Thoughts On Musical Energy?

Discussion in 'Musicians' started by Terrapin2190, May 4, 2015.

  1. Terrapin2190

    Terrapin2190 I am nature.

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    I just had a fun thought in the chatroom. Referring to different types of music and the 'energy' they give off.

    I feel as thought heavy rock gives off a sort of solid, more concrete type of energy, whereas things like folk-rock give off more of a free form of energy.

    Solid energy, you're actually able to apply it physically. It makes you want to dance, jump around, and get things done.

    Free energy is more like it's just there floating around and you're able to grab it, if you choose to do so.

    Any thoughts on this? It's an interesting thought I've never had before. I'd love to get some more examples if anyone else feels this way.

    PS - Music that makes your brain tingle is the best! Or an undiagnosed medical condition... :unsure:
     
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  2. guerillabedlam

    guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

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    In terms of playing, I'd say all music is a synthesis of the two. Perhaps some forms of music more dominant towards one type of energy than another.

    In terms of listening, I generally find hard Rock, EDM, reggae, punk, metal, funk evoke what you have described as physical energy.

    I generally find Blues, folk, Hip Hop, Jazz, r&b , downtempo evoke free energy.


    These are by no means strict divisions however, I can definitely be compelled to dance and move my body around on an uptempo 12 bar blues shuffle and conversely there is some Metal of complex poly rhythms and odd time signatures, where I can do little more than just kind of sit there in almost a catatonic type state.

    I do more or less understand the gist of this dichotomy you are making regarding musical energy though.
     
  3. Gongshaman

    Gongshaman Modus Lascivious

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    I don't think music actually gives off any more energy than to wiggle some air molecules, lol. But I do believe music can act in the mind as kind of a springboard to your own internal energies.

    Musicians and composers would do well to make note of this.
    It's all about whats happening in the individual listeners mind.
     
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  4. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Yes, of course, there is energy in musical notes, as there is in everything......When I was in school, a girl won the science fair ......She got a blue ribbon....for two control groups of plants....the same kinds of plants on each group.....all started from little seedlings....so all had the same exact start...all were same breed...all given the same watering and plant food...nothing different , except........Group A had music with it 24-7....and group B had no music....Guess, which group grew the healthiest and biggest? Yep....group....A......
     
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  5. AceK

    AceK Scientia Potentia Est

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    the air molecules wiggle, which vibrate the hair cells in the inner ear. this sets up certain patterns of electrical activity in the brain and causes a change in consciuousness.

    death metal, especially heavily rhythm based music which also includes most kinds of edm seem to be good for focus and "getting things done"
     
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  6. Gongshaman

    Gongshaman Modus Lascivious

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    Yeah, edm and death metal definitely motivate me for something... like changing the station, lol

    Seriously, whatever turns your crank mang, it's all good
     
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  7. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    ....LOL!

    Makes me want to kill myself or someone......sorry......do not mean to joke about it like that....different air waves for different folks....... :)

    I am not used to metal and death stuff....etc.....so i don't have an acquired taste for it, I guess. I like sweet melodic things for the most part.....stuff with energy, too......but stuff that makes me want to live.

    now, i do like horror films and such.....so go figure.....
     
  8. Ashalicious

    Ashalicious Senior Member

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    I find music to be distracting sometimes. I rarely have music on while I am doing housework, unless I have a song or specific band in my head (earworm) that has been driving me crazy for a long period of time.

    Music with lyrics tends to get stuck in my head a lot, although it has been much better since I have stopped taking my ADD medication. I also have noticed that the better rested I am, the less music gets stuck in my head.

    I do agree that different genres of music have different energy. Classical is more thought provoking, while rock and roll, as you said, can be more concrete.
     
  9. Ashalicious

    Ashalicious Senior Member

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    I used to be a HUGE horror movie junkie. HUGE. It was my all time favorite film genre. Then I lost my friend to CF, and suddenly had no desire to watch scary movies anymore. I just feel like there is so much fucking horror in this world already, why would I watch fictitious horror for the sake of entertainment? If I wanted to scare myself, then I could just read the news.

    That being said, I still can appreciate a well made horror movie, and I still have a lot of respect for the horror genre.
     
  10. guerillabedlam

    guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

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    This is another thing that fascinates me, I generally find the millenial generation overall more accepting of older generations of music compared to older generation to the newer music. Particularly in regards to cutting edge stuff.

    I wonder if there is a peak energetic recepitivity to music and as we grow it wanes somewhat with age or if this phenomena just tends to be mostly an aspect of changes in culture and enviromental influences, which people no longer relate to as they age.


    I find myself still exploring cutting edge music, although I feel all the speaker hugging at raves, loud and raucous rock concerts and my own loud guitar playing is starting to catch up with me in terms of hearing.
     
  11. Gongshaman

    Gongshaman Modus Lascivious

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    I've not seen anything cutting edge about edm or whatever-metal.

    I tend to think there's a maturity quotient in realizing when somethings 'cutting edge' or not.

    Most people haven't even caught up to modern music from over 100 years ago.
    How do you relate to say, Bartoks violin quartets? Well before either of our times and about as cutting edge as any music so far.
     
  12. guerillabedlam

    guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

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    I stick by my point, I feel it does need to be elaborated on.
     
  13. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Nah, I have always liked the sweeter, softer stuff compared to the harder stuff in music......harder stuff has always been around in my life time.....in classical music....it is the melody and even some of the harder stuff in classical music does nothing for me.....alot of banging noise with no melody.....I have always been very sound sensitive.....
     
  14. Gongshaman

    Gongshaman Modus Lascivious

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    Your interpretation of whats cutting edge is false and misguided, period.
     
  15. guerillabedlam

    guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

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    The thought was basically conjured up by your post, it wasn't necessarily directed at you. I guess I quoted you because Ashalicious started talking about movies, I was more on the track of music.
     
  16. guerillabedlam

    guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

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    cutting-edge :

    At the latest or most advanced stage of development; innovative or pioneering:cutting-edge technology



    I am comfortable with how accurately I used the term.
     
  17. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Well, I said I liked horror films, as it is not the words necessarily in some of the hard stuff....but the melodies.....and just wanted to point out.....I don't need butterflies and dandelions all of the time.... :D

    I'm a tough cookie.
     
  18. Lynnbrown

    Lynnbrown Firecracker

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    Just before I came here online I had been playing the piano for about an hour.

    Some Beethoven, some Chopin, and some old gospels.

    That energy makes me feel good, calms me and invigorates me at the same time.
     
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  19. Wizardofodd

    Wizardofodd Senior Member

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    I think it's kind of a symbiotic thing. The music and my own mind set at that moment need to be in sync for me to really get any sort of energetic vibe from it.

    But the energy I relate to the most is what happens while playing with my band. It doesn't matter what kind of music we're playing (we aren't a heavy band...think Pink Floyd meets Grateful Dead meets Ween? Lots of improvising) Once we are all in the same mental/musical place...it's like a different reality. It's like being in a bubble together and being able to make that bubble give you the physical/mental sensation of rising off the floor and expanding and contracting. You can almost do no wrong. The instrument is playing you. It's better than an orgasm.
     
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  20. Gongshaman

    Gongshaman Modus Lascivious

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    My bad, I though you were referring to the actual music. Forms, harmony, melody, stuff like that... not amplifiers, effects boxes and computer sequencers.
     

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