I was hoping that perhaps there are others out there that have used music to convey their feelings/thoughts?
When I was younger I would use songs to express my feelings to girlfriends a lot when words would fail me, I would tell them to listen to a certain song.
To express love, to say sorry etc.
Another one, I listen to certain song/songs on repeat for hours if I’m feeling strong emotions.
I'm not sure this is what you meant but...
I suspect that music is my first language. For me it's not the words of a song that make sense it's the rhythm and harmony. I can't express myself in words very well, especially when it comes to my own thoughts and emotions, words don't mean anything.
Currently feeling like the cadenza in the first movement of Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto.
Should probably mention that I used to be a concert pianist, so I did spend a lot more time engaging with music than with people growing up.
My second language is shapes and colour. I can translate music into shapes and colour easily.
I find verbal communication hard. Words are a little easier if written down. I struggle to remember new words, names of people and things. I've never been able to learn a foreign language.
Golly, you're all so knowlegable about musical terms and how a piece of music is constructed, I thought a cadenza was a piece of furniture!
For me theres a sweet spot that some music hits, I can't say what it is or why. I often don't particulalry listen to the lyrics as such, but just try and copy the sounds, I've never had any musical training, we did music at school, but like so much else the teaching way poor, I just got shouted at for being unable to keep time properly and not knowing when to come in. I remember one time being given a triangle to play and getting shouted at because I came in at the wrong time and I only had to hit it twice. I still don't know what the difference between the beat, melody and rythum or what instrument plays what bit?
I wonder if it's related to my complete inability to dance? When people count I don't really know what they're counting or what they're doing it for or why?
I didn't know if answering your questions would help... But incase it does, in its simplest form...
All music has a heartbeat, it's a steady repeating pulse. That's what people are counting.
The rhythm is a layer on top of that, easiest to hear in a song where some of the words are long, short, fast or slow.
Dancers and musicians need to synchronise around the pulse (beat) as this is the same for everyone involved regardless of the rhythm of their part.
A common difficulty for those not taught this distinction comes from mistaking the rhythm for the beat. If you try and count the rhythm without identifying the pulse you will definitely get confused. It would be like trying to walk but with your legs having independent speeds! Stressful!
Melody is the rhythm plus the pitch of the song (high/low notes). You can clap a rhythm, a melody requires a voice or instrument.
If you're not focussed on the lyrical part then your "sweet spot" is probably more linked to harmony. The harmony is how the different pitches combine and the relative tension of those pitches to one another.
Sorry if you didn't want this answer or I've pitched the explanation wrong. I'm just sorry that you got shouted at.
I don't think it was lack of support as much as nobody knew, it wasn't until having a sing-a-long directed by a former choir master from the monastry at Iona that I found out the full extent of my ability, he couldn't find a note I couldn't sing, I didn't know before then that singing lessons were a thing. He was shocked at the 5 or 6 of us having so little musical knowlege, I wasn't the only one who didn't know the basics.
I think it must be so much easier now for people to explore their talents due to social media and all the music apps. There's also so many more girls and women making music now, in my day the only way you got into a band was if you were the girlfriend of a band member, usually the lead guitarist, music was a very male dominated thing.
That's so sad that you didn't get supported to explore your talent. I went to the local comprehensive. I'm not sure how I got myself to music college but when I did I was the odd one out for sure. I always assumed I'd find my people there but I didn't
I was at school in the late 60's and 70's. I wonder how much of it is/was about class? Were we as working class kids supposed not to be interested and so never taught? I think, music was very much a class thing back then, there was still a massive divide between classica and pop music, with pop music being seen as of lesser value and rubbish, of course we all listened to pop music. I think when you've got attitudes like that, it's so alienating, you feel as though this isn't something for you, even if you're a talented singer like I was, I could of sung opera, I had the range and power to do so, as it was I never realised what I had until just before I lost it.
I think the singing and optional recorder class was standard fare for people of my generation (primary school in the 80s). The national curriculum these days does specify the elements of music should be taught but as most of the teachers didn't learn that themselves and they are struggling with just getting kids to learn reading, writing and maths, it's one of the things they never get around to.
