You're Not Listening for Musicians
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
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I've been looking for ways to make more time for listening to music and this sent me to do some reading and more thinking about the times that I am not listening when playing music. So here's an old school five watt world essentialism video. Hope you dig it.
Keith
p.s. Sorry for the false start, I HAD to fix an edit at the end I had to clean up.
The last thing a local guitar dude I knew in 85 said to me before I left for college was "If you can hear it, you can play it."
Agreed, I would add that I had a band teacher that said "if you can sing it, you can play it". Same idea.
As a drummer, I always said " if you can say it you can play it".🙂
One of the secrets of learning any selection, is to memorize it before you convert it to your instrument.
My Professors in the Music Department at UMass Lowell said the same thing. They would also say if you can hear it you can write it.
We had a saying similar to that in the Army. “If you can see it, you can kill it.”
I hear you Hypes! :)
😃
I'm all ears when it's you guys talking 🤘🏼💥🖤
Five watt world got Biatoed 😂
“Music is always for the listener, but the first listener is always the musician”
― Wynton Marsalis
Great quote!
Bullshit. It's for the entire industry and the listener. That means everyone. Believe it or not.
@@billbradleymusic thats basically what the quote says
@@billbradleymusic yes that's true.
but it says "the first listener" not the only listener.
Before I gave my PhD defense, I sat in my office, cleared my mind with a SRV mix tape (1993). Just before I went on, I played Scuttle Buttin'. Just the intensity I needed, I blew through 5 years of research, 60 slides in 40 minutes, attendees or committee had no questions. Wham, I was done. Now many years later, I walk my dog at night, put on full headphones and play albums under star lit skies. It so relaxing. Thanks for the video.
That’s awesome!
Bro I can totally relate, the day I get kicked out of college,
I listen to the SRV song, Cold Shot, on the way to the Pub. It was the perfect Vibe for 10:00am whiskey shots.
Now many years later I I'm so thankful to have met my wife on that day. She spun around the pole so gracefully.
@@MaTTheWish LOL on Monday morning, thanks.
@@CraigHollabaugh Just before I collected my 18th nobel prize I listened to the unreleased tracks John Lennon gifted to me in his will
@@nihilistlivesmatter Imagine that!
Well done, Keith. A topic that can’t be repeated enough.
A nephew who also plays once asked me if when I listen to music, I hear individual parts. I responded, “All the time. In fact, I really have to concentrate on listening to the total ensemble, to not hear individual parts.”
He told me, “I do too, but none of my friends hear those parts unless I point them out.”
Must be a musician thing. When driving with my wife I’ll often say something like, “The bass part on this is amazing”, and she’ll look at me like, “How in the world do you hear that?”
I wonder how many of your viewers have a similar experience?
At least one other! :)
I always found listening to the bassist was most interesting, because the keys, guitars, etc will be heard anyway - they're prominent. When I focus on the bass, I can really hear all the things that are happening better - they way they weave and play with each other. So that tends to be my inclination. Though, I also find myself listening to a song over and over and really focusing on the guitar, then the drums, then the keys, etc
I’ve always been able to pick out guitar parts. But since I started playing guitar, I’m actually hearing more of the other instruments individual parts and trying to imagine how to play a long with them. Or if I’m home I’ll actually get out a guitar and try to work out how to play along and hopefully add to it.
My wife listens more closely to individual parts now. She now points out sections to me! Haha!
Yes and no. To be honest I think it comes down the social part of music. Most people listen to music socially, not musically. That means they are more interested in the whole rather than the parts that make up the whole. As an example, the number of normal people who notice Christopher Cross's ending solo in Ride like the Wind, I could count on one hand. He plays one of the most fantastic guitar solos at the end and most people miss it because they are just rocking to the song as a whole. It's kinda interesting actually.
People have been asking me the same question for most of my life. “How do you remember all those lyrics to all those songs?” The answer, of course, is that I really listen to what the writer is trying to say. And then I think about it, sometimes for years.
