• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Type and Musical Appreciation

pure_mercury

Order Now!
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
6,946
MBTI Type
ESFJ
What type are you?
ESFJ (disputed)

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?
I really do listen to all kinds of music. I have a special affinity for 1980s and 1990s British rock, old-school hip-hop, Motown and 70s soul, and classic pop/rock. But I also listen to jazz, gamelan, classical, house music, Celtic, etc.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?
The musical content is paramount, but good lyrics help to make a song a classic. I can't really separate the singing and the music.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?
I think it shows that I am committed in my research and experiences, that I am open-minded, that I have discriminating tastes.
 

Little Linguist

Striving for balance
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
6,880
MBTI Type
xNFP
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
ENFP

Classical (Baroque - especially Vivaldi :wubbie:; Romanticism; nothing from the twentieth century though :sick:)

Irish folk music; Irish dancing music (Yes, they have Irish dancing in Germany)

Some random modern songs if they touch my heart...or if I need to listen, but not much modern music because they make me feel like a combination of :shock:, :huh:, :steam:, :doh:, :cry:, and :(.

If I am working, I do not like music with lyrics. Classical music relaxes me and helps me to think. Irish music is good to do housework - it makes me happy even though I hate cleaning. Then it is okay to have lyrics. If lyrics move me, I could listen to a song although I hate the beat, but that is unusual and extremely rare. I usually prefer music without lyrics or in other languages that I cannot understand so I can imagine what they mean.

Music has an effect on all of us; some of us just recognize it more than others. Music is the language of the mind and soul...without words, and more powerful than words or imagery.

It speaks to us in tones, and it is the closest thing that man comes to in terms of nature.

But if you want to hear the sweetest music of all, go to the woods - to the water - listen to the owl - listen to the cat stalking its prey - listen to the wind rustling through the trees - listen to the caterpillar chomping on a leaf - listen to the pidgeons calling your name - listen to the stars twinkling - listen to the sound of silence: Those lyrics are more beautiful than words.
 

phoenix13

New member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
1,293
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w8
There have been some great responses, I find it really interesting how music appreciation differs so much between the types.
It is interesting that the INFP's (and INTJs) tend to like really heavy metal style songs, perhaps this has something to do with the extreme emotive nature of the music appealing to their introverted feeling?

Oh baby, you want extreme emotion? Listen to Shostakovich's 8th string quartet (nicknamed his suicide quartet). The movements can be described as hopeless despair, demonic hysteria, disoriented peasant dance, fear-resistance-shattered hope, and hopeless despair. Oh!

Another extreme work is Prokofiev's 3rd symphony. It's just neurotic (the last 2 movements in particular). Oh, and the first movement of his 2nd symphony. Ah, I've gotta turn this off before I wet myself! *rebuilding inner levy*

Point: If you like intensity but never considered listening to classical music, do give it a chance.
 

aeon

Potoumchka
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
339
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
947
Instinctual Variant
sx
What type are you?

I type as INFP.

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?

Mainly:

  • British Invasion
  • Motown
  • psychedelia
  • classic soul and R'n'B
  • new wave
  • post-Sheffield, pre-laptop underground electronic music
  • minimal Berlin techno
  • various ambient styles
  • vintage reggae and lovers rock
  • experiemental dub
  • dream-pop
  • noise-pop
  • classic rock
  • chamber music
  • 50s rock and vocal group
  • 60s rock and pop
  • 60s and 70s female country
  • 60s folk
  • 70s funk
  • 70s punk
  • 80s electro-pop
  • 80s UK indie
  • early-90s UK indie

Less-So:

  • Brasilian jazz
  • Afro-Cuban jazz
  • baroque danse musik
  • many periods of classical
  • some opera
  • Indian ragas
  • Sufi spirituals
  • Roma folk music
  • Bulgarian womens' choir
  • Persian trance music

As to why I listen to what I do, I suppose the short answer is that I listen to what I find pleasure in. A lot of that has to do with texture, timbrally and emotionally.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

I really appreciate when lyrics speak to me, but more often than not I hear the performance and tone of sung lyrics before the words themselves.

I moreso value music in terms of its timbral and compositional nature, and I also like to listen for production value in terms of recording engineering, especially when these details successfully serve the performance, and ultimately, the song.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?

I cannot say for sure, but if you could hold in your mind and heart at once a list of my favorite recordings, you would know something of my nature as it concerns my aesthetics, sensuality, and temperament.

