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 ...

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Anything musical is very difficult to me. I struggle to find the rhythm to even the simplist of songs. I don't have a very good ear for key or specific notes. So I have never had the first inclination to have a music career.

For the second part of the poll, I marked to play a musical instrument. Most frequently I think of playing the guitar or piano. But it would just be for me. It seems like it would be a good way to unwind and I would enjoy the physical connection to the music. If I was really good at it and people enjoyed my playing, I would derive additional satisfaction from that, but I still don't think I would have a burning desire to make music my career. It's just not in my DNA.

I'm horrible at the guitar and can't sing with it at all, but I know the 13 open note chords and it does bring me a great amount of joy. If youy have the time, pick up a cheap one and teach yourself those chords off of YouTube and youy have thousands of songs at your disposal.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I'm horrible at the guitar and can't sing with it at all, but I know the 13 open note chords and it does bring me a great amount of joy.

I took Beginning Guitar in 10th grade. I started out pretty rough, but worked at it every day. By the end of the semester, I could rip off a decent rendition of "She'll be comin' 'round the mountain". I earned a C+ the first quarter and an A- the second quarter, which averaged to a B on my semester transcript. It ended up costing me a scholarship to college, back in the day when scholarships were rare. I didn't stick with it and forgot what I had learned.

[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.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by cdcox

I took Beginning Guitar in 10th grade. I started out pretty rough, but worked at it every day. By the end of the semester, I could rip off a decent rendition of "She'll be comin' 'round the mountain". I earned a C+ the first quarter and an A- the second quarter, which averaged to a B on my semester transcript. It ended up costing me a scholarship to college, back in the day when scholarships were rare. I didn't stick with it and forgot what I had learned.

Man, that really sucks. I took it in college. My professor told everyone they were getting an A as long as they put the work in to learn. He wasn't Cisne with technical level, just the work put in. He said he'd know. I think 3 people got C's, 2 failed outright, and everyone else got A's and some of us were really no good. Me being one. That really sucks.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Frosty

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.

I'm grateful for what little I can do. I wish I could do much more, and wish youy could too. Some people just don't get touched by it the way some of us do, and they don't care. It is annoying.

[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.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

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.

I'm left handed and like most things growing up I had to learn the guitar right handed. It's probably one odd the reasons I'm not very good. Or at golf, or batting, or a number of other things. I throw with my left, and wrote with my left, everything else is right handed.

See, I don't know shit. I fully admit that. It baffles me that you have a good ear and can't sing. I have a mediocre to lesser ear and have minor ability. I can hold a note, stay in key, etc. My range just falls me on big notes. It's weird.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Man, that really sucks. I took it in college. My professor told everyone they were getting an A as long as they put the work in to learn. He wasn't Cisne with technical level, just the work put in. He said he'd know. I think 3 people got C's, 2 failed outright, and everyone else got A's and some of us were really no good. Me being one. That really sucks.

I have no regrets. I vacillated about taking it at the time, but I'm glad I stuck with it. you only go around once, so you might as well experience as many things as you can. About the same time I dropped out of a wood shop class that I really would have enjoyed because everyone else in the class was a burnout and I just couldn't tolerate not fitting in to that extreme.

[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.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

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.

Question. Can you whistle in tune and in key? My experience is the two go hand in hand but again, I'm an idiot, it's just my very limited experience

[cdcox]

I've been told on some occasions that I have a good singing voice and on others that I can't sing worth a lick. I think the truth is that if the song is in my range and I have someone who is decent that I can harmonize with, I get by.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by cdcox

I have no regrets. I vacillated about taking it at the time, but I'm glad I stuck with it. you only go around once, so you might as well experience as many things as you can. About the same time I dropped out of a wood shop class that I really would have enjoyed because everyone else in the class was a burnout and I just couldn't tolerate not fitting in to that extreme.

I hated that about high school. I totally get that.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by cdcox

I've been told on some occasions that I have a good singing voice and on others that I can't sing worth a lick. I think the truth is that if the song is in my range and I have someone who is decent that I can harmonize with, I get by.

Yep. Most people either think they're great and they're horrible, or they're way too hard on themselves. I let the opinions of others guide me when it comes to that. Range is everything.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Question. Can you whistle in tune and in key? My experience is the two go hand in hand but again, I'm an idiot, it's just my very limited experience

To be honest, I may overstating. I don't have an American Idol disaster voice, just not a very good one. And I'm not the best whistler either. But I think my ear makes me more critical of my skill singing. And maddened me eternally because I'd hear I was off and couldn't change that.

[eDave]

I'm not saying singing is easy but I'm of the opinion that anyone can sing. Regardless of your 'voice', you can still be trained to sing within your limits. Or sing 'your' songs.

I'm a huge My Morning Jacket fan and many do not like Jim James voice. But, it's the only voice for 'his' songs. And it's perfect.

Know what I mean?

All of my compositions are in my head. I play through them constantly as I play a few hours throughout each day. Wish I could get to a point of laying them down. I might actually have something to share.

I can sing and I can play. I cannot do both at the same time.