What exactly makes music music?

[Fishyash]

IMO It's music when you say it's music. It is designed to get an emotional response through sound. People who say "X is not music" instantly make me ignore their opinion, no matter how likely I could have agreed with them.

I'm not an expert on music, not by a long shot.

My opinion of dubstep is like this.

The vast majority of it, is shite, but when a good dubstep track comes along, I really like it.

Like this, for instance.

Ehhhhh...

I hope I am not the only one (DAMNIT I hope this is the only time I say that...) who thinks this doesn't fall under the category of dubstep.

Some electronic music genres fall under a pretty simple premise, despite how much pidgeonholing a record label owner or a magazine writer may try and distort it. I think dubstep contains such a gift, as what the genre is, is within its very name. I am not willing to debate if the very construction of a track's genre can be explained within its name is a good thing though.

EDIT I LIKE FIXING QUOTES OK?

 

[RobDaBank]

For me music is something you just simply enjoy, regardless of criteria. Hell the first song on my SD card player in my car is Asking Alexandria - Final Episode and the next one is honestly, Glee Cast - Umberella/Singing In The Rain

Everyone has their own choice, who are we to judge people based on music preference? Thats discrimination, and I, for one, am not Hitler!

 

[El Presidente]

I listen to both extreme metal and hip-hop, so I get a lot of that "not real music" nonsense from both sides. Herp derp that's just some guy screaming it's a bunch of noise, hurf durf it's just someone talking over a beat how can you call that music.

I don't get too hung up over the "definition" of music. If I enjoy it then I listen to it, take your "I'm such an expert at music theory I can definitively prove the music you're listening to is bad" and shove it up your arse.

 

[unoleian]

Generally, the first people to judge that a kind of music isn't actually music, are generally exactly the people least qualified to make such a judgment in the first place.

Damn straight dubstep is music. Some of it's really fucking good music, to boot.

 

[AnotherAvatar]

Anyone pretentious enough to claim to know what music is and isn't easily gets a douchebag award. As a music major I've come to realize that music can fit in many different forms, and is in some ways beyond definition. I could call the babel of a crowd music and I wouldn't be wrong.

Oh, and it is not easy to make electronic music, that just shows a massive gap of misunderstanding. It can be easy, but that's only if you drop in pre-made loops, and really that only works for Hip-Hop, which has always been more about lyrical content than the timbre of it's sound. Modern electronic music production requires a certain mastery of sound synthesis (which is more in depth than learning the guitar, drum, or even piano), you MIGHT be able to use a loop for the drums but unless you have a tri-layered bass, a rich lead synth, and some powerful and fun synths to fill the space between then you're going to have a mediocre track at best.

 

[Crazy]

Tapping is music, there you have it. Anything else?

 

[BlackSaint09]

I guess i believe that music is music if it manages to provide an emotional response. Or something along those lines. As any other form of art should. It should be enjoyable.
And well if some people enjoy it then why not? Call it music.
People nowadays need to understand that when they say something is crap doesnt make it actual crap. It means that they simply dont enjoy it/dont like it. Quite often however they take they say things like "Ohh this crap isnt music."
Unfortunate.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

Hehe, Van Gogh was a very depressed person and he tried to make money from his art but couldn't, making him more depressed - how ironic

You do realize "education" didn't always exist and people still created and did brilliant things without it?

So delusioned and elitist... you will soon discover the truth once you leave school and into the real world where nobody owes you anything, you really don't think people use underhanded tactics to prevent competition???

He was more depressed about the fact noone liked his art because he felt like when he was expressing something truly profound he wasn't getting his message across.

Yes, you do realise that education isn't pointless and we've made great strides as education has become more extensive.

I have left school a long time ago, I know what the real world is like, people use underhand tactics everyday, screwing over people to get ahead.
Artists, who wish to create for no other reason than to create, real artists love art. They wish their world was filled with variety and they wish everyone could share in the joy they experience when finishing a piece.

I don't know why you are trying to push a narrative of elitism, I struggled my way through University, I understand the struggle of trying to get educated whilst poor. I am far from elitist, I wish everyone could get a thorough education and I think our society is failing itself every time I meet someone who hasn't been inspired by knowledge into furthering themselves.

This is getting lengthy, but suffice to say, you are making assumptions based on your preconceptions, try asking me about something before assuming.

 

[Arrogancy]

Music is the deliberate organization of sound. That is the technical definition, and I can't think of any way to modify if to better answer the question.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

I truly love game soundtracks... after posting that Knuckles Chaotix song, i cant bring myself to stop the playlist... its just running through all the brilliance of Phoenix Wright and Metroid Prime and various Pokemon games...
The only purpose game music serves is to set a scene and a mood, and good examples create these environments in your head even with the images on screen to help them, and on top of that, they get seeped in nostalgia if you liked the game theyre from.
Id love to produce this stuff as a career, but i wouldnt even know how to get noticed in such a specific field... (but but but but but huh? ...im so lazy and rambling.)

