I'm beginning to think that the [standard layout of a musical keyboard]
as well as our modern [musical notation] has, in the past, contributed a
lot to me not being able to "be musical".

[layout of a musical keyboard]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_keyboard
[musical notation]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clef#/media/File:Clef_Diagram.png

Everything revolves around the C major scale. As a result, it is highly
asymmetrical:

-   `C` to `D` are two semitones apart, as are `D` to `E`,
-   but then `E` to `F` is just one semitone,
-   then it goes back to being two semitones until we hit `B` to `C`.

Ever tried to play the same melody in a different key on a piano? Or
just the scales themselves? This has always been really hard for me and
required a lot of thinking. And since this keyboard layout is
everywhere, even in virtual synths on the computer, yeah, no way around
that.

The notation is just as bad. Since it isn't based on semitones,
[accidentals] are required to turn a `C` into a `C#` or whatever. And
since we don't want to put these symbols in front of the notes all the
time, we have introduced "key signatures", i.e. we moved the accidentals
to the front of the line -- which means you have to remember them, more
work to be done in your head.

[accidentals]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_(music)

Even the lines of our notation are asymmetrical. `C` to `D` (2
semitones) is the same distance as `E` to `F` (1 semitone). Oof.

A thing that we learned in school is the "circle of fifths". I had long
forgotten about this until I watched this video today (watch it on 2x
speed):

[Circle of Fifths](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LHv5WN4SiU)

There's probably more to this (remember, I'm a total newbie), but the
main use for this is to find out the key signatures? Wow, that's a lot
of work. :-) If our music was more geared towards semitones, we wouldn't
need this. And even if we did need it, it'd be trivial to generate.

I remember that we were taught to play electronic keyboard in school.
There was a room full of little keyboards, so every kid got one (for the
duration of the class). Every song was C major or A minor at first. How
can I still know this today? Because it was a very special event when we
got to use *the black keys*. :-)

It's probably just me, as always. :-) Millions of musicians use this
system, so can it really be that bad? Probably not. It's just pretty
confusing to me and it kind of killed my "intuition". Everything became
very "rational", I always had to "construct"/"build" songs. I thus never
really learned how to *play* an instrument intuitively. Honestly, I had
mostly given up on this. The first step was to run a program to print
the notes in a scale and highlight them on a virtual keyboard ...
because keeping all the different scales and signs (or even just the
circle of fifths) in my head just wasn't possible. :-) I'm not smart
enough for that.

I've finally started playing a stringed instrument (electric bass) in
late 2020. Now I'm slowly re-learning music again. A guitar is based on
*semitones*, there are no "black" or "white" keys, and so it's highly
symmetrical (at least a bass is, all strings are five semitones apart).
C major or G# major? Same shape. Going from a note to its fifth? Super
easy.

In other words, a whole level of complexity has been removed. A lot less
(logical, rational) thinking required. Lots of the stuff that gets in
the way of *making music* is gone. Great!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


While we're on the topic of music: I never knew how important it is that
you play the *right* instrument. I don't mean the semitone thingy, but
the sound that it makes. It's totally obvious in hindsight, but it took
me decades to realize this. (Like so many things in life ...)

As a kid, I played silly stuff like the flute (a "recorder") or a
xylophone. (I think this was a common thing here in Germany.) Later on,
I took electronic keyboard lessons (for a couple of years!), I sat in
front of a drum set a couple of times, I made a lot of music by
programming synths on my computer, eventually I even tried electric
guitar. Nothing ever took off. Like, it didn't *really* take off. Not
even the semitone-based guitar, nope.

Here in Germany (or at least in my social circles), there's this notion
that you're either a musical person -- or you're not. It's black and
white. Since I've tried a couple of instruments and none of them really
worked for me, I was obviously not a musical person.

Until one day, during the first Covid winter, I bought that bass guitar
out of boredom, a [Harley Benton JB-20]. It was super cheap, so there
was no risk. The only thing I wanted to do with it was to make some
ambient drone noise as a background for the music that I made on my
computer. Simple stuff. I never intended to actually learn how to play
it.

[Harley Benton JB-20]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04CCkkbKfDw

I loved that thing from day one. That's it, that's the sound. Now I
finally *wanted* to play this intrument and spend time with it. Dig in,
re-learn music theory, and all that. This wasn't the case before. I
wanted to make music, yes, but it always was a "chore".

A bass has a nice, heavy, meaty, full sound. I absolutely love this.
Even doing stupid excercises is *fun*. :-) I'm not even exaggerating.

The only thing better than an electric bass guitar is an actual upright
bass:

[Adam Ben Ezra - Can't Stop Running](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhZhI2Zthg)

My living situation doesn't allow for that. Yes, it's perfectly legal to
annoy the neighbors with your playing, they have to suck it up -- but I
know that they can hear me, so I'd feel watched and I wouldn't be able
to play freely. Maybe I'll save up for one of those:

[Yamaha SLB300](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r9pLh5IXk0&t=133s)

(I now know that buying a cheaper model probably wouldn't work, because
I wouldn't get the sound that I want, so I wouldn't practice as much.)

Well, it is what it is. There's no one to blame or anything, no one
denied me the opportunity to play this instrument -- I simply didn't
know that that's the thing I want to do.