How important is instrument skill?

[Interviewer/surveyer]

How important is it?

[UmphreysHead]

define skill

[Eliminator]

jimmini jillickers, radioactive man! a bad thread!

[willfellmarsy]

It's all that matters...if it's not technical then it's not music.

[Interviewer/surveyer]

I made a poll, so vote.

[McP3000]

2nd option

[UmphreysHead]

where is the cliche this option is for those who don't care

[guitrguy]

what does this have to do with metuhl?

[1338 h4x0r]

good fred imo

I voted option #4

as long as the playing isn't truly horrible, the raw power of the performance can make up for it

[Silenius]

see -> Darkthrone

[1338 h4x0r]

I was thinking early Burzum

War makes me lol because it sounds like the guitar is always slightly out of phase with the rest of the song, but I still Sieg Heil that song now and again

I lie wounded! On wintry ground!
With hundred of corpses! All around!
Many wounded! Crawl helplessly around!
On the blood! Red snowy ground!
War!
War!
War!
War!

[Stevie II]

Instrumental skill is a tool to help write better material, but it should not be seen as a necessity. Some of the best music is the most sloppily played, and some of the most boring uninspiring crap is technical and well played.

[repcak]

Technique is important, but in aspects of songwriting it's too overrated -> I choosed option 4#

[adb]

Idc as long as they can play chuga chuga junjunjun weeeeeeeeeeeee

[dinosaurxbrocore]

Very important. Technique goes hand in hand with songwriting. = Aakon Keetrah :lol:

[badtaste]

I was thinking early Burzum

War makes me lol because it sounds like the guitar is always slightly out of phase with the rest of the song, but I still Sieg Heil that song now and again

I lie wounded! On wintry ground!
With hundred of corpses! All around!
Many wounded! Crawl helplessly around!
On the blood! Red snowy ground!
War!
War!
War!
War!

Love the intro... "This is war, huh. Wow."

Don't really think much of instrumental skill, but there are times when I'm listening to something poppy/punky and think: "Wow, could use an awesome solo here".

[masscows]

Gratuitously technical music is bad. The songwriting has to come first but the technique with which someone plays is important too.

I voted 4, though most of these options are pretty similar...

[FatalEnergy]

I think songwriting is more important, but if you want to play some technical death metal or something and can hardly play your instrument you're going to have some problems.


I voted for "Depends on the song" although I'd rather replace "song" with "style"

[Apocalyptic Raids]

dun matter

[AFragileHope]

I voted depends on the song. Kurdt Cobain didn't have much technique but he wrote good music.

Then when I listen to stuff like Necrophagist, the technical skill impresses me and I also enjoy what I hear. But like Masscows said, gratuitous technique is pretty lame - Dream Theater for example. Although some of their material is listenable.

[lak89]

technique is required to play music to any degree, but it's not all important, virtuosity's great but better in small doses otherwise people would just think that's all you know

[Dimmu Burger]

Depends on the song. Skill is important for stuff like Tech Death but not for pop punk or most rock.

[Interviewer/surveyer]

Yeah, its fun to listen to someone shed perfectly, but I'd rather listen to a sloppily played version of Demon of the Fall.

I mean honestly, Metallica is my all-time favorite band, and James, Kirk, and Lars are all terriblly sloppy when compared to your average guitarist/drummer in other signed bands. So to me, its more about what you write than how good you can play, but I believe that is the general consensus among people.

[tomtom]

i voted "depends on the song" because it does ... certain bands from certain styles are good because they are good songwriters, but also good enough at their instruments to make the songs good

if you're writing a pop-punk song, you don't necessarily have to be a virtuoso, but you have to be able to write a song that will be good enough to make people want to listen longer.

[Volumnius Flush]

Somewhat important, although I do enjoys some good technique.

That is how I feel. When I write, I just write simple riffs that sound good, some fast, some slow, it all depends on if it sounds good.

[flabbergast]

Ultimately, all that matters is whether or not you are physically capable of playing what you want to play. But speaking from personal experience, the more i learned about music, the more i realized that my technique was my biggest limitation.

Unfortunately, you'll need self-criticism in order to recognize your suckage (and self-criticism is something which many people seem incapable of) and also must put in a lot of hard work. When you're in that situation, it's much easier to say that technique has nothing to do with creativity etc. and that it's all about the songwriting.

