Music analysis can be very beneficial in many ways but in my opinion, moderation is best. To analyze different aspects of a song makes for more appreciation. For example, picking apart lyrics to a song can provide more insight to the meaning the artist was trying to portray. Looking for deeper meaning is what makes most songs worth listening to. It is also really interesting to get an idea of what that artist was thinking and feeling at that one moment in time. The whole lyrical process is very intriguing as a whole. Analyzing the musical structure of a song is also very interesting because when listening to a song play out we often overlook the true talent and beauty behind a song. The way the notes are put together are complex and when analyzing we can learn how difficult some things are to execute. Analyzing a song is often the only way to fully appreciate all a piece of music as to offer but sometimes one must be careful not to pick a song apart too much.
Experiencing music can happen in all different ways. The experience of hearing a song for the first time is an experience in itself. The first time I listen to a song its about the excitement of my senses. I am trying to soak up as much of the song as I can the first time but there is no way to get enough in one take. Music is a process to create just as much as it is a process to experience. The few times listening to a song after the initial time it is about soaking in what the song is saying lyrically. The tone and beat and musical backing of the song all contributes to the overall meaning. that is usually as far as I take it. Many take it so many steps further. In a musical arrangement there are many patterns that arise in song styles over the years and there are specialists that take a song apart to its bare pieces but I think when that serious of an analysis takes place we should be careful that we don't take away the beauty. Each and every song is unique and if we are pulling a song or a musical piece apart to its component parts then we could strip it of its unique and spontaneous nature.
Essentially there are benefits to musical analysis. After taking a closer look at each element of a song or piece, when listening to it all put together again it can alert different senses and bring other pieces of the masterpiece to your attention for an even more heightened experience. The only caution I offer is to remember that the beauty of a musical piece is usually within how each sound and element blend together. Never lose the love of the spontaneous nature of a musical art piece.
Karianne I find your blogs to be extremely passionate. When it comes to music, you really take it heart it seems. I’m actually pretty glad about this. The reason being is due to the fact that you are so passionate about the music; you put your heart and soul into your blogs. I would have to agree with you on your statement of how analyzing music can give you a greater understanding of the music, the one thing I would say that I don’t agree with you is over analyzing. I don’t think you could.
ReplyDeleteEven when you are to strip anything down to its bare minimum, you can always appreciate something, no matter what it may be. I’m not just talking about music. I’m talking about any living thing, an abnormal object, a political point of view, and so on. I feel that if you were to break down anything that regardless of whether you like it or not, you will find something that you would find to be amusing or beautiful. No matter how you break something down, it is still part of a whole. Without that piece the thing it once was may have never been.
So to simply put it, I don’t believe you can over analyze anything. With analysis you find appreciation, and understanding of how something is the way it is. Some music would be nothing without lyrics, other would be nothing without a saxophone, or drums, or specific tempo. Other than that I would agree with you.
I’d have to agree with you on the part about listening to a song multiple times to truly understand it. Most people are exactly like that- the music is too much to take at first, but repetitive listening allows for further analysis. Although I don’t listen to music with lyrics often, at the times that I do, I often search for a deeper meaning and or a correlation with the lyrics to my life. As a learning pianist, I tend to listen for key notes within songs rather than focus on lyrics. Vocals always add a whole different factor which I appreciate at a later time. It’s great to hear that you also believe that analyzing music is the only way to fully appreciate music.
ReplyDeleteYour cautionary had me thinking, though. If an individual had listened to music completely void of thoughts pertaining to its “sounds and elements,” Could they have gotten something out of it regardless? Although I agree that music’s main purpose is to be harmonious and pleasant to one’s ears, it could also be possible to enjoy the atmosphere it creates. Very often you’ll find individuals who attend the bar every night simply because of the atmosphere it gives out. Just a little food for thought, I suppose.