Our Life

I've met a lot of classical musicians and they cant hear or use music theory…and i barely know how to read…

I can read music, but I can also play some by ear. I can't play stuff elaborately by ear, just melody and chords usually

I actually have taken a whole three semester course that specifically teaches sight singing and ear training, so I hope that by now I can play by ear ;D

A lot of times I *have* to hear how things go before I can play them accurately – it's just how I learn. I can read rhythms, but I'm not particularly good at it. I'm very guilty of taking rhythms I don't know and plugging them into Finale Notebook so that I can hear how they go. Or I sing the rhythms to try and figure it out. But it's very very rare for me to be able to play through a piece very well on the first or second try. Unfortunately, I'm not a very good sightreader.

I do pretty well at playing things by ear, if I have a little bit to figure it out. I've been teaching myself things by ear since I started playing. I'm a big Christmas music fanatic, so I would always figure out my favorite Christmas songs when I was younger. I still do, actually. :)

That's a pretty good way to start, actually. I encourage my piano students to start ear-training pretty early by giving them simple songs like Heart and Soul and Jingle Bells, stuff that they already know so that they can hear it in their head when they're practicing. The way to get good at sightreading is to start taking those rhythms and note patterns that you're familiar with and start looking for them in your music. Reading patterns is a lot easier than reading notes.

I play by ear also but I can read music. It's very dificult with poor eyesight. I also have perfect pitch but that can be bad especially for ear training (ex: melodic dictation).

I can't really play by ear. The only time that I was able to play a simple melody by ear was when my friend was having trouble figuring out the note for "Jack's Lament" from Nightmare Before Christmas on the piano. I was able to figure out then rather quickly. But other than that, I really have to have the notes in front of my face in order to learn the song. And in the beginning, I too, have to try and hum the song before I can play it accurately. *sigh* That's life.

way better than by reading notes.

The problem that you get with learning to play music by ear is it can often make it more difficult to learn how to sight read the actual music. My youngest brother has an incredibly good ear, and if you let him listen to a song a couple of times before you have him play it, then give him the music, he can pick it up really quickly. But he has had so many teachers let him learn that way that our last two piano teachers have absolutely refused to let him listen to a song that he's learning until he has learned all the notes and can play it through decently. Then he can hear it once to help him with style. That's all. He had the hardest time learning even the names of the notes on the page because he was used to relying on fingering and ear. I'm not a big fan of using the ear or the fingering method for teaching piano. His first teacher concentrated on fingering so much that he never learned the notes, just the fingering. That was a nightmare to correct. Fingering has it's place, but it shouldn't be written in for 98% of the notes. Students need to figure some things out on their own! :-) Playing by ear has it's place as well, but it should never replace actual training and musical knowlege. I can sight read decently, and I can sort of do things by ear, but to me it seems like a crutch that people use so they don't have to do all the real work. But that's just me… :-)

I don't think it's a crutch necessarily – I think that people just learn things different ways. Just like in a math class. Some people will learn better by reading the textbook, others learn by having the teacher explain how to do it, still others will learn best by seeing someone do that type of problem out. None of those ways are wrong, just different. If people can learn math differently, why can't people learn music differently?

Some people are horrible at learning by ear. For other people, it's the best way they can learn. I mean, think about it – Ray Charles learned by ear (obviously; he couldn't really read notes on a page!) and he was one of the best piano players ever.

I don't think there's any way of learning that's better than another. What's important is that people learn and enjoy music, right? :)

i love to play song i hear on the radio by ear. it's fun.

Well, it really depends on what you want to do with music. True, you can be a great performer and never read a note, but performing is not all there is to music. There's composing and arranging,too. And even within performance it depends on what you're doing. You used the example of Ray Charles, who was a great solo performer, which is awesome, and I love him, but you have to consider other performing venues. For example, if someone wanted to perform in a symphony orchestra, unless they had memorized every Mozart work beforehand, they'd have to do some really quick sightreading, and usually you wouldn't know exactly what you're doing before that first audition.
So no, it's not really like learning math.

I am pretty good at picking out a tune or chords I hear. My step grandfather is just beastly at it. Once you find the first note though, it's easy. You just think in parts and more about the spaces between the notes. That's how it works for me. (usually)

but sometimes when i try to read music…it takes me hours first off…but like the music on the cd is playing something different than the music written on the sheet..

That could be because it's a different arrangement, or the person performing the piece could have their own variation on bits of it. It helps if you actually learn the song first, without hearing the music so you can get the patterns into your fingers. Once you can play it on your own, then play the cd and look at the music while it's playing. You'll find that you can really follow along quite well. I think in part it is because YOU put the music into your fingers, and from your fingers into your ear. Make sense? It's really important to have a teacher that can point out mistakes that you're making because if you practice them in, it's terrible to try and take them out. And just keep trying. It will always take a long time to learn how to read music, but it gets easier with practice. Hope this helps…

lol yeah…i mean i always play by ear…and i have a good one…i just want to learn how to read and i get so frustrated cause i cant…its so long…and intimidating…i dont have a classical teacher or anyone to show me how to read….i know all my notes and i get what everything means….i just suck at reading…

I read music but if i don't know a scale i play by ear–or if i randomly feel like playing something i heard on the radio :D

it gets easier if u do it a lot btw :D

it definitely gets easier to read the notes if u keep doing it, but sometimes it's just right to play by ear…it's infinitely easier and it's something that impresses all those non-instrumental ppl i know :p

lol i just get so angry cuz i cant…is there a trick to it? or do you have to learn how to read every note quickly?

try to recognize the intervals–if the note is right next to the one b4, then it's going to be one note up or down the scale— hope that helps…

basically ALL my friends can play by ear, even on other instruments! Sadly I can't

It's not just note names, though, that you're having trouble with, right? Reading rhythm can be pretty hard, too, especially if you're reading contemporary music. My suggestion would be to learn some basic combinations, like dotted quarter eighth, so when you see them in music, you recognize them immediately. And it's definitely helpful to recognize intervals, I agree.