But what if you suddenly come up with a lick that you really like but can't play nearly as fast as you'd like to? Then you suddenly went from "not technically adept but good" to "good but not technically adept enough".

Fair enough, i like many simple songs myself. But for some people, it's basically another way of saying "i'm too lazy to practice for more than 20min a day".

[hXcPLISIT]

Post above me was good. Rep'd.

I don't think formidable technique is necessary to make what is known as a 'good song'. When you're driving in your car, and listening to the radio, you are more than likely hearing a song that isn't made up of complex technique, but moreso simplistic and catchy melodies. (These melodies being instrumental or vocal)

Technique is the icing on the cake though, and definitely can add infinitely to a song's prestige. Those "radio tunes" have a shorter lifespan also, in my books.. They get old fast.

[Jude]

As long as they can play their instruments decently, it's not that important, it's writing and composition of good material that really counts.

[sensitiveorgan00]

When it comes to metal, especially in its developmental/early stages, instrumental skill meant nothing.
Early Death albums, Possessed's Seven Churches, and various thrash and death metal albums required only a fundamental, or basic, instrumental knowledge.
Whether it be, Reign in Blood, Seven Churches, Scream Bloody Gore, Welcome to Hell, these albums get much more praise than do the latter ones, that often feature higher level of instrumental playing (ie: The Sound of Perseverance).
I would say that the early days of metal focused more on its aggressive nature, raw production, and the likes.
Today, however, with metal being produced with more clarity, speed, and technicality as well, it seems as though instrumental skill is very crucial, across its various sub-genres from death to power.

[marcus_in_absentia]

IMO songwriting is the most important factor, with technicality coming a close second.

[RunAmokRampant]

Yay fence sitter option (depends on the song)

[Interviewer/surveyer]

Ultimately, all that matters is whether or not you are physically capable of playing what you want to play. But speaking from personal experience, the more i learned about music, the more i realized that my technique was my biggest limitation.

Unfortunately, you'll need self-criticism in order to recognize your suckage (and self-criticism is something which many people seem incapable of) and also must put in a lot of hard work. When you're in that situation, it's much easier to say that technique has nothing to do with creativity etc. and that it's all about the songwriting.

But what if you suddenly come up with a lick that you really like but can't play nearly as fast as you'd like to? Then you suddenly went from "not technically adept but good" to "good but not technically adept enough".

Fair enough, i like many simple songs myself. But for some people, it's basically another way of saying "i'm too lazy to practice for more than 20min a day".

wow, possibly the best post I've ever seen.

Personally, you're right about the fact that you need self-critisism.

[Interviewer/surveyer]

When it comes to metal, especially in its developmental/early stages, instrumental skill meant nothing.
Early Death albums, Possessed's Seven Churches, and various thrash and death metal albums required only a fundamental, or basic, instrumental knowledge.
Whether it be, Reign in Blood, Seven Churches, Scream Bloody Gore, Welcome to Hell, these albums get much more praise than do the latter ones, that often feature higher level of instrumental playing (ie: The Sound of Perseverance).
I would say that the early days of metal focused more on its aggressive nature, raw production, and the likes.
Today, however, with metal being produced with more clarity, speed, and technicality as well, it seems as though instrumental skill is very crucial, across its various sub-genres from death to power.
Because of the time they came out. Im pretty sure if you switched Scream Bloody Gore and T.S.O.P. creation time around, T.S.O.P. would be hailed as the greatest metal album of all time.

[rid]

#4. people have said most stuff already...

[UmphreysHead]

Because of the time they came out. Im pretty sure if you switched Scream Bloody Gore and T.S.O.P. creation time around, T.S.O.P. would be hailed as the greatest metal album of all time.
Yeah, originality is a huge factor.

Creating an entirely new genre is going to seem much more important than creating a new sub-genre.

[Super Nintendo]

technique it's just a tool, the more things you know about music and your instrument, the more resources you'll have as a musician to help you with the songwriting. said that when you have more technique or have more advanced knowledge about music you can express yourself better at some areas.

but i think that songwriting is in the heart, you can master every aspect of whatever art you want but one thing is to reproduce and other to create. some people just are really good at painting and drawing but that doesnt mean that they will be good at transfering their thougs to the canvas, still that the will be able to do it more efficiently than someone who cant draw or pain that well.