What Is Wrong With Everyone?

Rick Beato

18 Apr 202405:55

Summary

TLDRThe speaker in the video script recounts an incident involving his son Dylan's guitar and the concept of being 'in tune.' The story unfolds with a memory of Dylan being eight years old and the speaker discovering his turntable was running too fast, causing songs to sound out of pitch. Fast forward to the present, where Dylan is practicing for a concert and a string goes out of tune. The speaker's wife and sisters, unfamiliar with the song, question how they could know if the guitar is out of tune without knowing the song. This leads to a broader discussion about the general public's understanding of musical tuning, the impact of autotune on musical perception, and how modern music production techniques have led to a heightened sensitivity to perfectly tuned sounds, making deviations from standard tuning more noticeable and potentially jarring to listeners.

Takeaways

🎵 The speaker discovered that their turntable was running sharp 9 years ago while playing a song with Dylan, his son.
👂 Dylan, who had never heard the song before, was unable to recognize that the turntable was out of tune.
🤔 The speaker pondered whether Dylan's lack of familiarity with the song influenced his inability to notice the pitch discrepancy.
🎸 During a recent guitar practice session, Dylan's guitar string went out of tune, which the speaker's wife also failed to recognize.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker's family members, during a FaceTime call, echoed the same sentiment, questioning how one could know if something is out of tune without knowing the song.
🎓 The speaker tried to explain the concept of being 'in tune with itself' versus 'out of tune with itself' to his family.
👧 The speaker's daughter, Leila, also demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding the concept of a string being out of tune with itself.
🤷‍♂️ The speaker expressed frustration and confusion over the general lack of understanding about what 'in tune' and 'out of tune' mean.
🎧 The speaker hypothesized that people's perception of tuning might be skewed due to the prevalence of autotune and quantized rhythms in modern music.
🎼 There is a difference between being out of tune with a standard pitch and being out of tune with the rest of the instrument or other instruments.
🎧 The speaker mentioned that some songs require retuning of an instrument to match the pitch of the recorded version, which may have been altered.
📈 The speaker suggested that people's sensitivity to pitch might be affected by the common use of autotune, making deviations from perfect tuning more noticeable.

Q & A

What was the incident that made the speaker realize his turntable was running sharp?
-The speaker realized his turntable was running sharp when he played the song 'Bright Size Life' and noticed that the transition from G to B flat to D was not as he expected. When he played the D note on the piano, it didn't match the pitch from the turntable, indicating that the turntable was running too fast.
Why did the speaker initially think his son Dylan might not have noticed the turntable being out of tune?
-The speaker thought Dylan might not have noticed because Dylan had never heard the song before and might be used to hearing songs that are not quite in pitch, such as sped up or slowed down versions of Beatles, Stones, Soundgarden, or Van Halen songs.
What was the situation with Dylan's guitar during his practice for the concert?
-During Dylan's practice, one of his guitar strings slipped out of tune. The speaker pointed it out to his wife, but she couldn't identify it as out of tune because she had never heard the song before.
How did the speaker demonstrate to his wife that the guitar string was out of tune?
-The speaker used a tuner to show his wife that the low E string was in tune, as indicated by the green light on the tuner. Then he played the A string, which was flat, causing the red light to show to the left. After adjusting the string, it reached the green light, indicating it was now in tune.
Why did the speaker's sisters also not understand when he mentioned Dylan's guitar being out of tune?
-The sisters, like the wife, did not understand because they were not familiar with the song Dylan was practicing. They thought being out of tune was relative to the song, not recognizing that a guitar string can be out of tune with itself.
What did the speaker conclude about people's understanding of the concept of being 'in tune' or 'out of tune'?
-The speaker concluded that many people might not understand the concept of a musical instrument being out of tune with itself. He found it surprising that people around him did not recognize a string being out of tune without knowing the song being played.
What is the effect of autotune on people's perception of music?
-Autotune has made people more sensitive to music being in tune, to the point where they find it bothersome when something is out of tune. This has also affected their perception of rhythm and the natural human feel in music.
Why do some songs require retuning of a guitar to play along?
-Some songs, such as those by Van Halen, Jimmy Hendrick, or the Beatles, may have been recorded with the tape sped up or slowed down, which changes the pitch. To play along with these songs, a guitarist would need to retune their instrument to match the altered pitch.
What is the difference between a song being out of tune with standard pitch and with itself?
-A song being out of tune with standard pitch means it does not conform to the conventional tuning of musical instruments. Being out of tune with itself refers to individual notes or strings on an instrument not matching the intended pitch, regardless of the song being played.
Why does the speaker believe that people might not recognize a note as being flat or sharp?
-The speaker believes that people might not recognize a note as being flat or sharp because they are so accustomed to hearing music that has been autotuned or quantized, which lacks the natural variations in pitch and rhythm that occur in live or unprocessed music.
What does the speaker suggest about the impact of modern music production techniques on listeners' musical expectations?
-The speaker suggests that the use of autotune and quantization in modern music production has led to listeners developing an expectation for perfection in pitch and rhythm, making them less tolerant of and perhaps less able to discern slight variations that are natural in non-processed music.
How does the speaker feel about the situation and the reactions of his family and sisters?
-The speaker feels perplexed and somewhat isolated by the lack of understanding from his family and sisters. He is 'obsessed' with the situation and seeks validation and understanding from others by sharing his thoughts and asking for their opinions.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 The Mystery of Out of Tune Instruments 🎵

The speaker recounts an incident from 9 years ago when his son Dylan was 8. They were listening to a song on a turntable and the speaker noticed that the song seemed to be running too fast. He played a note on the piano and realized that the turntable was indeed out of tune. He later realized that Dylan, having never heard the song before, wouldn't know if it was out of tune. The speaker then reflects on how people today are so used to things being in tune due to autotune that they find it jarring when something is out of tune. He discusses how this applies not just to pitch, but also to rhythm, with many songs today being quantized to a grid like a drum machine. The speaker is left questioning whether people truly understand what it means for something to be in tune or out of tune.

