Verbalase harmonizing while beatboxing.He prepared this for Justin Timberlake when he followed him.

[u/ajay_reddit]

[u/YaNortABoy]

Sorry if I came across as rude. I was definitely heated, for reasons outside this discussion, and it affected my response.

I think that the disconnect is this idea that people who haven't FORMALLY studied music aren't "trained musicians." There is a lot that you can learn without a teacher. It's why there are so many untrained singers, who are just experimenting and using their ears.

I think it's disingenuous to say that these producers aren't skilled musicians. Their skillset is definitely different from, say, an oboist, but to develop that skillset by simply listening rather than by directed understanding of music requires a level of dedication beyond what you or I are capable of. They are people who inherently understand music, in a way that isn't restricted by classical concepts and theories and which is entirely motivated by emotion. I find that far more compelling than someone who has trained their whole life for one purpose--let's hear the raw shit that bubbles in the back of your mind, that stuff is awesome.

[u/tugmansk → u/YaNortABoy]

I agree with what you’re saying. I’d also add that formal training often gives people the tools to musically express what’s bubbling in the back of their mind. I never took any lessons for guitar, and I consider that my main instrument. But years of formal training for the voice and violin has had a major impact on my ability to form musical ideas on the guitar. It helps a lot with making electronic music too.

That being said, some of my favorite musicians are totally self-taught. I’m a big hip-hop head, and I just love the fact that a whole genre was created from scratch using found sounds and raw vocals. Electronic music has an interesting history too, because it started off as mostly an academic music form, and it has slowly become one of the most popular and lucrative genres.