[SJ] SJ's and music

[wrldisquiethere]

SJ's, do you play any musical instruments? If so, what do you feel is most helpful in advancing your musical skill, and what is the biggest hindrance? Do you like to entertain with your music and perform for others OR would you rather jam with a few friends at a coffee house/pub or just play in the privacy of your own home for your own enjoyment and mental stimulation?

What styles of music do you prefer?

 

[Amira]

Does the recorder count? Ha ha... Considering I can hardly differentiate between notes when listening and I have no sense of timing, the recorder is the most I can do musically. For listening to music, my favorite musician does blues/rock/power ballad type songs. I do like quite a few styles of music, though. Never screaming type music or rap, though. What about you?

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

SJ's, do you play any musical instruments? If so, what do you feel is most helpful in advancing your musical skill, and what is the biggest hindrance? Do you like to entertain with your music and perform for others OR would you rather jam with a few friends at a coffee house/pub or just play in the privacy of your own home for your own enjoyment and mental stimulation?

What styles of music do you prefer?

my hubby is iXtj (mostly s i think but tests intj usually), and he's got the best ear for music. taught himself the guitar at 13 so now he's amazing on it. mostly rhythm, not lead. songwriter extraordinaire.

he started playing the keyboard just cuz it's here (for my istj daughter--who only plays for herself or our family--not interested in it as a career or scholarship), and, again, he just picked it up by ear. when he plays the keyboard he sounds to me like a cross between ray charles and charlie brown---haha! i freakin LOVE it more than his guitar playing. in fact, last time i was in labor (with our last child) all i wanted was for him to play the keyboard. he could totally play background music in a swanky restaurant/bar and he's never had one piano lesson!

 

[Lightning_Rider]

I play electric guitar. Self taught myself starting when I was 18. I used to be decent at the styles of music I played but I haven't played seriously in quite a while now. It takes too much time I don't seem to have anymore unfortunately. I used to play with a band formed of me and a few friends and I really enjoy playing in a band with other people. I think after a while, playing guitar on your own becomes a little tedious. In order to grow I think you really need to play with other people and play together.

When we first started off, we would play mostly simple punk rock music like Green Day and Blink-182. I used to sing as well at the beginning when we would play that as we didn't have a real vocalist then... I'm terrible at singing, but I think I would be good if I had the voice for it... As we got better we moved onto Metallica and then Iron Maiden and writing our own material. Metal is probably my favorite type of music though. However I do not enjoy metal with raw screaming 100% of the time (unfortunately a lot of metal is like that...). I appreciate having a good vocalist in any music group. We played a small, simple show once at my old high school. It was fun but very amateurish. Everyone seemed to really like us though. Especially the song I wrote

When I would write songs in the band, the others would tell me my songs had a very power metalish, Iron Maidenish sound to it. So I guess that's what my style is. Sometimes I would feel like I wasn't creative enough though, so I guess that is my biggest obstacle: being creative with writing songs. Sometimes I feel like I would have some great stuff inside but had difficulty translating it to the instrument etc. I guess that means I needed more practice in that department. I started learning music theory and that was a big help to me as well though I'm definitely no expert and you really have to study it hard to master it... it can become very complex.

My other weakness is that I naturally have weak fingers when compared to other great guitarists... Obviously they worked much harder at it then I did though. Music and guitar is great fun but it's just a shame that it takes so much practice to be as good as you want to be . If ever I have more time to devote to it though I would love to regain some of my skills and play in a band again.

 

[wrldisquiethere]

Thanks for the responses! Keep 'em coming!

Does the recorder count? Ha ha... Considering I can hardly differentiate between notes when listening and I have no sense of timing, the recorder is the most I can do musically. For listening to music, my favorite musician does blues/rock/power ballad type songs. I do like quite a few styles of music, though. Never screaming type music or rap, though. What about you?

My music taste is somewhat varied. I love what I would consider fun, whimsical music. I enjoy acoustic, laid-back music with meaningful lyrics (Damien Rice, RayLaMontagne, John Mayer). I love Celtic music, and a lot of Indie music. I like some alternative, some choral, some classical. I'm not a fan of most rap, hard rock, metal, or anything with screaming in it. I have to be able to sense a lot of order in the song or it is just noise to me.

As for musical instruments, I play a little bit of piano but my main instrument is the Celtic harp (dorky, I know ). My strengths are reading music, memorization, and keeping rhythm.

What frustrates me is that my weakness with playing music is in my perfectionism. Many musicians are perfectionists, but my music teachers would tell you I take it farther than most. My biggest challenge has been relaxing when I play. My tendency is to always become very tense...it has even led to me getting tendonitis after practicing for an extended period of time. I also cannot stand to perform in front of everyone. I like to play for my own enjoyment and to stimulate my mind and my senses. When it comes to other people listening, I don't handle it very well. My perfectionism rears its ugly head and I play worse than usual because I am so tense. I was just wondering if this is common at all among SJ's. I would really like to find a way to beat it.

