Is a Computer an Instrument?

Daktari · 04-04-2010, 08:24 AM

Pick, pick, pick,pick,pick.

Mr. Neopolitan, do you ever agree with anything? Your silly question above asking why the microphone is the odd one out when in the previous sentence you say yourself that it is not a musical instrument.

Enough said and a Happy Easter to all, especially all you who struggle to see reason and are lacking somewhat in the good old fashioned common sense area, ha,ha...

Gordon.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 04-04-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daktari

Enough said and a Happy Easter to all, especially all you who struggle to see reason and are lacking somewhat in the good old fashioned common sense area, ha,ha...

So you'd rather us all agree with each other? That would make for an interesting forum.

And anybody who says a microphone isn't an instrument has clearly never watched Mike Patton perform.

OceanAndSilence · 04-04-2010, 02:10 PM

I seriously can't comprehend how anyone would think that a computer cannot qualify as an instrument. an instrument is just another name for "tool". all musical instruments are tools that musicians use. so, yes. a computer, with a program that creates sound, is a musical instrument. it's also many other things. most musical instruments are inanimate; they only create music with human interaction. a guitar leaning against the wall has the same musical usefulness as a powered off laptop, just as a table has the potential to create percussion by rapping your knuckles on it.

Daktari · 04-04-2010, 03:51 PM

Hi there,

It seems you guys are missing the point here. To use the example that was just mentioned in the last post.

A table can be used to make music like 99% of everything else. The difference being that it was not designed to produce music as it's main function compared to a true musical instrument where the main design purpose is to help a musician play music. As mentioned earlier, many, many posts back, there is a difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument. Simple.

Surely, it's not that complicated.

As far as I'm concened. I'm just trying to explain what should be an obvious common sense fact. As you say, it does take you folks who can't accept that to keep the discussion interesting. Real silly at times but I guess it's each to their own.

That's my last one on this. I have a whole week off work and the computer's gonna be off the whole time, (musical instrument or not.ha,ha...).

Cheers, Gordon.

OceanAndSilence · 04-04-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daktari

The difference being that it was not designed to produce music as it's main function compared to a true musical instrument where the main design purpose is to help a musician play music. As mentioned earlier, many, many posts back, there is a difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument. Simple.

what is the difference between a "potential" musical instrument that would stop it from being able to create music not unlike an "actual" musical instrument? design or intent aside, it's being used musically. it's an INSTRUMENT used to create music. music is predicated by the sound of the instrument once used - there actually is no difference of input or output between a "potential" and an "actual" musical instrument - they both create sound when utilized, to serve the musician's purpose. your point is inconsequential. you are arguing about the intention of the tool upon its inception, not the validity of the tool itself. since every body seems to be asking hypothetical questions; what if a computer was created solely for the purpose of producing sound? what would make it more or less valid as a musical instrument - its intent, or use?

Daktari · 04-04-2010, 06:12 PM

You guys......

The answer to all this is right there in your own question. You ask what is the difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument.

I suggest at this point that you find a dictionairy and look up the meanings of 'potential' and 'actual'.

There lies the answer that I have been attempting to get across. Anything further is just a case of argument for arguments sake.

I have faith in my own ability to reason and I know this is correct.

All the best, Gordon.

Neapolitan · 04-04-2010, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daktari

Pick, pick, pick,pick,pick.

Mr. Neopolitan, do you ever agree with anything? Your silly question above asking why the microphone is the odd one out when in the previous sentence you say yourself that it is not a musical instrument.

Enough said and a Happy Easter to all, especially all you who struggle to see reason and are lacking somewhat in the good old fashioned common sense area, ha,ha...

Gordon.

I was only agreeing temporarily to what you said that it was "also not a musical instrument" by saying 'so even though a mic not an instrument' so that the it wouldn't to spiral out into another debate whether or not a microphone is a instrument. (In the hands of a human beat box one could consider a microphone an instrument - plus what Conan said about Mike Patton.) The micorphone does have something in common with the electric guitars, that both don't have in common with the drums. The microphone and the pick-up of an electric guitar are "transducers" while the drum set is an acoustic percussion instrument! So it is not the "odd one out" of the group. It's all about the pov and set theory.

