't have to be perfect. You can miss some notes, mute some others, play some parts out of tune, and so on.

But whatever you do, do not alter the general rhythm of the song!

Doing so will allow our fictional couple to keep dancing until the end, without us breaking their concentration.

And if they finish their dance without a problem, then you have succeeded.

You see, there are many ways in which you can make a mistake when it comes to playing/singing. But the biggest one you can make (in my opinion) is messing up the rhythm.

And I don't address this only to drummers/percussionists, or bass players.

— Maybe you are a singer who accompanies themselves with their guitar or piano. In that case you are the only one responsible for the overall feel of the song. And if you want to do music correctly, it's mandatory to keep the rhythm in check at all times.

— Maybe you are the solo guitarist in your band. Then you would have to pay very close attention to your phrasing. In other words, you have to pay attention to the rhythm.

...and while I could continue with the examples, I think this should suffice for now.

But why exactly would you want to be "correct" when it comes to playing/singing, you might ask?

Great question!

Because that's what the human brain likes.

It's as simple as that.

When our ears pick up a pattern and the brain catches it repeating, it is then easy for our brain to keep track of it.

Any change in that pattern will require additional effort on the brain's part in order to be processed and 'understood'.

We are lazy creatures, so we are always drawn to whatever is already known to us.

Because then we need to make no effort in order to understand it. Because we already know it.

So then there will be no thinking (aka effort) involved.

And where there is no effort, there is comfort.

And where there's comfort, that's where the brain likes to be the most.

And music works just like that.

(supposing it is humans you are writing music for, lol)

That's why new songs are usually not quite to our taste, but can become really enjoyable after more rounds of listening — because the brain eventually gets used to it.

That's why jazz and classical music is harder to digest at first — because it is more complex, in the sense that it is tugging harder at our 'pattern recognition' system. And our brains don't quite like it.

But if we make the effort, we can find joy and meaning in its complexity or randomness.

So whenever you are composing something, don't forget to give the brain a clear overall rhythm and a few patterns here and there for it to cling to. And your composition might then stick easier to the listener.

Of course it all depends of what you are actually trying to accomplish with it, the reason you are actually writing music, your target audience and so on.

But those rules will usually be your ally.

That, for me, is what "the basics" is all about. And something from which I almost never depart.

But at the same time, if you somehow find it to be a barrier to your creativity, you should discard it altogether.

Because these are just general rules, not "The Universal Law of Music".

So take them, internalize them, try them, and see where they lead you.

And then go from there.

Until next time...