Are all great musicians good at physics?

[tarekatpf]

A lot of physicists were good at music. A lot of musicians were good at physics ( for example, the pink floyd guys who went to architecture school. One beatles member wanted to be an engineer, another was good at mechanics. )

Does this mean all great musicians were good at physics, too?

Can you name some great musicians who were known to be not good at physics?

I am worried about it, because music is the most important thing in my life, but I am not good at physics. Does that mean my brain is hardwired to make me not do good in music?

 

[DiracPool]

Does this mean all great musicians were good at physics, too?

Great question, tare, and welcome to PF First of all, to be a good scientist, try to avoid using the word "all" unless you really mean it. So your answer is no. But there is a connection there. Of course, two examples you missed were Einstein and his violin, and Brian May from Queen, who actually published a book recently.

I'll give you my personal opinion here, and this is just my personal opinion, as I am not a physicist, I'm a neurobiologist and a musician. But's that's where I think I can add to the discussion. I've found that there are 2 types of musicians, left brain and right brain. The left brain type are the technically proficient. These are usually the studio musician type. The other are more the right brain type. These are the type's of jokers that stink technically, but somehow can pull a great song out of nowhere. Most mathematicians and physicists are left brain leaning thinkers in my experience, so it's not surprising that these are the more technically proficient instrumentalists. I don't know about their songwriting, though.

 

[leroyjenkens]

To be good at physics, you need to sit down and study it a lot. How many great musicians have not taken the time to sit down and study physics a lot? Probably millions.

 

[tarekatpf]

Great question, tare, and welcome to PF First of all, to be a good scientist, try to avoid using the word "all" unless you really mean it. So your answer is no. But there is a connection there. Of course, two examples you missed were Einstein and his violin, and Brian May from Queen, who actually published a book recently.

I'll give you my personal opinion here, and this is just my personal opinion, as I am not a physicist, I'm a neurobiologist and a musician. But's that's where I think I can add to the discussion. I've found that there are 2 types of musicians, left brain and right brain. The left brain type are the technically proficient. These are usually the studio musician type. The other are more the right brain type. These are the type's of jokers that stink technically, but somehow can pull a great song out of nowhere. Most mathematicians and physicists are left brain leaning thinkers in my experience, so it's not surprising that these are the more technically proficient instrumentalists. I don't know about their songwriting, though.

Thank you very much for your reply. And yes, it's my first post on PF. And thanks for noticing it.About the examples I gave. I actually mentioned some musicians who were also good at physics. I have read about a lot of physicists who were good at music, including of course Einstein, but my concern was not whether ''all physicists are good at music'', because I know a lot of people who are good at physics but not good at music. My concern was whether ''all musicians are good at physics'', because if that's so, then to do well in music, I have to be good at physics, too.

And about my using the word ''all.'' I know generalization is not a great thing to do when you talk about science with limited data at your hand. That's why I needed some examples of great musicians who were ''known to be NOT good at physics.''

 

[tarekatpf]

To be good at physics, you need to sit down and study it a lot. How many great musicians have not taken the time to sit down and study physics a lot? Probably millions.

That's true, probably.

But I wonder whether they could think about how the world works like physicists, too.

 

[DiracPool]

My concern was whether ''all musicians are good at physics'', because if that's so, then to do well in music, I have to be good at physics, too.

That's what we in the biz call a non-sequitor. Why would you think that?

 

[tarekatpf]

Great question, tare, and welcome to PF First of all, to be a good scientist, try to avoid using the word "all" unless you really mean it. So your answer is no. But there is a connection there. Of course, two examples you missed were Einstein and his violin, and Brian May from Queen, who actually published a book recently.

I'll give you my personal opinion here, and this is just my personal opinion, as I am not a physicist, I'm a neurobiologist and a musician. But's that's where I think I can add to the discussion. I've found that there are 2 types of musicians, left brain and right brain. The left brain type are the technically proficient. These are usually the studio musician type. The other are more the right brain type. These are the type's of jokers that stink technically, but somehow can pull a great song out of nowhere. Most mathematicians and physicists are left brain leaning thinkers in my experience, so it's not surprising that these are the more technically proficient instrumentalists. I don't know about their songwriting, though.

And about my using the word ''all.'' I know generalization is not a great thing to do when you talk about science with limited data at your hand. That's why I needed some examples of great musicians who were ''known to be NOT good at physics.''

 

[tarekatpf]

That's what we in the biz call a non-sequitor. Why would you think that?

The reason is a little complicated. Can I send you a personal message on that?

 

[Number Nine]

I'd be hard pressed to name more than one or two musicians that have studied physics at all. What a bizarre question.

