The title of the movie is,
THE CURSE OF THE QUANTIZE BUTTON!!!!!
and it has affected most of us.
Many music computer users don't have keyboard skills, and given this is the most likely form of input, it's important to devote time to improving these skills.
For players, we can all remember the hard work as beginners, playing scales and long notes to improve dexterity and for wind players the stamina that goes into a good embouchre.
With our computer based technology, we need to to practise too. Trying new things, learning about samples, and sequencers, and programs and ram and rom and cpu load, and a myriad of things. We sit for hour after hour, writing, programming, and improving as we devote so much time to this, our passionate pursuit. But how many actually spend half an hour per day practising their keyboard skills? Scales have their uses, for example, playing a run for violins naturally, as a human being, with some notes slightly shorter or longer than others, and the flexible tempo we play based loosely around a metronomic foundation.
Then, we have the quanitze button. A marketing tool of unpparalleled success. Now, those who don't have keyboard skills can plonk in their notes, hit the button and voila, a metronomically perfect line, on the beat every time. Some say this is essential, and gives those with limited skills an opportunity to make music.
I partially agree, but is the output music?
I, and probably several others here, have had formal training playing piano and other instruments, so we can play lines fluidly and fluently, relying on a consistency developed from years of practise and study. But for those who haven't, and are using a piano keyboard for the first time, the quantize button can seem a real saviour, correcting all those stilted and unweildy input attempts, and turning the result into 'Music.'
If you want your music to sound live, then play live, and if neccessary, practise.
It's not a chore to be resented or derided, but an investment in your future. Imagine the time you could save, if you played everything in naturally, and imagine the live result you would get. No longer the robotic feel, and the clearly audible 'sequencer result', but a living piece of music, imperfect in it's lack of metronomic precision, but far more live as a result.
I encourage all of you to be successful and realise your potential.
Half an hour each day will pay big dividends in the future, and reduce the perceived need for that curse of the music software program, the quantize button. Really, it's just an excuse for not becoming a better player, isn't it?
I wish you all, success.
Regards,
Alex.
