# Which would you rather master, language or music? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275 "2022-08-08T00:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/21 "2022-08-08T06:22:49Z")
I think the OP’s question is too broad. _Every_ musical instrument? _Every_ human language? That’s asking too much. I can play piano, I’ve studied classical flute, I played trombone in high school band, and I sang in church choir for years, which required being able to read vocal music. I can play Celtic percussion. I can read music as easily as I can read words. But I have no need to learn to play tuba, or bassoon, or violin; nor do I want to. I speak English as my mother tongue, but I can also speak French and Russian. All have come in handy. But there is no way I could learn every human language. Perhaps the OP could narrow the question? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/22 "2022-08-08T08:25:37Z")
I’ve studied both, and assuming the choice wouldn’t wipe out my current knowledge of music (which suffices for my desires in that area) I’d choose to be fluent in every language over mastery of every instrument. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/23 "2022-08-08T08:47:50Z")
As I was walking to my car on Sunday, a car was driving through the parking lot with the radio pretty loudly playing a very catchy tune in Spanish, and I was wishing I could understand the words so that I could enjoy Spanish music more. But nothing brings me more joy than singing so if I could do it well and play a piano, well that would be grand. So I really want both and hate to choose just one. Sigh, okay fine. Music it is. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/24 "2022-08-08T08:52:01Z")
I went with “Language” but it was close. I play several instruments (piano, guitar, used to play the cello) and, while I’d be happy to learn how to play a few more (bassoon or clarinet, perhaps), I sure do not need, nor want to be able to play them all. Languages, however, beside their much clearer practical importance, fascinate me also from a purely intellectual point of view, which is why I love [Linguistic Typology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_typology). Being fluent in all of them would be amazing, although not strictly necessary for a typologist. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/25 "2022-08-08T11:18:44Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > 'Right. The audience–that is, whoever hears the music–could be illiterate, and yet still appreciate the music. A true master of music can reach into the soul of whoever hears it, no matter what language they speak or how illiterate they may be. My mother came from Italy. Her dialect, like many in Italy, was very different from “formal” Italian. I could have been fluent in Italian and not been able to communicate really effectively through spoken language, but if I could have played Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” or his violin concertos, she and I could have communicated on a deep level. One of @Nars_Glinley 's options is “be fluent in every language.” I would take that to mean you could communicate clearly and concisely with any human being who possesses the faculty of language, no matter the language or dialect. This would include your mother. IMHO, to claim “I could never master every language” (as you did in post #6) and suggest that your mother’s dialect is an exception to “be[ing] fluent in every language” is to fight the OP’s hypothetical and tip the scales in favor of your own choice, especially when you also describe the alternative like this: > [@nelliebly](#): > > the OP says " a master of every musical instrument," not merely able to play it at an amateur level. Having said that, your conception of being master of all musical instruments as a way of communicating with others, rather than for enhancing one’s own appreciation of music, is an unexpected insight (albeit one that was not clear from your first post). I’ve never enjoyed being spotlighted on stage, so the idea of being the center of attention, even while delivering a flawless, masterful musical performance, makes me anxious - but that’s just me. > [@nelliebly](#): > > If someone prefers to be fluent in every language, I respect that; please respect those of us who find music communicates on the level we find most important. You seem to imply I have been disrespectful of your choice; I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/26 "2022-08-08T11:30:12Z")
If I could master either without the nuisance of study and practice, I take it. As it is, I’ll continue to stumble along in both. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/27 "2022-08-08T12:44:20Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I would take that to mean you could communicate clearly and concisely with any human being who possesses the faculty of language Hey, it just says “every language” so maybe you could talk to dolphins. Or at least understand them (you might have trouble talking back due to physical limitations) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/28 "2022-08-08T12:55:19Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I have an iPhone and Google translate. Yeah, this. As somebody who has struggled to rise to the level of mediocrity on the guitar for many years, I’ve long wanted to be a master of any one musical instrument, let alone all of them. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/29 "2022-08-08T15:11:24Z")
I give up. I expressed an opinion and gave my reasoning, which made sense to me, at least. I got criticized for it. I then tried to explain. I intended no snark, merely an explanation of the (probably flawed) reasons for my preferences, but obviously it came off as snarky and/or disingenuous, so I must’ve done a poor job of expressing myself. It’s distressing that such an interesting and (I thought) lighthearted OP got turned into a much more serious debate, and I hate that I might have played any role in that, so I’m exiting with sincere apologies. For the record, I think fluency in all languages would be a wonderful thing, and I understand why some would prefer it to mastery in music. Thanks, **Nars\_Glinley** , for a thought-provoking OP. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/30 "2022-08-08T15:29:56Z")
