Learning an instrument is the best way to appreciate more music

[billiam5billion]

I was on hold with my VA office this morning, and the hold music they were playing was run-of-the-mill jazz fusion stuff, but it had this killer groove and I could definitely tell the bass was running through an envelope filter, which was pretty interesting. Now, I've been playing bass in various punk bands for about 10 years now, and I'm all about punk and rockabilly and rock and stuff, never really got into jazz or funk or anything. Over the past 4 or 5 years though, I find myself listening to completely different types of music just to pick out ideas for bass lines. I realize now that being a musician has made me a more open-minded, well rounded listener of music. Anybody else had a similar experience?

[Nashrakh]

Definitely.

Before I started playing, I was a pretty close-minded metalhead... pretty embarrassing that I ever thought that way, now that I think about it, haha.

Now, I basically listen to anything, genres don't matter. Although I've grown fond of Psychedelic and early Progressive Rock.

[Phalex]

I

Love

Bluegrass

Not so much for the bass lines, I just like to try and figure out what the hell the banjo is doing. Ever try to figure out a banjo part on bass? I'm pretty sure it's the different tunings, but holy crap!

[billiam5billion]

Yeah, banjo is rough. I picked up a little bit about a year ago, but the difference between the open G tuning and what I had already trained my fingers to do on guitar threw me waaaaay off.

[MIJ-VI]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAt9uga34JU

[Jazz Ad]

At some point in my learning curve I started losing pleasure when listening to music, because all I heard was scales, rhythmic patterns and harmonies.
Same when going to a concert, I was more interested by interactions and gear than by the band itself.
I was overanalysing music. Eventually this habit went away and I could resume enjoying it.

[C.Linton]

I've noticed this too. I do have my musical preferences, of course, but since going down the road of attempting to become a musician myself, I find myself being able to appreciate particular musican's abilities in genres I wouldn't even consider as viable before.

[EdHunter]

Without a doubt. Used to be I was all about a narrow band of (ahem) bands, ranging from Guns n' Roses to Velvet Revolver, but since picking up a bass, I've fallen into the trap of everything from Wagner to Wild Willy Barrett.

[poorbassist15]

I used to listen to doo wop at an early age, when I became a musician I went for Progressive and Psychedelic rock, even Prog metal. How does one get from the Drifters to Pink Floyd?

[Lady Kayri]

Yep, listening to a lot more stuff. Never listened to ska much before, and only in the past year or so been listening to disco/funk (the good stuff, anyway) which I'd not listened to much before...Plus found a new reason to go back and listen to the albums by fusion groups that I'd purchased years ago and then not listened to much since.

[groooooove]

i wouldent have gotten into hip hop, beethoven, jaco, miles, ravel, ext ext ext ext, without becomming a musician..

before i started playing i just loved the beatles, hendrix, that type of stuff.

[BassesForTheWin]

i tottaly think that, I mean before i started playing bass, i was mainly a rock guy, but now ive started to apperciate pop, hip-hop, rap, jazz, soul, electronica and all these other genres much more

as for my friend who plays guitar, that hasn't happened with him so much

[EAdanikDG]

I've also noticed that i've started listening to a lot more music, before I was into rock and rock only, now the main genre I listen to is funk, compared to all the other people my age that listen to heavy metal I also have the problem that Jazz Ad had. I care about the gear more than the music, and overanalyse music, like songs on the radio that i've been listening to all my life that I suddenly recognize the bassline in and don't just enjoy the song. (I also annoy everyone around me telling them to listen to the bassline ).