The argument that Virtuosity/Proficiency = No Emotion (musical instruments).

What is your opinion?

While I'll agree there are some robots, its pretty stupid to say that people who master their instruments have no emotion. If that's true then all the great masters of classical music have no emotion. Learning techniques, scales, chords etc benefits a musician, and can help them express themselves better.

And if the thought of a musician sacrificing a whole **** load of time, through hardships and whatnot, to improve his skills to perform for you doesn't do anything for you then its your loss.

The argument is usually brought up and is valid (in terms of popular music) when a guitarist/bassist/etc. regurgitates scales with no real structural or emotional value behind them, backed with a sterile, very dry tone and mixing that cuts the low-end of the instrument.

IE: Necrophagist.

In my mind, the band Coldplay is the perfect example of skill and mastery resulting in a lack of emotion. Their songs are masterfully put together, resulting in a completely uninteresting, uninspired and mathematically constructed, predictable piece of music.

That being said, I can speak from experience to say that tedious and time consuming study of theory and structure of songs allows one to put a lot more emotion into music when they understand how to build music, how to close their eyes, sit down, and make something from nothing.

Well, it really does depend, doesn't it?
A lot of people make this argument for Dream Theater, which is why you made this thread I assume, as I'm aware that you are a Dream Theater fan.
A lot of their stuff does in fact have just that; emotion.
But I suppose if we look at Technical Death Metal or Math Rock, there's none of that. Zip, nothing. Just "listen to me solo, I solo all day. Solo, solo solo."

I've never heard that argument before, and its ridiculous...

On a strictly instrumental level, a true virtuoso will be able to play technically and expressively. I find often with bigger artists that it's the production of the tracks that takes the emotion out of it, rather than the players themselves.

There's some merit to it. It's not strictly as cut and dry as that, but a performer who feels a connection to the music they are playing as if it's flowing directly from his soul to his appendages and is able to connect the audience to the performance is a much more entertaining performer. At least for most people.

I'm sure there's probably some people that bring their internal metronome to concerts too.

But I suppose if we look at Technical Death Metal or Math Rock, there's none of that. Zip, nothing. Just "listen to me solo, I solo all day. Solo, solo solo."

RisethNameless

IE: Necrophagist.

Saturos3091

First band that came to my mind too. Suicmez is a talented musician but god damn is Necrophagist emotionless.

Jimi Hendrix is one of very few people who possess perfect pitch, i think.

Jimi Hendrix is one of very few people who possess perfect pitch, i think.

Ilovegames1992

[QUOTE="Ilovegames1992"]

Jimi Hendrix is one of very few people who possess perfect pitch, i think.

Lonelynight

Link me up.

[QUOTE="Lonelynight"][QUOTE="Ilovegames1992"]

Jimi Hendrix is one of very few people who possess perfect pitch, i think.

Ilovegames1992

Link me up.

I think it's pretty obvious that there are plenty of excellent musicians who play with a lot of emotion. There not much reason to say otherwise unless you're a slacker who doesn't practice but still wants to brag about how good you are.

[QUOTE="Ilovegames1992"]

[QUOTE="Lonelynight"] a lot of famous musicians have perfect pitch.Lonelynight

Link me up.

Thats not that many. Considering the hundreds and thousands of musicians.

[QUOTE="Lonelynight"][QUOTE="Ilovegames1992"]

Link me up.

Ilovegames1992

Thats not that many. Considering the hundreds and thousands of musicians.

I disagree, the phrasing of a note is the most important factor in this argument. Look at MAB(Michael Angelo Batio), he is what you discribe a virtuoso who can play blazing speed with both hands and some opinion a souless one. However, his video lesson or solo work are filled with wonderful phrasing that sets emotion. Lastly some solos in music are just a display of ones proficiency like the music Cult of personality but the guitarist makes it up for the dullness with an improv on live performance.

Virtuosity and being proficient really helps add emotion to a point. And then there's the point where the level of technical ability hurts the music more than helps. It really just depends on the music. Something can have a lot of emotion while being complex to play.

I've heard it said (fairly often) about the likes of Paganini and Liszt, so that argument certainly is not only applied to guitarists.

[QUOTE="Ilovegames1992"]

[QUOTE="Lonelynight"] wikipeida Some of the more notable ones are probably guitarist like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Yngwie Malmsteen. Though I would like to add that you're comment that a very few people posses perfect pitch to be right, since famous musicians are a very small fraction of the population, and even not all of them have perfect pitch.Lonelynight

Thats not that many. Considering the hundreds and thousands of musicians.

Perfect pitch is not something you learn... it is a genetic thing, You literally hear the vibrations of everything, and everything is a note. It is not much of a blessing, it can be a real pain. Example, a lawn mower buzzing, a simple tapping on a wall; perfect pitch people know what "note" it is.

For example, if anything is tuned not to A440, it will drive a perfect pitch person insane. I had a piano player friend in some of my university music classes, who quit music because he found it boring. He could look at a piece of music, not even play it, and know what it would sound like. That sucks. About 1% of the people in the world have it.

I've never heard that argument before, and its ridiculous...

Ilovegames1992