Is it possible to be a good composer, but a terrible player?

shiny1 · 6th January 2012, 2:11 PM

Hi guys, a random thought just popped into my head. Is it possible to compose decent music, but be not-as-good playing it?

I ask this because I did piano until grade 6-7 and then stopped for a long period of time. I still have music knowledge, but my technical ability is quite poor. I am able to jam out random songs and play new pop songs by ear, but ask me to read sheet music and I'll spend hours getting the first line right.

Of course, with practical ability comes theory, and although I have forgotten a lot of it, I still know what sounds nice and what doesn't. So, with these points in mind, is there ever a case where someone has composed a song, but still suck at playing it, or am I just a one-off loser who can't play properly?

spootmonkey · 6th January 2012, 2:33 PM

Terrible might make it difficult.

BigandY · 6th January 2012, 2:52 PM

Composition and performance have almost nothing to do with each other directly - yes, you absolutely can be a brilliant composer but a shit performer. Musical understanding and interpretation is a far more basic skill than performance and composition abilities, and this understanding can translate to either, or both abilities.

broccoli · 6th January 2012, 3:15 PM

My piano teacher told me that he started out being totally crap and one day it all fell into place. He went on to be a professional musician.

I'm kind of crap at playing but in my head I'm playing it properly (ie I look at the music and it's all fine in my head, but my fingers are impatient).

So yes, I agree with bigandY.

nickeax · 6th January 2012, 7:08 PM

Just keep doing it if you like it, after all, the main idea is to have fun right? If you're not having fun you probably won't improve anyway. I've been dabbling with music for 30 years and I know I'll never be any chop at playing or composing, but I love it. Sometimes I think the pressure of being good would destroy the fun factor.

XandraX · 8th January 2012, 5:58 PM

Classic example of this is Bob Dylan. Wrote amazing songs but didn't quite have the voice or ability to fully do them justice, especially live.

Elliott Smith also created amazing songs but often couldn't pull them off live, much to his own frustration.

Deckham · 8th January 2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickeax

Just keep doing it if you like it, after all, the main idea is to have fun right? If you're not having fun you probably won't improve anyway. I've been dabbling with music for 30 years and I know I'll never be any chop at playing or composing, but I love it. Sometimes I think the pressure of being good would destroy the fun factor.

I've heard some of your stuff, mate - you are hardly 'not much chop'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by XandraX

Classic example of this is Bob Dylan. Wrote amazing songs but didn't quite have the voice or ability to fully do them justice, especially live.

Elliott Smith also created amazing songs but often couldn't pull them off live, much to his own frustration.

Dylan is just one of those guys. Polarising. Like Geddy Lee, Tom Waits, hell, even Jimmy Durante - you love 'em, or they grate on your ears.

Raykay · 10th January 2012, 8:58 AM

Same here! I can compose songs I really like, but find them very difficult to play, thank god for MIDI.

^catalyst · 10th January 2012, 9:25 AM

Wasn't Beethoven pretty much deaf in the end?

SpudBoy · 10th January 2012, 9:39 AM

BigandY has nailed it.

Luke212 · 10th January 2012, 9:53 AM

you need a good musical feel whether you are a composer or a performer. an abstract term, but mostly just meaning you can put a story in someones head.

what tool do you use to compose? if it is the piano then you are going to need to be a good performer. this is why many of the great composers were great performers. but these days you have the option of other tools like a computer, and digital recording. so there is less of a need to be so dexterous on the keys.

broccoli · 10th January 2012, 12:37 PM

You can also team up with someone who has the skills that you lack. You don't have to compose solo.

m3k · 1st June 2012, 10:44 PM

yes

,

oculi · 1st June 2012, 10:57 PM

absolutely, case in point (as i'm reasonably sure Richard D james can't play the piano)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfYl6_f2Mdg

comatosed · 3rd June 2012, 7:39 PM

first post wooo!

But to add to the thread, I have a friend that has absolutely no musical ability or knowledge, but thanks to guitar pro he's written 100's of songs. And they are not that bad!

6th January 2012, 2:33 PM	#2
spootmonkey Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: DPR Brunswick Posts: 7,791	Terrible might make it difficult. __________________ "A bet is a tax on bullshit; and it is a just tax, tribute paid by the bullshitters to those with genuine knowledge."

10th January 2012, 9:53 AM	#11
Luke212 Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NSW Posts: 6,535	you need a good musical feel whether you are a composer or a performer. an abstract term, but mostly just meaning you can put a story in someones head. what tool do you use to compose? if it is the piano then you are going to need to be a good performer. this is why many of the great composers were great performers. but these days you have the option of other tools like a computer, and digital recording. so there is less of a need to be so dexterous on the keys. __________________ Democracy's greatest trick was convincing man he was informed.

1st June 2012, 10:57 PM	#14
oculi Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,033	absolutely, case in point (as i'm reasonably sure Richard D james can't play the piano) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfYl6_f2Mdg __________________ Reality or nothing

6th January 2012, 7:08 PM	#5
nickeax (Banned or Deleted) Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,047	Just keep doing it if you like it, after all, the main idea is to have fun right? If you're not having fun you probably won't improve anyway. I've been dabbling with music for 30 years and I know I'll never be any chop at playing or composing, but I love it. Sometimes I think the pressure of being good would destroy the fun factor.

8th January 2012, 5:58 PM	#6
XandraX Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Brisbane Posts: 600	Classic example of this is Bob Dylan. Wrote amazing songs but didn't quite have the voice or ability to fully do them justice, especially live. Elliott Smith also created amazing songs but often couldn't pull them off live, much to his own frustration.

10th January 2012, 8:58 AM	#8
Raykay Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,569	Same here! I can compose songs I really like, but find them very difficult to play, thank god for MIDI.

10th January 2012, 9:25 AM	#9
^catalyst Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: melbourne Posts: 10,138	Wasn't Beethoven pretty much deaf in the end?

1st June 2012, 10:44 PM	#13
m3k Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 525	yes ,

3rd June 2012, 7:39 PM	#15
comatosed Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 5	first post wooo! But to add to the thread, I have a friend that has absolutely no musical ability or knowledge, but thanks to guitar pro he's written 100's of songs. And they are not that bad!