I'm not much into magical thinking, I don't believe in astrology or god or psychics. But I dragged my piano out of storage today to start playing her again, and I swear she was really pissed at me for leaving her in the garage.
2006-09-26 08:42:39 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
Obviously I'm aware of the anthropomoprhizing implications of 'she', and it was certainly partly because of the question. But I'm hardly the first person to assign gender to musical instruments - for instance acoustic guitars are considered more 'female' than electric guitars, because of their curvy shape and the greater reverb on their sound etc.
2006-09-26 08:57:37 · update #1
It's like cars, computers, many of the tools with which humans shape the world. If they don't like you, you've had it with them. It's why people still talk of their lucky golf clubs, their special musical instruments, cars with charmed lives, computers with personalities.
I don't really like the phrase "magical thinking". It's a skeptics' copout, when science and rationality can't come up with an answer for why the things of this world seems so perverse at times. Don't blame the world for being set against humans - blame the humans' faulty thinking processes.
I prefer "animism" to describe the mindset of the people who perceive that these inanimate objects fashioned by human hand are, somehow, imbued with some of the essence and skill of their makers, and which are reflected in their performance in the hands of those humans who use them.
And human skill and effort do count. Would you jump at the chance to play a Stradivarius if it were given to you (assuming you can play violins at all)? How would you feel if said Stradi didn't take a shine to you and made your best efforts sound offkey and flat? I think you'd feel devastated. I know it's irrational, but it's true.
Some items and objects are associataed so much with something that they become symbolic in and of themselves. For example, silver Aston Martin - you think James Bond. If you were looking at two identical tennis racquets, one of which had been handled by Bjorn Borg to win Wimbledon five times in a row, you'd handle that racquet with a lot more care and awe than another racquet made in the same year by the same manufacturer, but which had never been wielded by the Wimbledon legend.
I know this seems like a counterrational assertion, but yes - I believe that not only musical instruments, but many of the items made by humans, for use by humans, can have feelings, of a sort.
Even if only a reflection of those feelings we humans have when we wield them.
2006-09-26 09:03:30 · answer #1 · answered by fiat_knox 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well... Tarot Cards have feelings. I annoyed a pack I once had by buying a differant set. Both sets became useless and I had bad luck for about two years. To this date I haven't opened the box they're in. They scare me.
So considering how much energy goes into a piano, it would make sense for them to have feelings too!
2006-09-26 15:46:52 · answer #2 · answered by frozendreamer1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah defo, i feel really sorry for the drums of this world, you know they get beaten and most of the time they love it and really get into it, but sometimes I reckon just like the rest of us they just want some peace and quiet and some "me" time, but do these drummers ever give them a break....no sirrey! I also feel sorry for Saxaphones, because generally sax players are not the most attractive of people and Tuba's are usually blown off by big sweaty fat fellas who wear socks and sandals in all weather.
2006-09-26 15:48:13 · answer #3 · answered by willows 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it was because you haven't played her in a long time and YOU had to practice more.. but I do think you can get a vibe from an instrument that lets you produce beautiful music :)
2006-09-26 15:47:16 · answer #4 · answered by Kelly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh yes, my guitar hates me. Firstly because I named her "b!tch" and secondly because she thinks that only people who can actually play guitar should touch her. I'm not good enough for her, she's so pretentious.
2006-09-27 06:58:46 · answer #5 · answered by sarcasticquotemarks 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Better give her some attention then! I've heard that sitars have feelings, so why not a piano?
2006-09-26 15:44:44 · answer #6 · answered by Zebra4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes they do.. i know this for a fact. i was playing my guitar and one of the strings came undone and hit me in the head... i think it was because i was trying to play a britney spears song
2006-09-26 15:46:11 · answer #7 · answered by Lipstick 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uhhhhhh, perhaps you should sober up before playing?
your anthropomorphizing an inanimate object, dude!
2006-09-26 15:45:27 · answer #8 · answered by timc_fla 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they do have emotions, I feel sincerely sorry for all those violins, the children start playing on!
2006-09-26 16:26:08 · answer #9 · answered by Hipira 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No but they can create feelings.
If music be the food of love then play on.
2006-09-26 15:54:06 · answer #10 · answered by manthintall 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