You can have the best mics, preamps and converters.
You can have Logic Pro.
You can have all the plug ins.
You can have the samples.
You can have the look.
You can have the groove.
You can have the online presence.
You can have 100 bazillion youtube hits.
You can have the lyrics.
You can have the dance moves.
You can have the sex appeal.
You can have the “gigs” in the hip spots.
You can have the intellectual explanation.
You can have the university teaching position.
You can have the “chops.”
You can have the harmonic know-how.
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All of that is fine and good and adds tremendously to a musical experience.
I’m not dissing any of that. It’s all very good and excellent stuff!!!
However in the end, after all of that….
Sing me the melody.
As usual, you distill things down to the essence, and express them thoughtfully. Keeps our brains on the straight ad narrow. 🙂 Thanks!
A great book, part bio part technical is Jimmy Webb’s ‘songsmith’.
Certainly the study of melody takes a back seat to harmony in a lot of education too…
just a few thoughts, keep at it…
So true Adam. Recently heard some amazing guitarists in London Acoustic Fair. I couldn’t help feeling that all their great talent was being wasted on the ‘music’ they were playing…Sound was great, skills amazing so why was I so bored listening to them? No melody = no music.