Rule 3a: “listen and silent have the same letters, what does that mean to you?” Whether it’s your significant other or learning a new piece of music, it’s of prime importance. Longtime subscriber, excellent episode, Keith.
Elvis and lives have the same letters too.
@@ThatHuskyisCrazy 😂😂😂
So do enlist, inlets and tinsel. I think it means we make all words with just 26 letters. 😀
End and Den have similar letters too...
Well said!
I didn’t mention this when we recently corresponded: I like the beard! Incidentally, quite unlike most of the Five Watt World episodes (which mostly appeal to guitar freaks such as you and I), this one applies to ANY YT viewer. The information contained in this one applies to everyone - not just musicians. Great subject matter, Keith! It’s really deep stuff.
I watched (and listened to...) Queen playing live in 1974. Such an amazing era of music for them - so creative and bombastic, but also melodic. After the video was done, I was inspired to sit and write a new piece of music, in a very different mood then my recent music. Always listen to those classic bands for great inspiration. New ideas always seem to spring from nowhere after listening to a great album.
Great advice! “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
I loved seeing Emma Ruth Rundle at the beginning. She's been one of my top artists over the past five years, and that was a lovely surprise.
I've been learning/playing by ear for over 60 years. It's difficult for me to listen to music without disecting what's going on. But I'm always listening, just much more intenesly when I'm playing along. And, I always hear something new listening to a piece a second, third, or fourth time. I blame my mom for any "musical" memory that I've developed, since she would listen to a favorite record over and over again.
Great video Keith! Honestly right now is actually an incredible time for great new music. The radio may only dump stuff on us that we don't like...but if you get ANY streaming service app for your phone, there is SO MUCH great new music being made all of the time. I hear tropes all day long about how "new music sucks" and "Rock n roll is dead". I have a mountain of evidence against that argument and I revel in it every time I clean my house or work on a project in the garage. It's all there and it's never been easier to find it. I think people just get tired of looking....and listening. All the best!
I am very new to guitar and I'm lucky to have a music teacher friend as a jam buddy. Although he is not a great guitarist, the wealth of knowledge which he has shared has been invaluable. Most of it has related to learning about music - listening, learning to hum/sing, exploring new genres, messing about with a keyboard etc. Everything adds to one's musical awareness.
Great video, thanks!
Thanks Keith, you are spot on. Many years ago, I played in a cover band. The members were all successful career people and so had more money than music proficiency. Before a gig, both the singer/guitarist and the keyboard player showed up with new monitor speakers. Why? They all claimed they couldn't hear this or that and the new speakers would solve the problem. "Don't you want one?", the singer asked me. "No, I don't need it." "How is that?". "Because I listen", I said. I never had a problem hearing the keyboard from across the stage because I concentrated on listening to it.
This is such synchronicity. I recently reconnected with my music loving boomer dad. I'm Gen X. He was asking me, don't I just sit in front of the speakers and just listen to tunes anymore?? I said, I cant...it's like trying to watch a magician and knowing his secrets. It's difficult to allow myself to be entertained, I'm always listening to learn, not be entertained.
Love this style of video Keith! Super refreshing. Keep them coming!
I love your videos, especially the production and editing. Quality stuff.
Always appreciate a video from Keith. Great message!
Great message, Keith! A friend and I were just discussing the power of listening to other musicians. Had me deep in thought on the subject and then your video popped up this morning. Thanks for the reminder to add listening to music actively back in my routine.
Fantastic, as always. Not many out there that put up such relevant content. Thanks Keith.
Beautifully put !!! This subject has been on my mind since the beginning!!! Thank you 🙏
Great video Keith, thanks for putting it together.
Crazy how I can get so far down a rabbit hole and you come along with wise advice and I feel this video is more of a help then another pentatonic lesson. Thank you sir
Pure gold. Thank you, Keith.
This video is fantastic and every single word is so true!!! You hit the point perfectly!!! Thank you, Keith!!! Watching and listening to your videos is always a great pleasure!
Thanks for reminding me! Appreciate your channel .