Teaching music to years 7-9 is tough because 90% of the class think of music as a downtime lesson. It's probably a very disheartening job for anyone who has spent years mastering an instrument to be surrounded by kids that not only don't get the fundamentals but also aren't interested in learning. My guess is the focus quickly becomes crowd control.
At primary school I think we just did singing, no formal music and I don't remember any instruments. There were recorder lessons after school, I went to one and never again as I came away with a banging headache.
I suspose at secondary school, the problem was knowing what level of knowlege we had and where to start. I remember the teacher went off with a nervous breakdown.
Whether you get a clear explanation of music as a child is dependent on whether there is a specialist on the school staff. Most primary school teachers don't have a clue, and would admit this themselves Even if they're good at music themselves it doesn't naturally translate into being able to teach it as they assume everyone can innately understand the principals.
Most music teachers are under the impression that you just need to practice but you get good at what you practice so if you're practising getting it wrong you get good at that!
Thank you for explaining all of this, I'll try and bear it all in mind when I next listen to something.
Why are we taught so badly? Or was it just my generation? It seems we are just expected to know certain things and when we don't everyone looks at you like you're mad and bad. Is it possible to be musically dyslexic?
Thank you for explaining all of this, I'll try and bear it all in mind when I next listen to something.
Why are we taught so badly? Or was it just my generation? It seems we are just expected to know certain things and when we don't everyone looks at you like you're mad and bad. Is it possible to be musically dyslexic?
I don't think it was lack of support as much as nobody knew, it wasn't until having a sing-a-long directed by a former choir master from the monastry at Iona that I found out the full extent of my ability, he couldn't find a note I couldn't sing, I didn't know before then that singing lessons were a thing. He was shocked at the 5 or 6 of us having so little musical knowlege, I wasn't the only one who didn't know the basics.
I think it must be so much easier now for people to explore their talents due to social media and all the music apps. There's also so many more girls and women making music now, in my day the only way you got into a band was if you were the girlfriend of a band member, usually the lead guitarist, music was a very male dominated thing.
That's so sad that you didn't get supported to explore your talent. I went to the local comprehensive. I'm not sure how I got myself to music college but when I did I was the odd one out for sure. I always assumed I'd find my people there but I didn't
I was at school in the late 60's and 70's. I wonder how much of it is/was about class? Were we as working class kids supposed not to be interested and so never taught? I think, music was very much a class thing back then, there was still a massive divide between classica and pop music, with pop music being seen as of lesser value and rubbish, of course we all listened to pop music. I think when you've got attitudes like that, it's so alienating, you feel as though this isn't something for you, even if you're a talented singer like I was, I could of sung opera, I had the range and power to do so, as it was I never realised what I had until just before I lost it.
I think the singing and optional recorder class was standard fare for people of my generation (primary school in the 80s). The national curriculum these days does specify the elements of music should be taught but as most of the teachers didn't learn that themselves and they are struggling with just getting kids to learn reading, writing and maths, it's one of the things they never get around to.
Teaching music to years 7-9 is tough because 90% of the class think of music as a downtime lesson. It's probably a very disheartening job for anyone who has spent years mastering an instrument to be surrounded by kids that not only don't get the fundamentals but also aren't interested in learning. My guess is the focus quickly becomes crowd control.
At primary school I think we just did singing, no formal music and I don't remember any instruments. There were recorder lessons after school, I went to one and never again as I came away with a banging headache.
I suspose at secondary school, the problem was knowing what level of knowlege we had and where to start. I remember the teacher went off with a nervous breakdown.
Whether you get a clear explanation of music as a child is dependent on whether there is a specialist on the school staff. Most primary school teachers don't have a clue, and would admit this themselves Even if they're good at music themselves it doesn't naturally translate into being able to teach it as they assume everyone can innately understand the principals.
Most music teachers are under the impression that you just need to practice but you get good at what you practice so if you're practising getting it wrong you get good at that!