 

[marcusl]

A lot of musicians were good at physics ( for example, the pink floyd guys who went to architecture school. One beatles member wanted to be an engineer, another was good at mechanics. )

None of them were physicists, nor do the fields you cite equate to physics.

As for anecdotal observation, I am a physicist and played in the symphony orchestra in college. Most of the orchestra members, and all of the ones who went on to professional careers, were highly allergic to physics.

 

[tarekatpf]

None of them were physicists, nor do the fields you cite equate to physics.

As for anecdotal observation, I am a physicist and played in the symphony orchestra in college. Most of the orchestra members, and all of the ones who went on to professional careers, were highly allergic to physics.

Thank you very much. This is exactly what I needed.

 

[BobG]

Many musicians have an aptitude for math.

The physics probably has little to do with it, except math is an even stronger requirement to be good at physics.

 

[Adyssa]

I found out recently that Gerald Donald of seminal Detroit techno outfit Drexciya, is a physicist! :)



He's written some very thoughtful electronic music over the years. :)

 

[TorqueDork]

I know this is a Necro...and irrelevent.

Just thought I would say Richard Feynman played a mean bongo.

 

[DeIdeal]

Spoiler

 

[zoobyshoe]

Just thought I would say Richard Feynman played a mean bongo.

He knows. He wants to know if Leonard Bernstein could draw a mean Feynman diagram.

 

[atyy]

He knows. He wants to know if Leonard Bernstein could draw a mean Feynman diagram.

Bernstein explains eigenfunctions of the wave equation as a basis set at around 31 minutes of http://www.openculture.com/2012/03/leonard_bernsteins_masterful_lectures_on_music.html

Then he gives an experimental demonstration of the theoretical physics at 33:30.

 

[1MileCrash]

Spoiler

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Bernstein explains eigenfunctions of the wave equation as a basis set at around 31 minutes of http://www.openculture.com/2012/03/leonard_bernsteins_masterful_lectures_on_music.html

Then he gives an experimental demonstration of the theoretical physics at 33:30.

There you go. He must say, "...the laws of physics..." about 20 times there!

 

[Aero51]

I am very good at science and math but I am an absolutely terrible musician. However, I am an excellent writer and speaker.

 

[QuantumCurt]

All? No...but rarely will there be an absolute in any situation.

Is it fairly common? Somewhat. In my experience, a good portion of people in virtually any scientific field tend to be at least somewhat musically inclined. I've been playing guitar for about 15 years myself, and while I'm not about to take the world of music by storm, I am a pretty decent guitarist. I've met plenty of other science majors that are also quite adept at playing music. I think the mathematical nature of music correlates quite well with the mathematical nature of a lot of science, particularly with math and physics. A great deal of music theory can be explained mathematically, and many aspects of that would likely be absorbed more completely by someone that is already mathematically inclined.

Does it work the other way? That, I don't know. Most musicians I know hardly even know what physics is, but they can play the crap out of their instruments.

 

[atyy]

Does one need mathematics to be good at physics? Nowadays professionally yes, but if we are asking for physics sense, shouldn't one allow Faraday to still be a great physicist?

 

[tarekatpf]

Most musicians I know hardly even know what physics is, but they can play the crap out of their instruments.

Thanks for your great reply.

Can you name any ''great musicians'' who were NOT good at physics or did not like physics or mechanical stuff or school at all?

 

[tarekatpf]

Many musicians have an aptitude for math.

The physics probably has little to do with it, except math is an even stronger requirement to be good at physics.

Thanks. I wanted a specific example though. I wanted names of some great musicians who are documented as NOT HAVE BEEN good at physics.

PS: Sorry for being so late to reply. I was dead busy with exams and stuff.

 

[tarekatpf]

None of them were physicists, nor do the fields you cite equate to physics.

As for anecdotal observation, I am a physicist and played in the symphony orchestra in college. Most of the orchestra members, and all of the ones who went on to professional careers, were highly allergic to physics.

I think physics is very much essential in the field of architecture. Well, I may be wrong.

Do you think the ones who were ''highly allergic'' to physics were better at music than those who were not?

PS: Sorry for being so late to reply. I was dead busy with exams and stuff.

 

[tarekatpf]

Spoiler

Hahaha

 

[turbo]

I had a next-door neighbor (physicist) that was a music aficionado. He was not a musician, but he had had every piece of vinyl that Hendrix, Dylan, and Miles Davis ever pressed and they were on constant rotation in his room. He was also the late-night operator of the campus radio station. One time he got suspended for a few days when a caller wanted a deep cut and he said he'd do it if the caller brought us a pepperoni pizza. At least we got a pizza.

