Is there such a thing as a "natural born" musician? Or is it just a question of academic ability?
Some people just seem to be able to pick things up straight away, others not so quick. Some take 12 months, and others 5 years to acheive the same grade. But yet, at the end of at all, who would make the more accomplished musician of the two players, who, strictly speaking are at the same level?

Natural born musician ?
Good question - I think that yes, it's possible.
Sometimes people who are technically perfect through study, (hard study) ,lack a certain 'soul' in there music. whereas there seem to be people who naturally make their instrument sing - to fill their music with emotion - are these the 'natural born musicians' ? I don't know.
I wouldn't call myself a naturally born musician, but I have to say, when I first put a clarinet to my mouth, the sound came out with no effort, the fingers knew not what they were doing but the sound was there. The first time I picked up a flute, again, the sound came quickly. I've never really had any problem with any instrument, the piano, the guitar, the trumpet, even the bagpipes ! I do know friends of mine that have really worked for ages on their instruments, and when I come along and pick their instrument up and start playing it, they get quite annoyed - 'how do you do that ?' I don't know, it just happens !
So to answer your question - I think that yes, there are naturally born musicians. Do these people become more accomplished musicians ? Not necessarily, but then that depends on the individual no ?

im not sure but its a good question!

there is a flute player in my school who is 11years old and has been playing since october and she is amazing! she is playing grade 5 stuff already, she reads music perfectly and her scales are always perfect! i envy her!! she is very good academically and picks things up really quickly.

it might be natral, like perfect pitch. people can be good at things without doing it before.

Yes, for instance Mozart, but often it is just a case of how quickly you pick things up and how hard you work. I started playing the flute at the same time as this other person and I am now around grade 7 standard, and her just a grade 3 and that is in 7 years. I also think it is how dedictaed you are at the beginning and whether you have a talent in music (not necessarily a big one, but large enough to make a difference)

Well I know I'm not a natuarally gifted musician, nor a particularly briolliant one through study either.

In fact I don't generally describe myself as a musician, I just happen to play the flute.

Perhaps thats a different type of instrumentalist again...

yes ive been thinking about this over a period of time...

but i know that child prodigies exist and stuff but i do not believe that they are born like that

its just plain luck or something triggered their mind at an early age.

I just dont believe in biological reasons....

i mean if you say that it's 'inherited', its kinda im possible if the parents have different subject interests...

well thats my view...maybe coz im also a sociologist

In my first lesson with my violin teacher she asked me "do you have musical parentage?" to which I replied "yes," and she said "ah- it's in your blood."
She obviously thinks it's genetic or something.

And, of course, there are some people who adore practising & never have to be reminded, whereas others just want to perform without the practice - in my experience that doesn't work too well!

definately yes! but it doesn't nessaccerally (wish my spelling was as good as my playing lol) mean tat they are more 'musical' than sum1 who took longer to reach a certain level. and often the people who have taken (say) 5 years to reach g5 will have much more gerneral musical knowledge than a person (*cough* me ) who's only been playing for 1 or 2 years.

Some people are just naturally musical and seem very at home when playing, however others may not be gifted but work very hard and in the end get to the same standard (although not often). Some people can play music because they are intelligent and so take music as a mathematical and logical thing, which tends to make good sightreaders although they don't tend to play with so much passion. But I do think that people can be naturally gifted, but they obviously will need lessons to be able to develop that talent.

QUOTE

Some people can play music because they are intelligent and so take music as a mathematical and logical thing, which tends to make good sightreaders although they don't tend to play with so much passion.

That might be me actually. But I still think I play with a fair bit of passion, and if I put as much effort into music, as I do say, with my school subjects, I'd probably be a darn sight better than I am!

But that would take some of the fun out of what is, for a me, a social, relaxing (with the exception of taking exams) hobby!

Perhaps this type of musician also tells in the fact that I love getting to grips with new pieces, but get bored putting all the finish on them. It's the learning new note patterns that I really enjoy -(perhaps this is why I like to play Baroque music best, lots of regular patterns, and wandering methodically through the keys).

I once read a very interesting article in a series called 'Music and Physiology' that was commisioned by Sue Wray, a professor of Physiology at Liverpool, who is also very interested in music.

The authors of this article basically took the view that, if there really was a group of musicians who were 'born great' then you should be able to identify them as a group who achieved a high level of performance with relatively little practice. They therefore looked at performance and assessed the total amount of practise completed over the lifetime.

