Poll - Do you really "listen" to music

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
No background stuff.

Do you sit down and listen to music like you would at a concert? At a jazz club? Where you actually stop everything from your surroundings and just listen? Do you pay attention like you would a good movie?
 

Hyperlite

Diamond Member
May 25, 2004
5,664
2
76
yes, when i am in my theater i do, but on my computer and stuff i am usually doing something else.
 

CptObvious

Platinum Member
Mar 5, 2004
2,501
7
81
On my favorite records I've memorized all the "sounds"...i.e., the stuff you only hear when you listen through a good pair of headphones. So I guess yes
 

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
2
0
Originally posted by: CptObvious
On my favorite records I've memorized all the "sounds"...i.e., the stuff you only hear when you listen through a good pair of headphones. So I guess yes

Bingo, I can say the same for at least a half a dozen CDs.
 

Xyo II

Platinum Member
Oct 12, 2005
2,177
1
0
Originally posted by: CptObvious
On my favorite records I've memorized all the "sounds"...i.e., the stuff you only hear when you listen through a good pair of headphones. So I guess yes

ahhh.... these "sounds"..... you hear them? with your ears?
 

EGGO

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2004
5,504
1
0
Yes, like CptObvious, I even go so far as to hear the suttle sounds in the songs.
 

Ricemarine

Lifer
Sep 10, 2004
10,507
0
0
Yeap... Though its often when in the car...

Sometimes I tune into one specific sound in the song, and it plays totally different from the original perspective. Then other times I'm just listening to the lyrics to understand what they mean.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Yeap... Though its often when in the car...

Sometimes I tune into one specific sound in the song, and it plays totally different from the original perspective. Then other times I'm just listening to the lyrics to understand what they mean.

Well I guess that was my point.

To really "listen" to music you have to focus on it and nothing else.

Sit down in the sweet spot.
Relax.
Press play.
If your hands or head start to move then you are just about there.
If you hear all those instruments that you never heard before, you're real close.
 

Syringer

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
19,333
3
71
No but usually I'll listen to a song subconsciously, remember it, and randomly "replay" the lyrics in my head and think about its meaning..
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
52,241
7,559
136
I tried it once. I bought some Sennheiser 650 headphones, a nice Headamp amplifier, and a load of CDs. Didn't excite me much. Sold the cans & amp and now use iTunes. btw anyone want to buy about 40 CDs? :p
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,424
19,814
136
Originally posted by: spidey07
Well I guess that was my point.

To really "listen" to music you have to focus on it and nothing else.

Sit down in the sweet spot.
Relax.
Press play.
If your hands or head start to move then you are just about there.
If you hear all those instruments that you never heard before, you're real close.

I still love listening to my DTS CD of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," because the mix is so different it's almost like a new album. I hear things I've never heard on it before, despite having listened to the CD I have hundreds of times.
 

OREOSpeedwagon

Diamond Member
May 30, 2001
8,485
1
81
Before I go to sleep I put on my headphones (either my Sennheiser HD555 or AKG K81DJ), and just lay down and listen to the music. It's so nice :)
 

Skeeedunt

Platinum Member
Oct 7, 2005
2,777
3
76
Rarely (though I enjoy it). More often I'll sit around and watch music videos, if that counts too.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Nope, not at all.

Which is why I don't buy music (or download it). I just listen to the radio on my way to work. And most of the time I drive to work in silence because I turned the radio off when I was going through the drive through for lunch the day before and forgot to turn it back on. I don't even notice that the radio is off.
 

Alienwho

Diamond Member
Apr 22, 2001
6,766
0
76
I do. Especially in the car. But also when i'm at work i'll put my headphones in and just stare at the monitor, pretending to work, but actually just absorbing the music.
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
68
91
Originally posted by: spidey07
No background stuff.

Do you sit down and listen to music like you would at a concert? At a jazz club? Where you actually stop everything from your surroundings and just listen? Do you pay attention like you would a good movie?

What you are referring to is called "critical listening". And yes, I do ... but not in longer spurts. Usually a song or two once in a while.

I don't think I have hte patience to kill an hour.
I typcially do this with live recordings of Jam Bands. There are some GREAT Umphry's Mcgee recordings out htere for free at archive.org if you want to know what music is all about. And about 1000 otehr bands that allow taping.