(Untitled)

[nausicaa1]

As long as I can remember I've sounded out other people's songs on whatever instrument I happened to be obsessed with at the time.  I've picked out classical melodies on recorder in grade school and clarinet in high school.  I've pieced together 80's songs on my folks' electronic keyboard and plunked out pop songs on the baby grand they had for a

Comments

[timothytg]

I'm always trying to find the balance between knowing everything there is to know about my interests and just enjoying the experience without reading (usually literally) too much into it. I think you've made the correct choice in just letting the music flow instead of trying to kill yourself over keys, scales, staffs, etc.

[nausicaa1]

It's weird to think that there is too much outside information, but I've been burned before and had things I'd enjoyed before be completely ruined. On the other hand, I feel like it's a big sin to choose to be a dilettante but that could be that whole dyi punk grunge pre-Hot Topic era I grew up in talking. Like you said, it's a balancing act. (Your advice was so wise, you should have added "comma, Grasshoppa."at the end!)

[hatter_anon]

Wow, I've always wanted to be able to pick up music but I'm afraid it's just not one of my talents. I'm impressed that you can get so much out of it, and discover so much of it all on your own. Sounds like a really interesting way to experience music.

[nausicaa1]

Meh, musical ability is a little less useful than other things I'd like to be able to do like keep myself organized, on task, and punctual!

[hatter_anon]

There is something wonderful about musical ability though and the way it speaks to people on a completely different level. It somehow connects with whole heap of disparate personalities individually and collectively. I can't think of anything else that's quite as powerful emotionally.

[existential70]

I don't think you have any worries. You have established such a deep emotional connection with the content of the music that learning theory can only deepen it. Knowing what the different kinds of saws and files are called doesn't make you appreciate a cabinet any less.
What you said about trying to get into the composer's head reminded me of something brilliant I read. Penguin publishing got together with a few different classical record companies to come out with a "classics" series that paired great recordings with liner notes by great writers. The one for the Brandenburg concerti was written by Douglas Adams. At the end of it, he says, "While Beethoven tells you what it's like to be Beethoven, and Mozart tells you what it's like to be Mozart, Bach tells you what it's like to be the universe."

[nausicaa1]

I suppose my way isn't very efficient, reinventing the wheel, but I'm content to say "Ooh, that's a great song! I'm gonna learn that one next." You're right, knowing the tools of a craft doesn't really detract from appreciation, be it carpentry tools or grammar. It just irritates the shit out of me when I learn "oh, you mean that beautiful cabinet is made from a glue-together kit from Hobby Lobby?" or "so that's Harlequin Romance plot outline?" I don't want to know about cheats, I guess, musical or otherwise.

I lubs me some Douglas Adams. He WOULD say that about Bach. Old J.S. was droppin' science like Galileo dropped the orange. I'm more of a Beethoven kind of girl (me and E.M. Forrester), but even I know that when the Almighty set everything spinning, He was totally humming the Brandenburg concertos.