Simplicity can be a very subjective word if you're talking about music. But you can refer "simplicity" to various parts of the music - simple melody lines, simple instrumentation, simple chord progressions and so forth.
There's a saying that usually addresses things to be workable or acceptable so long that they are simple. You've probably heard of KISS (keep it simple stupid). Most popular songs tend to be simple because not all ears could listen to the level of complexity in the music.
For example, you might have heard of a song with a melody line that goes up and down throughout the song. Sometimes a note jumps to the adjacent note without a proper passing note that causes the singer to sound like he or she is having a difficulty to sing the tune. It is okay if this happens like one or two times throughout the song which in a way expresses uniqueness and artistry. But frequent occurrences will discourage what could have been an enjoyable listening experience.
In instrumentation, the number of musical instruments played or the timbres used along with harmony will influence the listening experience. Imagine a music with a pianist and a saxophonist and another piece of music with a full orchestra performing. The use of two musical instruments would deliver a better sound clarity compared to a lot of musical instruments such as in the orchestra. You can easily identify the piano and saxophone parts but it would be harder to differentiate violins and violas from the strings section of an orchestra because of the numbers. The point is, simple instrumentation has more appeal to the human auditory receptors. Too many instruments without correct harmonization and voicing will confuse the ears and become unpleasant to listen to.
In chord progressions, something awkward will not register easily to the listeners. Chord progressions are like mathematical formulas. The more complex the formulas, the less likely you can understand or digest. Music theory is like a rule that governs what can be done with chord progressions. An attempt to break the rule can lead to disaster similar to comparing what is logical with what is illogical to the human brain. For example, listening to the verse of a song in a certain key signature then suddenly jumping to another key signature in the following verse without proper key modulation techniques. It would feel like speeding over the bump on the road.
Keeping it simple has its disadvantages. Too simple would sound boring. On the other hand, too complex would sound difficult to register. Keeping it moderate would likely to work. Experiment more with what most ears could easily register to. A smooth flow of all aspects in the music will definitely help.
There's a saying that usually addresses things to be workable or acceptable so long that they are simple. You've probably heard of KISS (keep it simple stupid). Most popular songs tend to be simple because not all ears could listen to the level of complexity in the music.
For example, you might have heard of a song with a melody line that goes up and down throughout the song. Sometimes a note jumps to the adjacent note without a proper passing note that causes the singer to sound like he or she is having a difficulty to sing the tune. It is okay if this happens like one or two times throughout the song which in a way expresses uniqueness and artistry. But frequent occurrences will discourage what could have been an enjoyable listening experience.
In instrumentation, the number of musical instruments played or the timbres used along with harmony will influence the listening experience. Imagine a music with a pianist and a saxophonist and another piece of music with a full orchestra performing. The use of two musical instruments would deliver a better sound clarity compared to a lot of musical instruments such as in the orchestra. You can easily identify the piano and saxophone parts but it would be harder to differentiate violins and violas from the strings section of an orchestra because of the numbers. The point is, simple instrumentation has more appeal to the human auditory receptors. Too many instruments without correct harmonization and voicing will confuse the ears and become unpleasant to listen to.
In chord progressions, something awkward will not register easily to the listeners. Chord progressions are like mathematical formulas. The more complex the formulas, the less likely you can understand or digest. Music theory is like a rule that governs what can be done with chord progressions. An attempt to break the rule can lead to disaster similar to comparing what is logical with what is illogical to the human brain. For example, listening to the verse of a song in a certain key signature then suddenly jumping to another key signature in the following verse without proper key modulation techniques. It would feel like speeding over the bump on the road.
Keeping it simple has its disadvantages. Too simple would sound boring. On the other hand, too complex would sound difficult to register. Keeping it moderate would likely to work. Experiment more with what most ears could easily register to. A smooth flow of all aspects in the music will definitely help.
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