# How do you listen?



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I'm curious as to how most people listen to music on this forum. Not just casually listening to music for enjoyment, but I mean when you want to take the time to really get familiar with a piece and explore its ins and outs so you can understand it better, how do you go about doing that?


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

I sort of take the brute force approach. If I don't really understand something, I'll listen to it a lot without having any predetermined "strategy", until something just clicks. Then I can work from there (whatever element I understand) in appreciating the rest of it. 

I feel jazz is the best genre to approach from multiple angles. It's easy to pay attention to a couple certain instruments, really pay attention to the interplay, or just put my mind on something else and let what happens hit me in a quasi-background music sort of way, and derive some sort of satisfaction from any method. Non-solo classical is different because it's less about the egos of a group and more about homogeneous voices forming a "bigger picture". So with a symphony or something, that's how I try to frame it: reel back and think about how the smaller agents relate.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

regressivetransphobe said:


> I sort of take the brute force approach. If I don't really understand something, I'll listen to it a lot without having any predetermined "strategy", until something just clicks. Then I can work from there (whatever element I understand) in appreciating the rest of it.
> 
> I feel jazz is the best genre to approach from multiple angles. It's easy to pay attention to a couple certain instruments, really pay attention to the interplay, or just put my mind on something else and let what happens hit me in a quasi-background music sort of way, and derive some sort of satisfaction from any method. Non-solo classical is different because it's less about the egos of a group and more about homogeneous voices forming a "bigger picture". So with a symphony or something, that's how I try to frame it: reel back and think about how the smaller agents relate.


So you try and focus more on the smaller parts that make the whole sound of the piece?


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Well here is how I listen:
When I first get a new piece of music, I actually listen to it while I'm doing something else and only half pay attention to it. This is so I can just sort of get a general feeling about what kind of piece it is without revealing too much about the piece to myself.

Once I am ready to delve deeply into the piece and get to know it really well, I actually have come up with a very long method to help myself to really get to know the piece.
So heres what I do. For each piece, or each movement of the piece, I listen to one minute of it, then I rewind, listen up to two minutes of it, rewind, listen up to three minutes, rewind, and keep doing that until the movement or piece is done. I then take a break from listening to help digest all the information I took in, and about and hour or two later I come back and listen to the whole thing over again. Ya I know, it takes lots of time and patience to do this but listening to the movement slowly unfold a minute at a time, with constant reference back to what I have heard previously to keep things in perspective really helps me know the piece very well. It's a grueling process but I find it very rewarding. After I have the piece under my belt so to speak then I just go back to listening to it normally and I feel more relaxed listening to it now that I know my way around the piece and usually this more relaxed listening after knowing the piece really well helps me notice even more small details that I didn't notice before.

So ya, that's how I get to know my music. haha


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## haydnfan (Apr 13, 2011)

I just listen. All you have to do is pay attention and listen. Next we'll have a thread on how to watch tv!


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

haydnfan said:


> Next we'll have a thread on how to watch tv!


Well, it is in fact seveal ways to listen..so I understand the question very well.

I have spotify, a very good streaming service. Hundreds of thousend classical albums. I try to systemice my listening...at the moment I like musik after romance, but before unlistenable music, hehe.

I que a lot of albums, but skip a lot until an album gets my attention. Then I post, primarily at "what do you listen to" (or something like that. Then I post in other threads like "new discoveries" or "exelent recordings if it qualify.

Sombody listen for only relaxation, in fact most people do, I think.

So the question is absolutely not stupid, like haydnfan seems to mean. Tv is another thing, and I belive there is several ways there also.


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

haydnfan said:


> I just listen. All you have to do is pay attention and listen. Next we'll have a thread on how to watch tv!


Why? Is there something worth watching?

Rob


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm like Violadude. I'll listen a few times without worrying about getting it. Usually the third time things start to click. 

If a piece really grabs me, I'll try to get the score and mark it with my impressions and those of others from books or online. Then I have a roadmap for when I listen in the future. 

Ultimately, I want to get familiar enough with a few outstanding pieces that I can fully appreciate all their nuances.


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

I am in the discovering modus.. I dont know to much, and i have to explore the world of classical music. I notice some works that I go back to, but must admit that i not often get the works really to know. I have a short musical memory.

It will come in a later phase of my experiance with classical music. But even if i dont get all nuances, I think I have a good ability to enjoy in the moment.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

violadude said:


> Well here is how I listen:
> When I first get a new piece of music, I actually listen to it while I'm doing something else and only half pay attention to it. This is so I can just sort of get a general feeling about what kind of piece it is without revealing too much about the piece to myself.
> 
> Once I am ready to delve deeply into the piece and get to know it really well, I actually have come up with a very long method to help myself to really get to know the piece.
> ...