I can read music very well, but I play by ear better.

As a mostly classical trained musician, I read a lot better than playing by ear. HOWEVER, when I'm playing in church, or practicing for a worship service, it's all by ear. And for jazz, soloing is all by ear too. I don't even LOOK at the chord changes.

I've been teaching myself piano (all by ear) for 13 months. I can play songs like Ben Folds' "The Luckiest" and Gary Jules' cover of "Mad World". It comes naturally to me; I don't read music, just listen and play

I do by ear and with lead sheets. I usually go to websites that offer guitar chords to get my piano music. But then, I had figured out all of the songs from Josh Groban's "Closer" and even performed one (Hymne a l'Amour) before I had ever seen the book.

i usually play by ear coz I find it harder to read music even though i've been taking piano lessons since I was six

What's your section!
Or if your bisectional what's your sections!?

ALTO DOMINATION…
Also tenor…
Also soprano!

Tenor2 and Bass1 (baritone)

i'm a soprano1 – go sops! lol… i also help out the soprano2's sometimes… and occasionally sing alto…

I''m really a bass 1 / baritone / tenor 2, but I've also had to sing tenor 1 and bass 2 several times. vocal range – low E/F to middle E/F

I sing baritone in class but bass in concert & jazz choir.

Soprano 1 and very occasionally Soprano 2.

Alto…. the KAA strikes again!

Alto II if available

Sang Alto, Alto I, Alto II, Sop I (eeekkk), Sop II in high school

Currently an alto that doubles tenor on solo parts as we are unfortunately short on tenors this year.

soprano 1!

Bass and proud of it. Not tenor in any way whatsoever

Any type of Alto (1, 2, 3), Tenor, when I was younger, oddly enough. ><x

im either a soprano 1 or a mezzo soprano

Soprano 1
Soprano 2
Alto 1
Alto 2
Tenor

Honestly have sang all of thee above!

My favorite part is Alto 1 or 2.

Soprano I, Soprano II or Alto!

Baritone-Bass

I sing down from Alto 2 all the way up to Soprano 1. yay!

I'm that guy would sing Bass 2 in choir and then go play some great tenor part like Tony in West Side Story.

i have been every part from soprano 1 to bass. not lying. however, lately my range has been falling mostly into the soprano 1/mezzo area…

l've been an alto since l started, although l can sing soprano if l need to.

soprano 1….actually im a lyric coloratura soprano =]

Tenor or Bass

bass 2! low D-flat!

I used to be a first soprano, but was moved to the alto section when there weren't enough of them, and I was one of the only ones that could hit the range at the time (grade 8, with grade 7's). I've been an alto ever since, and a second alto since starting high school.

Soprano 1
Soprano 2
Alto 1
Alto 2
(occasionally) Tenor

Funny thing. In the choir in grade 8, I actually sang lower than the only boy in our choir. He sang second soprano!

lol, puberty does things to the voice.

i used to sing alto/2nd soprano

i sing alto two, and sometimes with the boys cuse we have four that all get grouped into baritone.

[i really should be a tenor. my voice is pathetically low.]

and people always tell me that i'm singing out of my range, but i'm really not. . .i just kinda suck at singing high. like, seriously, i can sing lower than any of my friends, most of whom are altos. i can sing one song glory [<3RENT.] on the same octave as roger. . .though it's not SUPER low, but i occasionally sing like collins [still<3RENT.] just cuse i feel like it. . .and i can hit random notes like, two scales down from middle c when my body isn't hating me.

i prolly am ruining my voice like everyone tells me, though.

eh. . .

[this came out way longer than i had expected.]

xxxJessi.

soprano 1
soprano 2
alto 1
alto 2

those are the parts i'm actually supposed to sing in choir…although i sing along with the basses on alot of stuff haha just cause its fun. and i'm mostly a mezzo soprano in solo work :)

I started out as an alto in 4th grade, then in 7th went to soprano 1, now as a freshman im a soprano 2, but sometimes i want to be an alto again

Soprano in general by the strongest part of my range, but Soprano 2 by choice I can hit a high Ab without too much trouble and a (squeaky) high C on a good day, but I love the challenge of that middle harmony. My director put me on Alto 2 in the 1st semester of 8th grade, but that was just because she needed more people who could read music well enough to handle the bottom harmony and I can hit those low notes if I have to. I reminded her of it recently and she said something like "Did I? Why did I do that?" :D Anyway, she moved me to S2 as soon as she could, and there I've been, blissful, ever since!

I'm a soprano 2.

First Soprano, although technically I could do alto if I wanted, but it's a mite uncomfortable. Yay choir!

Anyone have a favorite chord?

a or e minor

B flat minor 7th

Barbershop for life!

