Active listening

JimmyM

Diamond Member
I’ve seen two of these things where Drumeo has drummers listening to a song without drums once, then attempting to play it. And they always say “So and So is using active listening to learn the arrangement.” For some reason I find that annoying.
 
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I don't see that as active listening. That is listening to formulate a plan.

To me active listening involves playing along to an unfamiliar piece and reactively placing complimentary notes based on what's going on.

The more music I listen to, the more I understand what the music is going to do before it does it. Passage changes and pitch directions become more obvious over time.
 
How would you word it?

It does sound hokey
 
How would you word it?

It does sound hokey
I would say “So and So is listening…”

Simple. They make it sound like a technique that only the best players understand when it’s all just your ordinary garden variety listening and paying attention.
 
"Active Listening" is a psycho-babble term coined in '57 and, apparently, co-opted by Drumeo.

 
Well hold on. I feel like there is a difference between just listening and active listening. Listening is hearing stuff in general. Active listening is actually honing in on something and listening specifically.

When you are sitting in a room of people, you hear everything. That is listening. Drowning out everything to hear a single conversation, that is active listening.

It is still listening, but more so. We can choose how to listen. It's not a static sense.
 
When you are sitting in a room of people, you hear everything. That is listening. Drowning out everything to hear a single conversation, that is active listening.

Or hearing a song is listening, and focusing on the drum part only is active listening.

I don't care for the term, but I happen to like much of Drumeo's content and I can see why some people feel threatened by their very existence.
 
Well hold on. I feel like there is a difference between just listening and active listening. Listening is hearing stuff in general. Active listening is actually honing in on something and listening specifically.

When you are sitting in a room of people, you hear everything. That is listening. Drowning out everything to hear a single conversation, that is active listening.

It is still listening, but more so. We can choose how to listen. It's not a static sense.
Hearing stuff in general is called “hearing stuff in general.” I think everyone assumes that when someone learns a song by listening to it, they’re paying attention to it and formulating a plan.
 
Or hearing a song is listening, and focusing on the drum part only is active listening.

I don't care for the term, but I happen to like much of Drumeo's content and I can see why some people feel threatened by their very existence.
This listening/playing thing they do is a brilliant idea. I think it’s a lot of fun to see musicians put themselves on the spot like that. I just thought this phrase puffed up the process too much and I think Drumeo likes doing that a little too much.
 
This is something they pressed us on in school-- that, for musicians, listening is not the lay definition of just hearing something; for musicians it means focused listening as a primary activity.
Oh geez, Todd…now you’re doing it! Lol
 
This listening/playing thing they do is a brilliant idea. I think it’s a lot of fun to see musicians put themselves on the spot like that. I just thought this phrase puffed up the process too much and I think Drumeo likes doing that a little too much.
For what it's worth (negative a penny by my calculations) it's not just Drumeo that latches on to whatever the buzzword of the moment is.

I realize there is a lot of Drumeo hate here, but I find most of their content worthwhile for my purposes.
 
Not just a listener, he's an active listener.

Not just a shooter, he's an active shooter.

Not just a whatchamacallit, it's an active whatchamacallit.

So much activity. Time to chillax a bit.
 
This is something they pressed us on in school-- that, for musicians, listening is not the lay definition of just hearing something; for musicians it means focused listening as a primary activity.
What is the difference between focused listening and active listening?
 
In contrast, when Ed Shaughnessy talked about "defensive" listening, he was referring to making yourself listen to the pop radio stations so you could stay hip to what was popular at the time - he wasn't going to be caught with not knowing what the kids wanted to hear, and he'd be able to deliver it if the situation called for it.

He said that to me over 30 years ago. I wonder if he'd still prescribe to it today, though ;)
 
In contrast, when Ed Shaughnessy talked about "defensive" listening, he was referring to making yourself listen to the pop radio stations so you could stay hip to what was popular at the time - he wasn't going to be caught with not knowing what the kids wanted to hear, and he'd be able to deliver it if the situation called for it.

He said that to me over 30 years ago. I wonder if he'd still prescribe to it today, though ;)
Pretty sure he would.
 
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