Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with music

Advice for quickie vacation in San Francisco?

JoanArkham — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:23:50 -0800

Taking a three-day visit to San Francisco in mid-February. I’ve already bookmarked some of the excellent previous AskMe answers, but I’ve got some specific questions… Getting around: we’re not renting a car, and we will probably get a multi-day transit pass. Are there any specific areas you would recommend not going via public transit, for safety or convenience reasons?

Location: we’re staying at the Triton, near Chinatown. Any can't miss places for food, shopping, or culture nearby? Places to avoid?

Food: Mr. Arkham is a pescatarian, I'm an omnivore. The two things on the "must have" list are raw oysters and dim sum. Recommended places?

Tourist stuff: not too interested in anything super-touristy, but is there something that everyone does that’s actually worth seeing? Note, I am 100% not going on an Alcatraz tour, or anything involving getting on a boat.

Museums: We’re planning on going to Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences. Has anyone ever been to one? What is the general dress/vibe like?

We’re also planning on going to MOMA, unless there is a lesser-known place we should be spending our limited time visiting. We are somewhat spoiled with good (free!) museums here in DC so seeing a Warhol or two is not as high a priority as seeing something really unusual.

Photography: I’m interested in historic cemeteries and classic architecture. Where should I go to take photos?

Live music: I’ve been looking for a list of small live music venues, but I’m mostly finding DJ nights and places with larger mainstream acts. Our tastes run to garage, punk, rockabilly, alt-country. Neo-surf music would be spectacular.

Thank you for reading all of this, and I look forward to your insight!

Super Producer

kaizen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:49:26 -0800

I want to learn more about music production, specifically hip hop / electronica. I have my head around the basic equipment that is required, but know nothing about the techniques and workflow that a producer like Pharell / Moby uses. I can quite easily put together a 8 bar loop using Reason / Live with my Akai and Oxygen. But it sounds like a cheap loop. I want to learn about the elements in a good arrangement, composition, the tools and techniques used to get a professional sound, and the workflow that producers use to build a song efficiently from scratch. Learn me more about hooks, compression, managing samples, recording vocals, appregiators, etc. At the end of the day I would like to create a song that is radio ready while having fun and not breaking the bank.

What's your preferred collection of Mahler symphonies?

deticxe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:52:23 -0800

Could anyone recommend a good Mahler cycle? Even better, could anyone post their favourite recordings of each symphony...so far I've been relying on biased friends and dubious Amazon 'Listmania!' collections. Thank you :)

Shoot me, I'm making a silly video

ctmf — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:07:18 -0800

Recording fun music videos - tools question. How can I make multi-track video recordings (for example)? I'd like to do it with the software tools I have, preferably, or something inexpensive. I've already figured out how to make a one-take video, and edit clips end-to-end. What I'm imagining is recording video takes side-by-side like you can do in Garage Band with audio, then transition between them with cuts. It doesn't have to be professional quality - it's just for sharing with friends.

Here's what I tried: record first track with iMovie. Imported into Garage Band as audio. Started recording a second take (on a different instrument) with iMovie. Switched to Garage Band and pressed play. Imported second take from iMovie into Garage Band as audio. Pulled all my hair out trying to sync the two tracks. Envisioned the same problem later trying to sync Garage Band audio with iMovie clips.

There must be an easier way. Is there, with only the standard iLife ('08, I never had a reason to upgrade - until now maybe) tools? I've heard the name FinalCut Pro - would that do it, and is it expensive and/or worth the expense?

More cello, please.

biochemist — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:23:48 -0800

I'm looking for songs similar to Cello Song by Vast, Glass Vase Cello Case by Tattle Tale, and Great Escape by Moby. Basically, songs with prominent cello and with a darker feel to them. I'm not looking for all-cello/string bands, such as Apocalyptica and Break of Reality.

Suggest some good web-based or DVD-based guitar lessons for a beginner!

GilloD — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:04:59 -0800

What's the best non-in-person way to learn guitar? I'm looking for either web-based lessons or a DVD. So, I've been fiddling with guitar for a few months now. I'm generally dexterous enough to play chords without any kind of uncomfortability and I've even written a few little songs. But I'd really like to take some lessons- I'm someone who does very well with a "By next Tuesday you MUST be able to do X!" kind of thing.