Def E minor

I am also quite fond of the cadental 1/6/4 chord

any sus4 chord

Any neopolitan 6th, or the Jean Michel Jarre chord, Abdim7/G (I think – it's a fairly wierd chord)

g flat major

Power chords

The magic chord that David played, it pleased the Lord.

But seeing as how that's a progression (I, IV, V, iv, VI), I'll go with B7.

C minor chord…especially the beginning chord in Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata…SO FRICKIN' POWERFUL!

If you have a keyboard near you,

I like stacked Perfect 5ths, semitone apart.

example, (C-G) (Ab-Db)
funny, they are actually inversions of a Maj7ths.

Power chords are not chords! They only have 2 different notes – they are merely intervals! You want a proper chord like F#7alt.

F sharp minor man…beautious

It's hard to be specific with a question like this, we'd be better off just using roman numerals. I think it would be more beneficial to ask what someone's favourite chord progression is. That way at least there is the potential for variety. My favourite progression is I, iii, VII, ii. Key doesn't matter because it's all relative unless you have perfect pitch.

Db major…the chord of utmost profound bliss

D minor, i find it's the saddest of all chords.

The one that powers my computer.

I'm going to concur with the sus4 chord.

K#majAb, of course

I like the Leonard Cohen answer.

Otherwise, I happen to like Dminor and Fmaj7 (because I could never play a regular F major chord in first position on the guitar).

Guess it depends on what instrument i'm hearing.

On my mandolin, E minor. My bass, I dunno, bass chords are just cool.

If we want to talk chord progressions, I like, i–iv–v-V–I, it's fun.

D/F# most definitely. It almost sounds minor.

I like Bb Major

A power chord such as a A5 – played a fifth below standard tuning and preferably on a half-stack (or larger) like a Engl with loads of distortion. It'll turn your balls to steel ;) Oh, and don't listen to the guy talking about power-chords not being real chords. Powerchords at the end of cadenzas in renaissance vocal polyphony are also nice.

Other than that, the Tristan-chord is pretty fat (F-minor7b5). And also the F-major chord that occurs on the first beat of bar 17 in the Tristan-ouverture as an evaded cadenza with a "b" on top in the melody (that's a note that's just full of longing) is the most beautiful chord I can think of right now. (music nerd for life)

I dropped a grand piano down a mineshaft once and got a flat minor…

I agree with Erik. The tristan chord is a beauty.
we studied tristan and isolde last year, and it is just one of those moments…
:)
but i do love a good Db/Gb chord

Either

A11
Fmaj7add9
or
Dbminor.

Hmm… my favorite so far is the minor 7th with the 4th scale degree in the bass… also known as an 11th chord. Ex: A-E-G-B-D. This sounds really cool in the mid to low registers. Or it just sounds like a suspension, which is one of the coolest musical inventions ever.

I have a second place winner, too. As I don't know what it's called, I'll just give an example: C-G-C-F-G-Bb-D-E. Try it!

Isn't the tristan chord a half-diminished 7th? F-Ab-Cb-Eb. Or did I misread what you were saying?

heck yeah

i don't have anything creative, but has anyone played anything exotic? if any of you have ever seen or played a heckelphone, i want to meet you. now.

Ive played Banjo, eukaleli (or however ist spelt), and a keytar (i.e for those of you not familiar its the portable keyboard that looks like a guitar)

Keytar appreciation!

http://hs.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2227111072

I've played the erhu. It's a bowed stringed instrument from China that sounds a lot like a violin, but it's very different. It has a small octagonal prism for the body and a really long neck. There's no fingerboard to press the strings against. There are only two strings, D and A and the bow hairs are stuck between the two strings. It's held with the body against your hip. It's cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhu

I would kill to play a Chapman stick, but sadly my tapping skill does not extend to my pinky.

ive played the tabla

I've played a fujara, a huge flute-type instrument from Slovakia. It's my brother's, but I contributed 50 crowns (about $1.25 U.S. at the time, haha) to it, so he lets me play it occasionally.
I've also played a hulusi, a gourd flute from China, also my brother's.
I don't know why he has them, he can't figure out how to play them…

Very cool, I've seen these in the NYC Subway.

I can play the steeldrums, bagpipes and the saw… :)

didgeridoo (I actually own one!)

and for cool instrument… contrabass clarinet (you just have to love instruments that are taller than you)

I haven't played them, but I've seen and heard a serpent and sackbut played in a performance.

And yes, playing the Contrabass Clarinet is AMAZING. :-)

I want to play it, I love to have the bass line in anything I play… and as for taller than me… I'm 6' 2"

If you love having the bass line, you should play the bass, cuz at the risk of bothering EVERYONE, I'm going to go ahead and say the bass is the best instrument ever

I played the autoharp. I don't know if that's odd, but I sure thought so…

i agree with you sir.

i've played an ocarina( the instrument that link plays in Zelda)

OMG my friend played that in CHINA!

well when I was back in China my whole class had the play an ancient Chiense instrument, I chose PiPa.

It think it is pretty extotic.It is somewhat shaped like a guitar … but unlike a guitar it has only 4 strings and you have to play with fake nails.And the way it looks is pretty ancient.

Another weird intrument (if you count it as one) would be the "kazoo" LOL at first Ididn't even know how to use it.!

