PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Songwriting Why All Country Music Sounds The Same

There's some really great information in that video. Some of it is a bit off though.

The "essence" of that groove is in those songs, but he made it appear as if that EXACT groove was in those songs. Close, but he is actually missing some notes. Again, the point is still fairly solid. I'm REALLY surprised it took him until now to figure this out!

That groove has been around a few years, and obviously has worked well. I'm not sure if I did, but at one point I was going to ask PG to do some tracks with that groove to help with some of the modern writing.

Another way of looking at it is 11 of the 20 songs don't use that type of groove.

Thanks for sharing the video!

You can always use a midi drum synth

<< That groove has been around a few years, and obviously has worked well. I'm not sure if I did, but at one point I was going to ask PG to do some tracks with that groove to help with some of the modern writing. >>

<< You can always use a midi drum synth >>


or, do what I'm about to do and record the audio from 0.21 - 0.27 from the video where he demonstrates the 'groove' and make it into a loop using Realband.

now that's funny right there

That what I do. I'm a drummer, so I trigger slate from my kit. I would be nice to have a whole "band" set up to compliment that grove with a style was my thought. A selling point for PG if you ask me.

That IS funny! As with most humor, probably because it's true.

It it's not, you so know it COULD be

You're the best Charlie!

This drum groove IS already available in BIAB.

The new Shannon Forrest "ModCountry16ths" and "PopCountry16ths" from set 262 are exactly this groove.

Upgrade!

Awesome! Drums only? Any complimenting groves on other instruments?

That question has a lot of different answers, I think. There seems to be a rush-to-judgment by many (in Off-Topic and Windows BIAB threads) that "BIAB cannot do 'Modern Country'". I do not agree with that assessment. You simply have to use your imagination (I know you have plenty of that!). You have to be able to pick out the elements that make up the modern sound and figure out which RTs to put together to build that (I believe you are better equipped than any of the rest of us to determine that list of pieces). The sync acoustic works well. The banjos work. The new atmospheric steels are a no-brainer. A held electric. An arp electric with some wild delay. A busy, steady bass.

And, of course, there is the question of...do people write in a style that works for that sound? And that is a huge part. You cannot write in the style of your Country and Rock heroes of the 70's and put it to a Modern Country musical bed and expect it to work. So for the large majority of writers in these-here-parts (this forum), it would require adding a writing skill that they currently lack. But that is an entirely different subject (I know you have that skill in spades!)

So... basically... I think the answer to your question is:

They are there if you know what to look for.

The last time I was hip they still called it "Hep"!

I know you know this, but BIAB is ABSOLUTELY capable of doing "modern country." You hit the nail on the head with "how to" for orchestration. I plugged in my upgrade drive tonight and gave it a listen. There is So MUCH great stuff to work with! So much!



I think people fall into a rut of "knowing everything" already. Once we fall into generalizations without really seeing the differences we are stuck.

I love how you have kept your perspective and apply it so well. There isa reason you write at the level you do. Observation.





Agreed! Now, if I could just get my drums to play "modern country." Any suggestions?

Sure!...Here is how to get YOUR drum kit to play Modern Country:

1. Get a computer (small laptop best for this application).
2. Load some type beat generation software (Fruity Loops might be a good choice. I'm not "up" on what might be current - that might make a good thread, though...)
3. Experiment creating beats. A thick synth bass. A snappy hand clap sound. A shaker.
4. Once you find a groove similar to "new country"...
.... set the laptop on top of your snare.

FUNNY ... but, oh so true!

I missed a step or did something wrong along the way. I'll break down my process and see if you can see any flaws in my execution.



This is 'Merica. Go big or go home. I grabbed my old Tandy computer out, cassette drive and all. It's a beast! Laptop..smh.



To each his/her own, but I prefer "Grape Nuts" to those "Fruit Loops." This is country music. I want the grit, NOT the sugar of pop music. I also went with whole milk. You didn't specify that part.

In, I believe, an unrelated incident, the computer seem to catch fire around the same time as I poured the milk on. No worries. The milk put the fire out.



Three of my kids have those headphones. I took all three apart trying to duplicate what they did; but no luck. All of my experiments resulted in NO beats at all.

Also, where do you get these "beats" headphones? I have to replace the three sets before they get home from school. What are they, like $10 for the big (sudio)pair, and $5 for the little ones?

Never mind, I ask my wife to pick them up. She's been getting on me for getting spending so much on equipment. If SHE buys them, she can't say anything to me about it. Rock solid plan!



It's Wisconsin, so I went ice fishing for the bass. I got 5 smaller "keepers" to make up for not getting a thick one.
("Is this guy really doing bass/bass jokes now?"--Jim Gaffigan's "inner voice")



I was confused at first. Then in my experiments I noticed when I snap my fingers, one finger is mostly responsible for making the sound as it hits the palm of my hand. It's NOT made by my initial two fingers sliding against each other as I initially thought. The strike of that finger is essentially a micro clap being done with one hand via the snap. Impressive! I learned something there.



The sugar shaker has been done to death years ago, so I went with pepper?

Note to self, put tape over the end to plug the holes next time. 15 minutes into the project and I can't stop sneezing.



I don't understand the point in putting my computer on my fish cleaning station?

I've reviewed my steps several times; and truly feel I am spot on. The ONLY thing I can figure is using whole milk. There is nothing else that it could be. I'm methodical to a flaw.





Thanks FJ!

I don't "get it"?????

There is only one reason a lot of country sounds the same and that reason is that it sells! Money is being made. This is no different than previous generations of music, regardless of the genre.

My mom (86 years old) says all rock music sounds the same - loud.

When I was a teenager, I would be listening to music in my room, even at a very low level. My mom would come into my room, realize the music was on, and say "it's too loud, I can hear it".

Of course, she loved orchestral music, even though sometimes it was louder than rock music (when experienced live).

That's generational.

But a lot of the pop music I hear sounds very similar; alt-rock sounds very similar; rap (even though it has changed over the years) sounds very similar at any moment in time. That's why I enjoy exploring places like SoundCloud to find music that doesn't fit the mainstream mentality.

Mario and jford, I agree. However, something people don't mention is it depends on your interest level in the subject at hand.

If you ask people into country music if it all sounds the same, they will typically say "similar, but each song is different." They can and do differentiate among songs. That's any genre. We all know people who think all jazz, or classical, prog rock, whatever...sounds the same.

It's not just music either. I know people that say statements like "pizza is pizza." Others VERY much have opinions on each company's take on a pie

I've even seen people think that of this very forum. Are all of the songs here the same "generated by some computer" type of music? I sure don't think so. But then again, I am listening!

That's just people in my book.

Thanks for sharing. I think too many problems are being caused by people who write to expect something and themselves are unable to produce randomness when thinking through the musical exchange. For example I hate country, I am working with 900 classical pieces that came from PG Pianist which I don't know why they pulled it off the market. I personally have been exposed to many musical atmospheres I wouldn't have recognized that have taught me treatments for several kinds of patience's I don't know how to explain it yet. But I discovered I can represent up to 1000 numbers by using 30 numbers. If songwriters would start to share there styles of creating randomness it might shift rhythmical weight to other horizons. The other terrible truth is I think shows like the voice participate in this keeping traditions alive rather than an innovation style. Like trying to explain coming from Tarthiang Talku Time Space and Knowledge which is a series of exercises I found to improve the analysis for trying to make music. I am trying to write science arrangements over top 40 hits using math and science words. So I am at odds with religion which again stifles bringing in new terms and turns of thinking.