Do you play an instrument and if so how does it impact on the way you listen?.

PS - and I have discovered that there are guitar nerds who are not unlike audiophiles. For example, it would seems that you are not considered serious enough if you haven't invested in a valve amp. Just as well my "audiophile" ear made me buy the sweetest sounding amp just outside my original budget.........ok ok I doubled my original budget on the guitar amp combo.

Fascinating idea Briz. I used to play the bass guitar exceptionally badly as a youth and have often walked past Macari's on the Charing Cross Road or the Bass Centre off Petticoat Lane thinking: shall I go and buy myself a bass and practice amp?

I think if I were a little better off I think I would. The idea of (trying to) playing along with my fave LPs appeals greatly.

Go on Kevin. do it! Do it! Do it!

Ebay is full of second hand gear if the budget is tight. The guy that inspired me to jump paid a fraction of what I forked out - not that I went that crazy. Like Naim gear you can make it alot more affordable going second hand.

PS this is NOT me, but I find this kind of stuff inspirational and really cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zsJJ0shxEk

Did and yes it does.

I used to play the computer, sequencer, tone generator and keyboard to make electronic music does that count?

But seriously, I have a Yamaha digital Piano downstairs and really need to get playing again I've started a few times but given up I just need to make practising a habit and I can only see it as beneficial to your understanding and appreciation of the music.



Dean..

Thats why I do the 1/2 hour lesson once a week. It makes me practice - even if it is just 20 minutes a day. As a bonus I find the practice at the end of the day is helping me get through stressful times at work and to sleep better (no pun intended on the sleepwalk track in my previous post).

I don't think it matters what you play as long as you enjoy it.

I know how to make certain notes appear on a guitar and can even make a few tunes, but I'm not a player per se.
I don't think it impacts on the way I listen to music, other than I like to some times just pick out the guitar parts.
It probably influences some of my music choices though, I still like guitar band instrumentals, guitar based rock, folk featuring guitars and most of the the jazz I like has guitars as the featured instrument, this is not exclusive though, other music and instruments are listened to too.

I already liked lot of styles and I don't think its impacted on that.

I find that what I enjoy attempting to play is much broader in style than my music collection. I wouldn't previously have considered buying the "sleepwalk" track for example.

It changes everything about music to play an instrument.

I don't play any musical instruments and in no way feel that my ability to listen to and enjoy music is impaired. I guess I am more interested in the outcomes than the process.

Exactly what DBL states above for me also.

quote:

Originally posted by Officer DBL:
I don't play any musical instruments and in no way feel that my ability to listen to and enjoy music is impaired. I guess I am more interested in the outcomes than the process.

Playing an instrument changes everything about the way you hear music.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

quote:

Originally posted by Officer DBL:
I don't play any musical instruments and in no way feel that my ability to listen to and enjoy music is impaired. I guess I am more interested in the outcomes than the process.

Playing an instrument changes everything about the way you hear music.

You are really trying to say you can't enjoy music if you don't play?
Even if not, it's like saying you can't enjoy motor racing or football(soccer) unless you partake. This is plainly wrong, so I think you should be saying "playing an instrument changes the way you hear music" or can make you appreciate other areas of the music.

Mike you seem to enjoy dissecting the music, instead of just listening and enjoying it for what it is, as many many people can.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

......changes everything......

How do you know? Did you listen to music as a non-musician to get the comparison? If so, how long ago?

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

......changes everything......

How do you know? Did you listen to music as a non-musician to get the comparison? If so, how long ago?

I remember listening to music before I played, as do many friends, and have recently listened to CDs I had not heard since becoming a musician. That was quite revealing.

It has been quite some time.

I talk a good deal with non-musician friends about various CDs that we have in common, and our impressions are quite different from each other.

Other musician friends report similar results.

In fact, what I can hear in music has expanded dramatically over the past two years, the result of recent studies.

The more you learn about music, the more you can hear.

Is that really so difficult to accept?

Like most worthwhile things in life, study reaps rewards.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

......changes everything......

How do you know? Did you listen to music as a non-musician to get the comparison? If so, how long ago?

I remember listening to music before I played, as do many friends, and have recently listened to CDs I had not heard since becoming a musician. That was quite revealing.

It has been quite some time.

I talk a good deal with non-musician friends about various CDs that we have in common, and our impressions are quite different from each other.

Other musician friends report similar results.