I've played a frumpet. It's a French Horn/trumpet – looks like something that you'd use to hang a flag off of and play a fanfare at a castle :)

I guess I do have an entry, I've played both the Valve Trombone and the Soprano Trombone. Both rock, though the soprano trombone (at least the one I played) had an awfully low range.

my school's valve trombone is pretty crappy… so that's why i learned regular… that, and i didn't want to basically end up playin the 3 valve combo still…

when i was a lil kid, i played a realistic toy guitar and sax… everything was crappy plastic, but i remember they were almost exactly like the real things as far as i know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

(No I haven't played this)

I've played the recorder! OOOOHHHH EXOTIC!
Well, actually, I've played this one Thai instrument called a khim. It's got a mess of strings that are pulled across this slab of wood. You play it with these hammer-like things. Yes, I'm very descriptive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khim
I think it's related to the Chinese yangqin.

Gamelan Orchestra from Java…as far as we knew there were only 2 in wales.

English horn…not to exciting

I played a sackbutt and an E flat alto trombone at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp' instrument museum. The sackbutt was really stange, but the alto was adorable and very easy to play. I don't know why nobody uses them anymore, except for the fact that they read E flat alto clef.

The only instrument I've played that's not 'normal' is the recorder, it's kinda fun actually… and I bet everybody's played it at lesat once

i mostly sing, and have little skill with most instruments, but I've always been ready to go with . . . AUXILLARY PERCUSSION!
Yeah, that's right. You want someone who knows how to vibraslap? I'm your man. Triangle, no prob. I'll even do a little thumb harp for ya.

vibraslaps are so tight I love auxillary percussion!

Well, as a tuba player and bass trombone doubler, I've played many different, wierd instruments. But, three stand out to me.

1- Contrabass trombone: pitched the same as an F (bass) tuba, this is a very awkward trombone to play, but alot of fun when you get the hang of it.

2- F sousaphone, or "self"phone. My teacher had a sousaphone custom built in the key of F instead of BBb. It is really small compared to the normal sousaphone, but still kinda fun. But really odd.

3- how about a FLUBA. It's an F tuba built like a flugelhorn, but a lot harder to hold up. My teacher had this custom built as well, and it plays like a dream. Too bad it can't really be used in an orchestra, Byldo sounds great on this horn. But it is the oddest tuba I've ever played (as well as one of the best).

Iono, but I just got a nice didgeridoo for X-mas. w00t.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

believe it or not, I have actually played one.

so, i know we all luv music or else we wouldn't have joined this group…
i am just wondering – what is your favorite current song/group?

me?- i am crazy about "here(in your arms)" – hellogoodbye
anything mcr, afi, bfs, john mayer and that kinda stuff…

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

i think as we're musos we have a great advantage with things like favorite music – we can like pretty much anything, any old crap, and then maintain because we're musos, that its being eclectic, and unprejudiced to all forms of musical expression lol.

but at the moment, i would say… rooftops, by the lost prophets. a little more emo than i normally like but its just stuck in my head.

mmm. right now i'd say simon and garfunkel, billy joel, queen, csny, the eagles…i'm really into classic rock. i love classical music too. orchestra geek all the way.

hm. Im quite fond of the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack…Ben Folds,Eisley and…90's Music

Iron Maiden, Pantera, Dimmu Borgir, George Strait, Zepp (forever), aaaand Modern Skirts. I keep it interesting

Pick a movie. Then find the Original Soundtrack. That's me.

Also on a Era kick at the moment. Go see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6UpAxjO0FM

It's worth it :)

Wow, Ian! That was awesome! What was it?

At the moment I'm really liking my new Celtic Woman CD. That could be just because I'm listening to it right now. ;)

Country music all the way, ever since I was a kiddie ^_^ but not the pop country like Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood, I mean like the Western Underground, Chris LeDoux, and of course Hank Williams ^_^

yay! thanx for all of the input!

def. country music. brooks & dunn is my absolute favorite. i love them. =]

I like country music occasionally, but my favorite musicians tend to be pretty "chill"… like postal service, Colin Hay, Nick Drake, and Joshua Radin… on the other hand, I absolutely love old-school punk

I'm in a Nickelback phase right now

yay!

my current favorite song is Audiencs of One by Big Daddy Weave
yeah, I'm the wierd girl who like contemporary christian music :)

favourite song right now? definitely Collide – -Howie Day. i absolutely love it, and its a great song for lyrics, instrumental, vocals, and all around tone.

if everyone cared by nickelback is a great song ! i went through my 3 months where i listened to nothing but that song.

bump

Hmm…Lifehouse is my all-time favorite…Dashboard, the Killers, Rooney, and so many others. I usually find myself liking one particular song, but not necessarily the artist. eh. :)

bumpbump

gotta say chasing cars-snow patrol

i cry every time

bumpetybumpbump :)

quit bumping the thread, it's annoying :P
right now my favourite band is alexisonfire… my favourite song is 44 caliber love letter because of the sweet intro XD

o thanx… ill just find other wayz…:p

Black Eyed Peas, all the way

Wolfmother

I have so many favorites…but lately i've been thinking about
'Days Of Farewell' by John Mellencamp

…."Song of the Blacksmith" by Gustav Holst….
…."Shiroi" by Malice Mizer
…."Redemption" by Gackt
…."Asterisk" by Orange Range
…."Blue Lake"….I hated playing it in Band, but I love it all at the same time..

anything mcr, afi or generally 'emo' to be stereotipical

Today's favorite: "It's Only Love," by the Beatles.