This is absolutely briliant! Thanks so much, Keith. I've appreciated your videos for quite a while now but this one might be my favourite. So universal, so obvious, so true.... and so needed too! Cheers!
GREAT VIDEO KEITH, Thank you active listening is so hard to do and seems to be harder with our busier lives. You made such good points. It reminded of me that I need to focus on this every day.
Always a pleasure, Keith.
As usual, thanks for sharing.
This is SO needed. Thank you so much Keith!
Sorry, I can't hear you over my awesome playing 😆
Seriously, great topic, Keith. A wise reminder to all. I miss the joy of buying an album, rushing home to listen to it, and focusing just on the new sounds enveloping me. These days we don't hear the music through the noise, and as music has become easier to hear, it's become harder to listen to. I truly hope the magic will return one day soon. I still love putting on an album and listening to it through, just need to stop myself from doing busy work at the same time.
Awesome video Keith! Keep more like it coming!
Thanks Keith. Solid content. I started off playing violin in orchestra, so listening skills were drilled in as SUPER important from the beginning of my musical adventure. Even as an acoustic solo guy now, I truly believe listening is critical. It just takes some different forms, like listening to yourself and the blend of the vocals and instruments from song to song, to audience reaction (or lack thereof)to specific tunes, styles of song they are responding best to, and any other little things you notice that can make you better next time. These are things like, "if I drink cream in my coffee on days when I have an early gig my vocals will suffer." Learned that one the hard way.
I love all of your videos, but this was really thought-provoking. I really needed this message.
Good job Keith, just what I needed to hear.
Very interesting insights in this video. A cut above the rest. Thanks again for the fine presentations.
Thanks Keith I learn something in every video and appreciate it .
Thanks Keith for this video, excellent content and thought provoking. While recording (I'm a solo artist) I typically make sketches, then put them away for weeks/months before I listen to them again. So I can distance myself from the act of making and have the ability to really listen to it and then determine if it should be worked into a song (and how), or scratched. I have found that this is most beneficial for my music and allows me to truly hear it as if for the first time.
Great video Keith. I thoroughly enjoyed it and you make many interestint points. Thanks. Mark
Another great video Keith... Well done.
Great topic Keith. I find my most useful preparation for a gig is simply listening to the standards I'm going to play. New background looks great btw!
I read an article once about a study that showed that ppl tend to stop listening to / searching for new music by about 25-30. It said that ppl will listen to music from their teenage years at 30 for a nostalgic boost in lieu of finding something new. I went to a show recently with a friend and the entire night he was putting on music from when we were 16. I was shocked actually.
Thanks Keith! Well done sir
Perfect advice. Thank you so much! I really love this channel.
This is one of the best videos I've seen, or listened to (pun intended), in a very long time. As much as I enjoy the gear reviews I watch and "Guitars of ..." videos you do, this convicted and encouraged me musically the way a good Sunday sermon does spiritually. I'm trying to listen more, especially after organizing my music collection and realizing how much I have that had forgotten about. I listened to Clapton's I Still Do that I recently bought on vinyl last weekend. It was so inspiring and moving. I've been listening to more music between podcasts on my commute to work and back. I've been introducing my grandkids to more music. Life is definitely less stressful the more I do that.
Keith, I hear what you are saying! I have gotten back into playing over the past several years have an extended period away. All of the online channels I listen to mention the music they enjoy so…. I have been listening as I was curious. What a great experience it has been. The number of artists in my library has probably doubled. While I don’t love them all, I have found many that I do including Ford and McErlain as examples. This short history really brought home the need to expand my musical horizons.
Good words-thanks, Keith.
Man this video is so good!!! I’ve been saying this shit for years, listening is thee most important thing as a musician. My jazz guit teacher back in uni was really great about reinforcing that for me, to go listen to music, and that listening is just as important, if not more important, than practicing. And I clearly remember at that point in my life when I was listening a ton and practicing a ton, the stuff I was listening to would sorta make it’s way out into my playing. Listening is SO important, in all the ways you mention! Fantastic vid!!
Great reminder. Nice one, Keith!
