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Why Don't More People Into Music Reproduction At Home Play Around With Musical Instruments

 In the pursuit of music reproduction in the home it is my firm belief that you must listen to live music every now & again so that you know & understand how real music,with real instruments,in real physical spaces sounds...
 With that as a foundation I used in judging equipment's "voice" I also believe that playing around with a musical instrument is an excellent way to gain first hand experience with musical sound...EVERY person that reads this can learn a few musical notes,on ANY musical instrument on the planet..For instance I play around with electric guitar.NO I can NOT play,but I can play the notes EFG,on first string & BCD on the second string...Now  I know those few notes & easily recognize them in any song..I am just this coming week going to start playing around with an electric keyboard....So I wonder,why don't more audiophiles simply play around with real instruments as part of their pursuit of honest reproduction in the home?Surely the education in reality is worth the $100.00 it takes to get an entry level guitar,keyboard,horn etc...
freediver
frogman
7,431 posts
 
Great topic. I agree wholeheartedly and happy to see so many comments supportive of your premise.

“Now I know those few notes & easily recognize them in any song.”

Then you have more talent (ears) than you give yourself credit for. Get yourself a good teacher!


**** I mastered the trumpet in 1967-1971 and was in the jazz band in high school ****

No offense, but I kinda doubt it (the “mastering” part).

**** “I love flamingo...“ ****

I love flamingo too 😊:

https://youtu.be/lt0GojgWrA8

Btw, a new professional quality saxophone can be had for about $4,000 (and up, of course; much less for used).

sd40
40 posts
 
I started playing piano when I was four and played in a small town rock band in my late high school and early college years. I continued playing at home until about age fifty, when I gave it up. The excitement wasn’t there unless I was pushing my boundaries, and I did not have the time or energy to do what I needed to do to improve. I still have the piano, which has been in the family for 124 years.

Listening to good music on a good system keeps the passion alive, and needless to say all those years of playing enhances the appreciation. Maybe I’ll go back to it.


richopp
760 posts
 
No talent from whomever hands out the musical talent gene--and either you have it or you do not, period.  I played several instruments starting in about 2nd grade, but was never that good at any of them. 

Fast forward to college, and guitar and drums became my choices and I played in several bands, but was the only "non-musician" in any of them.

Forward again to the early 1970's when I opened my shop.  What a revelation is was to stumble through a song myself and and then listen to a reproduced version.  Taught me that box speakers of the day, while fine, were not capable of accurately reproducing the sounds that I played on the actual instruments, even at a basically beginner level.  Closest to real were speakers from Magnepan, and they have improved quite a bit since the early 1970's.

That's what messing with instruments did for me, and I still have a few around that I mess with now that I am retired.  It is relaxing and enjoyable, but of course no one else has to listen!

Cheers!
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

I started learning clarinet around age 11.  I played for 20 years or so.  At 14 I also took up alto sax, and later tenor.  I got quite good on the clarinet, good enough to know exactly how much daily practice it would take to get significantly better. Hours and hours every day.  As it was clear that I was never going to make a living doing that, that's when I had to throttle back, and listening really took over.

But there is nothing like sitting in the middle of a full-scale orchestra when it's playing at full tilt.  Not necessarily the perspective you want from your audio system, but unique and energizing nonetheless.

jmforge
16 posts
 
Musical instruments? Bah!!They are fraught with imperfections. As a matter of fact, some of these crazy people who like “vintage” electric guitars and amplifiers Actually like them for their glaring sonic imperfections. I hesitate to mention this, but some of them even not only like distortion, but seek ways to increase it and enhance it. Oh the humanity!
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