Tyler Moseberry, Courier Staff
September 13, 2019
Music is interesting because it can relate to you on a mental and physical level. Music fills a room, sets the mood or tone and can make someone famous. I believe that the instruments are far more important than vocals.
Instruments have been around for more than 30 thousand years, and with instruments, we have been able to make unique sounds that can make a song when chained together. A group of instruments playing in conjunction can make a whole auditorium feel full.
Some people have the natural ability to sing different notes and tunes and that is why it can become a career for some. What I am arguing is that instruments have more creative potential than vocals.
Instruments alone are going to have an edge in the precision of notes that humans cannot hit without some type of tune adjustment. This precision allows for instruments to make sounds that can “hook” the listener, which is a term also used in the music world.
Emotion is typically tied with music because music can evoke certain emotions very easily from people. Things like suspense, happiness and sorrow are common emotions that people feel when listening to a piece of music. Smart directors know this and use this to make the listener feel a certain type of way.
Sometimes music can be culture specific. Most of us westerners will associate songs played in major to be a happy tone while minor being sadder. In other cultures and places, the opposite is true and it is a learned trait, not an innate one. This is why it is important to know your audience.
Another thing that instruments have over vocals is tune and language. Vocals are affected by accents and language, but instruments are consistent tools to get the sound that you desire. Regardless of where you are from or how you were raised, instruments, when played correctly, will have the same sound.
Remixes are something that we have gotten used to in the 21st century, and all of these remixes have the instrumentals being manipulated to the discretion of the individual. The reason that this is possible without people getting tired of music entirely is because of the emotion that the tune draws out of people.
With the implementation of computer software that allows you to make remixes and beats, instrumentals can be made with extreme fluidity and blending with minimal effort and less people. After the instrumental is finished, the creator has a new piece.
Unlike vocals, it is harder to accuse someone of stealing because instrumentals have been using pieces of other instrumentals a lot, especially recently. The most important thing is that instrumentals can be the foundation and used with vocals.
Vocals have a role in a good song and add to the story or the emotion the song is trying to give. The bottom line is that both vocals and instruments work in conjunction. If it sounds good, then you will have some type of emotion towards the song. As long as the song makes you feel something, it has done its job.