My current favorite rock song is "Night Prowler" by AC/DC.
My favorite soundtrack at the moment is Sweeney Todd.
My favorite piece of classical music (in the loosest sense of the term), for now, is the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J.S. Bach.

Ask me again in a week and you'll get three different answers, but that's what I've got going now. :)

And we're all better looking. :P

most def

this topic didn't need to be made… everyone knows its true. you didn't have to mention it.

Indeed, but sometimes the other instruments get a superiority complex, and we need to remind them.

Oh how blind their eyes are.

i'd have to say i disagree……low brass rock the band! percussion and low brass together take over the whole band, pretty much. and the only people that have superiority complexes are the trumpets. 'nuff said.

trombones!
e

trumpets…truth. low brass….agree to disagree

I would have to agree with the first point. We keep the beat, and percusion is just more badass than low brass.

Percussion kicks every other section to the curb, honestly. Mostly because we're skilled at running around in the back playing six different things at once and still managing to sound good.

Oh and we're freakin hot.

Percussion rocks the band when they can play.
You havn't heard our section, they most definatly are NOT superior.

I'm not gonna lie, I like to listen to a good drumline, and percussion is usually the section that holds the band together. But low brass still has the most fun

When we took polls in my high school band, my drum section was voted "most annoying." Yet, we were also voted, "most envied." We decided that 99% of the drummer hate stems from the other sections desiring to be drummers:)

Pit is obviously the most superior of all percussion.

Anyone who disagrees is jealous that their band had too many percussionists so they had to play the trumpet…

Like I said,

I'd like to see a trumpet play Sus. Cym., crash, casaba, a Marimba solo and a snare section within the span of one piece.

Ditto rest of band.

If you think anyone other than drummers have the most fun, just join a quad line in a marching band/drum corps.

And yes, drums are the superior instrument, combining Membranophones (snares, bongos…) Idiophones (vibes, marimba…) Aerophones (samba whistle, bike horns…) and chordophones (piano, bowed vibes…) all into one nice little package.

Save a drum…. bang a drummer…

haha YES!… Drummers & percussion are the sexy part of any kind of band :-D

woah woah woah! percussionists know what fermatas are? im totally impressed. clap clap.

Tenors > all

^^^
Hahahahahaha

Everybody point and laugh! :-D

I don't know about you guys, but I find that the xylophone is quite the sexy instrument.

High five, Patrick! :-)

Although personally, I would have to cast my vote for the marimba. It's like a xylophone that has completed puberty.

"Percussion is obviously superior. Mallet percussion doubly so."

I've yet to be in an ensemble in which the percussion knows what they're doing. I'm not dissing percussionists (my dad's one), just saying I don't have a great experience with them. I wouldn't say they're superior, though. I'd say the musicians (esp. horns) are the true gods of the ensemble.

OH, sorry, did I just diss the percussionists? My bad…

As long as they're tenor trombones. ZING!

Ladies…

We have fast fingers, are quick to rebound, eight on a hand is not a problem, and we have strong inner beats.

don't even get me started on the negative space. it's a philosophy that could probably change the way people have sex. i know I use it.

And people want to get rid of fine arts in schools…cmon now.

What do you do with a musician with no talent?

the nice low C on a 5 oct. There's nothing more superior than that! just give ya the chills hearing it.

i have to agree that percs rock but they spend a lot of time screwing around…unfortunately the group would be lost without them

Without our loud crash cymbals and snares deafening out the trumpets, they'd dominate the band's sound.

No section beats the pit…unless you actually want to to a lot of work
yay for percussion!

Just wondering, in your opinion, is music theory a fun subject, a necessity for music majors but annoying, or something that MUST DIE

For me, it is probably a necessity for music majors but just plain annoying anyways. Fortunately, I took the AP Music Theory test and passed out of Theory I & II, so as a music minor, I don't have take any more theory!

some days, I absolutely love my theory class….but some days, I feel like strangling somebody. Tests are killer.

i like written theory a lot. i think thats probably something embarassing to admit, but its all good.

i absolutely LOVE theory, and i have ever since junior year of high school. knowing how to notate chords and dictate rhythms helps enable you to write your own songs, which is my hobby. i hate voice-leading rules, but other than that music theory is a gift from god.

I also like written music theory. I don't care that it's weird; I love music, so analyzing it is just a logical extension of my interests. And I like that it's scientific and creative. Some people just can't understand… :)

i think it should die but obviously i am the odd person out..

I ♥ theory. Always have, don't know why. I guess it's because I'm left-brained. I'm not really sure, I just love it.

That shouldn't be embarrassing at all… this is a group for music fanatics! I do enjoy written theory, analyzing chord progressions is pretty fun, but I think ear-training should have never made it into the curriculum and sight-singing should be banned.

what?! sight singing and ear training are absolutely core. they're totally invaluable tools. they're the next step in terms of application, from theory to performance and knowing the relationship between the two.

Music theory rocks. I love it. I'm good at it. Ear training is essential for a good musician. understnading what you're working with is essential. i love it.

I'm a composer primarily and a performer secondarily. I know I need to know how to read, interpret, and dissect music to be a composer, but the ear-training never helped me in that sense, so I didn't like it. I'm also more interested in band than choir, though I'm in one of each, so sight-singing is less valuable than sight-reading, which I am decent at. I don't know, just personal preferences from the experiences I've had at theory…

I enjoy music theory. As a pianist, I'm not sure I would be able to play without an understanding of intervals, chords, and key signatures. And the more advanced things like voice leading are just fun. I look forward to delving deeper into music theory.