I choose music. I haven’t mastered the English language in my 65 years, why would I want to butcher a bunch of other languages. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/31 "2022-08-08T16:59:52Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I give up. I expressed an opinion and gave my reasoning, which made sense to me, at least. I got criticized for it. I then tried to explain. I intended no snark, merely an explanation of the (probably flawed) reasons for my preferences, but obviously it came off as snarky and/or disingenuous, so I must’ve done a poor job of expressing myself. I didn’t see anything snarky or disingenuous in your posts, I just didn’t understand your reasoning in your first post, and said as much. Then your second post made it more clear: you see musical mastery as a way reach out and touch other people. Conceiving of music that way hadn’t occurred to me while reading your first post, and it was an enlightening perspective. My first thought of playing an instrument was that it’s something you do for your own enjoyment; that’s why I felt it was relevant to point out that one need not be a musical master to appreciate music, and why I felt I would be more fulfilled by being fluent in all languages - so as to fully comprehend and appreciate thoughts/feelings/ideas expressed in foreign languages. Although I still favor linguistic mastery, your perspective on music as its own form of communication tips the balance (for me) just a little bit more toward musical mastery. So thanks for sharing. 🙂 It was not my intention to criticize or disrespect your choice, and I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable. Having said that, I do still think we all ought to be considering the same hypothetical, which I believe to be absolute mastery of language versus absolute mastery of musical performance. If I’m off-base about that, then I hope @Nars_Glinley will return and clarify the terms of the hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/32 "2022-08-08T18:12:57Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > It was not my intention to criticize or disrespect your choice, and I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable. Having said that, I do still think we all ought to be considering the same hypothetical, which I believe to be absolute mastery of language versus absolute mastery of musical performance. If I’m off-base about that, then I hope @Nars_Glinley will return and clarify the terms of the hypothetical. - Not off base. I meant “be able to pick up any musical instrument and play it like a professional” or “speak any language and be indistinguishable from a native.” As for how to accomplish this, either a wizard did it or some hyper version of the tech used in “The Matrix.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/33 "2022-08-08T20:23:48Z")
Music for sure. My Wife and I travel a little, but not so much that I would really need to know every language. We manage fine. I suppose that’s true for musical instruments, but give me the skills of Carlos Santana or so, so many others, and I would be very happy. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/34 "2022-08-08T20:40:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I can enjoy music a lot, yet making it is beyond me. I’m ok with that. But I have both a love of and a partial grasp of language, and really really get into improving my understanding of language. I’ve listened to every episode of “The History of English” podcast, and avidly follow “A way with words” and eagerly await more installments of both. - I started “The History of English” podcast today and it is fascinating. Thanks for the heads up! ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/35 "2022-08-08T20:42:03Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Perhaps the OP could narrow the question? It’s either playing literally every musical instrument like a professional or speaking every language to the degree that a native speaker would assume that you were also a native speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/36 "2022-08-08T20:44:36Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I started “The History of English” podcast today and it is fascinating. Thanks for the heads up! Enjoy! The first 160 episodes have been fascinating, I just wish I could remember all the interesting language pearls I’ve heard there. But I now do remember the difference between þornography and pornography, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/37 "2022-08-08T20:46:18Z")
What shocked me was that the first episode came out in 2012. I honestly didn’t think anyone was doing podcasts 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/38 "2022-08-08T20:50:19Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I honestly didn’t think anyone was doing podcasts 10 years ago. I started listening to Dan Savage’s podcast in 2010. Learned some new words there, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/39 "2022-08-08T20:53:20Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I honestly didn’t think anyone was doing podcasts 10 years ago. The word was coined in 2004 to refer to shows that were already being made. The first Internet audio shows were made in the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275/40 "2022-08-08T21:02:22Z")
I chose the languages, and it’s so obvious a choice for me that I’m amazed that music has over 40%. I already have a passing ability with two different musical instruments. I could, even with my human limitations, have easily learned several more, or practiced those two to the point that I could get much better, but I haven’t, because being able to play musical instruments just isn’t that big a deal to me. And when was the last time you ever had occasion to say “Man, if only I were able to play the oboe right now!”? Languages, though, those come in plenty useful. There have been plenty of times when I’ve said to myself “It would be really great to be able to speak Spanish right now”. Or Japanese, or Nepali, or Swahili, or Arabic. And people talk big about music’s ability to communicate, but can you explain the steps for integration by parts using a flute solo? Or even just ask where the bathroom is, or answer someone who asks? Music is limited to a very specific sort of communication, while language gets it all. And mastery of an instrument, or even all instruments, doesn’t even get you much of music’s limited communication abilities: When your Italian grandmother weeps at your performance of Vivaldi, that’s mostly Vivaldi communicating to her, not you, and just as there is Google Translate now, there are also computerized tools that you can feed in a sheet of music and get out a MIDI-synthesized audio recording. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-would-you-rather-master-language-or-music/969275.md?page=3)