:headphne:


Namaste,
Ian
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
1,511
MBTI Type
ENTP
What type are you?
INTP

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?
probably alternative pop/rock....alot of the bands I like just happen to fall under the category. But I don't automatically like something just because it's alternative...and I like many more things outside of the genre.
Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?
definitely music over lyrics, some of my favorite songs/pieces are exclusively instrumental or have long stretches of it. I like hooks and riffs. I like dynamic, heavy, melodic, atmospheric, dark, music that provokes the imagination, etc..

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?
I think it reflects my background- my mom is a music teacher/pianist and I grew up listening to classical, big band, jazz, etc. I suppose it also reflects my introverted and intuitive sides.
 

Splittet

Wannabe genius
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
632
MBTI Type
INTJ
What type are you?

INTJ

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?

Progressive rock and metal, then singer-songwriters, folk, alternative, indie, electronic and soundtracks. These days I am trying to expand my taste and check out new music from many different genres though. I usually prefer modern music.

Why? Because I like what I hear (the tunes and so on) and because I like the atmosphere, which preferably is of a sophisticated and deep nature.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

I focus mainly on musical content, although if I can relate very much to the lyrics, like the song Magic Doors ( YouTube - PORTISHEAD--MAGIC DOORS (THIRD) ) by Portishead, that can make the song a lot more emotional and powerful. Rare though.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?

It reflects very much upon my preference for the profound, deep and intellectually satisfying. I need music to have those values to enjoy it, I need to perceive an atmosphere like that, or at least some kind of sophistication.
 

oasispaw

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
265
MBTI Type
isfj
What type are you?

isfj


What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?

i generally listen to alt/rock/powerpop/girl fronted music (smashing pumpkins, weezer, that dog, juliana hatfield, bjork, hum... i went to high school in the mid 90s if that says anything). more recent artists i like are cold war kids, carolina liar, raconteurs. i like some classical (henryk goreki), r&b/hiphop (jill scott, outkast). i love jazz, especially 60s-70s bossa nova and miles davis (sketches of spain- oh lordy).

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

i like well thought out lyrics and catchy tunes. i'm also a sucker for well placed technicality. i appreciate when the production level matches the group or artist being recorded, like when top forty stuff is polished and perfect or when more indie stuff is less than perfect and has all warmth of analog recording.


How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?

i'm not sure, my boss thinks i'm cool because of some of the 80s music i like. but i think the average person would think i'm kinda strange :crazy:
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
3,166
MBTI Type
INFP
What type are you?
INFP

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?
Symphonic Metal. Why? I dont know, It sounds so damn good. Sweet opera girl versus the black metal growl is the best kinda duet you can get... I also like violins and cellos a lot.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?
Lyrics are mostly crap, but when they have interesting story, they can save an otherwise bad song.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?
I guess it has a lot to do with my habit of mixing up different sort of ideas. I havent really thought about that...
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
3,166
MBTI Type
INFP
Point: If you like intensity but never considered listening to classical music, do give it a chance.

Agreed. I havent really ventured into classical that much, but when I first heard Paganini, it blew my mind. His violin is more aggressive than most of the metal bands.

The annoyance with classical is that i dont really understand anything about music and they name them like "symphony 12 in d-minor" That doesnt say anything to me. Why not have a name for a song, dammit!!

Yes, im a bit ignorant about music... :)
 

millerm277

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
978
MBTI Type
ISTP
What type are you?

ISTP

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?

Mostly Rock and Metal (Various types, including some foreign languages), with some more "offbeat" stuff as well. (90s "Grunge", Some orchestral stuff, and a few country songs.)

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

Musical content comes first, having great lyrics is pointless if today is your first time playing a guitar. However, if the lyrics are ridiculous/don't make much sense, it will generally result in me not liking the song much.


How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?

Not sure, I suppose the rebellious attitude in most music is pretty representative of me. Grunge and mellow stuff typically comes out most when I'm depressed.

I listen to such a wide variety (rock and metal encompasses a lot of music), that it's kind of hard to pull much out of it. On one hand, I can be found blasting Slayer at times, but you may also see me listening to mellower and nicer stuff like The Band (late 60s rock). Maybe it shows my impulsiveness?
 

bandit

New member
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
18
MBTI Type
INFJ
What type are you?

INFJ

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?

