Is Prog For Musicians Only?

I played trombone in grammar school concert band.  But I wasn't very good.  Sometimes I try to figure out songs on my son's 22-key Casio.  I've got the 5 notes from "Close Encounters" down pat.

Well, of course not.

GHOSTNOTE wrote:       I am a drummer, who has loved progressive rock for many years and i have noticed that myself and other musicians i haved jammed with over the years can relate with this style of music, but people who do not play a musical instrument do not.      So ultimitly is prog rock for musicians only?

The T wrote: I agree... off course you can like Prog if you're not a musician, but you'll miss one of its best elements: the musicianship, the possibility of analyzing structures, keys, harmonies, drum playing, etc, and get amazed (or dissapointed) by what you hear.   Non-musicians tend to like their music just for entertainment sake, just as something better than silence for moments like eating, working, etc...or they want music with a purpose, namely music that helps them dance..... they just won't sit down througha 20+minute epic.... what fun will it be to them? for them, short, 3-4 minute pieces are more than enough...surely they can love some aspects of prog, too, but they won't appreciate them in their whole magnitude as a musician can.   So I'll say 90% prog-lovers are musicians....I know others that aren't but at least they love art....they love literature, they love good cinema...THEY LOVE THEIR BRAIN TO BE CHALLENGED AND PLAYED WITH....

I learnt to play the piano and the guitar although I wouldn't really call myself a musician as I'm not very good at either.

,, IS PROG FOR MUSICIANS ONLY?,,....of course not.

Edited by gong - November 03 2006 at 04:53

So not being a musician makes me a prog wannabe? What a waste of 800 albums, eh?

To be fair to GHOSTNOTE, he speaks from his experience of his fellow prog. enthusiasts and then he poses a question based on that experience for people to comment on and already we are seeing a range of responses. He definitely is not saying that you have to be a musician to relate to prog.I would say don't condemn him for posing the question.

In any event , it will vary from individual to individual. Are you or have you been a musician? Does that help you relate to prog? Many would answer 'yes'.

I play and I'm into prog and jazz and nearly every other style of music so long as it is played/sung well. Does that make me elitist or a musical snob? Well, I don't believe so, except when it comes to Country and Western [not even playing and singing it well saves it for me {how elitist can you get}]

I have a number of friends who do not sing or play who are absolutely 'die-hard' prog fans. I have late teenage children who sing and play, yet they are very prog intolerant [despite my best efforts to convert them]. My brother-in-law is one of the most soughtafter electric bass players in this country ,based in Melbourne,who plays mainly jazz and fusion by choice and anything else going to help pay the bills . I've exposed him to more prog than fusion and he really enjoys the challenge of it and he says that it helps to give him ideas.

So where is all this leading ? I guess it can help if you are musical but you certainly don't have to be imo.

I dont think prog is just for musicians, its emotional music, that can apeal to anyone.

I'm not a musician but in a related story once someone was talking to me about music and I said I liked prog and he imediately asked me what instrument I played.

I used to play trumpet in the high school marching band, but I got into prog after I gave up on playing music