Really good tips. I need to try those. I know I tend to not be the listener I need to be. One of the things that taught me something was at the circle jams I was in people would stray off tempo and we’d end up with chaos. That annoyed me until I realized that people didn’t have a tempo to follow, that beat a good bass rhythm provides. So I began to watch the leaders feet or other cues and provide that guitar bass line. I deliberately left my OM at home and brought a dread to the jam. By listening I found a place in the jam. People noticed and began to compliment me on my playing and told me they miss me when I’m not there. Not technically challenging ornaments, just a good solid foundation. Turns out it isn’t the fancy stuff that makes you good, it’s finding your role in the group that fills a need and makes the group better. That means a lot of concentrated listening.
Absolutely right on! I tell my students that 95% of being a musician is listening. I'm a big believer in what I call "the magic triangle" - imagine an equilateral triangle where one point is "Hearing" , another point is "Rendering" (that is, singing, playing, recording, performing), and the last point is "Knowing". Each point on this triangle is as important as the other two and must be "fed" in order to maximize a musician's development. Thankfully, I continue to learn and to listen.
Applies to good conversation as well. A lost art.
As much as I absolutely love all your videos and I recommend them often, I think this is the one I’m going to point my students to. I think this is probably one of the more important videos you’ve done. Thanks very much for this!
Great video. When I was a kid, my big brother would put on an LP and we would sit and listen to it. The world is different today, but I do try and listen to music on commutes and at times I try to find new music, a little outside my comfort zone. I need to do more of this. Thanks again Keith.
I love the history videos but this is my favorite type of 5 watt world content!
Also the beard looks great, and I love the grey background!
Great video. I tell my students all the time that music is a conversation, so we must listen so we can contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
I'll add to listen to the same thing using different audio settings, or different headphones. I can't count how many times I've listened to a favorite piece of music only to find a bit or note or sound that I had never heard before, because I was using different headphones that highlighted a range of frequencies that brought out notes that escaped my attention the 20+ times before. Keep up the great work Keith!
Thanks. Great reminder and it pertains to all our lives. I am going to listen to the book you recommended on tape.
I'm an English teacher overseas and listening is something that I desperately try to teach my students. Sadly, very few get it. 😢
Thank You Keith.
3 quotes I've tried to absorb through my years of playing (I started playing guitar 26 years ago, and played trumpet before that).
1. Fellow trumpeter told me if when I was having trouble sight reading a part: "If you're in doubt, lay out. The audience will appreciate it more when you come back in than if you'd stumbled through that phrase."
2. I learned immense amounts of knowledge working as an engineer and fellow musician at the late Martin Parker's studio. He was a Northeast NC native that played in Nashville for years, touring with Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Roger Miller, Earl Scruggs among several other. He taught me to listen to the groove, to lock in with the rhythm section, and to "play so the people wanna dance." Every time I'm doing a solo gig and I see someone moving to the music, I hope I'm doing him proud.
3. A friend of mine got to see Ray Charles rehearsing his band one time. Ray was noticing the guys not listening, overplaying and playing over each other. He stopped the band and said, "Guys, you got to leave enough room for God to walk around." That's one of the most profound statements I've ever heard on the subject, no matter what you religious beliefs. If there's no room in the air because of so many notes, there's not enough space for the audience to absorb and digest what you're playing.
As a final thought, I love it when I realize I just threw a lick from an Irish tune I learned into a blues song, or I hear someone quote a sea shanty in the middle of a country tune, or I hear a song lyric that describes a scene from The Grapes of Wrath, because all these things tell me the person providing that moment has absorbed from other sources and is incorporating those influences into the great melting pot that is music. I apologize for the length of this post. Thank you for attending my Ted talk lol
Great advice and suggestions!
Awesome video, thank you!
Great episode, Keith. One of the ways I find new music regularly is Radio Paradise. Spotify, and similar services, tend to be echo chambers of what I know and like. So, I hear similar music over and over. With RP, someone else with very eclectic taste is curating the music. Listen for a week and then check out the bands that you didn't know existed, but now you've got to check them out. Worth it.
