Random Music Thoughts Thread

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Another masterpiece. The climax to this film is so different than the second one, but the music is just as good.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

TIL M.I.A endorsed Donald Trump and is anti-vax. Plot twist! I did not see that coming. Wow.

 

[Polaris]

One of the things that makes the harpsichord superior to the piano is the fact that the harpsichord does not allow variation in dynamics. This means that when I listen to harpsichord music on my computer, I don't have to repeatedly turn the volume up and down to hear the music properly or avoid being deafened. It's an entirely different story with most piano music.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

One of the things that makes the harpsichord superior to the piano is the fact that the harpsichord does not allow variation in dynamics. This means that when I listen to harpsichord music on my computer, I don't have to repeatedly turn the volume up and down to hear the music properly or avoid being deafened. It's an entirely different story with most piano music.

Doesn't the lack of dynamics make for less interesting music, though?

There's also frequently dynamic range compression that flattens the volume of music to reduce such fluctuations. I think computers often have it, too.

 

[Polaris]

Doesn't the lack of dynamics make for less interesting music, though?

There's also frequently dynamic range compression that flattens the volume of music to reduce such fluctuations. I think computers often have it, too.

"More interesting" isn't how I would describe my experience of music with repeated sharp fluctuations in volume. "Annoying" would be a better term.

It's true that many computer audio systems dampen the fluctuations in volume that are present in a lot of music. They don't generally do away with it altogether, though. What typically remains of it in music that heavily features it is usually enough to irritate me considerably.

I realize, though, that I'm in a minority in this regard. As with most matters of artistic taste, it comes down to the eye, or in this case ear, of the beholder.

On a slightly related topic, it annoys me when people try to play music with long note values on instruments that lack the ability to sound notes for extended periods of time. At the very least, the performers could compensate for their instruments' lack of sustain by repeatedly striking the key for the duration of the note. But they almost never do that.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

"More interesting" isn't how I would describe my experience of music with repeated sharp fluctuations in volume. "Annoying" would be a better term.

It's true that many computer audio systems dampen the fluctuations in volume that are present in a lot of music. They don't generally do away with it altogether, though. What typically remains of it in music that heavily features it is usually enough to irritate me considerably.

I realize, though, that I'm in a minority in this regard. As with most matters of artistic taste, it comes down to the eye, or in this case ear, of the beholder.

On a slightly related topic, it annoys me when people try to play music with long note values on instruments that lack the ability to sound notes for extended periods of time. At the very least, the performers could compensate for their instruments' lack of sustain by repeatedly striking the key for the duration of the note. But they almost never do that.

IMO, I think Beethoven's 7th would not work nearly as well without dynamics. Along with tempo, dynamics can really help music build towards something.

Concerning the last paragraph, I would imagine that harpsichords don't have sustain pedals. Is that correct?

Do you have a video where a performer is trying to play that kind of music with sustain on an instrument without it (like a xylophone)?

 

[Polaris]

IMO, I think Beethoven's 7th would not work nearly as well without dynamics. Along with tempo, dynamics can really help music build towards something.

Concerning the last paragraph, I would imagine that harpsichords don't have sustain pedals. Is that correct?

Do you have a video where a performer is trying to play that kind of music with sustain on an instrument without it (like a xylophone)?

That's usually correct about harpsichords lacking sustain pedals. In the rare cases where they do have them, the sustain is, from what I've heard, extremely soft, so soft as to barely be audible.

No, I don't think I've actually ever heard a performer make up for their instrument's lack of sustain by repeatedly hitting the note for its indicated duration. What will often happen instead, particularly in Baroque music, is the performer will convert the note into a trill (a rapid alternation between two neighboring notes). This, in my opinion, is a less than ideal solution, as it changes the original composer's intentions and in many cases results in bad voice leading.

 

[Synapse]

I’ve been drawn to trip hop style of music as well as gothic rock. Which I find very few tend to gravitate to especially symphonic opera rock.

I’ve had this penchant to broaden my horizons and collect even sounds I’m not into. For instance rnb, rap hip hop just ain’t me. Tho I have just as much material as I do in dance, pop and rock and classical. Even so far as synthetic game music, yes it’s a thing. Yet I’ve tuned into it so much I’ve even broadened my scope to say non English material say like I visit popnable.com for instance to even Eurovision.

To listen to worldwide trends.

Am I eclectic absolutely.

I can go from Bach to Soundgarden to Portishead to Nightwish to Imagine Dragons to Dojo Cat to Katie Perry and be okay with that.

I used to actively seek non mainstream far more than now. In recent times music hasn’t been as pronounced as it used to be.