Re: overblows, was Same Old Thing

["Mike Curtis" <ironmancurtis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: <Gatorharp@xxxxxxx>
>  ironmancurtis@xxxxxxxxxxxx replied in part...
> << In any case, yes even Howard Levy's overblows are pretty obvious to me,
and
>  I know he works VERY hard at minimizing differences.  But I think I could
>  show you what I'm listening for (in person), and I bet you'd hear it,
too. >>
>
> fair enough.  i guess that i should preface that with the fact that mostly
> when i listen to music, i'm not sitting there thinking about how they
might have
> gone about doing what they did.  i'm just taking it in, as a whole.  i'm
not
> ~trying~ to find something that will jump out at me.  if something does
jump
> out at me, it's usually something either really cool or really bad...which
is
> to say that, if i were to actually notice an overblow as something
different,
> it would be out of place.

This exact topic (hearing music in great detail - always) came up on the
perfect pitch list a couple months back.  Seems that most all of us with PP
listen thusly, naturally, without trying or working at it.  We don't *try*
to "hear everything".  We just hear it.  Apparently this "comes with the
turf".  (We're very interested in finding out why our hearing differs from
most.)

I don't actually go looking for things.  I just hear them when they're
there.  We all seem to be, in a sense, very "musically intense", for lack of
a better word.  But it's a very relaxed, effortless, and enjoyable
intensity.

> when listening for something other than pleasure, such as learning a song,
i
> usually notice it.  maybe the reason i don't notice levy's is that i'm not
> sitting aound thinking about doing flecktones or trio globo covers.

Makes perfect sense.  And that's why I feel you'd notice if I pointed it out
(and probably if I just asked you to find 'em ;-)

When I listen (even leisurely/casually), I listen in total detail, to
everything, and often find myself mentally "playing the music" on my
instrument(s).  But I'm not unique.  Another PP listmember, a lady who sings
in a classical choir (and plays piano quite well) tells us that she likewise
"visualizes" the music she's listening to being played on piano.  Others
report similar experiences with their respective instruments.

I don't listen to the music any more intensely when learning.  I couldn't.
That's why I learn between 10 and 20 new songs every week.  Every song I
hear is analyzed - automagically.  If it's a simple tune, a few listens and
I'm ready to give it a shot
(And of course, with blues 'n' jazz, it's frequently an advantage to not
learn a song *too* well ;-)  If it's complicated, I may need to listen more,
write out a chord chart, or even a lead sheet.

I listen harder to lyrics when I need to transcribe them, but my hearing has
gotten pretty bad, from far too many years in front of far too many large
Marshalls and Ampegs, and it's harder to decipher lyrics these days.  But I
also "cheat" and look up lyrics on the internet ;-)  But if all else fails,
I have an old cassette dictation machine that is wonderful for transcribing
lyrics.  The "right" pedal plays, and when you let off, it automagically
rewinds a few seconds (adjustable).  Left rewinds, just in case you need
more.

BTW if any of you do a lot of lyric transcribing, the pro quality
regular-size cassette dictation machines can often be had for a song.  These
days, businesses use microcassette and such.

 -- mike