Keith, I have had the same experience of putting on a record or CD with the intention of listening to just the first track, only to find myself an hour later listening to the last track on the album! Some albums are able to flow, and thus captivate the listener from track to track, turning that album into one listening experience. Your mileage may vary, but I have found Mastodon's "Crack the Sky" and The Dillinger Escape Plan's "One of Us Is the Killer" to be two of these albums that suck me in until the final notes of the album. I came to listen to the opening track, and found myself listening to them all. Again.
Repeat listenings are rewarded.
Keep up the great work.
probably THE most important thing for any musician. well done.
So true. Can be hard to find time to just listen to music, but it is so fulfilling! And it’s hard to have influences if you aren’t listening! 😊
As Always, Nice Work Keith! WooF!
I needed to hear this (no pun intended). Once again, thank you for what you do!
Really enjoy your channel Keith! Thanks 🤘😎✌️🎸🍻cheers
How very original, nice video, man!!
Really excellent video and message! I must admit, I was skeptical about a non-gear video, but this just might be my favorite video that you’ve done. Your honesty is very admirable. Very well done, and very helpful, too.
Thanks Martin!
Thanks for this, Keith. So important. 30 years ago, I attended a Joe Diorio master class. One of the things he said, which I've never forgotten, is that your listening time should be equal to your practice time. For example, if you devote two hours of the day to music, spend an hour with your guitar in hand (practicing/playing) and an hour without - just *really* listening to music.
Fantastic!
I can say that I've been doing all that's mentioned here for quite a number of years, and I've always been in bands doing covers, improve jams, and writing originals... plus educating myself in music. I always seek out new bands and artists, and I intently listen to classical, jazz, rock, metal, blues, country pickers, and jazz fusion. I find things I like in all these styles, and I have to say... yes, it will open you up to new things.
Great advice. I play for my church every Sunday. (Acoustic 6 and 12 and mandolin.) I have also had the opportunity to play in the pit for summer stock performances in a nearby town. (Musicals kick my butt!) Almost without exception, the first thing I do when we are going to play something new, is go find a recording and "listen" it so I can get the tune and phrasing in my head. We typically do the same thing as a group too. This really speeds up our leaning process and gets us to the end product quicker. So listening is not lost time it speeds up the process. BTW I have been listening to a UA-camr David Bennett. His channel is really interesting and instructive. If you haven't had the opportunity, I strongly urge you to give it a "listen". Lots of music theory, well done.
Love what you said about playing rhythm in the mix. We do spend way more time in that support role than playing lead. A point here too is that we need to listen to the other instruments and singers in the mix. It is our job to make the singers sound good! Thank you for your vids kiddo! I check almost daily to see if you have put something together. Keep up the good work!
Another brilliant video!
great stuff man
"We can't create what we can't imagine" is a pretty wild quote. But so true.
An absolute great informative video . ❤
Great advice...I often find myself too busy to slow down enough to do things I really want to do, like LISTEN.
I liked this. I know you've become mainly known for the history videos, but I for one wouldn't mind if you started doing some more videos like this to.
Hey Keith ... just discovered your channel and - I'm listening!
. . . and since I am hugely interested (a life long passion just recently re-centered after several years of real life distractions) I am also feeling Smarter - so, thanks for what you do here ... Well Done.
true confession, however - the Five Watt theme is a logical and forthright mission (likely taking Way more discipline than my current state of psychology is capable of managing ... too locked into the old adage, "when I was young and had the time to play, I couldn't really afford a fine guitar ... and now that I have achieved some of my adult goals, I can make up for that short coming - but struggle more with finding the time to play"). So, again, thanks for your efforts in reminding us all of the priority and benefits of Balance. Cheers from Denmark.
Great reminders - good listen 😆
I recently put together a high fidelity amp,turntable and speakers system. I’ve been playing vinyl on a inexpensive turntable and collecting records for several years. I even have some LP’s from when I was young (before the compact disc). Now I can really hear all the details I’ve been missing. I especially enjoy finding, cleaning and playing jazz records without knowing or recognizing the album. Now I can pick out players and identify them by sound and style.
