Misunderstood musicians?

[DoubleBlade]

I'm just wondering whether any of you classical musicians have experience this kinda thing in one way or another...

eg:
Your non classical friend who plays the guitar ask you how do scales and chords relate to each other for example. Then no matter how hard to try to explain to him/her , he/she just can't absorb what you're trying to say or when your friend asks you to show him the different types of scales and after telling him any scale that has more than 2 sharps or flats , he/she gets frustrated and rips on you for being a big time show off....

Basically it's all about the "technical jargen" involved when approaching a classical musician for help. It's like no matter how hard we classical musicians try our very best to simplify our words in the most simpliest form , we just can't fully reach out to our non classical friend who needs help and as a result , he/she rips on you....

How can we possibly simplify these sentence

" You play in small intervals to give that sad and haunting sound"

Sometimes it really gets me frustrated that people rip on you just because they think you're a show off but they don't know that classical musicians have been taught these "bombastic" terms which cannot be simplified further and also are expected to know the 12 different keys in both the major and minor scales at the back of their heads at grade 5. It's all about the way in which we were taught and usually classical musicians start from young so I guess your average grade 5 kid should be around 14-15 years old....

 

[serialninja]

well.....i don't usually use the technical jargon except when i'm talking to myself. most of the time i just say "hey, doesn't that sound cool?" and avoid the talk of modes or intervals or flats, sharps, and the like.

 

[ChanMin]

well...


if my guitar teacher ever told me

" You play in small intervals to give that sad and haunting sound"



id tell him to fist himself.

 

[Vaiyen]

lol! you can tell your teacher,
"why don't you go and fist yourself to get that sad and haunting sound huh" :lol:

 

[ChanMin]

hahaha

i doubt anyone can hum a happy tune with his hand stuck in his rectum

 

[Mobius]

Y don u jus say play in a minor key to get that sad haunting sound? I think most people would understand...

 

[BlackMoo]

hahaha

i doubt anyone can hum a happy tune with his hand stuck in his rectum

ROFL!!!

 

[serialninja]

isn't D minor the saddest key? at least....according to Nigel Tufnel. heehee.

 

[DoubleBlade]

and avoid the talk of modes or intervals or flats, sharps, and the like.

But sometimes when there is a need to talk about the theory behind modes , scales , flats and sharps even if it means that it is the only way out , I guess it's up to the other party's knowledge of music theory that really defines how much he will understand from your "technical jargon"

 

[teraslasch]

somtimes they think guitars are totally different and they don give a sh*t lol..

 

[Darren]

jargon

Wait till we get to indian scaling..... then we all get f***ed in the brain.

Quarter bend, 3/4 bend.......mind f**k

 

[Silencer]

chan min is my favourite guitarist. i will do anything he asks me to

 

[serialninja]

But sometimes when there is a need to talk about the theory behind modes , scales , flats and sharps even if it means that it is the only way out , I guess it's up to the other party's knowledge of music theory that really defines how much he will understand from your "technical jargon"

yep. i don't like explaining theory because i studied it for so many years that after a while i lost all interest in it (try analyzing an orchestral score and you'll know what i mean; it's a pain in the ass). and i think for the most part we can just enjoy making music, and music can be made without knowledge of theory, just as art can be painted by someone who's never learnt what the primary colors are.

i see theory as a way of helping to explain what it is we're doing, but not as a guide to tell us why we should do something a certain way. i only explain theory to my bandmates on occasion to help them understand what it is that we're playing so that they have a better grasp of the intricacies of the music.

 

[teraslasch]

Without theory , u can compose, u'll end up like those crappy bands IMO..

 

[serialninja]

Without theory , u can compose, u'll end up like those crappy bands..

um...yeah that made no sense to me.

 

[teraslasch]

haha , crappy bands as in they just strum some chords come up with some melody without applying knowledge of theory and they get a "song" out of it . They call it their original, and there u get a crappy band ..

 

[MrRhoads]

Well, without music theory, they still could compose with their musical ears I'll still name them a musician

 

[teraslasch]

well yea ok lol.. but they cant go far for sure

 

[soft]

DoubleBlade, i think it could be due to your ability to explain. like in school, why we say some teachers are good and some are so so. this is the same situation.

practical and theory can be learnt seperately. but it could be better appreciated if both can be balanced coz it is meant to help each other.

btw, did you mentioned that you are taking your jazz piano exams? are you with LCM or ABRSM?

 

[DoubleBlade]

I'm taking the ABRSM syllabus.

You mean LCM and ABRSM syllabus are totally different?