Re: [Harp-L] What music does to me

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

This discussion about music is close to my heart. I've been fascinated by the "mystical" power that music has over the listener and, as a teacher, have spent a lot of time meditating on reasons why. The fascination began during my first college music history class in which we studied the Greeks and the development of modes - each mode was to have a different psychological effect on the listener. 
 
I believe that the listener likes to play the game of "I'm comfortable with what I'm hearing and can predict the next note, but surprise me, too". The ratio between accurate prediction and surprise may be around the 80% familiarity/20% surprise to keep most listeners attentive. Too many surprises and the listener may lose his connection and interest to the music. Too few surprises and the listener will be bored and tune out.
 
Sometimes I'll catch the eye of a baby (9 mo - 2 yrs old) and try to keep his/her attention. I find that I have to balance the familiarity/surprise factors to sustain the interest. Too much of either turns the baby off in terms of being interested in me. Since we all start out as babies, this can be a type of litmus test in how we process before words are necessary to explain things.
 
One reason I like listening to Miles Davis play the melodies of jazz standards is that he seems to find a way to either leave out notes or use a different note during a well recognized melodic line. He even changes the melodies at times and has had the original composer compliment him on his choices rather than complain that Miles had distorted or ruined the melody.
 
The ability to predict where the music is going is totally related to how much the listener understands the music. A real jazz afficianado who has studied the idiom can happily follow a John Coltrane wall of sound solo and hear the logic within. Those with less education may be lost early on and lose interest.
 
The same can be said with a solid education in classical music.
 
The serious blues harmonica students I teach are always shown the power of surprise by changing a note or two in a well used musical idea/phrase/lick. It helps them develop an original voice very early on, resulting in less desire to learn other's solos note for note. 
 
The Iceman
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: dmurray777@xxxxxxx
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, 26 Nov 2006 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] What music does to me


<<<< Virtuosity may not make better music. Show-off super riffs and such that display the players skill often become noise to my unsophisticated ear. I can't follow it, and it pulls me out of the music.>>>> 
 
<< However, you seem to consider in the second part of your sentence that virtuosity is not good music because it displeases you ("I can't follow it, and it pulls me out of the music") which I would dispute since it seems to me our personal appreciation does not make music good or bad.>> 
 
I didn't really make a blanket statement that it is bad. I only said that depending upon the sophistication of the listeners ear, virtuosity displays could take the music beyond that listeners ability to follow it. At that point, for that listener, it becomes noise, rather than music. I did clearly reference it to me, but I doubt that the statement is unique to me. 
 
Peace and music, 
Dave 
 
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