At 8/23/14 07:04 PM, Sundans wrote:
At 8/23/14 02:12 PM, LunyAlex wrote:
You are absolutely right that this argument isn't difficult. The fact is that, in the case of digital synthesis, the computer generates the sound of the notes set on your piano roll. Arguably the DAW is the pen and paper and the computer itself -- the machine that generates the sound -- is the instrument.
At 8/23/14 01:23 PM, midimachine wrote:
you can write music on pen and paper, but nobody calls pen and paper an instrument because that would be daft and pretentious./debate over
Drive safe everyone
So you are absolutely right. This debate is over, primarily because the most pretentious thing about this thread is the devovled argument over the semantics of what the instrument actually is.
For all intents and purposes, our colloquial use of the phrase "musical Instrument" defines something that generates sound as a result of being played.
You will not find the "played" part in any dictionary, but one would have to be reaching pretty badly, to not understand what I'm saying here.
Do you support the notion of an instrument that can't be played?
Why does something that has a crucial aspect missing from what all other instruments have (ability to be played) supposedly bare the same title?
Have you ever seriously considered someone that writes music on a computer as "Able to play an instrument?".
There is no practical bearing to calling a computer an instrument other than being able to reinforce one's validity as a musician.
In my experience that's what this debate has always been about. Ego.
People that make music on a computer have their validity as a musician attacked by dumbasses that think it takes no skill to produce music in this manner.
This is obviously a ridiculous premise shared by those ignorant to this art.
Is it necessary to include an odd element into a category just for convenience in such situations?
Because by doing this we're bypassing the purpose of language itself. Language is there to identify and communicate information in a pragmatic manner.
Calling a computer an instrument is very far away form pragmatic.
"Do you play an instrument?"
"Yes, I play the computer"
*Still awkward silence*
And did I offend you with my first comment, because your tone seems to somewhat indicate that. I'd hate to be offending anyone; I did specifically state above that I was trying to be playful through my tone, not abrasive.