"How" do you listen to your music?

The question I'm asking is not why you listen to the music you listen to, but what do you hear when you listen to it. For example, my Mom and Sister love to hear music with a good vocalist, and they mainly listen to the lyrics of the song and try to interpret them. My view on music is that the music would do okay without the lyrics, and that it is all about the instruments. In fact, I will listen to a song several times in a row without memorizing a single word. I don't care what the song is about--what I am focused on is the overall atmosphere or mood of the song. People say I am weird for listening to music this way. When I hear music, my brain doesn't consider the lyrics, but listens to the sounds, melodies, and patterns. However, I do appreciate lyrics that have had a lot of thought put into them. What do you focus on when you listen to your favorite songs?

Brilliant lyrics can enhance an already good song, or make an amazing one even that more special. But bad lyrics can ruin a good song, in my opinion. That said, I listen to a lot of instrumental post-rock music that can convey emotions and whatnot without the use of lyrics. I try to appreciate both sides of music, whether it be the atmosphere and mood set through the instrumental portion, or the message the singer is trying to convey. I think with the best of music the lyrics and music are supposed to work together in order to paint a fuller picture, and without considering both you aren't seeing the full thing.

I focus on the pitch of the voice a lot of the time. When the vocalist breaks from the normal tone of the song, maybe to be quieter or more rushed, or sometimes louder, then that's normally my favorite part of the song. If the part when that's done doesn't appeal as much to me, or they don't really do it, then I focus more on certain lines of the song.

I am more inclined to listen to a song of a minor key or weird chordprogression than that of one in a major key. I listen to the way the vocals mix along with the instrumentals and stuff. The lyrics are often important, but even if they are not good, if the background music is intricate and moving, I will like the song. I like to experiment with harmony and stuff, and i love listening to the way different intervals can change the tone of the song. For example, how a fifth creates an empty, almost hollow sound. A 4th creates an eerie, sometimes uncomfortable sound. A 3rd is a typical harmony in a typical rock song--background vocals are up two steps. I like it better when the harmonies are different and create clashing and resolving.

yeah, I'm half asleep so that mighta come out a bit weird. Forgive me!

~Bliss

If a piece is purely instermental it will often create images in my head which get constructed into a sort of video clip in my head. So I am always focused on the images that the music can invoke, a gripping sense of movement and action for something fast and upbeat and the quiet lost in thought images of something much slower. And in the case of Hendrix and a Piece of music from Batien Kaitos called House of Cards, well when I listen to that I see swirls and the colours of new age and the idea of being one with everthing. This however changes for comdey songs as they are often got their own little story so I tend to get a vision of a video clip that goes along with the story to the pace of the music. So there you have it I listen to music visually.

I like my heavy metal and 80's influenced rock as thats mainly what my band plays. However... I do enjoy hiding away and listening to a bit of jazz. I love the complicatedness and intricacy of it. Sure heavy metal has its amazing raw power but jazz just has a flowing relaxing feel to it. (And its always fun when i get to play a bit of jazz on the drums) not that my band will allow it very often. *weeps & sulks*

I focus mainly on the beat. That's why when someone ask me what song I'm humming/whistling/etc I always give them the beat not the lyric. I fell the beat gets you more hyped up then the lyric does. I can't really stand screaming music, so if I listen to like, some screamo hardcore band, I always go for the beat.

I take it all in, honeys.

But like Bear said, the beat, usually the drum and the bass, are the part people remember since it is the heartbeat of the song. Unless you have a very catchy guitar riff like "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)", "Norwegian Wood", "Smoke of the Water", etc.

Originally Posted by Aberrant Bliss

I am more inclined to listen to a song of a minor key or weird chordprogression than that of one in a major key. I listen to the way the vocals mix along with the instrumentals and stuff. The lyrics are often important, but even if they are not good, if the background music is intricate and moving, I will like the song. I like to experiment with harmony and stuff, and i love listening to the way different intervals can change the tone of the song. For example, how a fifth creates an empty, almost hollow sound. A 4th creates an eerie, sometimes uncomfortable sound. A 3rd is a typical harmony in a typical rock song--background vocals are up two steps. I like it better when the harmonies are different and create clashing and resolving. yeah, I'm half asleep so that mighta come out a bit weird. Forgive me!

