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How do you interpret your music?

post #1 of 19
1/26/10 at 12:00am
Thread Starter 
How you interpret your music? What i mean by that is everyone has their own different way of listening to music.

For example with every song that plays i listen to the lyrics, and find out what kind of message the artist is trying to get across, if i can relate to it, the song automatically has some type of sentimental value to me, whether it's a point i agree with or a memory that the certain lyric sparks up.

Sometimes I'd sit there and try to put myself in the situation of the song, and I would try my best to match certain emotions that i would feel if it were to really happen to me.

And then there would be songs where i would listen to purely to the vocals, and listen very carefully to the artist hitting certain notes, or the very unique and distinct voice of that certain artist that i very much appreciate.

I'm more of a person who listens for the deeper messages within the song before i even listen to the beat, if it's catchy that's just a bonus.

Now with instrumentals of course there are no lyrics to be heard besides the pure sound of various instruments playing in perfect harmony, therefore that's an exception.

So i guess out of pure curiosity, how do you guys interpret your music?
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post #2 of 19
1/26/10 at 12:16am
I typically listen to the instruments/dynamics and the notes of the vocals as opposed to the words sung. If I like the instruments/notes of the vocals I'll find myself paying more attention to the lyrics.
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post #3 of 19
1/26/10 at 12:51am
Online Translator ?
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post #4 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:05am
I listen to what the music is actually doing. Key shifts, chord progressions, time signature changes, progression of themes, melody, harmony, counter-melodies, bass lines, anything interesting going on in the percussion, and how these all interact with each other. If the artist doesn't mix these up or pull a few interesting tricks, I tend to lose interest. This is part of the reason I keep going back to classical - the best works can be listened to endlessly for everything the composer put in. Then you can compare itnto the composer's other works.

Musicianship is also worth listening to - someone pulling off a difficult passage or lick is amazing. Same with good lyrics. However, those aren't the primary reasons I listen. There's plenty of bad music played by great musicians and some awful music with good lyrics. Neither are worth listening to if the music isn't worthwhile. The opposite is true, too. I'll listen to good music with marginal musicians and lyrics.
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post #5 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
Online Translator ?
what do you listen for when you listen to music?
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post #6 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:10am
I don't really pay attention to lyrics, mostly how the voice is used as an instrument. As Uncle Erik said, when someone does something that is clearly very technically challenging it is very impressive but the interplay of the parts and the gestalt are the most important things to me.
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post #7 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by logwed View Post
I don't really pay attention to lyrics, mostly how the voice is used as an instrument. As Uncle Erik said, when someone does something that is clearly very technically challenging it is very impressive but the interplay of the parts and the gestalt are the most important things to me.
Then do you use music as emotional support?
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post #8 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepsi View Post
How you interpret your music?
Interpretive dance!
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...
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I like to know the title of my song, and allow the progression of the music to play out an image in my mind. The title sets a theme, and the instruments, lyrics, and even soundstage start to paint a moving picture in my head. Its great as each time I listen to a song, can be surprisingly different, depending on the mood I'm currently in!

I've always found lyrics to be an accessory to the music, but never the focus. Either vocals go well with the song or they should get lost. I've listened to enough rap to know when vocals belong in a song and when they don't. They should add to the overall experience and never take the spotlight.
There are many voices out there that I could easily listen to by themselves, but it takes a bit of artistic wisdom to mesh that in well with the rest of a song. Of course this is just the way I listen
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post #9 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:37am
For me listening to music is very visual if that makes any sense. Sometimes it can be images of the band playing, other times its free-flowing randoms shapes etc.(like a mental picture of the music flowing in 3-d space), and other times if the song is particularly one with a narrative, I imagine the setting and how the story unfolds. For example- Carolina Drama by The Raconteurs has a story and when listening to it I see a shack in the field and the various characters that are introduced as the song progresses. It's alot like reading a book, at least for me anyway. I also think that, too an extent, when one listens to music, one taps into whatever emotional/mental state that the artist had when playing the song, (especially in improvisational music) so there's a little voyeurism in there too. Also, when I got to concerts, I tend to close my eyes, I don't know if many other people do it but usually I don't want a whole lot of distractions. (except when seeing the Flaming Lips live )
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post #10 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:48am
Regardless of what I listen to, I hear and see attractive women making out while giving me a come hither stare
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post #11 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirosia View Post
Regardless of what I listen to, I hear and see attractive women making out while giving me a come hither stare
You sure it's not just the ***** pop up's caused by the viruses you've accumulated from unprotected visits to new "material" over the years?
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post #12 of 19
1/26/10 at 1:59am
The same as any well trained musician/listener - everything.

Do I listen to everything at once? No, because the human auditory system doesn't work like that.

Things I listen for:

1. Overall tone of the piece
2. Development and/or progression of the piece
3. What is being played (notes)
4. How are the notes being played
5. Instrumentation
etc
(i.e. 1. Performance 2. Arragement).

In the case of skilled artists, composers or arrangers, what I focus on is often dictated by the piece itself and not my own mind.

Sometimes I listen to "everything" (general sound) by tuning out, but it depends on my mood if I focus or tune out. And of course, I'm still not listening to everything.
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post #13 of 19
1/26/10 at 2:07am
Thread Starter 
The reason why i asked this particular question in the first place was to gain a little more insight on ways to listen to music. Always good to keep an open mind, especially in this subject since it could make music that much more enjoyable. So thanks for replies and in regards to any future replies, thanks you also. =D
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post #14 of 19
1/26/10 at 2:12am
The ability to invoke an atmosphere or emotion. I don't particularly care if the band could wank a fretboard or if they only know a single chord nor do I care if the songwriter writes like Tool or Black Flag. If they could produce an amazing atmosphere or emotion, I'm sold.
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post #15 of 19
1/26/10 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepsi View Post
Then do you use music as emotional support?
I dunno, really. There are some songs that I know that I see as a mirror to my emotional state, but I wouldn't say that I listen to music to compliment my feelings. When I put on an album at night (when I do my real listening), I choose it based the frequency with which I've listened to it, and situational preference, I guess.
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