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I feel intimidated by MUSIC

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NewGeekPhilosopher Wizard Basement from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Wizard Basement
#1: Oct 1st 2010 at 9:21:28 AM

Music, it's intimidating.

I'm nowhere near as knowledgeable in music as some other music nerds, I'm more of a book nerd and art nerd than a music one.

I get blank stares at the record store, especially when I bought Jerry Seinfeld's stand up comedy album.

I feel completely worthless as a reviewer of music, since I just don't have the language needed to describe sound and the different tones of sound required to review music credibly.

What's more I feel like my taste in music is utterly bogus too - I listen to a lot of Avant-Garde music like Germ Studies and Lesser, but I am utterly confused as to describe the music I like other than the different types of sounds described.

I'm a music n00b who was very sheltered as a child and missed out utterly on the 2000s indie music boom. Apart from my regular haunts in the usual places I go to in the record store I'm not sure where to turn - it's confusing!

Hell Hasn't Earned My Tears
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#2: Oct 1st 2010 at 9:22:34 AM

Dude you stress way too much about this kind of thing.

  1. Buy something
    • If you like it, keep it.
    • If not, Ebay is your friend.

You will be musically knowledgable in no time.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
BlackFriday Dreadlord from Syracuse, Utah Since: May, 2009
Dreadlord
#3: Oct 1st 2010 at 9:23:28 AM

As with everything else in music, there's only one solution. Listen to more. Try out some of the classics from different genres, or subgenres, and just listen to all you can. Also, don't dismiss certain genres or anything, just keep trying and you should be able to find something you like in any genre.

xexyzl Since: Jan, 2001
#4: Oct 1st 2010 at 12:43:28 PM

How is missing out on the "Indie boom" a bad thing?

Polarity Nightmare Fetishist from Caracas, Venezuela Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: If the gov't can read my mind, they know I'm thinking of you
#5: Oct 1st 2010 at 4:40:39 PM

^Xexyzl: Shut the hell up.

Um, you know, you DONT have to stress that much. Just buy some music, search the forums, the stores, anywhere you want, you will find something you like. After that, just search similar things to the kind of music you liked, and you will be good in no time. Also, don't listen to ANYBODY about what you should like or not, it is your opinion. You like Kamleot, Nightwish and Miles Davies? Good. You like, say, Beyonce Nickelback Britney and Linkin Park? That is good too, listen to what you want. And don't fret over reviews. T Hey are moslty on the stupid side you know? Only a few can make good reviews, so don't worry, it's just that the main public thinks that reviweing is an easy thing, and so, they call "good" any kind of idiotic speech.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
xexyzl Since: Jan, 2001
#6: Oct 1st 2010 at 6:44:20 PM

^Xexyzl: Shut the hell up.
NOU

Neccy60 Resident Oreo from Chicago, IL Since: Nov, 2009
Resident Oreo
#7: Oct 1st 2010 at 7:19:52 PM

Dude, I didn't get into music until I was 17. It's okay. :)

I'd suggest you just look at the "basic" stuff of major genres and work from there. Like, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin (classic/hard rock), Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree (prog rock), Metallica and Black Sabbath (metal), Eminem and Wu-Tang Clan (hip-hop), Daft Punk and Boards of Canada (electronic), etc.

Another good idea would be to check out some of the "Tv Tropes Recommended "topics we made a while back for each genre.

http://www.last.fm/user/BlueGhost60
MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
I am vexed!
#8: Oct 1st 2010 at 8:50:28 PM

^ Amendment:

Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin for classic rock.

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath for metal.

(Black Sabbath are so awesome that they count as both, fuck to the hell yeah.)

Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mountain and The Outlaws for Southern rock. Southern rock is a pretty important subgenre of rock, since it learned the lessons provided by the British classic rockers the best and continued to be AWESOME, FOREVER, while other US rock cleaned up the sound and became less rock 'n' roll.

Swordsman TroperReclaiming The BladeWatch
BlackFriday Dreadlord from Syracuse, Utah Since: May, 2009
Dreadlord
#9: Oct 1st 2010 at 9:07:53 PM

Another amendment, even if you don't find something to like for those particular bands in metal, keep in mind that there's lots of very distinct subgenres you can try out.

MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
I am vexed!
#10: Oct 1st 2010 at 9:21:41 PM

That's true. Metal isn't necessarily just metal; it can be folk, industrial, classical, blues or a bunch of other genres. At the same time.

Swordsman TroperReclaiming The BladeWatch
KingNerd Can-I-Bus from Suburbia. Since: Dec, 1969
Can-I-Bus
#11: Jul 16th 2011 at 11:07:17 AM

For Hip-Hop I would recomend Eminem,Nas,Fort Minor,Wu Tang Clan, Jay-Z,Beastie Boys, and Run Dmc

The smartest idiot you will ever meet.
Litis from Israel Since: Jul, 2009
inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#13: Jul 16th 2011 at 11:44:52 AM

Whynecro.jpg

Though I'd like to take this juncture to say that everyone should listen to Aphex Twin.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
Bananaquit Since: Jan, 2001
#14: Jul 16th 2011 at 1:14:07 PM

I’m not intimidated by music so much as musicians. Because...

  • I suck at any instrument I try to play
  • I can’t write a song to save my life. I’m insanely envious of people like Brian Wilson, for whom amazing melodies come with such ease.

The one thing I can kind of do is sing, provided the song is in a key I can handle.

TankerMan Since: Jul, 2011
#15: Jul 16th 2011 at 5:45:25 PM

I almost always prefer discussing music with people who "know nothing" about it. These are folks who are just absolutely true about their feelings with the tunes. There aren't any preconceived notions, no "fads", and just no crap in general. Relish your ignorance! If you want a comparison, it's a lot better than going to school, learning "music theory" and junk, and then dissecting music and treating every new piece like a laboratory experiment.

cityofmist turning and turning from Meanwhile City Since: Dec, 2010
turning and turning
#16: Jul 17th 2011 at 9:24:37 AM

I didn't know a thing about music until I got an iPod for my 15th birthday. I started out with about 20 songs on it (about 90% of what I listened to was Coldplay), and slowly I started getting into more stuff, as I found songs and artists I liked; over time, I started listening to other genres which I wouldn't have expected myself to like. But it was a natural and very slow process. I don't think I'd have got very far by saying 'Okay, I need to expand my musical tastes, let's go have a look on the internet'. I still know almost nothing about the technical side of music, but my view is that unless I have a pressing reason to, like a job as a music critic, it doesn't really matter.

Also, if you do want to go expand your musical tastes by looking on the internet, just go to last.fm. It's a really excellent site.

edited 17th Jul '11 9:25:40 AM by cityofmist

Scepticism and doubt lead to study and investigation, and investigation is the beginning of wisdom. - Clarence Darrow
CommanderObvious intellectual rapist from Unmei no Itaru Basho Since: Jul, 2011
intellectual rapist
#17: Jul 17th 2011 at 9:36:17 AM

i use amazon
and sometimes (GASP) Pitchfork Media
to find some cool music

This level of trolling is reasonable for Commander Obvious. What do you think of this, everyone?
inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#18: Jul 17th 2011 at 9:43:37 AM

Allmusic did wonders for me.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
KitsuneInferno Jackass Detector from East Tennessee Since: Apr, 2009
Jackass Detector
#19: Jul 17th 2011 at 9:54:51 AM

Sound Watching for really obscure post-rock and instrumental hip-hop, Allmusic for everything else.

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt." - Some guy with a snazzy hat.
ImipolexG frozen in time from all our yesterdays Since: Jan, 2001
frozen in time
#20: Jul 17th 2011 at 4:24:12 PM

Used to go on Allmusic a lot years ago. Nowadays I tend to look things up on Wikipedia.

Also, I agree with inane, everyone should listen to Aphex Twin.

no one will notice that I changed this
Promethax Evil Mastermind from Center of the Earth Since: Feb, 2011
Evil Mastermind
#21: Jul 24th 2011 at 4:34:17 PM

Oops, thought i was posting in another thread.

edited 24th Jul '11 4:35:30 PM by Promethax

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