~Bliss

I understand completely, and i am the same way. that's one reason i like steely dan. they are very jazzy, in that they use a lot of thick harmonies, where the notes in the harmony are so close together, and there are so many of them, it almost sounds dissonant.

but the lyrics in steely dan are just as intriguing. i love how you think you're listening to a fun jazz/pop tune, but you listen to the lyrics and realyize the song is actually rather dark, satirical, cynical, or just plain cryptic, or "insider".

donald fagen and walter becker are like one brain with two bodies.... amazing writing team of the 20th and 21st century.
BTW, norwegian wood is awesome, but too short!!! by the time i'm really into it, it's over

Originally Posted by Pos/Neg

The question I'm asking is not why you listen to the music you listen to, but what do you hear when you listen to it. For example, my Mom and Sister love to hear music with a good vocalist, and they mainly listen to the lyrics of the song and try to interpret them. My view on music is that the music would do okay without the lyrics, and that it is all about the instruments. In fact, I will listen to a song several times in a row without memorizing a single word. I don't care what the song is about--what I am focused on is the overall atmosphere or mood of the song. People say I am weird for listening to music this way. When I hear music, my brain doesn't consider the lyrics, but listens to the sounds, melodies, and patterns. However, I do appreciate lyrics that have had a lot of thought put into them. What do you focus on when you listen to your favorite songs?

I listen to music in a similar way to you but when I'm listening, my brain might select one element of the song, the guitar, drums, vocal ect. and focus on more than the other elements of the song it still without analysing it's real sound or words in the case of vocal. This is completely random and not affected by what song it is or what part of the song it's at.

Originally Posted by Comrade

But like Bear said, the beat, usually the drum and the bass

Yeah, it's a bit like that for me as well, I seem to mainly listen to the drums as if the guitar and voice are just complementing them

I pay the most attention to the melody.

It doesn't matter whether there is someone singing, or only one instrument or dozens of instruments. This is probably why I'm able to enjoy music from many different genres. And usually I'm more comfortable listening to "happy" melodies, than "gloomy" ones.

For an example, I like the melody in American Idiot, although I don't know or care about the lyrics. I really don't like Green Day that much. A pretty bad example, but still...

Via ipod, all over campus, in between classes. ^_^


Then again, being a music major, we have to listen to all sorts of music, I have to analyze it, so on, so forth. Ah.... reminds me of the homework I am procrastinating. tee-hee, nah, not really. I'm done with theory and aural skills. I need to work on my Music Lit homework.

Originally Posted by Pos/Neg

The question I'm asking is not why you listen to the music you listen to, but what do you hear when you listen to it. For example, my Mom and Sister love to hear music with a good vocalist, and they mainly listen to the lyrics of the song and try to interpret them. My view on music is that the music would do okay without the lyrics, and that it is all about the instruments. In fact, I will listen to a song several times in a row without memorizing a single word. I don't care what the song is about--what I am focused on is the overall atmosphere or mood of the song. People say I am weird for listening to music this way. When I hear music, my brain doesn't consider the lyrics, but listens to the sounds, melodies, and patterns. However, I do appreciate lyrics that have had a lot of thought put into them. What do you focus on when you listen to your favorite songs?

I tend to listen to the tune, more than the words. Unless the song is about telling a story like some country music does. If the lyrics are especially moving, then I'll listen to the singer. Usualy, though, I'll be listening to the instruments.

I do not, however, enjoy much music without singing. I normally need to hear somebody, even if I'm not listening to the actual words. Sometimes I will sing along if I'm in public, but I don't try to imitate the singer's voice. I use my own.

I may even change some words, like one woman's song Big Girls Don't Cry. I say big boys don't cry.

Sometimes I like fast beats, and sometimes I like slow beats, but it really depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Music is the pathway to a person's soul, and emotion plays a big factor in what kind of music I'd like to hear at the time.

Unless I just really love a certain song. In that case, my mood would actually swing with the song.

Originally Posted by sugarpoultry

Via ipod, all over campus, in between classes. ^_^


Then again, being a music major, we have to listen to all sorts of music, I have to analyze it, so on, so forth. Ah.... reminds me of the homework I am procrastinating. tee-hee, nah, not really. I'm done with theory and aural skills. I need to work on my Music Lit homework.

I dn't think you understand the question. did you read the original post? I am interested in your answer to the question, since you are a music major. The question of "HOW you listen to your music doesn't mean via i pod, phone,radio, or cd, it's asking about what part f a piece of music catches you, or what do you single out when listening to music- basically, WHAT are you focusing on when you listen? BAH. read the first post thoroughly, it's explained better. I really wanna know your POV on this.