What they found was that (and I quote).

" ...there was absolutely no evidence of a "fast track" for high achievers. Indeed, there is a non-significant trend for high acheivers to practise more than low acheivers to reach a particular grade....."

Which means if you're good you may actually have to work even harder at your playing!!!

Another interesting quote

".....Members of the highest achieving group were, even by the age of 12, practising an astonishing 800% more than the members of the lowest achieving group (two hours a day, as compared to 15 minutes a day).."

They also point out that Mozart's father deveoted several hours a day to one to one tuition, and that by the acge of 6 he had probably practised as much as most people manage by the age of 16! (Having said that. most 16 year olds don't go on to become Mozarts)


The concluding paragraph....

"..Talent may distinguish the genius from the merely excellent, but most of us could become fine musicians if only we had the motivation to put in the hours..."

Worth thinking about!!!

I dont think that anyone is "born" a musician, or anything else for that matter. I think that differrent people have more or less potential to be musicians/artists/etc and it is a question of whether that potential is brought out in their lives. everyone, im sure you will agree, has to work however hard to master the basics of an instrument. Once that has been done however, it's up to the individual what they do with that. Some people wish to be "spoon fed" how to become a great musician, and some people do make it that way, however i do not deem these people true musicians if they are simply copying their teachers musical ability. I do not believe that a greater capacity for learning equals being a musician. To me, being a musician is simply the want to learn about your instrument, or to experiment with what you can do with it, and to be able to create your own style of music (not just in the composing sense, in the sense of how you play music, how you appreciate other music, your views and tastes in music etc)

something triggered their mind at an early age.

I think this is all you need to know, really. Too many people out there are patting themselves on the back thinking they have some god-given superior musical ability when in fact we're all born with the potential and some of us are lucky enough to have it awakened by something or other.

I made a concerted effort to awaken it in my son from the earliest age, and what do you know? He sings perfectly in tune, and according to his saxophone teacher, has an extraordinary musical ability. I have no doubt that any musical parent could nurture this in their child, the way it was also nurtured in me by my musical mother.

But I am positive we were born no different to anyone else. Lets just consider ourselves fortunate rather than special.

Violinia

My music teacher ( piano ) thinks im musically talented because i did grade 1 and paportory test in the same year and lernt a bit of grade one.. but my thoery im not that musicalled gifted in it im not really happy about those..

QUOTE (cecilia @ Jul 13 2004, 08:31 PM)

In my first lesson with my violin teacher she asked me "do you have musical parentage?" to which I replied "yes," and she said "ah- it's in your blood." She obviously thinks it's genetic or something.

my pearents arnt that musical but my mum dose sing and did play gitar for a little wilr but my dads useless at music so its not genitic for me.

on the other hand i could have been born with it. i admit i dont pratice as much as i should. my excuse i dont have much time!

But isn't perfect pitch an advantage that some people are born with and some without who have to work harder to atain pitch in singing and even with self correction on string instruments?
One of my friends has perfect pich and is sitting Grade 8 at age 12 but in turn has been playing for more than 6 years and hardly ever practises.
I don't have perfict pitch and my parents are non-musical and i sat grade 5 at age 12 and am racing through theory to do my grade 6 at the start of next year. I think people who want to be good can be good even when they stuggle with different things that others find easy.

I agree that everyone is born with an equal ability to learn music but it depoends if it is developed. My dad's family aren't at all musical but on my mum's side nearly everyone plays something and my grandma's brother is really good on the piano. They can all sing too. I guess being brought up around music made me more aware of it and whatever talent I was born with was nurtured by my family.
Luv me
xxx

Both my brother and I are musical - he plays the piano, flute, and at one point saxophone, and I play the piano, harp and cello, and used to play some other instruments too, but neither of our parents are in the least bit musical, and my grandparents aren't really either. However, neither of us can sing at all and always fail the aural bit of the exams.

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=1][COLOR=purple] Hello to all. Are Musicians born? Well everyone is born with the ability to sing and play and instrument. But it is weather this is nurtured and moulded into something that is worthy to be classed as being a musical talent. I have always sang but since i have had lessons nearly two years ago (god time flys) My abilities in singing have improved greatly. Therefore showing that i was born with a talent but it need some help along the way to improve and make it better. This question is the same as 'Are criminals born or made?' Well they are made by society around them. And musicans are made by the lessons and practice that they put in.
From Clare
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