Where does Music end?

modulator

I had limited, but valuable tuition on nylon strings. The best time spent in my guitar life. Even if later in life, after I gave my best, I was rewarded with "yes, we also did that for warm-up". As I could sight read, and played organ, I progressed to "Fur Elise" quickly. I have since de-learned that (and the organ). But, it gave me an appreciation for what one can do on a neck. I once attended a Classical Guitar recital in Windhoek, I'm sure the performer was able and classed as "expert", but really, I had one or two songs worth of enjoyment, the rest was, well, "noise". Technically marvelous, maybe (I would not know) and advanced, and well worth "expert" status, but, not music. I wasted my money.

This does not apply to classical music only, there is a lot of music out there that, on analysis, is good work, but maybe not immediately appreciated as "music'. Exactly where does the thin line lie? I would like to get up to "speed" on the nylon, but would not enjoy boring the (non-existent) audience with my raw technical ability. One has to enjoy what goes. I realize this is relative, and varies from person to person, but in terms of "classical" music, there is a line between what one can listen to and what one has to analyze to appreciate. Me, I'd rather go to the former. (I have no appreciation for Opera)

I am sure that this attitude limits what one can (want to) achieve. Shees, not all of Hendrix is equally enjoyable!

V8

modulator wrote: I had limited, but valuable tuition on nylon strings. The best time spent in my guitar life.

+1. If I had to choose but one desert island instrument, it would be a nylon stringer. Not just for versatility, but I've found it the most challenging (and rewarding).

I keep coming back to it - sucker for punishment I guess. It's the rewards, the techniques that have stuck are part of 'my style' now - it's just how I now play and I like the development. So I keep coming back after a bout of "Gollyyyy, I suck!" and try and find something new to inspire me.

Which I just figured out over the weekend, I need to get back into percussive playing. I dipped a toe into it with basic slaps and a rumba, but there is soo much more - which will probably take me into the lands of percussion ???

That thin line? I'll pick the musician over the virtuoso anyday - Julian Bream vs Jimi Hendrix. One plays guitar, the other makes music. ?

RobbieZ

modulator wrote: I am sure that this attitude limits what one can (want to) achieve. Shees, not all of Hendrix is equally enjoyable!

As far as I am concerned, music needs to be enjoyed.
It is a drug. ☹ Why? Because depending on the music, you can calm down, get exited and all the rest of the emotions.
A lot of you will disagree with me, but I feel that heavy metal is not music. Technically, the people can play their instruments brilliantly, but being classified as music... The point is, music is what you enjoy. From the song of a hump back whale to metal and everything in between.
For me personally, I play for personal enjoyment. I enjoy learning new skills, I enjoy noodling around. I sit in a high stress position and that is why I try to make even the practice sessions enjoyable.
Music does not have a beginning or a end. It is all what you get out of it. Listening, playing, preforming... whatever you feel end enjoy.
As soon as the music stops, as far as I am concerned, it is all over. So let us keep playing!

Nigel

A very good question. For me, music is a 'performing arts' thing. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy playing for ourselves, but if I understand the question correctly?????: If I listen to someone or a band playing live for example, yes I might be intrigued by the talent and the advanced skills of a guitarist, but that alone does not automatically relate to actually enjoying the performance. Let me hear a mediocre guitarist, but one that is playing to his/her audience, one who delivers a smooth performance within their skill level, one who has cared enough to invest in a PA that sounds good, one who has taken time to learn how to mix properly......etc. In other words, a musician / band that has spent time on their overall performance rather than a wizz kid shredding the fret board, and beyond that, doesn't have much to offer. I would prefer to listen to a well rehearsed and well executed three chord song with good audio and great vocals than listen to someone trying to be the next JH or GM or........

Point - some of the most successful songs out there are dead simple, but well performed, well produced, and guess what? as a result it's real music, and real music will never end. Hey Hey My My......................

domhatch

the short answer is; it doesn't. there are roughly 7bn people on this rock, and each of us has diverse musical taste. we tend to pigeonhole music as western music, because it's what we're used to hearing, experiencing. eastern music sometimes as well, to a somewhat lesser degree. african beats from time to time. maybe the odd native american vocalisation? or overtone singing? don't hear much of that, but it's immediately recognisable. as is just about anything from the antipodes - rhythmic and hypnotic, chanting, the aussie didg.

we all do respond to rhythm, though. from the womb to the tomb. even plants.

for my part, i dig everything from classical to metal and a good deal in between, including some seriously experimental stuff. as i'm sure many of us do.

there are many classical guitarists who've gone extremely experimental. and there are also plain ol' guitarists - acoustic and electric - who like to get very experimental. for me, kt tunstall comes to mind with her awesome acoustic 'n fx rendition of 'black horse and the cherry tree.' but there are at least (at least!) a gajillion.

so. for me, music never ends. for each of us, there may be boundaries. but that only encourages the search for "extrafrontierstrial" life...
dh|

Stoffeltoo

Over the years I have developed many tastes in music genres and it evolved into a space where my ageing ears and mind finds itself at ease.

When I was younger, Slade, Deep purple, Kiss etc was the thing. It then morphed to artists like Shawn Phillips, Kitaro, Jean Michelle Jarre and in my military days, Queen, Eagles etc.
When I started playing for a Varsity band I suddenly had to get to grips with popular Afrikaans music and some Andrew Lloyd Webber. Got Married, left the guitar in the closet raising children and as recent as four years back picked up the guitar.

Here I discovered Trance, Indie and many other musical approaches which I still enjoy but with limitations. Of course the Scorpions, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits remain ever green

The joy of a guitar is that it is a band in a box in the right hands. Vocally I am mediocre at best and only sing in self defence but I can improvise where I lack in vocal register

As a full time amateur band member I had to re-learn old songs, different styles and even some riffs that my fingers hate but crowds and audiences dig it.

The secret with music is when alone and noodling you expose little diamonds in the gravel and try to retain that memory for use in a recording or even a known song thus adding to the auditory metamorphosis of music. It is never static but always re-inventing itself. There are only 12 notes in 8 different octaves right?

Add in tones and modular variation and the options become incalculable.

The fractal options of these note permutations in chordal expression just make the science of music universally confusing and enjoyable at the same time.

Music will only end when man ends its existence as a species and who knows, maybe another species or life form will carry on where we left off.

Sweet Vibrations to all

studmissile

Keep searching..... you'll find it ends with Willie Nelson and Trigger on Red Headed Stranger ?
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