Jedro Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 What other instruments do you listen to? And I don't necessarily mean solists. Just what instrument do you focus in on when your listening to a song? I'm a big fan of drummers, maybe I should've been one, with Steve Jordan, Dave Weckl, Neil Peart, Bobby Chouinard and Phil Rudd among my favorites. Everybody knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact. - Homer Simpson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremanJerry Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hey Abe, I like drums too but what really grabs me when I'm listening to music other than my staple which is rock is that kinda breathy almost crying oriental type flute. I hope you know what I mean. It just sounds so cool. Kinda lonely and sorrowful if you know what I mean. Would give an example but am having a major brain fart just now. (Could it be my age?) Later Bro. "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Well, as far as drummers go, I generally don't "focus" on 'em, so long as they're just plain good; or, if they're exceptionally good, they might further attract my attention. I think that there is much truth to the old saw, "Without a drummer, there ain't no band!"; a good drummer really does a lot to make a band. My particular favorites are John Bonham, Bill Bruford, and Stewart Copeland, and I've also really liked Mickey Hart's Planet Drum series of albums. I also really, really like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner (trumpet, sax, and piano, respectively; if you didn't know that, you've just got to check out these jazz masters!) That type of '50s/'60s "cool"- and early "modern"-jazz is what I generally favor when I want to listen to jazz. Indian Classical music is incredible, but I'm not really up on all of the instrumentation. I like Western Classical, too, quite a bit; more often than not, I hear the instruments performing together as a whole. But I particularly like the sound of cellos and other strings. And how can we forget good vocals? Perhaps the most purely emotive and expressive "instrument"! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremanJerry Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: Well, as far as drummers go, I generally don't "focus" on 'em, so long as they're just plain good; or, if they're exceptionally good, they might further attract my attention. I think that there is much truth to the old saw, "Without a drummer, there ain't no band!"; a good drummer really does a lot to make a band. My particular favorites are John Bonham, Bill Bruford, and Stewart Copeland, and I've also really liked Mickey Hart's Planet Drum series of albums. I also really, really like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner (trumpet, sax, and piano, respectively; if you didn't know that, you've just got to check out these jazz masters!) That type of '50s/'60s "cool"- and early "modern"-jazz is what I generally favor when I want to listen to jazz. Indian Classical music is incredible, but I'm not really up on all of the instrumentation. I like Western Classical, too, quite a bit; more often than not, I hear the instruments performing together as a whole. But I particularly like the sound of cellos and other strings. And how can we forget good vocals? Perhaps the most purely emotive and expressive "instrument"! DOH!! Forgot the Sax!! Thanks Caevan for the memory jog "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comfortat Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 I think Ian Anderson changed the way we listen to Rock with his flute. I don't think he gets enough credit for that. Flute is awesome. I love keyboards. Keith Emerson is truly amazing. I have all of Bach's piano concertos as well. I much prefer bands that have a harmonic quality, so that the total sound is more important than one instrument. I think that is why the Beatles were so successful. But do I love a good guitar solo... If you don't wanna be nibbled, don't play with the bunny. God created Eve and me, not Steve and me. - Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Ian Anderson got me listening to flute, but when I'm not listening to rock, blues, jazz etc. I'm listening to Piano and (One of my favorites) the cello. I will often put on a Yo-Yo Ma CD when I'm working on the computer. I think the cello is a fantastic instrument! If I could ever afford one, I would love to learn to play. Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauce Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 tu-ba! hah it is loads of fun to pick out that low, warm voice, jumping all over a good bass line or hammer out a solid backing, no matter what style of music. i'm also a big harmonica fan, noboy beats sonny terry on that ground. sometimes though it's fun to just go through and focus on each instrument playing individually and then just sit back let their parts all swirl and eventually come together in your head. Then you'll never hear surf music again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalhair Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 I really try to listen to the entire band or orchestra. When I play bass I do focus on the drummer more closely than when playing guitar, but I keep track of the drummer making sure I'm on the same page even when soloing. On records, every instrument matters, and in "improvised" or jamming music ideas bounce around from instrument to instrument so it is important