Become So Good (on Kronos) They Can’t Ignore You

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:22 pm

Practice your scales every day

And here's a good motivational article for us song writers:

https://medium.com/swlh/how-you-can-bec ... 55e3a7d4e1

(snip)
Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives.

The world needs more creators, not consumers.

We have come this far because a few bold innovators and creators chose to create, build, make, do, or start something.

“We are made to create. We feel useful when we create. We release our ‘stuckness’ when we create. We reinvent our lives, tell new stories, and rebuild communities when we create. We reclaim our esteem, our muse, and our hope when we create.”

You can persuade almost anyone, with anything, if you persistently share your body of work, and don’t go away.

Pedja · Post by **Pedja** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:01 pm

GregC thanks for this. All we need this, practice and creation. I practice every day with improvisations not only with notes but with colors too. This is very similar from layers of colors to layers of instruments and sounds.
I want to add one more, try to not be replicator only, just try to improvise for fun, and amuse yourself. Kronos is great instrument for this. Thanks again for this subject!!!

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:14 pm

You must try one, indeed.

Have a close look to Pitch Bender, as it is one well kown weak point of the Kronos. For that, try whatever lead sound you want, operate the Joystick for several times on the both axes. Then let it back to the center position and go on playing with the same sound during some minutes, don't change anything else.
When the blender is worn out, the pitch of the sound suddely shift up or down.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:37 pm

Pedja wrote:GregC thanks for this. All we need this, practice and creation. I practice every day with improvisations not only with notes but with colors too. This is very similar from layers of colors to layers of instruments and sounds.
I want to add one more, try to not be replicator only, just try to improvise for fun, and amuse yourself. Kronos is great instrument for this. Thanks again for this subject!!!

Hi Pedja, good to hear from you.

My warm up routine is simple but I am consistent. 20 minutes on scales/ARPS/chromatic. Nothing especially challenging.
My piano skills are average , nothing special technically.

My biggest challenge is promotion of my originals. The blog, medium.com is very good for creative people.

I think us Kronos owners, us song writer have the pieces of the puzzle. We know we have to practice, be consistent. We have a fantastic instrument, Kronos.

And I am getting good advice from this blog, about the challenges we face as song writers.

I am not the most patient person. I now realize, that it will take at least
24 months to progress on the promotion side.

The rest is now up to us. As this article states

whatever oy · Post by **whatever oy** » Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:53 pm

NUMBER uno, my friend, IS one word. MELODY

Think Ravel, Debussy, Chopin, Bill Evans Erroll Garner JSBach
I do not think melodically gifted people are common.
All the rest of us can do, is do our best to be musical.

Just a piano is an amazing opportunity for creativity

but Melody is the pinnacle .

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 12:40 am

whatever oy wrote:NUMBER uno, my friend, IS one word. MELODY

Think Ravel, Debussy, Chopin, Bill Evans Erroll Garner JSBach
I do not think melodically gifted people are common.
All the rest of us can do, is do our best to be musical.

Just a piano is an amazing opportunity for creativity

but Melody is the pinnacle .

my drummer friend says tempo and beat is everything

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:31 am

2 hours a day practicing and playing is not enough, i know
But thats all my wife and daytime job allow

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:55 am

Bachus wrote:2 hours a day practicing and playing is not enough, i know
But thats all my wife and daytime job allow

2 hours seems like enough given everyone has priorities, etc
Thats about what I put in. I am 65.

A friend said never compare your self to a 'pro'. He is right. And here is why- It would take me 4 hours a day , and about 8 years to get maybe get 10% as skilled as a Tony Banks, Emerson, etc.

I know my strengths and 'exploit ' that with my 2 hours. I have specific goals for the next year and focus on reaching them. I can easily get distracted with numerous pending projects but they are a 2nd or 3rd priority.

A musician does not have to plan like this but I need to, to achieve what I want to achieve.

BobTheDog · Post by **BobTheDog** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 6:28 pm

Many years ago I played in a band and we were all pretty good/competent apart from the Sax player who was amazing.

At one point we were in a studio making a 4 track EP type CD for selling at gigs and the Sax player got a bit bored in one of the down times and started playing the keyboard players keyboard.

Unfortunately for the keyboard player she was also an amazing keyboard player, better that she was at the Sax and far better then the keyboard player.

It didn't help that she said she was rusty and hadn't touched a piano in years, that is when I realised that practise can only get you so far and the keyboard player realised his days were numbered.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:44 pm

BobTheDog wrote:Many years ago I played in a band and we were all pretty good/competent apart from the Sax player who was amazing.

At one point we were in a studio making a 4 track EP type CD for selling at gigs and the Sax player got a bit bored in one of the down times and started playing the keyboard players keyboard.

Unfortunately for the keyboard player she was also an amazing keyboard player, better that she was at the Sax and far better then the keyboard player.

It didn't help that she said she was rusty and hadn't touched a piano in years, that is when I realised that practise can only get you so far and the keyboard player realised his days were numbered.

Not that I am counting, there are about 12,712,593 keyboard players better than me. And that figure is from last December, likely even bigger today.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:02 am

Not that I am counting, there are about 12,712,593 keyboard players better than me.

Sorry Greg - wrong - you counted me in on the wrong side - so it's only 12,712,592 now

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:14 am

karmathanever wrote:
Not that I am counting, there are about 12,712,593 keyboard players better than me.
Sorry Greg - wrong - you counted me in on the wrong side - so it's only 12,712,592 now

I knew practicing the 8 note C major scale with my right hand would push me closer to the top of the heap

kronoSphere · Post by **kronoSphere** » Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:08 pm

I play my favourite F# only with my nose. So am I excluded ????

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Sun Apr 22, 2018 6:24 pm

kronoSphere wrote:I play my favourite F# only with my nose. So am I excluded ????

Thats just showing off