In fact, what I can hear in music has expanded dramatically over the past two years, the result of recent studies.

The more you learn about music, the more you can hear.

Is that really so difficult to accept?

Like most worthwhile things in life, study reaps rewards.

Where did I say I found it difficult to accept?

But as a counterpoint...

I too am a musician, but I don't think that affects the way I listen to music at all. (It might affect what music I listen too, though.)

My partner who plays no musical instrument at all, typically comments more on the subtlties of the music far more than I do. I think she gets into music in a way I never could hope to. It has nothing to do with which one of us is a "musician". It is something else.

Being a musician doesn't make me want to analyse every piece in minute detail, claim to have communicated directly with the dead composer and understood his/her "message", nor write at enormous length about it on here in a way that somehow demeans those who don't either

a) want to listen to music in this way or

b) allegedly can't (even if they wanted to) because they are not "musicians".

OK, maybe I'm being too sensitive. Maybe I'm jealous. Maybe I'm bitter. But sometimes you just come off as a pompous ass (in my opinion anyway).

I go back to my first question. "...changes everything..."?! I hope not.

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:

OK, maybe I'm being too sensitive. Maybe I'm jealous. Maybe I'm bitter. But sometimes you just come off as a pompous ass (in my opinion anyway).

I go back to my first question. "...changes everything..."?! I hope not.

For me it changes everything. Others milage may vary. I was just answering the OPs question for myself.

I'm not pompous. I'm plain spoken.

Your reaction to my comment makes no sense what so ever. If you just plain don't like me, that's OK too. In that case, we best avoid each other. But it makes no sense, your reaction to me.

I'll be damned if I will let you dictate to me in any case. I'm certainly not dictating to anyone else.

I play drums, and that has certainly affected how I listen to music, but I am quite capable of enjoying music that does not have drums.

I often play along to pieces using headphones, often to learn a specific technique, or break. I play by ear, not from a score, not that one would exist for much that I listen to. Often find I am surprised when I first play along, and learning a piece can bring new insights to it for me.

Something I also do is collect, and often edit live recordings. Edit as in removing glitches, DJ's and stings over the music, or combining different sources to make a best possible version. I find doing this give me the same sort of insight into music I find through playing along to it.

I think in both cases it changes the listening to music from a passive (even if I am really concentrating) to an active experience, and having specific goals gives a discipline that must be followed to achieve and end.

With both the playing and editing there are often surprises when you try something that you think will work, and it does not, either there has been a time change and the rhythm is not as you expected, or with editing, you think two bars are the same, but only after an edit do you notice that a new element is being added to the arrangement. You gain knowledge of the piece you did not have before, and that gives enjoyment.

I can also say that there is a relaxation to listening to a piece of music that does not have drums, and is by a band who I have never edited a piece by, that can often be more relaxing, so there are advantages to knowing and not knowing. I hope that makes sense.

That makes perfect sense.

quote:

Originally posted by Briz Vegas:
Thats why I do the 1/2 hour lesson once a week. It makes me practice - even if it is just 20 minutes a day. As a bonus I find the practice at the end of the day is helping me get through stressful times at work and to sleep better (no pun intended on the sleepwalk track in my previous post).

I don't think it matters what you play as long as you enjoy it.

Yeah I can see that Briz as its a like someone telling you pratice makes perfect and as you say you only need about 20 minutes a day to start with. I might start this weekend.



Dean..

I've played guitar now for over 35 years, classical, acoustic and (mostly) electric. If I go for a day without playing for a while, then I feel cheated. Sad, I know, but that's how it is.

I'm not certain if it changes the way I listen, but it certainly reduces the amount of time I have available to listen to recorded music!

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:

.... we best avoid each other....

Will do. I very rarely read your posts anyway as they don't interst me.

Winky

Is it worth going to a three Michelin star restaurant if I can't cook?
Will I get more out of it if I know how to do a good bacon & sausage sandwich?
Will I enjoy it more if I can afford to go every day or only once a year?

I'm 40, been listening to music for as long as I can remember, into hifi for about 20 years, three years ago I started learning to play the mandolin. Has it changed how I listen? Yes it has. I've got much more appreciation for what's going on, how they're playing and particularly if it's a tune I know or have been learning to play myself.

quote:

I play drums, and that has certainly affected how I listen to music, but I am quite capable of enjoying music that does not have drums.

We were talking about musical instruments though!