I think theory as a concept is really interesting, and whenever I learn new stuff I think it's amazingly cool, but in my school music class we do ridiculously easy theory because not everyone's taken an instrument and so it's ridiculously. We're studying minor scales. I mean, seriously. They should have an advanced music class.

That's what happened at my school during my junior year. My band director finally offered music theory, but he got a lot of choir students. And, no offense to any choir students, but they knew nothing about music theory, or music for that matter. So, he had to teach them the absolute basics. "This is a half note… it takes TWO beats!" "This key signature has two flats. What key is this" So, thankfully, I opted out of taking that class; I would have personally tutored the entire class so that we could get out of middle school theory!

So I waited a year, and my director tried offering it again, but most of the choir students complained the class went too fast, and the rest of the band students were bored stiff. Instead, I coaxed the guidance department to offer AP Music Theory, and when only one other student was still interested, I asked to be in an independent study course. They agreed, and I had the best class ever. In the first two or three weeks, we covered basically college-level Theory I, and within the one semester I could take it, I went through the equivalent of Theory II. Even though ear-training was painful for me, I still did well with it. Taking the AP Music Theory test proved that.

It's a fun subject. Except for ear training, which at the second-year university level is KILLER. *grrr*

But I'm all done with that, so it's all good. ;)

I actually enjoy theory now…second year university level is interesting, and we've got a good prof, so it's a good class. I usually don't mind ear training, but the prof for ear training this year is different than for our written theory, and our ear training prof is one of those people who just has a natural gift at ear training type things. Thus, she doesn't really know how to explain to us HOW to hear something, since she just instinctively hears it. Sigh! However, all in all, Music Theory is awesome! It adds a great deal to interpretation and performance, and it's got lots of neat twists to it!

im not in university yet but our theory class is pretty funny, although we're not really doing much right now. it's supposed to revolve around composition, which i am pretty excited for!

I can go many ways on that topic. I have a really awesome teacher, and he makes theory fun. Most days I enjoy it. Sometimes I find it necessary, but just a bit tedious. I would never say I hate it though.

I love the lecture portion of my music theory class (because I'm so darn good at it) but when it comes to the lab, I don't like it. I'm really bad at ear-training and sight-singing, but I'm okay at piano (I don't really have to practice for that portion). But I'm so bad at ear-training that I'm asking my professor to tutor me specifically on ear-training outside of class.

But if you put a piece of music in front of me and ask me to analyze it, I would do it no problem. My classmates often ask me for help on our homework.

i like it a lot, there is a lot of history around it, and it does make you a better player. And you feel so cool when you know how to write the rests :P.

My high school class did too, so it was great. I still didn't like ear-training, and never did sight-singing until the day before the AP Music Theory test, but the written theory and composition was great.

i think that my music theory classes are boring because i had theory in high school and now its kinda like.. been there, done that. so i dont go to class. but i turn my hw in and i pass so yay

I love music theory…I finished the required four music theory courses for my degree and am now taking Techniques of Twentieth Century music. Theory's awesome =)

i LOOOOVE music theory… most people think i'm crazy though….

Being a College Freshman and never having Theory before, I find it quite interesting. I like to know what the thought processes is behind the music. In my highschool I never had the chance to take any theory so I was coming in to theory not knowing what it was supposed to be. Needless to say, everything up through about a week ago was easy for me. As for sightreading or singing, I don't mind either one. I have been in Choir since I was in the 5th grade, so all that comes easily for me. I haven't had eartraining, but from what I have heard from friends is that it is a pain in the neck.

theory makes me want to shoot myself in the face.

Yay Someone to go against the grain Seriously, I haven't met anyone at the U of Iowa that LIKES theory. There are plenty that have the same opinion as me, but most hate it with a passion.

i'm going to say that we need theory, but it is evil anyway. i'm pretty sure that i'm going to pass out of some amount of theory since my AP theory teacher is into the whole "teaching us far more that we need to" thing. she wants us all to get a 4 or 5 on the ap, and most kids from her classes do.

basically all of the crazy rules are just that crazy. they are needed, to a point, but can be bent to make a musical statement

I Love Theory! I hated it at first, but once you get the hang of it, you use it in all your other classes, so it is definatly a must. Easier for those who have taken it before or had piano lessons, other wise, good luck!
I had very little piano and no theory experience before college, but I am managing quite well. for now… :D

I'm not a music major or music minor. I've never had a music theory class, but I've picked up a lot along the way. I love music theory. I love knowing how things work, and it's great seeing how the rules apply. But then again, I'm a science geek, so the rule side of music would appeal to me.

Slap the musician of your choice.

Keith Urban

*slap*

Paris Hilton technically counts, right?

*slap*

rick james.

*SMACK!*

oh, ho ho. that seemed wittier in my mind than it does now that i type it out.

i apologize.

Nelly Furtado

*slap*

Micheal Jackson

*slap*

I agree with you and ashley simpson

Hanson
lolol

Jacob Hoggart/Hedley

*BANG! CAPOW BAM!*

(sometimes one is not enough…)

Lindsay Lohan

*Smack*

paris hilton

*SLAP SLAP*

paris hilton

*slap slap slap*

just because you CAN release a single, doesnt mean you SHOULD.