While I agree that lessons from a serious professional are probably best, my busy schedule and income kind of prohibit me from pursuing them. I'm also a very bad person to try and teach, I learn in a strange way that mostly frustrates those teaching me.

So!: I'm looking for web-based or DVD-based lessons. I don't mind paying out a bit, I'm just looking for suggestions from people who have used those lessons . They all look kind of the same to me, I was wondering if there was any kind of consensus on which one was the best. Lessons that give something very clear to practice and achieve are best.

If it matters, I think I'm most interested in blues guitar. I really like lead more than rhythm.

Suggest away!

Music of the Spheres

WidgetAlley — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:14:27 -0800

I absolutely loved the Brussels Musical Instruments Museum. What albums should I be buying? Help me flesh out my world music collection! I recently had the chance to go to Brussels and tour the incredibly awesome Musical Instruments Museum there. Part of what makes the experience so special is that they give you a set of headphones and in front of many of the display cases are little transmitters that will play a sample of the instruments you are gawking at. I particularly enjoyed the world and historical instruments displays, and would like to track done some of those same sounds to play at home!

Some of the things I remember particularly enjoying were Congolese drumming, Tibetan temple music, Chinese guzheng and guqin, old zithers, fin de siecle accordions, Indonesian gamelan, fife and drum, and early guitars and lutes-- but really I'm looking for any music that typifies a particular period or culture.

So, what albums exemplify a historical period of music or an awesome world instrument?

What else sounds like The BQE

crapples — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:53:21 -0800

If I love The BQE by Sufjan Stevens, what other CD's should I buy? I love Sufjan in general, but The BQE is so different and so awesome. We play it in our house daily.

The only other band that I can think of that does anything even close to this is Mannheim Steamroller, and I do appreciate some of their older stuff (when it isn't too laden with synthesizers). But other than that, I don't own anything else that's even in the ballpark.

Help me find some other artists who are doing what Sufjan did with The BQE.

Vulnerable songs

sprocket87 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:00:27 -0800

What song(s) would you describe as "vulnerable"? What songs would you use the word "vulnerable" to describe? This is pretty open-ended as to how you'd like to interpret it. I'm not looking for songs that use the word "vulnerable" - rather ones that evoke that feeling. Either in the delivery or in regard to the subject, story, emotion, etc...

Note that this may be slightly more specific than just "emotional songs", "sad songs", etc. Not looking for an emo playlist per se.

Bonus points for listening links, but I can probably find most anything if not.

Piano lessons, in theory.

emelenjr — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:20:37 -0800

Piano lessons! I've decided to start teaching kids piano lessons in the new year, and I have questions. I have one willing student so far who's 8 and eager to learn. Her mother knows I'm a novice teacher, but I do have 30 years of piano-playing experience and a desire to teach.

-Am I potentially doing the child a disservice, not having a solid background as a music teacher? I do remember my early years of piano lessons, where I learned about theory and fingering and such, and assuming my student is willing to stick with it, it wouldn't be hard for me to guide her through workbook exercises, scales, etc.

-Any tips for the novice teacher? I've decided to commit to a month or so of lessons with my student and then decide with the mother if I should help her look for a more experienced teacher.

-I'd be interested in any suggestions about workbooks to purchase, too.

Modern pop makes me want to rock out

mippy — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:10:43 -0800

Help me make a compilation cd/ mp3 file CD for my fourteen year old nephew. I grew up, as he is, in a town where crappy chart dance music rules, and liking anything with guitars is Really Fucking Weird. John Peel had to be my cool older relative to introduce me to the old and the weird - I think he deserves the same, even if I don't have a beard.

The only trouble is that I'm finding it hard to strike the right balance - my musical tastes have gone from Blur and Pulp at his age to dub, Japanese dance, twee, outsider music and things picked up from here and there (my favourite band, if you made me pick one, would be The Fall - many of my favourite albums came from the 1980s). I was pretty rockist at his age, and I don't want to put him off by putting things that sound a bit too weird for him. I was too young for The Smiths then - you need to have a decent dose of teen angst in your veins to ensure Morrissey doesn't just sound like a moaning old man - and, like The Catcher In The Rye, try them too late and it seems like it's passed you by. I'm looking at the songs that made me feel listened-to, understood, a bit bigger, and wondering whether they're not too 'old sounding' or twee - will someone born in 1995 dig the '70s kitsch references in Pulp or Belle and Sebastian?