I also struggle with taking a piece and really making it my own. I'm not good at modifying things or adding my personal touches to a piece of music because I tend to try to play it exactly as written. I can put "feeling" into what is already there, but I don't do well with improvising.

 

[EJCC]

I've played piano since I was five, and percussion since I was twelve. I also tap dance in my spare time, and am teaching myself the harmonica with a kit someone got for me as a gift. Yeah, badass, right?

I thought I was going to be a musician for a long time, but as you said, wrldisquiethere, adding the creative aspect is really tricky. I'm good at feeling the necessary mood in the piece and playing it out, but back when I was adjudicated for my piano playing, I had a really difficult time with adjudicators who would try to help me by saying stuff like "Imagine a sunny field of flowers..." I'd be like "Please! Just tell me to play it more legato or quieter or something! You aren't helping!"

Also, even when I was a little kid (and by "little", I mean about age six or seven), I'd be a perfectionist to a fault. I'd get upset whenever I messed up. There were two piano recitals I did when I actually made audible frustrated noises when I screwed up chords. I love piano, but it would drive me up the wall to do it for a living.

And to answer the rest of your questions: I hate jamming, and I'd rather perform for others (I'd love to be in a cover band, or just play (and/or sing) solo; I do a killer version of "Fired" by Ben Folds that I found online ), but I love playing on my own, too; also, I like all styles of music to an extent, except for ones that
a. are too dissonant,
b. are sexist/racist/biased in any way,
c. have no melody (e.g. certain metal bands), discounting percussion ensemble stuff and good rap music
c. are generic/boring, or
d. are overly sappy (like Celine Dion or Barbra Streisand).
Favorite musicians/bands at the moment: Husker Du (later work, not hardcore stuff), Paul Simon, Genesis (all eras), Fleet Foxes, Joe Jackson, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Green Day, and Jethro Tull.

I believe that whole rant was repeated from another post I did on a different thread, but I don't care that much

p.s. 300th post! w00t!

 

[swordpath]

I play drums and have since about age 11. Picking up the drums was the best decision I ever made (besides switching to Geico car insurance). It's been such a thrill and my favorite memories/most joyous times were probably when I was playing with other musicians. Nothing gives me a natural high more than that. Just playing regularly and listening to other drummers [anytime I listen to music, I'm automatically very focused on what's going on with the rhythm section. Nothing gets past me! Something I can't really help but do.] is what I've used in advancing my ability, though practicing rudiments (not something I spent much time doing) at length would probably put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I am. Also, playing to a metronome was something I had to do a few times and it's much more difficult to do than one might think unless you're attuned to it. It's really easy to rush/drag the beat, especially come fill time D). If you practice with a metronome, it can really bring a solidarity to your playing and at the end of the day, as a drummer, that's what's most important. All the flash is nice, but if you can't deliver a confident, steady groove, no amount of crazy fast tom smashing-hit every symbol whilst twirling a stick with your toes will do you justice. Ok, that'd be pretty exciting to see..... but that's what the circus is for.

I haven't been able to play often at all over the past few years since I joined the service, but I hope to change that soon.

 

[WickedQueen]

No, but I always love to hear some up beat musics and dancing alone.

 

[NewEra]

Music is a big part of my life. I love music, and it motivates me. I honestly couldn't live without music, I love rhythm and the mood of the music. I listen to almost everything - rock, rap, classical, folk, cultural, alternative, pop, etc.

I played 3 musical instruments - piano, saxophone, and clarinet.

 

[pure_mercury]

I took piano for six years as a child, and I got an electric guitar for my 13th birthday. I am bad at both. I do write songs and poetry (and music criticism), though, and I love to sing karaoke. I want to take vocal lessons to learn how to sing properly. I've got a good voice. I like messing around with the harmonica.

 

[Cimarron]

I've been playing the bass guitar and the trombone for almost 10 years, and writing music (but not lyrics!) for about half as long. When I wanted to get a certain musical line correct, I'd sit there and keep playing it again and again. I still try to do that, but I guess I have less patience these days.

Performing: Tough when everyone's watching you. Only done it a few times, and not sure whether I'd want to keep doing it, but maybe.

Playing in a group: Difficult at first, but fun. Especially in bass lines, I can relax and support other players, while they do their thing. Played long blues jams in a friend's basement in high school. Probably more fun than actually performing it.

In private: I really like it. I try to put my mood into my music. I make up something simple, or I play something I know that fits my mood. Improvisation is not easy for me, and when I've done it in front of an audience, I've always wanted to stop when it doesn't sound the way I meant it, and try it again. In private, I can do that as much as I want, so I do.

Maybe the hardest part is expressing emotion through the music. I invest emotion when I play, and I feel it, but I doubt others can feel or hear it.