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Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by tengbretson on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:16AM (#26276337)
> If a musician opens a new composition and they are given a 4/4 beat and equal tempered tuning by default, it is implied that other musical systems do not exist, or at least that they are of less value.

This level of thought is getting so tedious.

Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by flipcoder on Friday February 26, 2021 @01:37PM (#26278135)
Yeah it's such an irrational accusation. If that were true, why would music programs put the option to change it at the top of the screen? This agenda-driven criticism makes me feel that someone was reading about colonialism and started getting angry at everything in their life.
Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by quantified on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:30AM (#26276506)
So true. It’s just a default. No font is less value than Times New Roman just because it’s there when you start a new Word doc. Also not too worried about the hegemony of the piano-style keyboard.

Like physical instruments, electronic ones can be made to suit your needs. Same for composers and automation.

Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by picolisp on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:38AM (#26276628)
What popular intruments can be made to play microtunal / non-Equal tempermant without major modifications? Sitar, and fretless stringed instruments come to mind, but I wouldnt say "like physical instruments" because the culture of building musical tools is so heavily influenced by western musicians.
Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by quantified on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:50AM (#26276781)
I don’t play wind, but I think trombone fits in.

Popular is at odds with “doing things the majority of people don’t do” of course. Like asking about popular non-QWERTY Apple keyboards. Unpopular doesn’t mean “you suck for wanting it”, just “hey not our thing, do it if you want to.” You need compositions and maybe an audience. 4/4 and equal temperament just benefit from a network effect.

There is a significant culture of non-Western instruments and non-Western musicians. Probably a good starting point.

Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by picolisp on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:37AM (#26276609)
Do you feel that this isn't true? I was raised by musicians, and am an (amateur) musician. It rings true to my feelings and experiences. It not just our software but inside our hears and ears. We want to play and replicate what we hear and know and western musicians hear mostly western music, based on (but not exclusively on) 4/4, equal temperament.
Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by tengbretson on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:57AM (#26276877)
Learning that something that you cannot see still exists usually occurs by 6 months of age, so I'm challenging the idea that this is a problem electronic music artists face.
Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by jjk166 on Friday February 26, 2021 @12:21PM (#26277213)
You like 4/4 western music and want to play it, but you are clearly aware of alternatives. As soon as you know what a time signature is, you know that there are many possibilities. Maybe if someone knows nothing of music theory and has never heard anything that wasn't 4/4 they would be unaware this was a variable parameter, but that's exactly the kind of user who needs a simple, user-friendly default.
Re:Decolonizing Electronic Music Starts with Its Software by quantified on Friday February 26, 2021 @11:56AM (#26276860)
You got downvoted but I sympathize. Everyone likes what they like, and are heavily influenced by what they hear (and grew up hearing, particularly). It’s not wrong, just how we generally are.

Western music tolerates more syncopation and chromatic sound than it did 200 years ago, that’s something. If all you listen to is pop, you’re missing a LOT.