He used to come over to my room when I played guitar - entertaining, I guess, but performing was not his thing. It helped me pay my way through college.

 

[tarekatpf]

I had a next-door neighbor (physicist) that was a music aficionado. He was not a musician, but he had had every piece of vinyl that Hendrix, Dylan, and Miles Davis ever pressed and they were on constant rotation in his room. He was also the late-night operator of the campus radio station. One time he got suspended for a few days when a caller wanted a deep cut and he said he'd do it if the caller brought us a pepperoni pizza. At least we got a pizza.

He used to come over to my room when I played guitar - entertaining, I guess, but performing was not his thing. It helped me pay my way through college.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

What I need though is information about some musician who was NOT good at physics. That would prove the assumption ''are all great musicians good at physics?'' wrong.

 

[Hornbein]

All the good musicians I know have no science aptitude.

James Williamson of the Stooges became an electrical engineer. It saved him from heroin addiction.

 

[Hornbein]

Einstein was a klutz on the violin

Eyewitnesses from Switzerland said he was an excellent player, good enough to turn pro. In later years he slacked off and took up the piano.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

I would not worry about it much. The brain can learn both. Only that, sometimes it takes longer for some people to learn in different areas. I've had weaknesses in mathematics that I will have to continue addressing before I can study physics more deeply (I've not taken any sort of physics before). I won't be doing any graduate work for 15 years at least. So, I've got a lot of time available to self-study, do coursework ahead, and collect more majors. I've never felt this much frustration or drive to know another subject like this- I go for hours self-studying after I put my daughter to sleep and do coursework. I would give all my college credits back if I could just understand this entirely. It feels like it could stay with me until death. It's been 9 months since I took an interest and it's all I want to know day and night, almost every day since. I cannot control myself.

The great violinist Niccolo Paganini did not do any physics. Leonardo da Vinci could be considered a physicist, much of his work is describing natural laws. He did quite a bit of experimentation and building. Sadly, he isn't known for his contributions in those areas. Upon reading his translated collection of folios, I've gotten the impression he had been somewhat bitter at his lack of training in higher mathematics and difficulties in articulating language. He seemed to believe that other "more educated" scholars were ostracizing him for it. I don't think that he played any instrument, but had written much on observations of sound. Some notable physicists wouldn't really have been considered great musicians.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

Max Planck was a very accomplished musician and considered becoming a professional musician.
He wrote music and even an opera.

Werner Heisenberg was an accomplished pianist but had some uncertainty about becoming a professional musician..
Einstein was a klutz on the violin :-(

Symphony conductor Lorin Maazel studies advanced mathematics for fun

All the good musicians I know have no science aptitude.

James Williamson of the Stooges became an electrical engineer. It saved him from heroin addiction.

Eyewitnesses from Switzerland said he was an excellent player, good enough to turn pro. In later years he slacked off and took up the piano.

****, Why are you two posting on old threads? I hadn't paid any attention to just how old this thread is! There should be a warning.

Hornybein, I was under the impression he was an excellent pianist, but amateur violinist by standards. He had probably done well with improvising I think and people may have assumed it.

 

[Hornbein]

Hornybein, I was under the impression he was an excellent pianist, but amateur violinist by standards. He had probably done well with improvising I think and people may have assumed it.

Back in Switzerland Einstein gave a concert. A usic critic visited who didn't know Einstein, didn't know about physics. Critic said that the performance was excellent, but couldn't understand why E was so famous.

That is, he was good enough to turn pro, but not enough for stardom.

As for piano, I never heard anything about his abilities. I got the impression he took it up late in life.

 

[StatGuy2000]

With the caveat that I have not looked at the data systematically (as a statistician, I feel I should make this disclaimer), I have noticed anecdotally that many mathematicians (and probably also physicists, physics being cognate with mathematics) often develop an interest in and an aptitude for music, but the converse does not usually hold -- most professional musicians that I'm aware of have little interest in or aptitude for mathematics or science. Brian May and the few others mentioned by the OP are certainly more the exceptions rather than the rule.

 

[Hornbein]

With the caveat that I have not looked at the data systematically (as a statistician, I feel I should make this disclaimer), I have noticed anecdotally that many mathematicians (and probably also physicists, physics being cognate with mathematics) often develop an interest in and an aptitude for music, but the converse does not usually hold -- most professional musicians that I'm aware of have little interest in or aptitude for mathematics or science. Brian May and the few others mentioned by the OP are certainly more the exceptions rather than the rule.

Pro musicians as a whole are a lot more interested in drugs and drinking than physics.

Tiger Woods is interested in physics.