How do you "hear" music?

[Senusret I]

I had this realization not too long ago about the way I hear and enjoy music.

I enjoy the melodies and beats.

My friend likes the words.

I like stuff with a beat and a funky sound -- Neptunes, Timbaland, even the new Britney and Madonna joint.

My friend likes Bjork and Radiohead. I appreciate the lyrics, once I've read them, but it's like....hard for me to hear the lyrics and enjoy the music at the same time.

Is that weird?

[valkyrie]

I like beats more than anything. If it makes me want to shake my azz, I'm all about it. I can respect good lyrics, but they don't make me like music.

[chideltjen]

i listen to trance so the music either has very simple lyrics or no lyrics at all. people don't understand why i listen to it because all they can hear is the repetitive nature of the bass and drums. I love the melodies; those are what keep me going.

now if i am looking for a song for something specific, then i will pay attention to the lyrics. most of the time i will sing along and not really care what they are singing about.

[mullet81]

i'm a lyrics gal. i like something i can connect with - a verse that reminds me of something. i'm not a shake my ass type of gal, i'd prefer to sit in a chill bar with a beer, good friends, and great music

[OrigamiTulip]

I'm a lyrics person. I mostly listen to artists like Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Rachael Sage, Alanis Morrisette. Sometimes they will do a piece thats more about the background music than the lyrics, but its not the norm.

[OUlioness01]

rhythm and melodies and harmonies....it's kinda annoying that i'm the only one who never knows the words to songs though

[moe.ron]

I always look for the groove.

[MeLikey]

I'm both a lyrics and beats girl... if it has a good beat, I'll be dancing to it. I love lyrics from Switchfoot, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Dashboard Confessional, etc... so when I'm in a certain mood I'll put on their songs and will really listen to the words.

[justamom]

It really depends on my mood. In college and single days we would all turn up the party songs as we were getting ready to go out. Lyrics could be ridiculous, but if the beat could evoke a feeling, who cared. But a lot of songs, like Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker, did a good job covering ALL the bases!

Heartbroken, blue or reminiscent ... of course the lyrics were number one. We all love a good pity party song. (Wouldn't Yesterday have been less with lousy lyrics?)

To break it down when I'm just listening for pleasure, it's the use of the instruments. Like when you hear a great lead guitar and you know his/her fingers are dancing all over the neck-same with
an electric fiddle or piano. A unique, full of depth vocal (and this is such a personal choice) the kind where the voice IS the instrument, combined with poetry can carry a song through several different arrangements. The song can be beautiful, but if the vocals stinks...well think of American Idol rejects!

WHAT AN INTERESTING QUESTION!

[Tom Earp]

According to the Question, I use my Ears, both of them actually!

Basically music, I can understand the words to. No damn tub thmpin or spittin!

Deepending on the mood, Tubular Bells, Tim Wiesburg, Herbie Mann, BeeGees, Beach Boys, Chopan, Kid Rock, The Doors.

Guess it is varried!

None of the s**t, my girl ran off with my dawg, in my big pick-up truck with whip antineea and My olde Dawg!

Edited to add, had 2 dawgs, and one was olde!

[Sistermadly]

MisterMadly is a serious instrumentalist, and thinks of music in terms of albums and it's artistic merit (he's into really obscure german Prog rock bands).

As for me, I think of music in terms of "songs" - whether it has a good melody that lingers in my mind (good or bad). I think of instrumental music (electronica, trip-hop, house, etc.) in terms of the beat, and its ability to make me want to dance.

Sometimes I think of music in terms of the metaphors it invokes when I'm listening to it. For example, I love the song "Tunnel of Love" by Bruce Springsteen because the structure of the song's music and melody remind me of being at a fair, or of riding a roller coaster.

[FeeFee]

I always check out the beats/melodies to a song first, then the lyrics.

[AlphaGam1019]

I hear random classical pieces in my head from time to time. I think last night was Paganini violin concerto No. 1, first mov't. garg! garg!

[ThetaGrrl]

Originally posted by OUlioness01
rhythm and melodies and harmonies....it's kinda annoying that i'm the only one who never knows the words to songs though

I'm the exact same way! My little brother makes fun of me, because I make up my own lyrics...!

[juniorgrrl]

It depends on the type of music for me.

If I'm feeling hyper and I'm listening to Eurobeat, Trance, Happy Hardcore, etc, its about the beat.

If I'm in a more mellow mood, I'll put on something like They Might Be Giants, which is really lyrically rich. Or some James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, etc