Only one thing came up my mind when i saw this thread
charlie waffles

 

One of the biggest secrets that you can use to create great music in your career (suitable for children, adults, grandparents etc.) is:

Try not to use dance rhythms as much as you can.

Forget the dance rhythms and don't let them affect your music.

 

So only non danceable rhythms? What about old dances like menuets, waltzes ect? The most popular pieces from Chopin and many other classical composers were dances xD

 

If I want to rate all the influencing factors in the creation of a work, the influence of rhythm is more important than other factors. Above 50% or maybe much more.

The effect of rhythm is so great that most genres of music are categorized based on rhythm or tempo.

Rhythm is an abstract concept and in nature, it does not have an objective appearance, but it affects the work of art in a way that the other elements may not be very effective like it.

The choice of rhythm without considering the power of its impact, imprisons the work of art in an untouchable and impenetrable prison. A prison from which the work of art cannot be easily released.

 

Given that this is a thread about writing cheerful, throwaway ditties for kiddies to carelessly jump about to, i think your point (while not altogether invalid) in this context is misplaced.

I would, however, remind you that rhythm is only a creative 'prison' if you allow it to be. Indeed, imho there is much inspiration to be had in a solid groove, it really does depend on who/what you're writing for.

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2023

How can you be creative in a prison?

Solidity is only to maintain the physical shape. All life lies in fluidity.

A solid thing, like a fluid, does not have the ability to move so it cannot be said that it is alive. There are much stronger materials than a human body, but none of them are alive. Humans are made up of mostly fluid substances that the movement of these fluid substances in the body makes it's considered alive.

Dance rhythms impose very dry structures that affect the entire inner life of the work.


Unless you say:
Solidity and fluidity are relative.

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2023

A pedantic, literal misinterpretation to what i wrote illustrates only one thing:- you, sir, can't dance to save your life...

 

You mean that you use dry structures to move your body? What does dryness have to do with movement?

 

Seriously, though, it seems to me that your dispassionate, analytical approach to life, music & culture denies you a felt appreciation of the essential, primal motives/passions that inform and define the multitudes - especially so in a this (in)human world, build by & for exploitation, coersion & control. Most music has absolutely NOTHING to do with educated or elite appreciation, but instead exists adjunct to people's lives, as they dance, celebrate, love, screw, fantasise, jog, work etc.

Very few people derive pleasure from e.g. Albert Schoenberg. And even if a person adores 'sophisticated' music, it doesn't follow they want to hear it when out socialising or heading home after a hard days night - it seems much music connects in ways that your myopic, prissy, cerebral aesthetic simply can't fathom.

You really should commit yourself to a creative fact-finding adventure and head out clubbing a few different venues/styles/audiences - i bet you'd arrive at the other end a better persion, plus you might finally learn how to dance...

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2023

Melody and lyrics are the principles when writing songs to convey a message to children, the rhythm supports those two things. Think: nursery rhymes set to music.

The one time that I was charged with writing a theme song for children's television...the lyrics were descriptive, the melody memorable and the drums used after the intro and just in the second part of the song to raise the energy.

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2023

Music for children:



God, be their support. Amen...

 

Mo' beta...

 

@Paul Pi Now that is some serious childrens music. Mancini. The kind where they still will learn how to play instruments because of it

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2023

Amen to that, brother - even kids who've no idea what jazz is dig its playful, seductive, sophisticated vibe.

 

It will also teach them to be interested in safe cracking, gunplay, outsmarting Gendarmes, art forgery, and all the other dark art skills required of them to become Real Musicians. Jokes aside, Henry Mancini's work remains untouchable today. It is too slick. He was the Original Gangster and an absolute musical genius. His work is the sound of an era. One of my personal favorites. damn. <3

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2023

was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film.

Of course, simple dance rhythms were not his favorites. You can't imagine what dance rhythms do to the music.

PS:
Try not to use dance rhythms once, see how hard it becomes to make music. If you listen to all the songs available on online music platforms, you will boldly come to the conclusion that over 90% of them use dance rhythms and that is an unmitigated disaster to music. The debacle of the 21st century in music.

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2023

Reminds me of my first songs I did in Musescore. Sounds really nostalgic

 

But unfortunately, music producers do not allow the voice of God to reach children directly with their dance rhythms.

 

The absolute pinnacle of children's songs are these two. If you can manage to absorb every musical ideas in them, you can endlessly write new material.

Dogs of Glory

Where's the Monkey?

 

To make this music, several conditions are necessary:

1- The person who produces these works must be an instrumentalist beside composing lots of music.
2- Be a singer.
3- Be a poet or a songwriter or a storyteller.
4- He should have enough experience in life with children and know their needs.



When someone does not have these conditions and his only experience is working with DAWs, he definitely cannot produce such things.

Those 4 conditions that I mentioned are mostly capabilities that are obtained by old and traditional methods. New educational methods are not able to make people who have the above 4 abilities.

It is better for music producers to focus their music on dance clubs rather than educating children or coming up with new ideas to improve the situations.