Do musicians appreciate music better?

I think the only things friends of mine who play instruments pick up on more than me are subtleties in songs. By listening to lots of different styles of music, I've learned a lot about musical theory by osmosis. I can't play one chord on a guitar or drums, but I can appreciate a great riff/solo or awesome time signatures. Some stuff I don't notice are things like guitar leads that may sound simple, but in fact are very difficult to play. Of course I'm not going to know that because I've no idea how to play a guitar. So overall, I'd say musicians appreciate music marginally better than non-musicians.

Probably yes and no. Musicians are just people too - they're not magical all-knowing musical beings. Just because (I say "just" lightly) a person is amazing with a violin or guitar or keyboard doesn't mean they automatically know everything about every aspect of music. I just (again, "just") think that means they understand their instrument and how difficult it is to play, or whatever, or maybe that specific type of music that they play.

So I think they might be able to appreciate the difficulties that go with creating the type of music they make/play, but I don't think in most cases that they appreciate ALL music better because not all music is made the same. And it's sort of a tricky question, because exactly how does one measure appreciation? I'm referring to understanding how difficult it is to make great music, but it could also include reflecting on the message, or creativity, or the legacy, or a hundred other things I couldn't think up.

Also I'm not a musician so I could just be blowing hot air, lol.

Actually, i am a musician and i have a friend who thinks he's one but he's not and there's a big difference in our music. For instance, i respect a good song, but i like to hear what the different parts sound like and how the rythmes sound. For him its like he only bases a song of how the singer sounds and how the part that stands out the most sounds. So yes a musician would appreciate the music better because of the time we put into making our songs and how difficult some of them are while as people who don't play have no idea how hard something is because they don't play.

I definitely noticed things that I wasn't noticing before after taking up guitar.. and overall I found music to be just that much better... so while I don't really consider myself a musician, I'd say yeah, musicians have a higher appreciation for music than most people.

well i play the guitar in my room? if you would consider that a musician..

music makes me crazy {: ..

especially if im listening to Led Zeppelin.. goodness i fall so deep into the song..

and once its over.. i feel kind of enlightened.. as if i just meditated for hours..

cant explain..

the feeling is much more intense when i play my beautiful guitars..

when i listen to a song i can really appriciate..

i can concertrate on every part of the song.. and kinda fall in love with it.. and forget about its little tweaks..

once your in love with a certain song.. the guitar can be completly out of tune.. and you wouldent even notice it..

its more of a concentration on the skill and the emotions.. rather than just the song itself..

there isent just the band on stage.. but the instruments are people too..

the song becomes one.. all the instruments they blend.. to create this whole new universe.

What the guy before me said is true.

They put their mind totally on their song for long hours.

Fixing things that don't sound right or need different meanings.

I consider myself a musician because I take everyday life and explain it in my songs.

I'd say yes, because since I've become a musicion (drummer), my appreciation for music multiplied by like 10 times. I can really feel the emotion and realize the talent in certain music now.

I like to think so but maybe I'm just being elitist. When you here someone chugging out the same power chord and other people call it incredible because it has some cool distortion then I think you can appreciate it better, for better or worse.

Probably on some levels.

Not a musician.

The comparison for me is skateboarding, nonskateboarders can appreciate the tricks too but I feel like having actually skated and having tried to do tricks that the pros did made me realize exactly how hard some of that stuff is.

yeah i think thats true... i think overall us musicians tend to research it more sorta... if i never learned to play guitar i never would have known about most of the music i listen too