I was at my son’s concert and they sounded great. That got me to wonder if I could hear the difference if a Broadway Orchestra played the same music. If so, what would I hear differently
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Its easier to tell the difference if you play the instruments yourself because you understand the nuances and what is “difficult”.
Like someone who paints for a hobby, will have more appreciation for lets say Rembrandt or whatever, because they have a better understanding of brush strokes and colour theory, where as non artists will just say that the painting is good without really understanding why its good.
I am pretty good at guitar, but by brother is masterful. If we played the same chords and notes a non player would find it hard to tell who is better. But i can tell, as would other guitarists.
The more time you spend getting better at something, the more you appreciate someone who is masterful at something because you can understand the different levels of skill and what they are actually doing.
I look at a cool looking building and say “thats neat”, but an architect would know why its neat and “see” it differently.
The same is with music, beauty is in the ear if the beholder in this case.
Its easier to tell the difference if you play the instruments yourself because you understand the nuances and what is “difficult”.
Like someone who paints for a hobby, will have more appreciation for lets say Rembrandt or whatever, because they have a better understanding of brush strokes and colour theory, where as non artists will just say that the painting is good without really understanding why its good.
I am pretty good at guitar, but by brother is masterful. If we played the same chords and notes a non player would find it hard to tell who is better. But i can tell, as would other guitarists.
The more time you spend getting better at something, the more you appreciate someone who is masterful at something because you can understand the different levels of skill and what they are actually doing.
I look at a cool looking building and say “thats neat”, but an architect would know why its neat and “see” it differently.
The same is with music, beauty is in the ear if the beholder in this case.
I’ve worked in theater and we were good at a local theater level and would crush a school production by a wide margin, but no where as good as when I worked for musicals in NYC. The vocal range of the singers is far more controlled, expressive and effortless vs like nerves or other things like running out of breath be heard by the audience. Beginner instruments is where you are hitting all the notes, people could recognize the song, but that’s it. Someone with skills you really can hear the groove and subtle timing things are just dialed in so the articulation of the notes is far more complete and expressive.
As you listen to professional music, you can hear the person’s expression in how they play. I can hear someone play a piece, but there’s no feeling, it’s robotic as theyre just trying to hit the notes and get through the song and this is more aparrent in amateurs whose skills are challenged by the song difficulty. Then hear someone else play like as if their life depended on it and that the notes are etched into their soul, it just comes from them. Its something the audience feels when someone is tapped in, there is a vibe, a feeling, that comes from gifted musicians that make them engaging aside from being technically good.
Some examples
Guitar
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MFW9F/
Drummer
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MNe6n/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR76T6Jg/
This is more in-depth with a vocal coach talking about the tone vs a pro and amateur singer
I’ve worked in theater and we were good at a local theater level and would crush a school production by a wide margin, but no where as good as when I worked for musicals in NYC. The vocal range of the singers is far more controlled, expressive and effortless vs like nerves or other things like running out of breath be heard by the audience. Beginner instruments is where you are hitting all the notes, people could recognize the song, but that’s it. Someone with skills you really can hear the groove and subtle timing things are just dialed in so the articulation of the notes is far more complete and expressive.
As you listen to professional music, you can hear the person’s expression in how they play. I can hear someone play a piece, but there’s no feeling, it’s robotic as theyre just trying to hit the notes and get through the song and this is more aparrent in amateurs whose skills are challenged by the song difficulty. Then hear someone else play like as if their life depended on it and that the notes are etched into their soul, it just comes from them. Its something the audience feels when someone is tapped in, there is a vibe, a feeling, that comes from gifted musicians that make them engaging aside from being technically good.
Some examples
Guitar
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MFW9F/
Drummer
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MNe6n/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR76T6Jg/
This is more in-depth with a vocal coach talking about the tone vs a pro and amateur singer
I’ve worked in theater and we were good at a local theater level and would crush a school production by a wide margin, but no where as good as when I worked for musicals in NYC. The vocal range of the singers is far more controlled, expressive and effortless vs like nerves or other things like running out of breath be heard by the audience. Beginner instruments is where you are hitting all the notes, people could recognize the song, but that’s it. Someone with skills you really can hear the groove and subtle timing things are just dialed in so the articulation of the notes is far more complete and expressive.
