You can also flip this strategy on its head by suddenly getting quiet in the middle of the song, like “ Blister in the Sun” by The Violent Femmes. A simple song that plays the same chord progression over and over again, like The Arcade Fire’s “ My Body is a Cage,” can suddenly become an epic ballad when each consecutive verse comes with new background instruments and more volume on the organ. The best musical strategy I know is to start out a song quietly, then gradually get more energetic toward the end.

The best musicians use both, but personally, I’ve always preferred the tricks.

With the right attitude, it’s something anybody can do.īroadly speaking, there are two types of musicians-those who use their talent and those who use their tricks. Bands like The Sex Pistols, The Germs and The Ramones share origin stories similar to The Arctic Monkeys and are hardly alone among the musically inept who went on to greatness. Being a great musician doesn’t mean the same thing as being talented. And if you can have a good time when you’re onstage, the people watching you are probably going to have a good time, too. 25 more awards and 61 nominations later, The Arctic Monkeys have become much better at playing guitar and drums, but the sound of their music has remained as raw as their original material.īands like The Arctic Monkeys realize that instead of wanting to hear something complicated, audiences mostly listen to music just to have a good time. They all had guitars and I bought a drum kit after a bit.” These three musical morons would become the core members of The Arctic Monkeys, who only five years later went on to be the first band in history to win both “Best New Band” and “Best British Band” at the NME Awards. According to drummer Matt Helders, “When we started the band none of us played anything. When Alex Turner and Jamie Cook received guitars for Christmas in 2001, neither knew how to play. Frank Sinatra (who never learned to play a single instrument)

How to make music without instruments