Is music a language?

Answer 1

Most certainly, music is a language. The heroic, the mundane, the tragic, the whimsical, the startling, whatever human experience or feeling or condition one can imagine, somewhere an artist-in-music has painted a tone picture that, I believe, conveys an even more powerful understanding of the idea or thing of which it speaks. Now, I am assuming that we are talking about music minus the words, which would bring in classical, jazz, any music that does not have vocal language added to it in the form of singing voices, unless the singers are not singing in a known language. I like it all, from Beethoven to Varese to Zappa to Stravinsky to Pink Floyd to Buck Owens to Bach to Partch to Gamelan to Sitar to Harp to hard-core head-knocking punk by the Sex Pistols. Hell yeah, music is most definitely a language!

Answer 2

I am too lazy to come up with a decent answer or submission...but I will leave a quote from the famed music theorist Leonard B. Meyer that will give another avenue for consideration than those expressed in the answers above: "Not only does music use no linguistic signs but, on one level at least, it operates as a closed system, that is, it employs no signs or symbols referring to the non-musical world of objects, concepts, and human desires." It depends, I suppose, on how specific or limited a definition of "language" you wish to use, and also on the answer that each person subconsciously or consciously wishes to hear. Again, the quote was only to show that in some aspects, there are obvious irreconciliable differences between languages as we generally know them, and what constitutes generally accepted music.

Answer 3

I think, it can be to some extent. But you have to realize, that there is no way to know exactly what that language means. For some people music is a tool for relaxation, while for others it is a way to communicate. There always is and will be something that makes music special for somebody. But, again, it largely depends on a cultural background of a person. So, it can be a language, if you make it a language.

Answer 4

Music cannot symbolize objects and actions in the real world in the same way as a spoken or written language would. (That's why it's important for a lot of composers to have text of some form be presented alongside the music being performed.) This is not to say that it has no linguistic elements or cannot be used for expression. The expressive qualities of music without text, however, are limited to:
1. sonic imitation (e.g. when music sounds like a train or a babbling brook),
2. metaphor and allusion to culturally defined musical styles, norms, and genres (e.g. sounds like a tango, or is reminiscent of a march, or it smells like teen spirit) , and
3. gesture (e.g. drooping and sagging, perhaps implying sadness or despair; or aggressive and stabbing, perhaps implying anger). The emotions themselves are not *carried* in the music or *evoked* by the music, but instead *suggested* gesturally when the music is performed. It is only in this sense that music can be a universal language. Music expresses motion (not emotion) that can be embodied by anyone--by performing, hearing, or even imagining it--without reference to any particular culture or native tongue.

Answer 5

BlueMoon's experience is infact the best answer to that question. Music can certainly be defined as a language in the sense that it is learned and has "grammatical" rules etc... but unlike a common language, Music SPEAKS to us universally.... perhaps the unlearned cannot musically converse (respond/answer like given languages allow), but all of us can "understand".... which is probably why every culture in every part of the world throughout history has had music in it's being.

Answer 6

As a music teacher, I can tell you that studies have proven that your brain learns it the same way it learns language....so yes!!!! It is the universal language. Play a piece of music for a group of kids and ask them to write down what it's about.....they'll all come up with similar ideas!

Answer 7

From my perspective as a teacher, I can say that no matter what nationality my students are, they all seemed to have learned the same "musical" language. I suppose that's why my Music Fundamentals class appeals to so many international students - they can relate to the subject matter despite the differences in spoken languages.

Answer 8

Music is a language much like Body Language. It's not truly a language language, but it does convey enough expression, feeling and sometimes information.

However, like body language, it can be misinterpreted.

Answer 9

If language is a way to communicate thoughts and feelings, then music is definately a language. Haven't you ever had some song "speak to you"? Persons can communicate to you in 'music' when they can't speak your native language.

Answer 10

Yes! One Language beautiful beyond words!!!