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Do you consider the laptop to be a musical instrument?

  • Yes

    Votes: 73 40.8%
  • No

    Votes: 106 59.2%

Do you consider the laptop to be a musical instrument?

80K views 352 replies 99 participants last post by  Ethereality 
#1 ·
I'm curious to find out what you all think on this matter.

Whatever your opinion, why not give us an insight into why you feel the way you do?
 
#244 ·
Its technically both. To someone that knows how to utilize it as such it is an instrument.

What would happen if you gave a caveman a violin? he would probably try to use it as a tool to hunt wild life. Did you know that the implied purpose of computers has evolved over the past 50 years?
 
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#245 ·
Its technically both. To someone that knows how to utilize it as such it is an instrument.
And what instrument do you play ?
What would happen if you gave a caveman a violin? he would probably try to use it as a tool to hunt wild life.
I doubt he would be so thick
Did you know that the implied purpose of computers has evolved over the past 50 years?
I shall ignore that it is condescending.
 
#248 ·
by pressing keys and clicking buttons :D
 
#252 ·
Being the father of Electronic music- I thought I should make comment here - as I once said

"I don't want to write any more for the old Man-power instruments and am handicapped by the lack of adequate electrical instruments for which I now conceive my music." and also said
"I dream of instruments obedient to my thought and which with their contribution of a whole new world of unsuspected sounds, will lend themselves to the exigencies of my inner rhythm."

I think I had a theme here and was frustrated by the lack of electronic instruments to realize his aural visions- so I would have to say Yes to the question....
 
#254 ·
Maybe I can help you understand the 17 pages ....... for a start the definition.....
"A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be a musical instrument-it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture. The purpose of early musical instruments was ritual: a hunter might use a trumpet to signal success on the hunt, or a shaman might use a drum in a religious ceremony. Cultures later developed the processes of composing and performing melodies for entertainment.[citation needed] Musical instruments evolved in step with changing applications.

The date and origin of the first device considered a musical instrument is disputed. The oldest object that some scholars refer to as a musical instrument, a simple flute, dates back as far as 67,000 years. Consensus begins to form about early flutes dating to about 37,000 years old. However, most historians believe that determining a specific time of musical instrument invention is impossible due to the subjectivity of the definition and the relative instability of materials that were used in their construction. Many early musical instruments were made from animal skins, bone, wood, and other non-durable materials.

Regardless of how the sound in an instrument is produced, many musical instruments have a keyboard (like computers) as the user-interface. Keyboard instruments are any instruments that are played with a musical keyboard. Every key generates one or more sounds; most keyboard instruments have extra means (pedals for a piano, stops for an organ) to manipulate these sounds. They may produce sound by wind being fanned (organ) or pumped (accordion),or by electronic means (synthesizer- computer),or in some other way, ie PC.
Forehead Smile Statue Sculpture Black-and-white
 
#255 ·
Whether you think the laptop is an instrument or not, it has certainly helped cause a musical revolution. Its capabilities have brought the concept of an electronic studio into the hands of the everyday user, and this has lead to people creating full albums and creating entire genres around this.

Would you consider a wooden block a musical instrument? What about various percussion instruments that didn't originate in musical places? You also have to understand that laptops (more electronic music in general) are helping us create sounds and beats and timbres that simply aren't physically possible in our world. Saying it isn't an instrument is speaking from a strictly acoustic perspective...and, whether you like it or not, doubting the fact that it creates music from many different standpoints isn't an opinion, it's literally not factual. Isn't that the criteria for an "instrument" after all?
 
#261 ·
It's an interesting question. While I don't consider a laptop to be an instrument, it could only fall under percussion.

It usually comes across a musician's or a music enthusiast's mine whether a piano is a string or percussion instrument. True, strings' resonance is responsible for the sound, but the distinction lies in how it is manipulated [played] by the performer. The piano, and all keyboards, require the angular "strike" of fingers or hands. As strikes are how performance is accomplished, it properly falls into the category of percussion.

Likewise with a laptop. It's really only activated and used by angular touching, tapping, striking, keying, etc.

