The idea of this thread was a polite discussion to exchange ideas, likes & dislikes. If you don’t see the point, fine, see you in another thread.
2 Likes
“It is just music, nothing more , nothing less, if you like it good, if not move on, simple.”
Well, I guess, that’s the end of that then. Sorted. No need to discuss any further.
If only music was ‘just’ anything simple then life would be a lot easier for me. But it is not, I find music an infinitely complex subject, to listen to, to study, to enjoy. I am fascinated by the abundance, the diversity of music. Any time I get anywhere near thinking I know something about what music is I discover another branch of music I know nothing about. Even music I think I know well can shift in my understanding and become strangely new to me. I feel blessed to have music in my daily life and for it to be continually renewing itself and helping renew me. Music is a wonderful world and I will not limit music to just what I like, I don’t want to limit music to anything. Music is endless, limitless.
4 Likes
If we disregard lyrics then can music really convey a message or a feeling from the artist? Or is it mostly about nostalgia and your personal reaction?
What about Merzbow and the use of white noise. At least its good for blowing dust out off the speakers.
I must admit I like modern contemporary artmusic. Dissonances and all.
I think a few, including Mike, have misunderstood my point. I don’t care what people use in the production of their music, alarm clocks etc, if I like the music I’m happy.
I agree with what you say, I wasn’t saying music is simple, just that music is subjective, although I like what I like I also read with interest the What are you listening to now thread and use Tidal to see if it’s a new discovery for me.
Ah, yes, alarm clocks and all. I heard a musician who would bring springs, nails, mini-fans, phones, radios into contact with a guitar. He made noise but music was at the center of his performance and informed what he did. He spoke about music and talked mostly about Baroque or Classical, or opera, and though he played abstract sounds far way from those musical worlds he was making music too. I would place the times I heard him play among some of the most absorbing musical events I have experienced.
Yet…I am amazed that it is only I who have written about “conveying a feeling”.
Everyone I listened to music together with, here in Sweden,… Agree on what I wrote (see below).
Music is for me to convey a feeling,
…no matter what the music contains.
A Tragic, Happy, Sad or “Foot Tapping” feeling doesn’t matter.
Succeed the artist,…the musician conveys a feeling.
Then it’s music for me.
More difficult than that,it is not,…but at the same time.
That is precisely what is the difficult.
If this above is not the case,…then the music will be quite uninteresting.
And you might as well go and take a bite of food,instead of continuing to listen.
Technically skilled on his instrument,can never replace the musical feeling.
This is for me the music’s essence.
Regardless of the musical content.
/Peder🙂
2 Likes
Listening can be a visual experience. Noise has shape and colour. Even white noise can add something.
2 Likes
I can feel the same emotion from music played on a car radio, £30 speaker ball, Technics stack system or a Naim.
To the OP’s original (very interesting) question:
“Is it “just” music we all get pleasure from, is it just the sound in time with elements of pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics & harmony.
Is music alone an end in itself, does it alone invoke imagination that brings to you an emotion, a scene, an atmosphere.
Or is music better enhanced with these non-musical elements”
My tuppence worth is that the ‘extras’ are all part of the musical experience. In Love Over Gold or DSOTM they are a big part of the intended musical effect (like it or not) but in any recording of a musical performance there will always be some element of extra-musical colouration. Whether a producer chooses to record an Orchestra in Abbey Road studio 1 or in a Church in Tooting, it will become an important (and intended) part of what you hear at home. When Elvis’ producer decided on the microphone placement and gain level of Scotty Moore’s Amp and the reverb level of the vocal mic, he was strongly defining the final sound you’ll hear today if you play the final recording. George Martin’s recording and production skills are an essential part of our experience of all The Beatles albums.
So m’lud, I’d argue that these not strictly musical elements are essential to the final listener experience and they strongly contribute to how we perceive music as enjoyable or not.
With reference to DSOTM I love it if a musician takes one of these effects laden songs and makes something of it simply on an acoustic guitar. I think a good song can stand alone and/or be given some special effects. Perhaps it comes down to the quality of the songwriting rather than the production?
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.