# Ways to listen to music



## JoJo 0926 (9 mo ago)

Hello Guys!
On which aspect of the music would you allocate your attention and effort when listening? ( melody line, harmony, the general flow , different voicing) Is it that an accomplished musician can focus on all these things at once on first hearing the music?


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

That's a bit like asking: when you eat a meal, do you allocate your attention to taste, texture, the combination of ingredients or whether you like it in general. A food critic may do all, similarly i guess a music critic reviewing a piece. But for punters like me, the overall impression and whether i like it is what i am looking for.


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## prlj (10 mo ago)

Just soak in the whole vibe - that's what the composer is aiming for.


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

I try to listen to the sounds.


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## 4chamberedklavier (12 mo ago)

I just listen without consciously looking for anything, whatever interesting detail will reveal itself automatically. I find focused listening to be more effective when I'm already familiar with what I'm listening to. If not, then it ends up feeling like a chore.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

It varies based on the work itself, my previous experience with the work, and my mood at the time. Some music is more focused on melody or harmony, some is more focused on mood/atmosphere/emotion. I try to let myself be drawn to whatever aspect seems most important in the work, which will partly depend on the nature of the work itself but also partly on my perception of it. My level of experience also matters because with works I'm familiar with it becomes easier to let certain aspects be more in the back of my mind (because I've already absorbed them in previous listens) in order to focus on other elements. My mood makes a difference because sometimes I'm more in a "let's analyzing every detail and constituent part" kind of mood and sometimes I'm in a "let's try to absorb the work as a whole" kind of mood. There's no "right" way to do this, and often works can seem better or worse depending on what approach you take.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I like having music around me. I concentrate on it when it (the piece or the performance) makes me. For music that is new to me - new work by a composer I am not familiar with - I often just let it sink in and then it tends to "cook" in my mind and calls me back to it sometimes. I am always interested in the whole and can't imagine how it might be listening out for just one of the OP's list of attributes (melody line, harmony, the general flow , different voicing).


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