NationStates Jolt Archive

There is a political compass, but could there be a musical compass?

It would probably be undrawable due to having more than three axes (and therefore more than three dimensions).

Of course, just as a political compass can't explain someone's political views exactly, a musical compass couldn't explain one's musical taste perfectly.

Note, this is just something I thought of, I'm not saying it would be a good idea. It could restrict people's understanding of music in the same way the "left-right" system restricts people's understanding of politics.

What are your ideas for axes?

What are your ideas for axes?

I don't really know. I'm pretty un-knowledgeable when it comes to music, so I thought I'd leave that to others. One obvious one that comes to mind is speed.

I don't really know. I'm pretty un-knowledgeable when it comes to music, so I thought I'd leave that to others. One obvious one that comes to mind is speed.
Good plan.

Possible Axes
Tempo
Texture
Structure

I actually found out a few years ago that I could do a harmonic analysis of my friend's music and fairly accuarately predict what they would like regardless of style. You learn to listen to music, it's taught. That's a large reason why pop doesn't change much and is played a whole lot-your ear is being trained to listen to it. It's also why stuff that sounds tame today caused riots in the 1800s.

The previous poster was right to include texture, as that seemed to be a key factor in a few choices. Tempo and structure where less of a factor, however.

I was able to introduce friends to music that they wouldn't have thought they liked but did because it matched a harmonic structure that they responded to. It stemmed from a method I was developing to get my friends into jazz by finding jazz that resembled the pop (all of it's pop to me, no matter how much hair die you use) they listened to. So far I've been very successful.

Good plan.

Possible Axes
Tempo
Texture
Structure

I don't know if this would help, but I've always felt that there were 3 elements of music:
The singing
The music
The lyrics

As a suggestion, how about the higher number you get, the more that seems important to you i.e for me, the music would be higher than the singing, even though singing would also be medium to high, and lyrics would be pretty low. This is because I like R.E.M.

I don't know if this would help, but I've always felt that there were 3 elements of music:
The singing
The music
The lyrics

This is a rather simplistic analysis of music. Why is the singing separate from the instrumental music? The voice is just another instrument. Lyrics are not part of music; they only exist to give the singer something to sing.

So we're back down to:
The music

You'd have to include Emotional Content. Emotion is a very important part of music.

I think a lot of people already have their own Musical Compass. The Axis are:
Music They Listen To
Music Other People Listen To.,

for teenagers this would be:
Awesome
Sucks

This is a rather simplistic analysis of music. Why is the singing separate from the instrumental music? The voice is just another instrument. Lyrics are not part of music; they only exist to give the singer something to sing.

So we're back down to:
The music

Why is singing separate from the music? Because you can have excellent music with a crap singer, and vice versa. Also, whilst music can set the tone of the song, only singing can give emotion. Lyrics are actuallly important; a brilliant singer, with the best music, can be let down by poor lyrics, whilst rubbish singers recieve a boost from good lyrics*. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it is accurate most of the time. Also, lyrics give the song a point, if a point is trying to be made.

*Remember, good lyrics do not need to make sense.

Also, whilst music can set the tone of the song, only singing can give emotion.

*points in direction of Pink Floyds "Shine on you crazy diamond"** - more emotion conveyed in that guitar playing than I've ever heard in vocals.



*just so happens to be on at the moment, thats why I picked it.

Well I don't think I'll be in on this one.

Fascinating stuff, though. Good luck with it.

It stemmed from a method I was developing to get my friends into jazz by finding jazz that resembled the pop (all of it's pop to me, no matter how much hair die you use) they listened to.

Are you saying all non-jazz is pop? Or just that all of the stuff your friends listened to was pop?

Please note that everyone thinks that "it all sounds the same" when listening to music they don't like. It's because they're not used to it.