I know what genres I don't like, even after trying to let them sink in. It's difficult to list down what I like but I can say that I primarily listen to Metal, Rock, Jazz and Classical.

When I was younger I was very picky with specific music genres. I couldn't tolerate any music with distortion guitars, screaming vocals or really hard hitting drum rhythms. I couldn't imagine myself listening to hard rock, heavy metal, jazz, new age, experimental or country. It was pop (and classical, through classical piano training) all the way. As I matured, I started listening to Glam Rock. From there, I went on to Progressive, Nu-Metal, Indie, Alternative Rock, Speed Metal and Thrash Metal. I started going into Electronic Dance Music because it was one of many ways for me to compose music without a band. I went through phases of Trance, House, Jungle and Breakbeats. When I met my boyfriend, I started listening to what he listens to, Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore, Industrial, etc. I met my ENFP friend and I was introduced to Blues and Psychedelic Rock. Currently, I've been digging Funk House, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Baroque and Romantic Classical. I'm keeping my mind as open as I can as I've come to realise that it's only beneficial to know what you have all around you than to just be ignorant and narrow minded about the other genres. You'll never know what you'll pick up from the other genres.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

Musical content. I almost don't pay any attention to the lyrical contents. I automatically muffle the vocals in my mind and focus on everything going on but the vocals. It's strange that, unless I consciously memorise them, I can barely remember lyrics for most of the songs I've heard. I remember the melodic and harmonic lines far more easily than the lyrics. In fact, I recognise most of the songs by musical progressions than by lyrics. There are only a handful of songs which I remember through catchy phrases or words that emphasizes or summarises the song, e.g. "I never promised you a rose garden... there's gotta be a little rain sometimes.." from Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson. Omg, I love that song!

I'm also quite fond of instrumental pieces. If it's progressive instrumental, all the better for my ears and mind.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?

My choice of listening music doesn't quite reflect a lot about who I am. I find that my music composition does a better job at that. I've composed basslines for numerous originals for a few bands of very different genres and through those recordings, I can tell that it does tell a story about who I am as an individual and what I feel during the time when it was written. The messages are vaguely distinct for others, but to my own ears, they are like the pennings of my journal (I don't keep a journal though). My bf and friends tell me that my basslines are uniquely my style, i.e. gentle, cheery and accomodating. The same applies to my own songs that I have composed, save it's on a much broader platform and not just basslines.

My INFP friend loves some of the songs I've composed. I love some of the songs that he had composed too (we were in the same band for 2 years before) but both of our compositions are entirely different in many aspects, e.g. genre, sound, mood and feel, progressions, etc. I can tell how he is like through his songs (I know him quite well in person) so I can somewhat understand how others may see me through my own compositions too.
 

murkrow

Branded with Satan
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
1,635
MBTI Type
INTJ
What type are you?
ENTJ

What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?
I listen to a lot of music and I guess a pretty wide variety of genres.
Hm...

I probably listen to more hardcore than the average person, but I certainly don't listen to as much as I used to.

When listening to music energy is very important for me. I need to feel that the music is being taken seriously by the musicians.

Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?

Everything is important.

How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?
Until people hear the different music I listen to they usually have a very skewed perspective of who I am. I think they might start to realize that my decisions aren't as closed minded as they originally seemed.
 

Hang

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
75
MBTI Type
INFJ
What type are you?
INFJ
What kind (genre preferably) of music do you primarily listen to? Why?
New Wave
Alternative
Progressive Prog
Punk Rock
Indie
Power Pop
Blues, Jazz
Do you value lyrics over the musical content? Or visa versa?
Both. When I listen to classical music, the melody and pitches sways my emotions. Without a voice, it makes me cry, and tells a story as I listen to it.
How do you think this music reflects upon you as a person?
When I'm angry I usually block out everything with music. Almost like a phychodellic high. Weird.
But I can totally relate to bandit. The ENFp friend and everything. My ENFP friend also introduced me to phychodellic music. EVERYTHING.
 

rhinosaur

Just a statistic
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
1,464
MBTI Type
INTP
Your Music Preference, and How it Relates to Type

I've noticed in some of my friends that they only listen to a particular type of music. One friend, for example, plays music in a blues band, and pretty much listens to and plays nothing but the blues. Other kinds of music aren't worth his time, and is quick to denounce more avant garde styles. People who don't listen to the blues, or at least music resembling or derived from the blues, have poor taste in music.