05:01

🤔 The Impact of Autotune on Our Perception of Music 🤔

The speaker continues his discussion on tuning and rhythm, noting that people have become hyper-attuned to things being in tune thanks to autotune. He mentions that when people hear something out of tune, it bothers them because it deviates from the standard pitch they are accustomed to. The speaker also talks about how the use of programming and quantization in music has led to a loss of the human feel in songs. He shares his observations that when people hear a song or a performance that is not perfectly in tune or on a grid, it sounds strange to them. The speaker expresses his concerns about this shift in musical perception and invites viewers to share their thoughts on the matter.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Turntable

A turntable is a device that plays music from vinyl records. In the video, the speaker uses a turntable to play a song and discovers that it's running sharp, which leads to a discussion about pitch and tuning.

💡Pitch

Pitch refers to the perceived frequency of a sound, which is how high or low a note sounds. The video discusses how the speaker noticed a discrepancy in pitch when playing a song on a turntable and a piano, leading to the realization that the turntable was out of tune.

💡Out of Tune

When an instrument or a sound is 'out of tune,' it means that it does not match the standard pitch or the intended pitch of the music. The video script revolves around the concept of being 'out of tune,' using it to explore the speaker's confusion when others don't recognize a musical instrument as being out of tune.

💡Guitar

A guitar is a stringed musical instrument that the speaker's son, Dylan, plays. The video mentions Dylan practicing for a concert and an incident where a guitar string goes out of tune, sparking a conversation about tuning and musical perception.

💡Tuner

A tuner is a device used to ensure that musical instruments are at the correct pitch. In the script, the speaker uses a tuner to demonstrate to his wife that the guitar string was flat and, after adjustment, became in tune.

💡Autotune

Autotune is an electronic music technology used to alter the pitch of a voice or instrument to make it sound more in tune. The video discusses how the prevalence of autotune has made people less tolerant of out-of-tune sounds, as they are accustomed to the precision it provides.

💡Quantization

Quantization in music production refers to the process of aligning recorded notes to a grid, making the rhythm more precise and less 'human.' The speaker mentions this in the context of how modern music production can affect our perception of what sounds natural or in tune.

💡Concert

A concert is a live music performance, which is relevant to the video as Dylan is practicing for an upcoming concert. The concert serves as a backdrop for the discussions about musical tuning and preparation.

💡Van Halen

Van Halen is an American rock band mentioned in the video as an example of a group whose songs might require a guitar to be retuned to match the pitch of the recorded tracks, which might have been sped up or slowed down.

💡Jimmy Hendrix

Jimmy Hendrix, referred to in the script, is a renowned American musician known for his guitar skills. His music is used as an example to illustrate the point about songs that might be out of standard tuning and require specific tuning to play along.

💡The Beatles

The Beatles are a famous British rock band that the speaker references when discussing songs that could be out of pitch due to changes in recording speed. The mention of The Beatles underscores the universality of the issue across different genres and eras of music.

💡Musical Perception

Musical perception is the ability to recognize and understand musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, and tuning. The video script explores this concept through the speaker's interactions with others who do not seem to recognize when a guitar or a song is out of tune.

Highlights

The speaker discovered that their turntable was running sharp when playing a specific song.

Dylan, the speaker's son, was unaware of the turntable's out-of-tune issue due to his unfamiliarity with the song.

The speaker contemplated whether Dylan's perception of pitch might be skewed due to exposure to songs that are not in standard tuning.

During Dylan's guitar practice, a string went out of tune, prompting a discussion about pitch perception.

The speaker's wife, like Dylan, didn't understand the concept of a guitar being out of tune with itself.

The speaker demonstrated the difference between in-tune and out-of-tune to his wife using a guitar tuner.

The speaker's sisters also lacked understanding of the concept of a guitar being out of tune with itself.

The speaker played different chords to his sisters to illustrate the difference between in-tune and out-of-tune sounds.

There is a general confusion among people the speaker interacted with regarding the concept of being in or out of tune.

The speaker questioned whether people understand the difference between in-tune and out-of-tune in the age of autotune.

Autotune has led to a heightened sensitivity to perfectly tuned music, making out-of-tune sounds more noticeable and unpleasant.

The speaker observed that modern music production often uses quantization, making human imperfections in rhythm and pitch less common.

The speaker's daughters, like others, did not recognize the guitar being out of tune without knowing the song.

The concept of a string being out of tune with the rest of the instrument was not immediately clear to the speaker's family.

The speaker is left questioning their own understanding and sanity regarding pitch and tuning in a world dominated by autotune and quantization.

The speaker invites viewers to share their thoughts on the matter, highlighting the subjective nature of musical tuning.