Is music too simple to express yourself? Not enough options?

SoThisIsUs · 09-16-2013, 10:56 PM

Hey all,

I had this thought the other day, and it won't go away. I can't get over how there are only 12 notes in Western Music. I instantly think how, logically speaking, soon enough you'll run out of combinations, and songs just sound the same - or that's what my head believes. With so many people making music and so few notes, how can you be different? How can you really be creative when you only have 12 options to work with? And what about the voice? You can only hit so many notes when you sing. How can you be compose and be expressive when you have so few tools to work with? Hopefully I won't get sick of music because it's so repetitive and I hear the same things over and over?

I used to love music and get lost in it, but these questions have been bothering me whenever a song comes on, and it's annoying. Can anyone help me see reason? I know I have a tendency to overthink things, is that all I'm doing?

Thanks in advance!

**Frownland** · 09-16-2013, 11:05 PM

It seems as if you've forgotten chords, which increases the range of these 12 notes given that they use 2 to infinity (if you count the more experimental aspect of chords and their usage) of these 12 notes. That's not to mention that notes that are less than half notes are unacceptable in society. Bends are a quintessential element of blues music, one of the original genres of modern music (oxymoron, I know), and they add all the more nuance and emotion to the music.

There's also the idea that some with only musical knowledge can express themselves without words because of the passion conveyed through the instrument, but would be unable to do so with words. There are also people who can write the most beautiful verses depicting the most disgusting thing in the world, but cannot apply the same to music. The medium of the message matters not, but it all relies on the artist's ability to express itself within a given field.

09-16-2013, 10:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
SoThisIsUs Groupie Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 1	Is music too simple to express yourself? Not enough options? Hey all, I had this thought the other day, and it won't go away. I can't get over how there are only 12 notes in Western Music. I instantly think how, logically speaking, soon enough you'll run out of combinations, and songs just sound the same - or that's what my head believes. With so many people making music and so few notes, how can you be different? How can you really be creative when you only have 12 options to work with? And what about the voice? You can only hit so many notes when you sing. How can you be compose and be expressive when you have so few tools to work with? Hopefully I won't get sick of music because it's so repetitive and I hear the same things over and over? I used to love music and get lost in it, but these questions have been bothering me whenever a song comes on, and it's annoying. Can anyone help me see reason? I know I have a tendency to overthink things, is that all I'm doing? Thanks in advance!

09-16-2013, 11:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	It seems as if you've forgotten chords, which increases the range of these 12 notes given that they use 2 to infinity (if you count the more experimental aspect of chords and their usage) of these 12 notes. That's not to mention that notes that are less than half notes are unacceptable in society. Bends are a quintessential element of blues music, one of the original genres of modern music (oxymoron, I know), and they add all the more nuance and emotion to the music. There's also the idea that some with only musical knowledge can express themselves without words because of the passion conveyed through the instrument, but would be unable to do so with words. There are also people who can write the most beautiful verses depicting the most disgusting thing in the world, but cannot apply the same to music. The medium of the message matters not, but it all relies on the artist's ability to express itself within a given field. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x