How to Listen to Music Like a Pro

Do you find yourself becoming bored of the same music? Is it sometimes hard to gravitate to a new genre or musical style? Many individuals around the world struggle with the idea of broadening their music horizons to become a better music listener! Here are five tips to expand your music listening habits!

When I was a young kid, I could fondly remember the sounds of “Avril Lavigne”, “Good Charlotte” and “Blink 182” frantically oozing out of the car radio as my mother dropped my younger sister and I off at summer camp. The early 2000s was the optimal time for mainstream punk rock, and I loved every minute of it. For a time, punk rock was the only genre I would listen to. Music can be listened to in many various ways. For some individuals, music is played in the background while they do tasks such as household chores, exercising and working from home. But this notion could be argued that the individual is not actually “listening” to the music itself. According to WikiHow.com, music can be used as a great relaxer or healing component for stress as it aids in helping people escape from the hardships of the world. 

To truly enjoy the many genres and sounds of music, it is important to develop a better understanding of the sounds that come out of headphones, speakers, and car radios. Is there a way to embrace and enjoy other musical sounds other than punk rock?  Here are a few steps to expand your music listening experience! 

 

 

  • Ask Friends and Family

If an individual is not much of a music person, the large variety of music styles and genres can seem overwhelming. Instead of listening to random projects before finding something of musical interest, asking friends or family members, is a great way to get started. Believe it or not, family and friends are vital parts of what shapes life experiences. Although everyone has different music tastes, is a perfect way for broadening a person’s music listening horizons. Additionally, it is important to ask questions when an individual hears a song of interest. “What is the song name?” “What artist sings this song?” These questions are crucial for your advancing your music listening efforts.  

 

 

  • Use the “Similar Artist” Tool

Streaming has become a dominating force for all things entertainment in the past few years. Music streaming websites such as AppleMusic, Spotify, and Pandora continue to gain popularity for all demographics around the world for perfect music listening experiences. Websites such as Pandora, creates unique radio stations based on an amazing individuals’ preferences. Other websites such as Google Music, finds songs based on mood and activity! Popular music streaming website, Spotify formulates a variety of recommendation’s based on a person’s listening history. As these websites continue to advance individuals listening capabilities, music streaming is perfect to expand people’s listening experience with music. 

 

 

  • Experience More Live Concerts!

Live music is often the best way to find new listening material to expand your music library. Taking a leap of faith and buying concert tickets to unknown artists, is a great way to not only expand a person’s listening capabilities, but also supports various music artists and communities. Additionally, live music allows individuals to feel out songs and albums in real time! 

 

 

  • Listen to New Genres

The crucial part of becoming a better music listener, is to listen to genres that are new to an individual or that one wants to understand better. An individual can explore the world of opera, or perfect vintage 1950’s pop classics to find an appreciation for different music styles. It’s important to understand, that all genres of music borrow from others. If an individual is a fan of punk rock, they may be surprised to hear some similarities of jazz and blues within the music they normally love! 

 

 

  • Recognize the Differences between Melody and Harmony

If an individual is a hardcore music listener, the individual can s able to distinguish and determine similarities and differences between bodies of music. For example, understanding the differences between Rihanna’s album “Rated R” versus her “Unapologetic” album can truly make individuals better music listeners. It is important to understand music terminology to become a better music listener. A melody is a simple collection of notes. Catchy choruses such as Katy Perry’s “Firework” usually embody a catchy melody which is vital to whether for not a song catches popularity. Harmony is a collection of noted plated at any one time. Harmony can enhance a song in a multitude of ways. Music genres such as “acapella” music, embodies the ability of harmony and percussive sounds maybe entirely from the voice. In mainstream pop music, harmony tends to shows its musical presence in the background of the music, or blended into the melody in a quieter fashion. 

 

Music is all around us as we experience this crazy thing called life. Through our life experiences music is there to make things a bit better! However, individuals do not have to stick to one genre or specific musical style. Expanding an individual’s music listening experience shows great benefits to not only their musical intelligence, but shows positive growth in personality and self-awareness. So, the next time you place your headphone into your eardrum to embark on your musical journey, try to explore new areas of music. You may be surprise on what you might find!

 

Picture: Shutterstock / ID: 1892431525


There are plenty of articles surrounding music on youth time magazine.

Music Predictions for 2022


 

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