My husband and I are working on a project together, and this part is much more his forte than mine. We're writing a song to represent each novel of the Dark Tower by Stephen King, one of my all-time favorite series. But we're quickly becoming frustrated with each other, because, simply put, I cannot wrap the creating music part of this around my head. He's fairly accomplished as a digital musician in almost all genres, and we have our own little recording studio at home. Music is his greatest passion, and I'm trying very hard to work with him. It feels like we're speaking two different languages.
He asked me how I think it should sound, and I told him that I keep thinking Neil Young's A Horse with No Name has the simple, desolate sound I think would fit for the first book. He's played some different things with that same feel that I really liked, but we're having trouble because I can't tell him why I like them or where they should fit in with the rest of the song. All I know is that I like what he's playing. If I don't like something he's played, I know that I don't like it. I can tell him it doesn't sound right, but I can't express to him what would sound right. (Most of the time I don't have an idea of what would sound right; he's always been much more creative than I.)
The main problem seems to be that he thinks I'm too quick to judge music without understanding the elements that make up the song, and that this specific trait is stopping this project in its tracks. He seems to think that if I could just hum some sort of tune, then all would be well. I know that I don't think like that. I appreciate all sorts of music, and I have strong ideas about my likes and dislikes.
So, O Hive Mind, can you help a true beginner try to express herself musically? Or maybe just learn to understand how a song is constructed? BTW, I have read some previousthreads, and the advice therein completely flew over my head. I need beginner advice. Not even crawl-before-you-can-walk type of advice, more like cure-your-paralysis type of advice.
He asked me how I think it should sound, and I told him that I keep thinking Neil Young's A Horse with No Name has the simple, desolate sound I think would fit for the first book. He's played some different things with that same feel that I really liked, but we're having trouble because I can't tell him why I like them or where they should fit in with the rest of the song. All I know is that I like what he's playing. If I don't like something he's played, I know that I don't like it. I can tell him it doesn't sound right, but I can't express to him what would sound right. (Most of the time I don't have an idea of what would sound right; he's always been much more creative than I.)
The main problem seems to be that he thinks I'm too quick to judge music without understanding the elements that make up the song, and that this specific trait is stopping this project in its tracks. He seems to think that if I could just hum some sort of tune, then all would be well. I know that I don't think like that. I appreciate all sorts of music, and I have strong ideas about my likes and dislikes.
So, O Hive Mind, can you help a true beginner try to express herself musically? Or maybe just learn to understand how a song is constructed? BTW, I have read some previousthreads, and the advice therein completely flew over my head. I need beginner advice. Not even crawl-before-you-can-walk type of advice, more like cure-your-paralysis type of advice.