to know what is going on. Drum fills are often picked up by bassists and little phrases played on bass often turn into ideas in guitar solos. As Caevan mentioned John Coltrane. Those classic recordings with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison or Mr. PC, are perfect examples of a band feed off of each other. To only listen or pay close attentionto one or two those guys is missing the point in a big way. I don't think the piano parts would be as great as they are if Elvin Jones wasn't completely on fire behind the drums like he always seems to be, and I don't think the power in Coltrane's playing would be there if the whole band wasn't propelling him. It is like he is surfing on the wave they create. check out some comedy I've done: http://louhasspoken.tumblr.com/ My Unitarian Jihad Name: Brother Broadsword of Enlightened Compassion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedly Nightshade Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Originally posted by musicalhair: I really try to listen to the entire band or orchestra. When I play bass I do focus on the drummer more closely than when playing guitar, but I keep track of the drummer making sure I'm on the same page even when soloing. On records, every instrument matters, and in "improvised" or jamming music ideas bounce around from instrument to instrument so it is important to know what is going on. Drum fills are often picked up by bassists and little phrases played on bass often turn into ideas in guitar solos. As Caevan mentioned John Coltrane. Those classic recordings with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison or Mr. PC, are perfect examples of a band feed off of each other. To only listen or pay close attentionto one or two those guys is missing the point in a big way. I don't think the piano parts would be as great as they are if Elvin Jones wasn't completely on fire behind the drums like he always seems to be, and I don't think the power in Coltrane's playing would be there if the whole band wasn't propelling him. It is like he is surfing on the wave they create.Surfing is a great analogy, also true of Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell, who is doing his damndest to imitate Elvin Jones! (Check intro of One Rainy Wish from Axis Bold as Love, compare to intro of A Love Supreme...) It's a must hear to see how the same Coltrane Quartet operates behind Wayne Shorter on his classic 1964 album Juju. Coltrane never brought out the funkiness in Elvin, McCoy, and Reggie Workman, but Shorter does- it's amazing how succinct and to-the-point everything gets. I play so many instruments, I listen to them all individually, and what ruins it a lot of times is that I listen to the ensemble as a whole- that's a whole different ball of wax! A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM! "There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J J Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 i try to listen to everything equally, but other than the guitar i tend to focus a lot on the drums. When listening to some blues songs, i have a pretty good connection with the harp - it just relates to the guitar a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalhair Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hey Ted, I agree complete about Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell and the Elvin Jones similarity. And, Juju is a great great album. check out some comedy I've done: http://louhasspoken.tumblr.com/ My Unitarian Jihad Name: Brother Broadsword of Enlightened Compassion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Depends on the genre but I'll really pay attention to a great drummer or bassist and love to listen to a really good banjo and mandolin player. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Uh... All of them! Seriously, I listen for everything on a recording or in performance. I like the dance... A great guitar part, for example, may only be a great part because of how it interacts with the rest of the arrangement. I try to notice everything. Can't imagine just appreciating one or two instruments most of the time. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmee Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 i rarely listen to the guitar - only in pieces where the guitar is the primary/only voice do i really intently listen to it. after a decade of traditional horn training as a kid (3rd trombone and lower, euphonium and contrabass) i'm predisposed to only hearing the rythm section, specifically the bass, and how the other voices react to it. --_ ______________ _ "Self-awareness is the key to your upheaval from mediocrity." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revolead Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 I listen to everything, mainly because, well a symphony is everything. But in particular I love piano and trumpet. So I suppose a lot of my music is piano and trumpet, but still mainly guitar. Oh, and if car engines count as music (and I believe they do ), then I like them also. Shut up and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 It depends on the music. I listen to a lot of horns in swing and orchestra music. In some rock I listen to the drums. Harmonicas kick ass if there's a good player blowin' into them. (Wolf) BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatnik Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 HAMMOND ORGAN with Leslie speaker Never played one, but this instrument makes me hallucinate. After Guitar, Hammond is my favorite instrument(Jimmy Smith, Keith Emerson, Joey DeFrancesco, Steve Winwood and others) I love all stringed instruments: Bass(Jaco Pastorious, James Jammerson, Flea, McCartney), Mandolin, Cello, etc. Indian instruments as Sitar and Tabla(Shankar). Drums(Mitchell, Bonham, Cobham, RINGO) I love all instruments "Creo en la Reflexión, no en Dogmas" Beatnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel E. Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I think I progressed as a player when I started listening to non-guitar-based music, specifically hip hop. The way some of the samples are manipulated and arranged is really interesting. Later on I got seriously into drum n' bass/jungle which does a lot with different time signatures. Again, the manipulation of drum patterns is very creative. "You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 yeah , drums and rythmic instruments. cello, violin, piano and as mentioned, the human voice. certain timbers catch my ear. i guess i focus on all kinds of things like church organ. those are very cool. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedro Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 Maybe I should have said "What instruments really grab you?" instead. Years ago, when I first got turned on to jazz, that was one thing that I liked about it - there were all these layers of movement from all the instruments. I think that's what really opened my ears up to things other than the guitar, which I still love, of course. I did live sound for years for a 6 piece band that also did 4 part harmony vocals and my ears became trained to separate things even when I wasn't mixing- kind of irritating. I hear a lot of harmony even when it's not there. Maybe that's why classical music really satisfies me. It's just infused with harmony. Everybody knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact. - Homer Simpson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueZet Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 apart from guitar, err, bass, drums and sax, have to, they're in my band... - due to recent cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been SWITCHED OFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batterypowered Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I listen to it all. I can't drum to save my life, so drummers impress me. I've always had a thing for a good piano tune. And for real, the accordian. I love accordian. I need to buy one. When I hear it, which is rare, I love to hear the baritone horn. It was my instrument back in high school, and I feel now like I should've at least kept up with it. Maybe I'll find a cheapy on eBay sometime. I heard a guy at a blues jam on baritone once. That was different. twoblock.net batterypowered.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklava Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Surfing is a great analogy, also true of Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell, who is doing his damndest to imitate Elvin Jones! (Check intro of One Rainy Wish from Axis Bold as Love, compare to intro of A Love Supreme...) One rainy wish Electric Lady land,and no it's nothing like it sorry The story of life is quicker then the blink of an eye, the story of love is hello, goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Ok... I suppose I should mention I'm partial to cello, bass guitar and double bass, harp and piano. But I really pay attention to all the instruments in an arrangement. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihategarybettman Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Most of my favorite bands (the Iguanas, Los Lobos, Buddy Holly, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Isaak, Bruce Springsteen) tend to be more song oriented and emphasize ensemble playing. Also, I'm a "less is more" kind of guy, so I tend to listen to the band as a whole rather than focus on an individual instrument. There are exceptions (Jimi Hendrix and Junior Brown, to name just a couple), and I can be blown away by the talent of some people (particularly if they play the same things I play, drums and guitar); however, music that primarily features an instrumentalist's soloing tends to bore me to tears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 In smaller groups, the rhythm section-drums and bass-plus percusission if there is any. More for how they sound together than the fireworks, though I can go for that too. in a larger orchestra, the oboe just kills me-some people find it depressing but to me it totally stands out as a unique voice, actually it reminds me of Minnesota`s state bird (besides the mosquito), the Loon. Then there`s the richness of French horns. I also love instruments whose range exceeds that of guitar-piano, harp, clarinet. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanner Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 other than *my* guitar the only thing i listen to is the 60cycle hum and buzz from my amps/speakers. s AMPSSOUNDBETTERLOUDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitaristi0 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Drums, especially when listening to Led Zeppelin and Blink 182. (drums are the main reason I listen to Blink) A duck-pond, a museum, and a red hunting hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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