I agree with everything you said 100%.
I at some point in my life joined a jam group that eventually became a band. I really didn’t have a lot of experience playing with other people in an improvised setting and they wanted to play a lot of stuff I’d really never heard before like old jammy Greatful Dead songs. I had no idea what to do outside of do blues solos until I sat down and listened to these songs and learned at least what I thought Jerry was trying to express and later learned more about modality.
I then read an article with Trey A from Phish about forming your own identity in a jam band or session. He called the process “finding your own “Hey”.”
Meaning you’d sit back and listen to and feel the rhythm and start with a few chords to find where you fit in the mix and then branch out and try a few fills, then eventually come up with a solo that actually fits the song.
I also happen to work in the OR as a first assistant, and most doctors have music playing in the OR as it unites the team and puts everyone on the same rhythm. I was working with a plastic surgeon yesterday that was WAY behind schedule. We had some light airy jazz guitar stuff playing, and he asked the circulating nurse to put on some more upbeat music to increase the tempo of the room, and it actually worked.
Amazing video! 👂
Love your videos!
That was very insightful, thank you. It reminds me of what I like about being a bass player. Lock in with the drummer. Prop up the solos. Play counterpoint to the vocal melody. Sit back and listen to it all. Revel in it.
Such a great point. I miss the days of entertaining myself by just listening to music and nothing else. I think this is a good time to start back to that! Thanks again Keith
I got a nice turn table, amp and receiver, and some good bookshelf speakers, and I try and pick up two albums, a new record and an older record every week or so. I’ll got through my digital library and pick out favorites and get the vinyl record if available. It’s fun and it leads you towards actually listening to a whole album instead of skipping around because the nature of the vinyl record. It’s a much more ritualistic approach to listening to music.
@@smelltheglove2038 I love the idea of a new record and then an old favorite back to back like that. Going to have to try that approach tonight!
This is solid advice!
Listening is such a necessary component of communication. I'm talking about putting preconceived notions and thoughts aside and making space to receive. Without this I have found my playing as well as my thinking gets on a hamster wheel and I simply rehash what I've already played or thought. Thanks for this topic which I believe is largely the component of growth and enlightenment I can so easily overlook!
This last week my bass teacher was talking to me about active listening. Fascinating.
Thought provoking video Keith, good work. On another note, I have recently followed the theme of this channel and your mantra "The best tone with the least amount of gear". I sold off 7 guitars, 4 amps, and a myriad of pedals that filled a 43" board, and switched to a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, with a pair of Bose S1 Pro speakers. I plug a Mission Engineering Expression pedal into the QC, and that's it.I have found the quality of sounds to be on a higher level and my playing more involved that fiddling with equipment. My wife even stated that the sounds are "clearer". You provided some of the inspiration for this transition, so, I thank you for what you do.
@@fivewattworld02 Is this from you Keith?
Spot on, Keith.
Nice one, Keith. This is important in all facets of life. When I was a teenager my creative writing teacher told me to "Read like a writer," and that changed my life. I have been focusing on getting out of my music listening rut the last few years and am constantly discovering new artists I never would have been aware of otherwise. Keep it up, Five Watt.
My writer friend told me, “the trick isn’t writing it down, it’s noticing it going by.”
@@fivewattworld That's brilliant! Thank you, Keith.
My next 2 hoodies just arrived - they’re awesome! Keith, I have never heard such a perfect description of what I do; formulating a reply in my head, but I stop listening…wow! Nice one Keith.👍🏼
This prompted me to think; I usually hear solos and melodies that I want to play after I turn off the music and it's rolling through my head (usually when I'm trying to go to sleep). Definitely gives me more to think about to figure out how to listen to the music better. Thanks Keith.
Man, I sure do love music. Thank goodness i ended up with these two things attached to the side of my head! Need to use them more.
Hey Keith, as always a very interesting subject brilliantly exposed.
I hope you are doing alright, healthy and sound. THX for the word in french during the live feed last time.
Cheers 😊
De rien mon amie