You're Listening to Music Wrong...

I apologize for the provocative, ragebaity title. How else are you supposed to spark people to read new things nowadays? It's the shameful status quo. Anyway, what are my reasons for believing that you're listening to music wrong? There's basically just one – multitasking. I do it too. Whether multitasking involves listening to music while doing physical tasks, such as chores or working out, or mental tasks, like studying or playing video games, I bet you're rarely listening to music with 100% of your attention, and therefore, missing significant aspects of the song. The activity of listening to music is usually accompanied by something else. And that's the problem.

The problem is distraction created by multitasking.

It’s understandable to multitask with music and chores or music and working out. It makes the latter tasks pleasant to get done. However, multitasking is done at the detriment of a peak listening experience.

The realization really hit home with me when I listened to instrumental piano solo songs. The reason? There are no drums! And the drums are the pulse of the music. Listen to the song, “The Interstellar Experience” by Penguin Piano, and try to find the pulse of the song (Link at the end of essay). So, when you hear arpeggiated chords played in sixteenth notes at 100 BPM, you have to create the drum set in your mind. You must anticipate the next rotation of the root, flat 3rd, 5th, and flat 7. You must feel the pulse on the chords. The activity of listening to music at a peak level requires 110% of your focus and attention. Next time, close your eyes and try to find the 1st and 3rd beat of a measure, and it becomes easier with fewer distractions. It's hard to do that while scrubbing dirty dishes in the sink.

Moreover, there are many little nuances beneath the pulse of the music. When listening intently, you'll catch repeating motifs, reverb of the room, transitions have more gravitas, and the timbre of each instrument becomes clearer.

As a musician, you will notice chord progressions from melodies and arpeggios more easily. As a casual listener, it might inspire you to become a musician yourself, because the song structure and chord progressions will be easier to understand.

I wrote this to help others discover their inner musicians, and for musicians to find a system to better develop their musical abilities. So next time listen to music while doing nothing else, close your eyes, and nod your head to the downbeats. It may sound painfully obvious to some, but to others it may be exactly what they need to hear. Stay focused and give the music 110% of your attention, and it may surprise you how much you might miss.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=t6zd6BNduTE&si=meLE2V6gDRDHua3F

Next essay preview: This inspired me to explore the correlation between listening to music and changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity. Numerous studies have investigated the potential health benefits of listening to specific music.