@violadude, I really admire your tenacity and patience--not to mention *endurance*--in how you go about your listening regimen. How long have you been employing this methodology, and how many pieces would you estimate that you've been able to listen to, analyze and come to a conclusion about? For me, it seems like your system would take most of a lifetime to accomplish, but again, it's wonderful that you have that degree of dedication to it. Do you put all of the music you listen to to such a rigorous type of examination, or only those pieces you think might deserve closer listening and understanding on your part?


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## Bluebeard (Jun 25, 2011)

When I approach a piece of classical music, I first try to wrap my head around the theme or themes. I don't just listen to the effect that the notes make in succession, but actually try to grasp the melody as whole such that I could sing it to myself. After that, I follow the repetition and variation of the theme(s) until I understand its relationship to the total structure of the piece. This is what I find fascinating about music: discovering the way in which musical material relates to itself and, via that relation, generates entire new worlds of texture, beauty, and experience. 

Then, if I take a piece seriously, I strive to progressively grasp more of its logic until I have the entire piece basically memorized - which, if done with perceptive ears and complete attention, does not take very many listens at all. When I get to this point I feel like the music has found a home in my life and stays with me in all of my experiences.


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

violadude said:


> Well here is how I listen:
> When I first get a new piece of music, I actually listen to it while I'm doing something else and only half pay attention to it. This is so I can just sort of get a general feeling about what kind of piece it is without revealing too much about the piece to myself.
> 
> Once I am ready to delve deeply into the piece and get to know it really well, I actually have come up with a very long method to help myself to really get to know the piece.
> ...


What are you doing with a hour-long piece? It should take days with your method.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

samurai said:


> @violadude, I really admire your tenacity and patience--not to mention *endurance*--in how you go about your listening regimen. How long have you been employing this methodology, and how many pieces would you estimate that you've been able to listen to, analyze and come to a conclusion about? For me, it seems like your system would take most of a lifetime to accomplish, but again, it's wonderful that you have that degree of dedication to it. Do you put all of the music you listen to to such a rigorous type of examination, or only those pieces you think might deserve closer listening and understanding on your part?


Well, it doesn't take quite as long as you might think. Or it doesn't feel like that anyway. I'm usually able to get about 2 or 3 pieces in a day doing this. I write reviews of pieces on my blog so I usually apply this method to most pieces that I review or else I don't feel like I could review it fairly or adequately. I make exceptions, however, to pieces that I feel like I can follow without doing this. Such as Mozart's famous string serenade in G, the Eine Kliene Nachmusik one. Pieces that are pretty straightforward like that I usually just listen to a few times through before I review it. I definitely apply this method to something like a Scriabin Piano Sonata for example. I haven't been doing this for too long now actually, but I estimate that I've gotten to know about 30 or so pieces of mine using this.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Pieck said:


> What are you doing with a hour-long piece? It should take days with your method.


haha well ya, now that you mention it. With movements that are over 20 minutes or so I usually break it up into 10 minute sections and apply the method the same way within each ten minute section and occasionally refresh my memory as to what previous sections sounded like, just to keep the movement coherent in my head.


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## robert (Feb 10, 2007)

violadude said:


> Well here is how I listen:
> When I first get a new piece of music, I actually listen to it while I'm doing something else and only half pay attention to it. This is so I can just sort of get a general feeling about what kind of piece it is without revealing too much about the piece to myself.
> 
> Once I am ready to delve deeply into the piece and get to know it really well, I actually have come up with a very long method to help myself to really get to know the piece.
> ...


How do you handle Morton Feldmans String Quartet??


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

robert said:


> How do you handle Morton Feldmans String Quartet??


read my previous post.  I would probably break it up in 10 minute sections and apply my method to each section individually.


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

I dont think the venetzians went tens of times to the concert hall to listen to a new vivaldi piece. So I think enjoying music is also to capture it by first time listening. Of course I go deaper into works ( get driven avay bay the urge of new discoveries though..), but the freshness of first time discovery dissapears.

It can maybe be compared with film. Several wiewings is good to get the depth an see details and nuances. But you know the story. I am quite new to classical music, and I try to find my way. I think I have a good ear, but unfortunately short memory in music. (and elseweare). 

Some works can be fully enjoyed(and maybe best) momentoury,some works need more attention to be fully enjoyed. I think. Classical music is a big universe! details of the work, detailes of instrument/performance... How you ENJOY is the important thing.


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