His favourite bands are The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, Keane, Coldplay and Gorillaz. I'm already thinking Jawbone, Bloc Party, Black Keys and Pixies - any other suggestions? He's also into art and playing the guitar, and, unlike me at that age, has a girlfriend. No Smiths until they break up, I reckon.

Can I use the iPod Nano MP3 player with my own headphones and non-itunes music?

katala — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:22:36 -0800

Can I use the iPod Nano MP3 player with my own headphones and non-itunes music? Sorry if this is a completely newb question but my google-fu is failing me. My old MP3 player (a Creative) just died and the only iPod I've ever owned is the shuffle which has proprietary headphones which can't be swapped out.

So I just have two quick questions about the iPod Nano if anyone is able to help?

1) Can I use my own headphones (Bose QuietComfort 2) with the iPod Nano?

2) Can I use my own music with the iPod Nano even if it wasn't purchased via iTunes?

Any advice you can offer would be very gratefully received! I'd also welcome your thoughts on the Nano if you have one, or on an alternative MP3 player in the $250 AUD or less range.

Thanks heaps :)
Katala

Running man music video?

Busoni — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:38:58 -0800

I recall seeing a music video with a computer animated smiling man running at a constant pace to the music. That was it. He encounters other people along the way, but he keeps on running, smiling. It would have been made no later than the summer of 2002. What was it?

Help me get lost in space.

toekneebullard — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:59:57 -0800

Help me get lost in space. I've recently become enchanted by the idea of being lost in space. Most recently spurned by Shiny Toy Guns covers of Major Tom.

It's mostly these lines:
across the stratosphere
a final message
"give my wife my love"
then nothing more

far beneath the ship
the world is mourning
they don't realize
he's alive

Something so creepy/beautiful about being so completely lost and disconnected from everything you know. It scares the crap out of me while at the same time fascinating me. The way that simple radio signal is the only tether to the entire world.

Couple this with the fact that only a year or so ago did I finally grasp the amount of balls it takes to launch a human being off the face of their own planet. It boggles the mind.

Anyways, that was a tangent there...

OK, so I'm looking for more media, be it songs, books, movies, short stories, whatever, about being lost and alone in space. I'm a slow reader, so huge novels are prohibitive, but I'll take whatever you guys can throw out at me.

Thanks for your help!

Vibraphone pop/rock songs with vocals?

querty — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:57:07 -0800

Looking for pop/rock songs featuring the vibraphone, requirements...

must have vocals
pop / rock only (no jazz / electronic / folk / country)
vibraphones only (no related instruments like the xylophone / marimba)

So pretty much the opposite of the previously asked vibraphone questions.

How do I be in a band?

largecorp — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:50:19 -0800

I love music and over the past few years have taught myself to be pretty good as a ukulele player. I'd love to get involved with a band--old-time jazz, dixieland stuff--and really learn how to make music with others. But all I know is how to play by myself. I don't know how bands work in the slightest, nor how to find others who are better than me but willing to let me "play along." How do I get started getting started? Thanks!

Chicago is no help to me here

luriete — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:29:10 -0800

I'm typesetting a book with some music notation in it. There are several references to 3/4 and 4/4 time, which I had set in nifty opentype fractions; however, the editor and I are unsure of whether or not this refers to "four-four" or "four-fourths" time - and this is one of the few things that Chicago doesn't address. So, designers and readers: what do you think? 4/4, using lining numerals, or a 4/4 fraction?

What keyboard and instructional materials should I get to learn how to play a piano?

Nonce — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:11:24 -0800

So what keyboard and music book(s) should I purchase to teach myself how to play a piano? I'd like to get some sort of grounding in music theory along the way that will help me appreciate music more, or understand what the hell a time signature is, or whatever. I also can't afford lessons.

I don't care about having a lot of different instrument sounds. All I want to do is learn how to play a piano. A headphone jack would be necessary so I can rock out quietly. Can I just pick up a cheap keyboard for $50 at Walmart? Or is there a minimum amount of quality/features that I'll be thankful to have six months into this?

Where can I listen to Japanese train station melodies?

avocet — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:38:16 -0800

Where can I listen to Japanese train and bus station melodies and onboard announcements, preferably without installing RealPlayer? My previous go-to archive is 404ing. My Japanese is mediocre but good enough to help me navigate sites.

What's the background music as Betty and Francine discuss pregnancy and taboo?

