Everyone listens to music according to their own abilities. In a sense, people listen to music on three different levels: the sensory level, the expressive level, and the pure musical level. I broke this process down mechanically, the only benefit of which is that it facilitates analysis.

The simplest way to listen to music is to think it sounds good. This is the sensory level. Music has a powerful and primitive appeal, which is self-evident to every normal person. For example, if you are reading this article right now, if someone plays a piece of music gently on the piano, the atmosphere in the room will suddenly be different. Listening to music at this level is just listening without any thinking. You can listen to the music while doing other things; you can be completely absent-minded about the music. Many music lovers who consider themselves qualified are addicted to this level. However, the value of music is not equivalent to the degree of pleasure it appeals to the senses.

Understanding the meaning expressed by music is the second level of listening to music, which is the level of expression. But here's the problem: God only knows how difficult it is to explain the meaning of a piece of music in words, accurately, and to everyone's satisfaction. However, none of us can deny that music has the power of "expression". There is some meaning behind every note, and the work always has something to say. This is the following simple question and answer:

"Does music have a meaning?"

"Of course it does."

"Can you express this meaning clearly in words? "No?"

"No."

People will not be satisfied with the answer to the second question. They always hope that music has a specific meaning: if the music can make the listener The more familiar and clear the association, for example, a train, a storm, a graceful dance... For them, the more expressive the music is. A timid woman once confessed to me that she feared her musical appreciation was seriously deficient because she could not think of anything definite when she listened to it. This of course misses the point.

I would say that a piece of music cannot be turned into a simple and clear explanation or association. It can trigger different feelings at different times and in different situations: it can be peaceful or energetic; it can be regretful or contented. ; Or rage or joy... It can use countless nuances and changes to express the most subtle human emotions and feelings, and even convey meanings that cannot be expressed in any language. Suppose you are lucky enough to use many words to accurately describe a piece of music that you "understand", and you are very proud of your description. But this does not guarantee that others will be satisfied, nor do others need to be satisfied. The important thing is that everyone's understanding of the same piece of music will be different. Even for classic works, your feelings are likely to be different every time you listen to them again.

What I mean is that music can indeed express a certain meaning, but appreciating music is not about endless explanations. The most important thing is that the listener can feel, understand and be touched by the music and experience the charm of the music itself.

Listen to music, you can. This reaches the third level, the level of pure music. Indeed, beyond the pleasant sounds and meaning that can be expressed, music exists in the notes and the treatment of the notes. Generally speaking,

Ordinary listeners are unlikely to reach this level. Of course, the difference between professional musicians and amateurs is also here. But their misunderstanding is that they often concentrate on "arpeggios" and "interruptions". "play", thus ignoring the deeper aspects of the music. I feel that improving your understanding of music is more important than overcoming bad habits on a purely musical level. However, if people can understand some principles of music forms, follow the composer's ideological context, and hear elements such as melody and rhythm, they will slowly hear the clues on a purely musical level, which is important for deeper understanding of music. There is no harm in understanding music.

Finally, I hit it again and divided music appreciation into three levels for the convenience of analysis. In fact, people do not listen to music only on a single level, but all levels are connected and integrated with each other. In a sense, the ideal listener can be both in and out of music, appreciating and criticizing music at the same time. Only when you listen more consciously and consciously can you deepen your understanding of music and learn to appreciate music.

However, no matter how many words you read, it cannot replace the experience that the music itself brings to you. The most important thing in appreciating music is to listen a lot, to cover a wide range of topics, and to listen to classic works repeatedly, such as Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc. I think, not only music, but every art appreciation should be like this.