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If I were to learn an instrument for my projects, which would be best if just one?

H

harmonica44

Lately my passion for music has strangely come back. I use to have it as a kid but lost it as I grew up. But I keep finding myself wanting to take it up again and learn an instrument. Working with a composer recently may have been the reason too. I figure it might as well learn an instrument I could apply to the soundtrack of my projects. Is their one instrument I should learn above all others though, if I were to just pick one for movies?

I am also inspired by how John Carpenter scored his own movies too, and he used the synthesizer. That's one option, but if non-synth instrument may sound more cinematic, I could learn that as well. I was thinking of the violin, but that would take a longer time to practice with I was told. Not that I mind, but I was thinking of learning something I could apply to my projects in the next two years after getting good at it hopefully.

Is the synth still good, or have people lost respect for it overtime, in favor of orchestras with other instruments? If I learn it, I figure I have more than one instrumental sound at my disposal, but the downside is, is that all my music might sound synthetic though.

What do you think?
 
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I'd say keyboard as well. It opens up a lot. You can use programs like LMMS, with some pretty decent free VSTs and before you now it, you're on your way to scoring.
 
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maz said:
...............


I know you were trying to make a serious point but I can't help but read this as a Seinfeld-esque euphemism :lol:
Click to expand...

LOL
I never watched Seinfeld, but it indeed sounds like a shady eufemism, now I read it again :P

maz said:
I write music (for a given value of "write" and, indeed, "music", but I don't play an instrument. I'm a freak... :)
Click to expand...

You make ambient noise or drone? ;)

I still have an analogue 8-track cassette recorder. Haven't used it for almost 10 years: no time and besides that: I'm not a great musician:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=2248733
But it was fun to make some doom metal :P
I played all guitars, bass guitar (had it for 3 weeks when I recorded this, lol), synth, programmed the drums on MC-50 sequencer and did some 'lovely' 'singing'.
 
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I'm a Drummer, I teach drums for part of a living. I have to say it is really easy just a half hour a day in practice can get you far. I also know a bit of guitar/bass and keys.
So try drums just a half hour a day for a year. You will be good enough to record something by then.
 
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Scoring for movies

I would say piano. The real instrument piano. Then when your familiar with that, all the keyboard resources with vst instruments are at your hand. For mastering complex things, your looking at more than two years, perhaps a lifetime, but in two years, simple tunes can be possible and they might be as good as any as long as your soul is in it. Thats what music is about, you should definitely play if you enjoyed music before. Go ahead, have fun!
In my opinion, it's better with a simple tune or just a few chords if it has emotion in it and really fit the picture, than factory made loops and samples that no work has been added to. It's so easy to make sound nowadays but still as hard to make good music as before.

Follow your taste, listen to composers you like and practice, practice. :)

My instruments are piano and a bit drums. And I score my own projects. The tracks in these videos were made with vst instruments (and a few elements of my own recorded samples).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48kFCXXjFsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICnWPq0ImGI
 
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