The Special And The General Theories Of Listening To Music
So I have the Special Theory, which came first and is useful in some limited situations, and I have the General Theory, which came later and is much more um general and might even be true.
Just like Einstein.
The Special Theory
If there are drums, you should spend most of your time listening to them.
I’m not sure this works outside rock music. (It TOTALLY works inside rock music.) So we need the General Theory …
The General Theory
The General Theory Of Listening To Music is best explained by talking about moving vehicles. (My General Theory has this in common with Einstein’s Special Theory, confusingly. Suck it up.)
You know how when you’re driving a car, and maybe you’re worried that you’re going to run over a pedestrian, you don’t focus right in front of your car, where a pedestrian’s at most danger? Instead, you focus in the distance, where you’ll see more. The key point is that if a pedestrian runs into the zone right in front of your car you’ll see them anyway, even though you’re focusing way past them.
I think pretty much everyone drives like this. It’s how I was taught to drive, and I think it must be the same everywhere that produces reasonably safe drivers.
In music, it works like this: listen to the least easy-to-hear lines. You don’t have to worry that you’ll miss the lead singer or the screaming guitar solo, because of course you won’t. You’ll hear them anyway, even though you’re focusing way past them.