BaxterG4 — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:38:07 -0800

Which lyricless (?) song is playing in the background of the beauty parlor in the season 2 finale of Mad Men? You can (barely) hear it toward the end of this. Sounds like a woman singing on top of loungy music that we might call "elevator music". Much more audible on TV. It's such a minor thing, but, like so many things on that show, it has stuck in my head and I want to know more about it.

Any other suggestions for similar music or words to describe that style/genre would be appreciated. I think of it as similar to the music Nintendo uses in the salon in Animal Crossing. So maybe it should be called "beauty parlor music"?

Basic multi-track recording of a medium-size group on my computer?

DoubleMark — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:30:18 -0800

I've got a large collection of (mostly electric/electronic) instruments, and even some people to play them. The one hole in my musical setup is recording. I'm a wind instrumentalist originally, so I know little of the ways of preamps and what have you. Help me get started recording on my computer! Instrumentation details inside. I've reviewed the previous MeFi literature, and I think my real stumbling block is the metric buttload (defined as "number above four") of instruments I'd like to record at once. I know the first step is a proper audio interface; I'm fine with USB or firewire, and understand firewire is preferable. I'll note than I'm running Windows. However, figuring out what will take the right number and types of inputs, or what other hardware I need, is kind of intimidating. Hive mind, get me started with recording at home!

First, two microphones. That's easy. I need two XLR inputs, and they'll need preamps. Fine. I follow that part, and there are plenty of recommendations on which microphones to use elsewhere.

Next, digital instruments. I have an electronic drum kit and piano, both coming in at line level (stereo for the drums, mono for the piano). I suppose I could scoop up either or both via MIDI and work with it afterward, but I'm especially pleased with the sound on the piano, and would like to just use it if possible.

Finally, the fun part. Add in two guitars and a bass, all electric. Something that accepts inputs at instrument level would be fantastic. However, if push comes to shove, I've two guitar amps that have line-level (headphone) out that I could use, no such feature on the bass. I understand that this may be a bit noisy, and that would be bad, but I'd need a lot of instrument-level preamps otherwise. I hear that it's more common to mike guitar output, but let's say that's financially out right now.

What hardware do I want? Something entry-level is all I need for the foreseeable future, but I don't see many things that take the right number of inputs. Am I asking for something that doesn't exist at that level? About how much is this going to run?

songs for an eclectic nine year old

mandymanwasregistered — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:17:51 -0800

Help me load my 9 year old nephew's ipod with parent-friendly songs for Christmas! From what I can tell, he likes the following things: 1. Johnny Cash 2. Who Let the Dogs Out 3. Current pop music such as Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas.

He's only 9 and I'm not trying to impart music snobbery onto him, so what sort of songs (with an emphasis on current pop) would be good? These songs need to not have any swear words (either bleeped out or nonexistent) and hopefully the sexy talk wouldn't be obvious if it's in the song.

Charting a musical family tree.

92_elements — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:34:53 -0800

For a friends birthday I want to make a wall chart showing which (non-classical) musicians and bands influenced other ones. E.g. Beatles -> Oasis, Neil Young -> Nirvana. My question consists of 3 parts, 1) Where's the best place to find out who to 'link', 2) Is there any 'start' of modern 'pop' music 3) What do you think I should include? - Genres, main instruments?
I've had a look around and I quite like the wikipedia GUT of Human History, the ww2 wallchart linked below:

Part of me also likes the more fun version from the game civilisation, though I don't know if that's too childish for my friend.

Thanks everyone.

LOUD ALL THE TIME

defmute — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:56:23 -0800

WHERE IN L.A. CAN I BE LOUD ALL THE TIME? (FOR CHEAP) i'm looking to find a studio apartment in l.a. county somewhere (the closer to koreatown the better) where i can play music as loud as i want, whenever i want without spending a whole lot of money for some concrete future loft bullshit. i am looking to spend like...500 per month for rent. what do yall think?

Please find this song for us.

multivalent — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:32:56 -0800

Findthatsongfilter: Lyrics containing "die together"...we think! My girlfriend is looking for a song that was released around a year ago and got some radio play. Have googled the lyrics so the phrasing may not be exact. Song was indie ish lyrical and ballady. Male singer. Sorry this is all so vague; this question is as much wanting to know the song as to demonstrate the power of the hive mind to the unconverted.

Thanks for your help.