You and music: a poll for the discerning individual.

[Rain Man]

Don't think too much about the thread title. I'm working on my personal branding.

A conversation in another thread got me wondering about this.

When we think about music, I think there are three main things that one can do.

One can perform music without instruments, which I like to call singing.

One can perform music by playing an instrument, which I like to call playing an instrument.

One can create music, which I like to call composing.

Which one of these do you think is the hardest to do well? Which would you most want to be able to do well?

By "well", let's assume a definition that you're good enough to make an upper middle class living doing it. Not rich and no mansions, but you're comfortable.

Poll forthcoming in a one anna two anna ...

[Reaper16]

In before the poll to say that the answer to which is hardest is "composing" by a vast margin.

I would personally like to sing well. I think I'd get more daily, private satisfaction out of meager singing talent to just have fun with.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

In before the poll to say that the answer to which is hardest is "composing" by a vast margin.

I would personally like to sing well. I think I'd get more daily, private satisfaction out of meager singing talent to just have fun with.

Agreed. I think most people can sing well within their range. I wish my range was larger. I can't hit the high notes on guys like Jason DeRulo but am more than competent at the rest of those songs. To go in a completely different direction, I do fairly well with Luke Bryan songs. If my range was just a tad bigger, I would've went for it.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Agreed. I think most people can sing well within their range.

I must have a one note range, then. I can't sing at all but i sure wish I could.

[Katipan]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I must have a one note range, then. I can't sing at all but i sure wish I could.

It would be such a nice thing to be able to do. I would use the ability randomly all the time. It would add so much flavor and pizazz to life.

Whereas I have little desire to carry a guitar around although I'll happily fastball a pair of panties at a guy on stage doing it.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Katipan

It would be such a nice thing to be able to do. I would use the ability randomly all the time. It would add so much flavor and pizazz to life.

Whereas I have little desire to carry a guitar around although I'll happily fastball a pair of panties at a guy on stage doing it.

It really does. Small example, my dog goes bananas whenever I start singing and it melts my heart every day. Shit. Did I say that out loud? My man card is in the mail. Sorry.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I must have a one note range, then. I can't sing at all but i sure wish I could.

My wife is the same way. I used to think everyone could, but realized some just can't at all. My wife couldn't care less. I wish you could too because for some of us, music touches our soul, and I'd like for everyone to be able to connect as much as possibly with it that has the desire. I'm not great, but I'm competent and it enriches my experience on the daily.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

My wife is the same way. I used to think everyone could, but realized some just can't at all. My wife couldn't care less. I wish you could too because for some of us, music touches our soul, and I'd like for everyone to be able to connect as much as possibly with it that has the desire. I'm not great, but I'm competent and it enriches my experience on the daily.

It's annoying when people are talented or even competent and take it for granted. My wife is a very good singer and doesn't seem to realize how lucky I think she is. She is also pretty innately musical but doesn't really do much with it. I remember when my boys were little, they had a toy guitar that had an electric keyboard for the frets. My wife would just sit down and play random songs on it for them, usually perfectly the first time. I asked her once how she knew to do that and she just looked at me blankly and said "I just played the notes?".

I played in band from 6th grade through jr year of high school and was a decent sax player. I can read music (or could then anyway) but never had that innate talent and am insanely jealous of those that do.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

My wife is the same way. I used to think everyone could, but realized some just can't at all. My wife couldn't care less. I wish you could too because for some of us, music touches our soul, and I'd like for everyone to be able to connect as much as possibly with it that has the desire. I'm not great, but I'm competent and it enriches my experience on the daily.

I'm flummoxed by the whole thing. I like to thing I have an ear for pitch. I've played nearly everything woodwind and brass, with my main instrument is tenor sax since 8th grade. And I'm a good judge of talent for things like Idol. But I apparently have no connection between my ear and my vocal chords.

I'm sure I could master percussion with practice, and never tackle the guitar because I'm left handed.

[DaneMcCloud]

The most difficult is composing music for the masses.

Anyone can learn to sing or play an instrument (or multiple instruments for that matter).

Not many can write music, whether it's film, television, jingles, pop songs, love songs, sad song, angry songs, etc. that can touch millions upon millions of people.

[Gadzooks]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The most difficult is composing music for the masses.

Anyone can learn to sing or play an instrument (or multiple instruments for that matter).

Not many can write music, whether it's film, television, jingles, pop songs, love songs, sad song, angry songs, etc. that can touch millions upon millions of people.

It's interesting that being unique in terms of composition will tend to get you nowhere. There's obviously a formula, much like Alpo and Friskies have a formula of horse meat to bullshit.

If 20% of free thinkers and 5% of mouth breathers enjoy your music you have nothing. These days, the idea is to captivate 80-90% of the mouth breathing population. (Makes sense)
Being able to compose, play an instrument or sing are all useless without any marketable "product".

To answer the question. Composition is the soul of music. Without that ability you're merely a cog in some machine.
Playing an instrument, preferably piano or guitar, would be second on the list since it teaches the building blocks of composition.
They're the chicken and the egg. The instrument can often cause the motivation for composition.

[Katipan]

I think composition is hardest except for the really crazy composers that bleed this stuff from their pores.

They should try walking with a bassoon in a marching band, but I digress.

It's definitely not the skill I'd want the most tho.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The most difficult is composing music for the masses.

Anyone can learn to sing or play an instrument (or multiple instruments for that matter).

Not many can write music, whether it's film, television, jingles, pop songs, love songs, sad song, angry songs, etc. that can touch millions upon millions of people.

Absolutely.

[stevieray]

Beethoven.

'nuff said.

[Iconic]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The most difficult is composing music for the masses.

Agreed. Connecting with an audience is the single most important thing IMO.