Musical Talent: Technical Skill, or Songwriting?

[isolation_years]

it depends, i think it takes a bit of both, i hear some of these tech death bands that just seem like they have no soul, like the entire band is just an excuse for them to show off. ithink it's why i like opeth, because they not only write really well structured songs, but they also have a lot of heart and soul put into them

 

[MegaMoose]

^this guys is talking aboot bands like NECROPHAGIST

 

[Nasty-Fire]

I've been reading a big, big part of the MuchMusic thread and I agreed with the fact that...

"Talent is an entirely subjective term."

...and therefore, should not even be debated. I've seen a lot of them using the word "better" without even noticing that it implied a subjective concept.

The word "talent" is just a way to categorize "superior abilities" without necesserly explaining them, and without having any criterias explaining why it is "superior". It's only a popular opinion that the concerned population puts in a group called "talent", but talent could actually be anything. You could have talent in not having talent (which is a paradox, and means nothing at all, just like the term itself).

Nobody is more talented than anyone else, because everyone is different, and have abilities than do not coincide.

 

[MegaMoose]

well you see, talent is in a song writing when song tents. and when are, how hebrew works, you don't udnerstand, but if you did, you would see the glittery luster. as for technical skillet in talent, it is play not so much far, but as to when can not play instrument at all, worthless he becomes. however, in the technique skill, overrated: far more potent is the crafting sual of a good song for the ages to taste. meorover, thar is those who plays good in instrument wise but when the flavor of emotion becomes prevalent, they falter as they can not make their instrument truly SING. such are those as John Petrucci, Jennifer Lopez, etc. so that when talent together, it embodies whatever you wish, but the sual of talent is combo in whence you comprise everything. who agrees?

 

[Nasty-Fire]

^ I did not understand.

 

[StealerAG]

Musical talent is Songwriting,firstly.

IMO.

I hate to see bitches like Laiho shooting their guitars in senseless solos.
Ok,some of them are really good,but many times they're just like a fill-in...

 

[StealerAG]

well technically it's only important to be able to master what you write without being restricted by your technical skills blocking your creativity.

+1.

That's it

 

[isolation_years]

^this guys is talking aboot bands like NECROPHAGIST

hahaha good call, i actually had that band in mind when i wrote that

 

[Nightmare_Heaven]

Technical skill is technical skill. Musical talent is songwriting. Throw in a bit of technical skill for good measure, but when it gets to just being wank I can't listen to it and I will automatically flame the shit out of it by that logic. Some of the greatest pieces of music were written by people who just didn't have a fucking clue, who didn't know one end of their guitar from the other.

 

[StealerAG]

I disagree with nearly everyone here. I believe you need to be good at both or the music is not going to be much chop. Maybe I just expect more than most of you guys in my music. It needs to be challenging for me to listen to and to play.
Just my opinion and if you agree or not it matters not.

We're talking about "what musical talent is",not what do we like most.

BTW,your opinion is widely sharable

 

[Reelo]

I think songwriting talent is far more important than musical skill.
Let me explain my position by two artists, neither of which I particularly like, but out of which, I would still chose the one with songwriting skill:

Britney Spears (alternatively, replace with Madonna, Celine Dion or Christina Aguilera, if you want) she has (rather: used to have) a great voice. Meaning technical skill in the field of singing. Yet if you examine her music, you'll find that the songs have been written by other people. She might have contributed to bits of them, or even written some lyrics, but the basis for her commercial success has been handed to her by others! My main gripe with those singer-type artists: Other people do all the work, they just sing the stuff they get handed and reap all the fame and success. Skill without musical talent.

Now, take the opposite:
Kurt Cobain: That guy had no great skills as a guitar player, yet the music he and the rest of Nirvana wrote, are full of emotions and feelings. Talent without skill. Well, compared to shredders or other guitarists, at least.

Personally, I think any unskilled but talented songwriter is much better (as long as he is at least skilled enough to play the stuff he creates) than any skilled musician with no songwriting talent that gets his stuff ghostwritten by others (in a worst-case scenario) !

 

[grey knight]

Somehow I don't think that songwriting is that big of thing, well maybe music is something the musicians should do themselves, but I think pretty much anyone, or atleast very many people can write lyrics.

Or to me it just feels so normal to write lyrics, done it for like 3 years at the side of everything else.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

Hmm yes it's easy to write lyrics, but it's way harder to write GOOD lyrics.

 

[grey knight]

Hmm yes it's easy to write lyrics, but it's way harder to write GOOD lyrics.

Might be.

 

[Koi]

lyrics are a fucking bitch, nothing to sniff at...

 

[MegaMoose]

necrophagist are a good band FOR ME TO POOP ON!

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

^ Yeah. Total crap, technicality should never be the essence in music. At least with them we've a good example of that.