How to Listen to Music

Listening and Discussing Music Intelligently

1. 
   Recognize and listen for repetition and variation. There is very often also something new very near the end. Locate passages that you find especially rewarding. Are these passages repetitions, variations, or new? If they are variations, can you realize what it was that was varied? More importantly -- why is a certain section being repeated at all? Is it because the melody is great, or to make a point with the lyrics?

   1. Melody is simply a collection of notes, like the beginning of "Seven Nation Army" or the vocal notes repeated in a chorus. A catchy melody, is usually the key to whether or not a song catches on.
   2. Harmony is the collection of notes played at any one time. Some people think of it as "vertical," whereas melody is "horizontal." How do multiple voices, instruments, and notes come together in one instant to harmonize, or sound great on top of one another?^[6]
2. 
   Think carefully about the tone, mood, and feel of the music. What are the intangible feelings the song gives? Start simply -- is it happy, or sad? Do the instruments sound bright and bouncy, or thoughtful and somber? What sort of scene to you imagine the song being played over -- rainy, sunny, joyous, thoughtful, heartbroken, etc. Some terms to keep in mind include.

   1. Colors: It may be hard to see color in sound, but close your eyes. Imagine the song is in a movie scene -- what is the dominant mood or color of that scene?
   2. Balance: How many instruments are playing at once? Is it spare and sparse, the beginning of "Hey Jude?" Or is it big, bold, and filled with noise, like the end of "Hey Jude?"
   3. Texture: A guitar can be "chunky" or "smooth," a trumpet solo can be "silky" or "abrasive." Mostly this comes from the rhythm -- are their long, well-held, smooth notes, or are they all short, choppy, and distorted?^[7]
3. 
   Listen in for specific instruments, noting how the parts come together to form a greater whole. Notice things in the bass that seem alive, pregnant with meaning, or just sound cool. Notice the kinds of changes that happen at your favourite moment. Does the melody soar into an unfamiliar accent? Does a new rhythm add pungency? Does a buzz suddenly splinter into a fractured collision of noise and excitement?
4. 
   Think about the song's movement, or progression. Does the song end up in the same, or a similar, place as where it started? Or does it tell a story, moving and evolving so that the singer feels "changed" from beginning to end. Both are viable types of songwriting, but both tell very different stories. If the song does seem to change, ask yourself how the singer and musicians made the "argument." At what point is there a shift in the overall idea or feel of the music?

   1. The key change in "Hey Jude" is one of the most important, and famous, instances of movement and change in pop music. In an instant, the song goes from somber and thoughtful to joyous and intense.
5. 
   Search for any crucial outside context about the track. Songs are not written in a vacuum -- and sometimes stepping into the context of a song suddenly makes the lyrics make sense. For example:^[8]

   1. Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" gains even more power when you know it is about his tragically deceased son.
   2. Kendrick Lamar's "Blacker the Berry" is a searing personal letter written right after Trayvon Martin was murdered. If you do not know the huge political and social ramifications of that case then the song likely falls on deafer ears.^[9]
6. 
   Build up your musical concentration for longer pieces. Getting into jazz, classical, prog rock, or any other musical form with 10 minute songs, is daunting. Don't worry if you get distracted or even a little bored at first -- it is only natural. But push yourself to focus on each section on repeat listens. Composing these pieces is no mistake, and the composer is trying to fill the time and pull you along with the song at every second. While they might not always succeed, work on focusing throughout the whole song. You'll be surprised at the subtle, exciting bits and pieces you pick up.^[10]

   1. Try out Duke Ellington's "Diminuendo in Blue," to get started. It is long, but high-energy and exciting throughout, with well repeated themes and melodies.