Are Prog Fans Musicians or Not?

I hope this question gets you clicking. Here's what I've noticed...,

1: Most of my friends who like prog music play an instrument.
2: Most of the musicians I know like prog music.
3: Most of my friends who don't play an instrument don't get prog.

So are Prog fans musically bias? Does studying an instrument enable you to appreciate more complex melodic / harmonic and Rhythmic structures? Or am I just hanging about with the wrong people?

I wonder .

UPDATES TO POLL:

14 August 2008 - Only 33.3% don't play an instrument.


Edited by Q6 - August 14 2008 at 15:20

I can 'sort-of' play piano, but only stuff I've made up myself.   I would, however, consider myself a singer - not magnificently technical, but able to carry a tune, hit the high and low notes, and 'put it across'.   I've written songs pretty much all my life.

Utterly clueless on theory (despite doing A level Music and various singing exams down the years), but 'instinctively musical' to a considerable degree.

And in relation to 'prog' music...  I have to say that I've always avoided basic pop music etc., because if I want a pop song, I might as well write one of my own (which will be more relevant to me anyway!).  I'm well aware of my personal limits and this helps me to really appreciate the skill, inventiveness and virtuosity - and the occasional touch of innate genius - of my favourite musicians (mostly 'progressive' types, it has to be said...).  If nothing else, some level of musical skill/experience helps you be more discerning, I guess.

I'm an amateur musician.  I studied piano and trumpet/ French horn, and my old girlfriend, and books, taught me the acoustic guitar (but not very good).  The only instrument I was ever good at was the trumpet (youth orchestra) but I've barely played it in twenty years.  I wouldn't describe myself as a musician, but I guess I could count as a poor one.  My favourite instrument to play is the xylophone.  Let's have a brass option.

If I could be good at any instrument, I would like it to be piano.

I am good at playing the rhombus -- triangle proved to be too much of a challenge.

It's shame that musical talent seemed to skip me.  My father was a wonderful amateur pianist and composer, his father was a flautist, and my bother's a multi-instrumentalist and composer (can pick up any instrument so easily and play be ear), but me... nah.  Decidedly untalented.

I don't think my studies were advanced enough to really appreciate prog.  I think it's more that I was raised on classical so I'd come to appreciate more complexity (especially harmony) in the music.

So many talented people. It looks like my theory may be true Should I add air guitar???

I'm a pianist.

I play the drums, although it's been many years, so I'm probably pretty bad these days. I've never played in a prog band, though. Mainly Indie and Metal in my youth.

Bass player here, but didnt take it up until after I started listening to prog.

Now then "The T" I'm glad to hear it's not just me who has noticed that pattern in my peers.

Not sure what you mean by "understand the music" in a "rudimentary" way?

I suppose it helps if you can recognise the individual instruments in a mix. This helps separate the spectrum of sounds down to their separate constituents.

I suppose that's why pizza tastes better as a pizza, with layer upon layer of tasty goodness, rather than a blended mush of bread tomato and topping(s).

I play electric guitar ... several other instruments too actually, but the guitar is my favorite instrument.

I can whistle.



No, seriously, I would like to learn to play a musical instrument (I was thinking about bass or sax or acoustic guitar), but unfortunately I'm going to get a job in september and I don't think I'll have time for it.