How do you listen to music, do you sit and hear it or "HEAR" the MUSIC the way it was intended?

Answer 1

It depends on whether I'm listening for pleasure or as a condition of my work as a professional musician.

If I'm doing clerical work related to my music (compiling financial data, translating German lyrics and so forth), then I'll play some music in the background. Usually this is instrumental material, but I'll sometimes have a bit of German pop going, as my German is only at an intermediate level thus far. I also sometimes play an album by Cameroon bassist Richard Bona, who sings mostly in an African language called Douala.

If I'm listening for pleasure for its own sake, then I listen more closely. Most people don't listen to the guitar or bass in the background--they pay attention to the voice. But the musician in me is more analytical than that--I listen to the voice at first, and then I look for other elements to focus on. Once I've found all the elements I can possibly find, my primary focus is still on the voice, but my secondary focus shifts from one element to another.

Kira is a prime example (see http://www.kira-online.de ). "Shakespeare", from her album "Goldfisch", features a neat little guitar delay effect at the beginning and a killer key change. "Meine kleine", from "Inauswendig", ends abruptly on fret noise. The title cut from "Inauswendig" pulls a little surprise at the end--there's a little guitar line, which you think at first ends the tune, but then there are four beats rest, and the guitar line repeats, ending the song at *that* point.

And of course, when I listen to a song to learn it for a gig, I pay attention primarily to the keyboard parts and the cues for when they come in.

Answer 2

How are we as listeners to know how the music is intended to be heard? That's really a matter of personal taste. I usually do most of my listening in the car or sitting at my desk with headphones on. I like my music sounding crisp and clean. I don't like exaggerated sub-bass like you hear in the city.

Answer 3

I believe I "listen" to music the way it should be listened to;being somewhat of a musician myself I really enjoy listening to music.Classical music ,is so complex and beautiful to me....listening for the violin, a soft clarinet,etc. The same in more modern music, I listen to the bass, and drums and how they compliment each other. I have favorite musicians whose playing styles are incredible and I can hear their fingers on the guitar as they play...if that makes sense.

Answer 4

I hear the music the way it was intended.

Answer 5

Music Generates Images & Colours!
It Inspires and Generates Health and Well-Being!
As Mile Davis Once said..." Life is What We Play!"

Answer 6

My theory is that there are two kinds of people in this world.
Music people and lyric people.
I am a lyric person. I tend to analyze every line of every song, until I have meaning. Whether or not my meaning is as same as the artist who wrote song, that's how i listen to music.
Music people are people who just go with the flow. They tend to be free spirts looking for catch phrases and beats.

Answer 7

Music is so relative.... it's all perspective. Myself? I do what I call the headphone test. I try not to judge any albums until I've heard it up close & personal thru headphones w/o distraction. That way I'm giving it a fair shot. Give it a try.

Peace~

Answer 8

i listen to music how i hear it .. if that happens to be the same way as was intended then great ... but i think eveyone hears it differently ...puts there own meaning to it ect... its not something that is standardized ...

Answer 9

I don't always sit. I often use other posses or stand. I also don't care how it was intended. I paid for it. I will listen to it any way and in any position I want.

Answer 10

Music major...I live the story when I'm listening. Like reading a book, I put myself into it.