I realize that that's pretty obvious, but the categorization puts the whole question into an interesting perspective--for me, anyway.
 
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#277 ·
Actions speak louder than words
I think not!

Is this the best that you can come up with ??
1st video. even the use of the word 'Orchestra' is completely wrong an Orchestra is made up of a group of people (Musicians) playing (instruments) in sections Wind, String, Brass and percussion and is of various sizes from say 9 or 10 (a small chamber orch) to 135+ for a Symphony Orch.
Now this bald guy sitting at his computer is just a programmer and the computer is just a machine producing sound thanks to a special program that has been loaded, the thing is still working even when the bald guy is not touching it.
So the video explains nothing and the 2nd is worse but perhaps you can be more convincing with words and explain this reasoning of yours.
 
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#279 ·
Oh so it needs to be an 'Orchestra' with Laptop. Ok then try these then..............
I did not say that I just trying to get you to explain why you consider a PC is a musical instrument
I could also ask you is a keyboard or Piano an instrument?
Of course a Piano is a musical instrument did you need to ask? Now come on no hiding behind You tube videos explain yourself
 
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#284 ·
Mr Varese Do I detect an admission of defeat in your silence? A pity because I have some questions that you would find interesting, just a sweetener :

Why is it then that although I am a musician I just cannot get a tune out of my PC?? But my flute, recorders and violin present no problem should I take the PC back to the computer shop and tell them it’s a dud?
 
#285 ·
Mr Varese Do I detect an admission of defeat in your silence? A pity because I have some questions that you would find interesting, just a sweetener :

Why is it then that although I am a musician I just cannot get a tune out of my PC?? But my flute, recorders and violin present no problem should I take the PC back to the computer shop and tell them it's a dud?
Was just moving 2500 Kilometres from Perth to Adelaide - sorry for the slow reply.............

You could use your PC as a percussive instrument and bang it hard repeatedly on something in a 4/4 time signature of course:lol:
 
#288 ·
In Adelaide now thanks - still unpacking boxes and getting in trouble from she who must be obeyed (the wife) for logging on here instead of unpacking:tiphat:

I would suggest that is all software dependent, didn't seem to be any trouble for youtube posts I put up.

Like any instrument the scales and dependent on the functionality of the particular instrument ie different b/n guitar sax and keyboards as some examples and a PC would be no different in fact you can program the keys to what ever notes/ scales you wish - so I don't think that is a problem for using a PC as a keyboard for example............ There are plenty of keyboards out there with dead actions also!
 
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#289 ·
I was under the impression that a Synthesiser was the same as a keyboard but had more “sounds” to call on and could mix.

Regarding a PC, I can’t go along with your explanation.
Is there is a program that allocates one note to one key on the PC and allows the user to control the volume and execution (without any further input) of all the notes so that you can from a sheet of music ‘say a piano quartet’ previously unseen and play this in real time with other musicians on their own instruments if so what is the program called.

Now if there is such a program (which I doubt) all it does is to allow the PC user to use the PC to play music which would not be possible without the program, so as purchased the PC is a PC and not a musical instrument this can be applied to many objects.
 
#290 ·
Andante,

there are many such application/ programs my son has one on his IPad and it does quite amasing things and yes you can sight read sheet music and play what ever you desire on it. You can even get external keyboards to add on to the Ipad- something my son does not do - he just uses the Ipad as is. Refer below:

Musical instrument Piano Keyboard Musical keyboard Musical instrument accessory
Musical instrument Piano Keyboard Electric piano Musical instrument accessory
Computer Musical instrument Laptop Personal computer Keyboard


also below is an example of a program that turns laptop in to a keyboard instrument.
"Keyboard Music
Keyboard Music translates the sounds of various instruments, such as a piano, a guitar, or even steel drums, to your PC keyboard so you can "play" notes on each instrument. The main program screen display includes a map of a keyboard, with numbers that designate the location of each note (for example, the number 1 often equals the note "C.")"

Ref http://download.cnet.com/Keyboard-Music/3000-2133_4-10396319.html
 
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