Nickelback and/or Hinder

*Slap*Bang*Slice*

hilary duff

SLAP

everyone that's called themselves a band, yet doesn't play instruments

*uber-explosive BAM!*

Chamillionaire

*wha-BAM!*

Punk Metal Bands

Fergie

*SMACK*

hilary duff

*SMACK* *BAM* *SLAP*

well put, well put.

JoJo.

*ker-POW*

fall out boy and my chemical romance

double slap!

can I smack RHCP in a sexual way? haha.

Dem Franchise Boyz

*Slap Slap Slap*

And P. Diddy

Can I slap entire genres?

*slaps hip-hop*
*slaps rap somewhat less hard than hip-hop*
*slaps country music the least hard, but it still stings*

Snoop dog
*cap in yor ass!*

Hilary Duff
*slap!*

Hilary Duff

*slap*

Paris Hilton

*slap*

Lindsay Lohan

*slap*

Dream Street

*slap*

Play

*slap*

Fergie
*SMACK*

Jessica Simpson, for screwing up her voice by straining it to no end
*SMACK*

Paris Hilton
*SMACK*

Gwen Stephani – love the song, but sound of music? how and why?

whi – ppsshh – doubleback – psh – pppssshhh

ashlee simpson – slap!

eminem – slap!

hilary duff and any other disney artists – slap!

Yea lets discuss anything music related in the metal genre. Thus it must be Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Speed MEtal, Thrash MEtal, Symphonic Metal, Heavy metal, Metalcore, Hardcore, Power Metal, Progressive metal, and Psychadellic metal.

I am infinitely more troo kvlt than you.

sure, DREAM THEATER RULES

All I know is: My boyfriend absolutely loves it, and I can't see why.

Some of it isn't so bad because behind all the roaring and the static and noise… there is a melody which can be called music.

But then there's stuff that I can't find any sort of music to it other than some inconsistent percussion. It seems to me like metal is just about making noise and getting in as many obscure time signatures into one song as humanly possible. And playing meaningless scales really fast, over and over… and over.

well then it depends where in the metal field your talking about. Much of like hardcore and metalcore is pretty much talentless and pointless, where as true metal bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, etc ahve a structure to their song even a lot of power metal bands follow chord changes and modes for soloing. Much of which can be related to jazz theory

You see? Exactly!

But noooo. He listens to Death, Death Human (I think it was?), Lamb of God, Old Man's Child, Children of Bodem, Messugga.

If the great classical composers were alive today, they'd be playing prog-metal.

Listen to "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" by Dream Theater, or, say, "The Accolade" by Symphony X, and you can't deny that it IS good music.

Death (one of their albums is called "Human", so that's maybe what you're thinking), and Meshuggah are excellent math-metal.

CoB are progressive in their own right, though not as good as those two.

Lamb of God and Children of Bodom ahve a very unique structure to their creation, (trust me i did a full analysis of CoB music for my english final), as for the others i havent listened to as in deoth so Im not to sure.

o.o INCONSISTENT?

Have you never heard of odd-time polyrythms?

wtf is math metal?

It's bullshit. -_- I've taken Theory classes up the ass. All these time changes are idiodic and pointless, other than to say that they can do it.

Math-metal is the must purely theory-based music out there, other than serialism. Look it up on Wikipedia.

And then go listen to some Behold… The Arctopus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_metal

Okay…

But wtf is my boyfriend, who is musically inhibited, doing listening to math metal? He just likes hyper music with plenty of noise. -_- He doesn't know what he's actually listening to interms of music.

That type of music is very…. very jarring. Very intense.

I like this I can sing along to, or… follow a story in my head.

He listens to lots of static. With roaring.

sometimes you dont need to understand it, which then falls into psychology and sociology in regards to preferences and tastes

You can sing along. Check out Opeth. One of the most angelic voices ever, followed by brutal, BRUTAL roaring.

Yep. I don't have a problem with listening to it, though. It's fine if I keep it in the background.

He has trouble with what I listen to, though. He tends to shut down…

lol I do end up vocalising along with the tracks, even if I'm just following the guitar.

so whT DO you listen to?

=P Almost everything.

But my favorite things to listen to are Trip Hop and Indie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZWWYHnPx1Q

Opeth.

I've heard them.

That link failed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgxkOKmNMUw

Try this DT link, then.

Nyeh, I copied and pasted the link and made it work.

And then I figured it out… None of the guitars or drums bother me so much… It's the ROARING. O.O I can't STAND IT.

I don't know why, but it drives me nuts… it's ALMOST as bad as the double bass drum being played for almost the entire length of the song. WTF? Somebody needs to learn WHEN to play, and when NOT to play.

Eh. That's metal for ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXWHOSo0zR0

What's this one?

i kinda figured the most people who dont really know music only know of the treble cleff. very few know of the bass. so i though that if you are one of the Down to earth people who live in the basement, whether played or sung, just leave a post. you could say what you like best to play, a funny anecdote, or just to say hi. but let us show everyone the support and structure of the band and/or choir and how big we really are.

let's include the people who love bases on this post too and you can state the reason why…I know i love me a sexy bass…mainly cause you know…hmm voice alone and im in love baby

i play the upright bass, and ive noticed for some reason, people dont always notice it, but when you take it out of a song, it feels like the heart and soul of the song is missing. Take Simonon out of Clash, McCartney out of the Beatles, or Ron Carter out of basically every jazz CD (as he IS the most recorded musician of all-time) and its just not the same.

if you are going to mention how people dont really know of the bass clef, try the tenor or alto clef, that's when things get all funky

I play bass and love it. The bass clef is much more comfortable for me to read than treble.

