The thing we all have to remember, it's not about sound, it's about emulation of the characteristics of the instrument we are portraying and it's about delivering an expressive performance.

Learning MIDI is like learning another instrument, it takes time, practice and dedication to improvement.

Listen intently to the instrument you are trying to emulate. Not just to the tone, not just to the melody, as these are of minor importance.

Listen to the subtle nuances, the pitch variations in both degree and speed, the dynamic variations, the variations in tonal color, both attack and release timing variations, ornaments used, phrasing (includes breathing and rushing parts of the phrase and dragging others), and so on. Then figure out how to use them with your synth. These are the things that create a convincing emulation.

To help your listening, think about the physical characteristics of the instrument you are portraying - guitars bend pitch from in tune to sharp when using finger vibrato, wind instruments need to find places to breathe (usually after longer notes), guitar chords don't play all the notes at the same time and often start a little ahead of the beat, guitars make use of hammer-ons and pull-offs, saxes use their lip for pitch bend intentionally (not like a LFO), trombonists use the slide for expression, drummers hit in different places on the head for different sounds, in a single stroke roll one hand of the drummer is stronger than the other, and so on and on and on. The physical characteristics of the instrument can help your analytical listening.

If you are going to play saxophones, guitars, trumpets, harmonicas, accordions, etc., like you are playing a piano, you aren't going to do a good emulation even if you are using a synth with 100% perfect tone. The 'holy grail' is in the details, not the tone.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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