Other friends, and I fall into this category as well, listen to pretty much anything. The stuff in my music collection is about as diverse as it gets, spanning pop, rock, metal, electronica, hip-hop, classical, bluegrass, etc. A lot of the music I find most interesting is difficult to place in just one genre. And perhaps what's most telling, some of my favorite bands have been introduced to me by other people who fall into this category.

So I was wondering if this is related to a person's type. When a person is able to choose one particular genre as superior over others, are they more likely to be J? Is the person in the example above just closed-minded, or is my taste just unrefined?

What kind of music preferences do you have, and what's your type?
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
I've noticed a trend between Si users. They do tend to stick more to whatever made the biggest impact at one stage in life. It's some weird thing about musical loyalty or the familiar.

INFJs tend to have crappy musical taste too. Lots of indie crapfest.

INTs, specially INTPs, tend to have an appreciation for progressive rock/metal music and classical. Intellectual types of music, some would describe them as.

I don't really identify with musical preference of other people within my type. I don't know what that means.

ESFPs invariably like house music.



etc etc
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
I've noticed a trend between Si users. They do tend to stick more to whatever made the biggest impact at one stage in life. It's some weird thing about musical loyalty or the familiar.
Interesting. But doesn't everyone like/dislike music based on whether they have good/bad memories associated with them? Not just people with strong Si?

INFJs tend to have crappy musical taste too. Lots of indie crapfest.
Musical tastes of the three INFJs that I'm friends with=
INFJ 1: Classical music, choral music and 60's/70's folk
INFJ 2: The Beatles, hippie music, new age, Celtic Woman
INFJ 3: DRUM AND BASS (also a little bit of industrial, and video game music)
The only trend I notice is that none of the three enjoy straying from their musical comfort zones.

INTs, specially INTPs, tend to have an appreciation for progressive rock/metal music and classical. Intellectual types of music, some would describe them as.
True dat. Except for my INTJ friend who pretty much only listens to hillbilly rock and Alice Cooper... lol :laugh:

ESFPs invariably like house music.
I have an ESFP friend who pretty much hates all music except for alt country and Neko Case. HATES dance/electronic music of all kinds.

The STJs and ESTPs I know like music that they can rock out to, but that they don't get emotionally involved in.
The NTPs I know like music that they find "interesting" in some way (and when I say "interesting", I mean "not boring", i.e. music that works their brains as they listen).
The SFPs I know like music that's really unusual and creative and makes them feel unusual and creative for listening to it, or for knowing what it is at all.
The F women (and gay men) that I know are often fans of romantic songs (i.e. songs with sweet, romantic lyrics), regardless of genre.
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
Interesting. But doesn't everyone like/dislike music based on whether they have good/bad memories associated with them? Not just people with strong Si?

Yes. But I rarely see Si users making new memories.


PS: Your ESFP friend does not hate electronic music. INFJ friend #3 is not an INFJ. Your INTJ friend is a psycho, what else is new?
 

JocktheMotie

Habitual Fi LineStepper
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
8,491
Not sure how I'd pin this down. I certainly can't by genre. I like sweeping melody, classical themes, and good speed. This could be anything from melodic death metal, to jazz, to funk, orchestra, whatever. Be interested in more responses though.
 

INTP

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
7,803
MBTI Type
intp
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx
i like music that takes huge amount of musical intelligence to make, it can be simple rock ballads, progressive rock or about anything as long as its made by a true genius. sometimes the most simple things in music need more musical intelligence to make than some lets play hard chords really fast type of music. mostly i listen to music that combines musical intelligence and skills on playing instruments. one thing that pisses me off so much is that people dont understand that its not about how hard chords you play and how fast you play them, its about how you play them.
 

Unkindloving

Lungs & Lips Locked
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
2,963
MBTI Type
ENFJ
Enneagram
4w5
I listen to just about anything, unless i find it unbearable. It's a bit of a curse liking such a vast variety of music. :laugh:
My default choice is female-fronted and possibly Indie.

INTP friend also likes classical/intellectual, but is just as much of a music fiend as i am.
ISTJ friend likes indie and eccentric, but doesn't like to stray from them.
INTJ friend likes variety and doesn't have a musical comfort zone.
INFP friend is open to music, but sticks to Korean Pop (groups she can attach to and be a fan of for ages)
 
Top