If you want to get into Bit music it has quite a following and a creative group.
Best thing to do would be to join the forums here http://ocremix.org/
I'm sure they'd be able to help you out with more info.
Some of these guys got commissioned for a Street Fighter soundtrack, so definitely the place to get noticed.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

The point was if it makes musical sense and was written with good composition in mind it is still music opinions aside. Personally, Dubstep grates on my ears and I do not like it but I still have to accept some of it is music. I'd also like to launch that Gerald Barry piece into space and it cannot be unheard after having to study it for a year. Even at that just because something qualifies as music does not make it good music.

Any song that can be played by setting your audio equipment on fire is not music.

Tell that to this dude

Spoiler: FIRE

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

For me personally, music is anything that has a beat, takes some skill with something to play/make and (in the case of lyrics) has meaning of some sort that doesn't think highly too of itself...

[sub][sub]I fuckin suck at explaining that last part[/sub][/sub]

Spoiler: OKAY! Here is another attempt with examples...

Here is a song I cannot stand. It fits the requirements musically but lyrically it is useless to me. the song talks about how her car is a piece of shit... BUT it's got a real good radio! the meaning and lyrics of the song doesn't have any real purpose, it's just talking about something for the sake of being made into a song...

Spoiler: Other types of music I do not like for this reason

Spoiler: A great number of country songs

it's almost all about beer, women, and other inconsequential shit...

Spoiler: All/most Party and Pop songs

Mostly self-glorifying or inconsequential

Spoiler: ...and a lot of rap

again, mostly self-glorifying and inconsequential

... Although there are always exceptions to the rule! I do like some rap, pop, and country, just the more serious songs or ones that actually have a meaning behind them other then "Get wasted, get laid. fuck you I'm awesome!"

If it fits these 3 requirements then chances are i can listen to it...
I am entitled to my opinion, and this is what I think
ALSO: Spoilers within spoilers within spoilers!
SPOILERCEPTION!!!!

 

[Shivarage]

He was more depressed about the fact noone liked his art because he felt like when he was expressing something truly profound he wasn't getting his message across.

Yes, you do realise that education isn't pointless and we've made great strides as education has become more extensive.

I have left school a long time ago, I know what the real world is like, people use underhand tactics everyday, screwing over people to get ahead.
Artists, who wish to create for no other reason than to create, real artists love art. They wish their world was filled with variety and they wish everyone could share in the joy they experience when finishing a piece.

I don't know why you are trying to push a narrative of elitism, I struggled my way through University, I understand the struggle of trying to get educated whilst poor. I am far from elitist, I wish everyone could get a thorough education and I think our society is failing itself every time I meet someone who hasn't been inspired by knowledge into furthering themselves.

This is getting lengthy, but suffice to say, you are making assumptions based on your preconceptions, try asking me about something before assuming.

Yeh... money is just a side-effect of him getting his message across

I wish the world was filled with variety and inspired craftsmen but alas, money is needed to fund art and so that has to come first whether you like it or not

I would love to believe a university education was worth the paper it's printed on but the fact is that any information given away like buttons is worthless because too many people have the same ideas = too much competition. this is why once entry-level jobs now ask a degree to even begin working never mind work ethics, simple over-supply and something becomes worthless

Preconceptions? more like first hand experience

 

[JochemHippie]

Music seems to have reached the point where anything that has sound vibrations coming together in harmonics is "music" Though I tend to be picky about what I call music, elitism? No, very well taste.

 

[DJ_DEnM]

The point was if it makes musical sense and was written with good composition in mind it is still music opinions aside. Personally, Dubstep grates on my ears and I do not like it but I still have to accept some of it is music. I'd also like to launch that Gerald Barry piece into space and it cannot be unheard after having to study it for a year. Even at that just because something qualifies as music does not make it good music.

Any song that can be played by setting your audio equipment on fire is not music.

Tell that to this dude

Spoiler: FIRE

He wasn't playing it by setting it on fire. He was setting it on fire because he could set it on fire.


You're not going to change my mind on this. Don't even try.

The reason Hendrix is one of the best. FIRE.

 

[Vault101]

[snip.

I wasnt trying to equate knoweldge of music with elitism...quite the oposite actually

I find people who actually know a little more about music are more accepting of genres..or at least dont go writing them off as "crap"

when it comes to music people seem to get stupid, like they throw all their perspective out the window and procliam some rock "then" as teh best ever and right now music is a dying art form due to the likes of dubstep and justin beaber

when I talk of music elitists I mean people who idolise rock from the 60's/70's

or hell, go to any youtube video of a song to see what I mean

 

[backinthepresentfuture]

instruments and talent make music, something most "artists" severely lack these days.