OceanAndSilence · 04-04-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daktari

You guys......

The answer to all this is right there in your own question. You ask what is the difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument.

I suggest at this point that you find a dictionairy and look up the meanings of 'potential' and 'actual'.

There lies the answer that I have been attempting to get across. Anything further is just a case of argument for arguments sake.

I have faith in my own ability to reason and I know this is correct.

All the best, Gordon.

I specifically quoted "potential" and "actual" because they were semantics YOU brought up, and won't drop. your mind is simply too closed to realise the point. "potential" and "actual" aren't even part of the equation. is a computer a musical instrument? the answer is yes.

Freebase Dali · 04-05-2010, 06:13 PM

I ate Taco Bell the other day and I can tell you that after about 2 hours, I was certainly a musical instrument. Wind instrument.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 04-05-2010, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I ate Taco Bell the other day and I can tell you that after about 2 hours, I was certainly a musical instrument. Wind instrument.

DERAIL! DERAIL!

04-04-2010, 02:10 PM	#93 (permalink)
OceanAndSilence i write and play stuff Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 239	I seriously can't comprehend how anyone would think that a computer cannot qualify as an instrument. an instrument is just another name for "tool". all musical instruments are tools that musicians use. so, yes. a computer, with a program that creates sound, is a musical instrument. it's also many other things. most musical instruments are inanimate; they only create music with human interaction. a guitar leaning against the wall has the same musical usefulness as a powered off laptop, just as a table has the potential to create percussion by rapping your knuckles on it. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/chrisneto - tune in to chill out Last edited by OceanAndSilence; 04-04-2010 at 02:17 PM.

04-04-2010, 03:51 PM	#94 (permalink)
Daktari Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Originally from Lancashire, England, lived near Largs, Scotland and now live in Rocky Face, Georgia Posts: 154	Hi there, It seems you guys are missing the point here. To use the example that was just mentioned in the last post. A table can be used to make music like 99% of everything else. The difference being that it was not designed to produce music as it's main function compared to a true musical instrument where the main design purpose is to help a musician play music. As mentioned earlier, many, many posts back, there is a difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument. Simple. Surely, it's not that complicated. As far as I'm concened. I'm just trying to explain what should be an obvious common sense fact. As you say, it does take you folks who can't accept that to keep the discussion interesting. Real silly at times but I guess it's each to their own. That's my last one on this. I have a whole week off work and the computer's gonna be off the whole time, (musical instrument or not.ha,ha...). Cheers, Gordon. Last edited by Daktari; 04-04-2010 at 03:57 PM.

04-04-2010, 08:24 AM	#91 (permalink)
Daktari Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Originally from Lancashire, England, lived near Largs, Scotland and now live in Rocky Face, Georgia Posts: 154	Pick, pick, pick,pick,pick. Mr. Neopolitan, do you ever agree with anything? Your silly question above asking why the microphone is the odd one out when in the previous sentence you say yourself that it is not a musical instrument. Enough said and a Happy Easter to all, especially all you who struggle to see reason and are lacking somewhat in the good old fashioned common sense area, ha,ha... Gordon.

04-04-2010, 06:12 PM	#96 (permalink)
Daktari Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Originally from Lancashire, England, lived near Largs, Scotland and now live in Rocky Face, Georgia Posts: 154	You guys...... The answer to all this is right there in your own question. You ask what is the difference between a potential musical instrument and an actual musical instrument. I suggest at this point that you find a dictionairy and look up the meanings of 'potential' and 'actual'. There lies the answer that I have been attempting to get across. Anything further is just a case of argument for arguments sake. I have faith in my own ability to reason and I know this is correct. All the best, Gordon.

04-05-2010, 06:13 PM	#99 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	I ate Taco Bell the other day and I can tell you that after about 2 hours, I was certainly a musical instrument. Wind instrument.