VEGANGELICA

Hi, Shrar,
I agree with NumberNineDream who says that not playing an instrument can give you the feeling of being an alien to the subject...but I'd like to add that when people feel this way they are probably less separated from the world of music creation than they first think. If you've ever hummed, clapped, danced to music or sung your own little songs, you are using the original human instrument (our bodies)...and constructed instruments are just extentions of that.

For me one of the nicest aspects of learning to play different instruments is that doing so pushes aside the imagined veil of separation between me and "musicians" (rock music players, etc.) whom I used to view as "others." When I learned to play the violin when I was 8, I was young enough not to have this mental veil of separation, and so learning to play was just like learning to eat with a spoon, or write with a pencil...just an extension of all the other bodily learning we do in life. As a result, I never looked at orchestras or orchestral composers as in a realm that was far from me. However I *did* feel this sense of separation with respect to rock music bands (until I started playing guitar). I think if/when you learn to play an instrument, it will help you appreciate music more by making you realize how natural making music can feel.
--Erica

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immetoday

you dont need to play an instrument to love music. if uyou do play music can be more fun i think cause you can actuslly play songs not just listen but loving music doesn't mean u have to play. well thats my opinion

Blazed And Confused

Yes of course you can be a music lover if you dont play an instrument, however i think you do need to play an instrument inorder to be a music connoisseur. knowing how to make what sound your looking for by knowing music theory and applying it on any instrument in the world at anytime really changes what your perception of "quality" music i find. i dont really consider producing beats infront of a computer that impressive anymore, sure it sounds good but even a very poor musician could do it. Since i learnt music theory i more understand that its really easy to come up with a repeating 4 chord phrase that sounds kinda catchy. its the transitions between phrases that makes a song truly creative and good.

not to be to critical or anything thats just my opinion

million dollar basher

I respectfully disagree with you on the idea that people can't be "connoisseurs of music" if they're not proficient in actually writing or playing music. There are people who literally make careers, hobbies, and who are just passionate about collecting--if you can really "collect" an abstract thing--and enjoying music. Music appeals to emotions. It appeals to your mind's eye. and to say that somebody may not be able to enjoy something as thoroughly as somebody who is versed in the mechanics of it doesn't really make much sense to me.

And there are days when I literally can't stand to listen to music. Those days are few and far between, but I find that sometimes when I approach music as a musician, it seriously impedes my ability to enjoy it. I find this especially true if I'm in the process of writing and I'm trying to emulate the dynamics of other musicians.

J.S.3otR

nobody has to play an instrument to love music, whatever floats your boat is ok. i play bass, ive been playing since i was 8, and for six years that's opened up my eyes about music. it's become a lot easier to tell what is good music and whats bad, skilled from unskilled, etc. and also playing an instrument is a good way to just learn about music in general, which in the long run, makes you smarter with a lot of things other than music.

but still, if you don't want to play an instrument, thats fine. makes no difference.

Grotesque Head

I play a bunch of instruments but I spend much, much more time listening to music than playing it. Also, I know nothing about musical theory because I find it boring.

I personally don't think there's any correlation between being able to play music and appreciating music.

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Last.FM

VeggieLover

As I was reading the conversation up til now, I've noticed a descrepancy between the ideas of "Music as emotion/expression" and "Music as a technical science". The truth is, music is both. It is such an integral part of human society because it manages to combine these two very different parts of us. The truely great artists of history have succeeded in producing something that can be loved and appreciated at the basic human levels by utalizing their talented ears and their technical abilities. It is impossible to separate these two aspects and still have music.

Take for instance, the stars. Most of us, if we take the time, feel a sense of awe when gazing into the night sky. For one thing, they're pretty, and for another thing there are just so many! But if someone takes the time to learn about the stars, the fact that there are ____ number of stars all burning massivly large amounts of gases ______ lightyears away at ______ temperatures, the way the ancient greeks used the stars to tell stories...all of that can produce one of the two effects:
A: by reducing it to a mechanical school project we loose the passion, we assume that we know all there is to know and in that assumption all wonder is lost
OR
B: By learning a little bit we become aware of the vast knowledge that humans cannot possibly access in a lifetime. We therefore increase our wonder and increase our respect for our fellow "scientists," their theories and ideas, by listening to them, we can learn what we otherwise couldn't in our own time

The same happens with music. As a musician, it is possible to achieve a more acute and learned appreciation, and therefore love, of music. If we allow ourselves to realize our relative niavety, we can continue to learn and love at an increased level. By understanding the technicalities our fellow musicians deal in, we can appreciate their emotional and labourous contributions to the more subjective side of music rather than simply listening to something "pretty".

got it?

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"Not remotely! Because iocaine comes from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you."

Davey Moore

This.

Even though I play guitar, I do it so horribly that I don't give a sh*t about how good musicians they are. It's all about the end result, baby.

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The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.

cavanherk

When I learned sax, it didn't effect my music appreciation. When I learned Piano, it didn't help either. When I learned guitar, I became very intrigued in all forms of american music and began to dive into various genres, all of course guitar influenced.

It certainly helped me get into various artists in a level I otherwise would not have, and my appreciation has grown from those genres to include non-guitar-influenced music.

Depends on which instrument you really take to as to which avenue you might truly appreciate.

Definitely guided me into music I absolutely adore, so I would say playing an instrument helps build a particular respect for music that may not otherwise be experienced by one who has not picked up an instrument.

GuitarBizarre

I disagree with you completely. If you're going to do something, do it well. Being crap at something just because you think being good at something makes it worthless, is idiotic.

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Now playing: The Mars Volta - Desperate Graves
via FoxyTunes

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