As you listen to professional music, you can hear the person’s expression in how they play. I can hear someone play a piece, but there’s no feeling, it’s robotic as theyre just trying to hit the notes and get through the song and this is more aparrent in amateurs whose skills are challenged by the song difficulty. Then hear someone else play like as if their life depended on it and that the notes are etched into their soul, it just comes from them. Its something the audience feels when someone is tapped in, there is a vibe, a feeling, that comes from gifted musicians that make them engaging aside from being technically good.
Some examples
Guitar
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MFW9F/
Drummer
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7MNe6n/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR76T6Jg/
This is more in-depth with a vocal coach talking about the tone vs a pro and amateur singer
Our grandson plays clarinet in high school marching band. He recently saved his money to buy a “real” clarinet, as he calls it- w real wood one instead of a plastic one.
Usually more experienced players have the best instruments, and that really does make a difference to some extent.
So- better instruments, lots more consistent practice, not having to think of next
note/chord to play.
Our grandson plays clarinet in high school marching band. He recently saved his money to buy a “real” clarinet, as he calls it- w real wood one instead of a plastic one.
Usually more experienced players have the best instruments, and that really does make a difference to some extent.
So- better instruments, lots more consistent practice, not having to think of next
note/chord to play.
Our grandson plays clarinet in high school marching band. He recently saved his money to buy a “real” clarinet, as he calls it- w real wood one instead of a plastic one.
Usually more experienced players have the best instruments, and that really does make a difference to some extent.
So- better instruments, lots more consistent practice, not having to think of next
note/chord to play.
It depends on in which musical environment you hear them and which piece of music you hear from them. You could be listening to a mainstream pop radio station one day and a “great musician” could be playing down their actual skill level playing a generic 4/4 pop song with no distinct personality and no freedom to showcase their true range of skills. An “above average” musician would be able to perform the same pop song and you wouldn’t really know the difference. But great musicians usually become great by challenging themselves and by surrounding themselves with equally great musicians. When we start shifting the boundaries and increase the difficulty and the style of the music, the cream rises to the top.
The virtuoso skills of great musicians are highlighted when they perform (and create) music that has a strong sense of individual expression through their creativity and more often than not, a strong understanding of music theory with melody, chord choices, scales etc all coming together in unison. Then you add challenges such as tricky time signatures, polymeter and other progressive elements that requires technical skill whilst staying locked in with other instruments in the song. However, it must be said that even fairly straightforward music can be full of great musicians – see Stewart Copeland, Bernard Purdie, Mark Knopfler, Freddie Mercury.
For a more modern example, listen to some drummers like Danny Carey, Matt Gartska, Gavin Harrison and then listen to the playing of Lars Ulrich or Chad Smith.
It depends on in which musical environment you hear them and which piece of music you hear from them. You could be listening to a mainstream pop radio station one day and a “great musician” could be playing down their actual skill level playing a generic 4/4 pop song with no distinct personality and no freedom to showcase their true range of skills. An “above average” musician would be able to perform the same pop song and you wouldn’t really know the difference. But great musicians usually become great by challenging themselves and by surrounding themselves with equally great musicians. When we start shifting the boundaries and increase the difficulty and the style of the music, the cream rises to the top.
The virtuoso skills of great musicians are highlighted when they perform (and create) music that has a strong sense of individual expression through their creativity and more often than not, a strong understanding of music theory with melody, chord choices, scales etc all coming together in unison. Then you add challenges such as tricky time signatures, polymeter and other progressive elements that requires technical skill whilst staying locked in with other instruments in the song. However, it must be said that even fairly straightforward music can be full of great musicians – see Stewart Copeland, Bernard Purdie, Mark Knopfler, Freddie Mercury.
For a more modern example, listen to some drummers like Danny Carey, Matt Gartska, Gavin Harrison and then listen to the playing of Lars Ulrich or Chad Smith.
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