You know what would be hot? A bass clef tattoo in the small of a girl's back.

Or the Soprano clef… that's even less common… gotta love the movable G-clef.

I sing bass.

And we piano players have to play in both treble and bass clefs…

I play trombone–I think there are a lot of people out there who read bass.

I play electric and upright bass, and sing bass 1. Any bassist can probably back me up on this… UNDERMIXING! Big problem. Especially with guitars… I think bass clef and treble clef should be even… people need to get over high notes. They are cool, sure, but for some reason the masses find a pentatonic scale in the high range to be "amazing", but a cool harmonic minor bass line is just "a neat bass line".

i've played the double bass for many years… and im missing it … im thinking that it's about time to join the campus orchestra! i agree though… the bass instruments are always undermixed.

I play the trombone, and being forced to learn several other clefs, I can honestly say that bass clef is my absolute favorite. I play the tenor trombone but I looove playing pedal tones. It just feels good!

I wholeheartedly support the cause of bass clef awareness. Theory teachers should teach it more often; it really makes treble clef people freak out when they have to use bass!

The bottom end is the heart and soul of music. Just look at my picture!

yeah i totally read all the clefs *pats self on back*

Yeah, I play tuba and electric and upright bass, and I would have to agree that bass clef is the best clef. My friend Mike would agree. He is a trombone player, and he has a kick ass tatoo on his right shoulder that at first glance is just a tribal design, but is really a bunch of bass clefs!

You think that the bass clef is underappreciated? Try playing the viola.

"What is that thing?!"
"It's an alto clef."
"A tenor clef?"
"NO! It's an alto clef."

No one uses the alto clef. Except for us.

i sing a Bass 1… so i am not as "down to earth" but i try. my favorite part about the bass cleff is making places rumble, or cutting through the soprano's with a rhythmic sound.

Electric Bass all the way But I also appreciate the treble clef and play alto saxophone, electric guitar, tenor sax, and clarinet

Yeah…I have a music editing program and I was like "WTF I've never even seen these before!" lol.

We should use the tenor and alto cleff more

And I'm not actually sure I should post here, considering that I'm a first tenor…hehe.

GO TENORS!

Tsk tsk tsk!
I play bass trombone in jazz and I've got to say – it's great!

I read treble, bass, tenor and alto clef. But as a cellist, bass is my clef that I most encounter. electric bass rocks though. play that too

you know youre a bass cleffer if you can read through your Aural Skills/Sightreading material written in Treble Clef and actually think ending on "fa" sounds a ton better.

Since I've been playing piano since first grade, and played clarinet for 3 years, I've known the bass cleff for about the amount of time that I've known the treble cleff. Plus, I sing very low, so occasionally at church I'm called to sing with the guys often, which means bass cleff time!
Honestly, once I got used to it, I prefer reading the bass cleff over the treble cleff. But that's probably just me.

I'm a bass in my school choir, but my Voice teacher has me sing all this baritone stuff. Therefore, I see both cleffs all the time, and I'm a singer. It just winds up confusing me, because I'll think no way man, that note's too high, but it'll be bass cleff and I'll have it no problem. It messes with my head man. I prefer the Bass Cleff, entirely.

I've been playing the TUBA ever since fifth grade (had to sit on phone books to reach the mouthpiece!). Therefore, I've been reading bass clef even before most of my TC baritone friends knew what a clef was. Since then I've moved on to bigger, better, and badder tones such as the double bass, and the electric bass. What can I say? Guitar is ok (also played by me), but bass just dominates all!

I'm a clarinet/oboe/saxophone performance major and will be studying flute and bassoon in the next few years, but I decided/had to join choir. Reading bass clef was unbelievably frustrating at first, but as I took Class Piano and sang more and more, it became easier. As of recently, I am pulling a Theatre minor and possibly voice in the future…yay for possibly having work upon graduation from grad school?

Well, I find it funny, I've been singing since I could (yay children's chior, and boo children's chior, I hate hearing myself from back then, granted I had an ear and sang in key, but still… ew) anyway, I was still able to sing higher than all the girls up until my freshman year (yeah four octive range with falsetto… haha…squeeks) but that all changed during highschool I was down to a tenor 1 by the end of that year, tenor 2 my sophmore year, bass 1 my whole junior year, and then a (well, still not quite the entire range, down to an E flat) by my senior year. Out of all the parts to sing, tenor was fun, but bass is the best!

I also play Bass guitar (sadly never really bothered learning to read off of the staff, self taught = not the best teacher, though no lessons worked pretty well for voice, shucks) back to the point. I agree on the undermixing, especially in rock. I'm playing and have my bass turned up to the point where I can finally hear it and get told by the guitarist (who is in charge of the band) to turn it down. I don't know how many times I've played for praise and worship, turned the volume knob to zero just to see if I could tell much of a difference and nothing.

Bass is amazing, and I better stop rambling on and get some sleep.

Bass clef rocks!

just to let you know kiddo if your singing baritone its still going to be written in the bass clef the only time you might see a treble clef is if your singing tenor dude sorry to burst your bubble

Bass clef is awesome.
being a Music Ed/ Bassoon performance/ composition triple major I thoroughly enjoy watching people freak out when they get to tenor clef and the movable clefs.