What Is Wrong With Everyone?

In this episode, I explore what it means to be in tune. Based on a series of untimely events, I begin to question what it really means to be in tune... and my sanity.
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[@galacticd0gg413]

Rick's entire family are just pranking him at this point lmao

[@fragbert66]

Shhh. Don't tell him. Rick is awesome when he's righteously indignant.

[@drebatista]

I really hope so!

[@WilnetOutdoors]

I agree. :)

[@user-sn7uo7ek8x]

This is what I thought from the very beginning of the video!

[@BertrandLaurenceMusic]

😂

[@MusicisWin]

If someone ever accuses me of bending a note out of tune I'll be sure to let them know they simply don't know the song

[@Sanber]

Lol😂😂😂😂

[@ersankuneri2689]

Exactly

[@Aircalibur]

What music are you trying to play? That's the real question here.

[@jimyoung9262]

Lol this is the way

[@aicbrian]

😂

[@stratum42]

The realization that the majority of people won't notice if something is slightly out of tune or when mistakes are made is the key to being able it take a stage with confidence. My 13 year old is a vocalist and she's finally learned if she makes a mistake no one will notice, that the beauty about art is that the only one that knows is the artist themselves. So go out there and do your thing.

[@jjryan1352]

Well, the laypeople won't notice. Unless it's their favorite gaga song.

[@pits7504]

I got called out on Facebook for telling someone their guitar was awfully out of tune, I stood by it, I'll stand by it.

[@kevindie]

*_This video perfectly illustrates the madness of being a musician surrounded by normal people. LOL_*

[@mobanewman7139]

My dad...a drummer...we were not allowed to clap along around him.

[@gizmogearloose3391]

I am a musician, and I approve this response!

[@TannerToxicity]

This applies to almost everything. Everyone is an expert in their own field. Its best to not get annoyed and use it as a teaching moment instead.

[@dr.threatening8622]

My God this hits, my entire in-law family are musicians and I play drums. Only 2-3 of my co workers play, the rest have no idea what Im talking about.

[@rabbithole1227]

I can’t like this comment enough lol

[@ttaibe]

So, basically I do not sing out of tune, people just dont know my songs. Great, ty

[@Knowyourintent]

Hilarious 🤣

[@devonhore8794]

😂

[@marshmcclory487]

Always worked for me.

[@davidroworth752]

😂

[@michaelalderete9622]

Yes, let's change how we perceive musical sounds! Cancel "American Idol!"

[@PeopleLiveAboveMe]

Just when Rick thought he'd broken every musical topic down to the core, he realized there was yet more to explain.

[@glennpagemusic]

It's kinda obvious what happened. Not sure what he's so flummoxed by here? The non-musicians clearly interpreted his statement of "out of tune" as meaning the guitar was not being played in whatever key the song (which they're not familiar with) was written in or recorded in originally.

[@pete5516]

Ahh yes. When Rick beato said that gen z don’t listen to music because they are too busy playing videogames and that polyphia is the standard for modern rock that was an incredible breakdown and he certainly wasn’t having an early onset Alzheimer’s episode

[@houseeka]

I just watched Rick explaining the definition of tune, and I've never been more excited, even though I already knew what it means. This man is a gem.

[@Johnkiernanmusic]

😂😂😂I’m crying. You have to make this a shirt. “How do I know it’s out of tune? I don’t even know the song.“

[@izzypapi99]

😂

[@izzypapi99]

Or one that says “Bro! Do you even tune?”

[@haroldbleemel8537]

OH HECK YEAH!

[@ebhendricks]

omg yeah thats a t shirt

[@patronus1776]

​@@izzypapi99both yours and the OP's would sell. 🤘🏻

[@djh6970]

My daddy was a piano tuner for 60 years. He tuned for Phil Collins, Status Quo, Elkie Brookes among many others. He knew when my guitar was off by half a cent. It was always in tune when dad was around. He passed last year. I miss him so much😔

[@GAROUDENSETSU81]

Rest in Peace

[@patrickjordan2233]

My condolences... 💔

[@rksnj6797]

My condolences. Sounds like your dad would've loved Rick!

[@Terrezio]

Sorry for your loss, the world's lost a great ear. My condolences

[@macdaddyns]

Sorry for your loss, My Dad has been gone for 7 years now and I still get the urge to call him with news of my life.

[@eriklaurenmayle]

I noticed this first when I was learning how to play 25 years ago. It really threw me for a loop that I just don't understand how other people hear things. It has always been a huge pet peeve of mine when I hear a poorly tuned guitar, and yet many players themselves cannot even tell without a tuner. Blows my mind how anyone could do music and not hear things that are stunningly obvious to me.

[@chezolio]

I grew up playing music so I always knew what you meant. My wife was complimenting my singing yesterday and saying she was a bad singer, to which I responded "hey, at least you sing sharp, and not flat." She said "I have no idea what that means."

[@Balin93]

The moment Rick realizes most of his audience doesn't understand most of his content, but he makes it fascinating anyhow ...

[@wegap2012]

😂

[@Tom-S1981]

He could be explaining the Russian phone book , but I'd still persist and listen intently 😅

[@ConsciousnessWatch]

Very interesting observation…

[@rllapte]

Your comment is comforting, reassuring. I'm not a musician. I'm a consumer of music I like and my tastes are pretty selective. I figured I was pretty much the only one. Haha

[@MMansonMedia]

Yo i didnt even read your comment i just wanted to say that i have the same profile pic on facebook

[@markhamilton8765]

You’re NOT losing it Rick. I think you are really in tune with this topic.

[@OskarSvan]

How would he know?

[@businesspins5825]

I see what you did there.

[@OswaldBatesIIIEsq]

**rim shot**

[@Loonaticx]

I've never heard this topic before....😮

[@michaelc2775]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Goynes42]

Spot on Rick. I am such a stickler for tuning. I’ll tune DURING a song if I go out, or if I don’t have the chance to, I’ll even adjust my fretting pressure or ride the whammy until I get to a stopping point where I can tune. That was a big thing I learned early on. Your instrument might be in tune, or out of tune. But YOU-as a human being-MUST be in tune. Think about Jeff Beck. Of course his Strats were set up immaculately, but inevitably those things drifted out of tune with how much he used the whammy. But it didn’t matter, because Jeff could hear it and compensate in real time. That’s one of the skills he possessed that doesn’t really get talked about.

[@user-dp3xf7pm8g]

Genuinely cannot understand how someone could not know when a guitar is out of tune with itself!! I feel it, and also made the same assumption.....💜🌶🧠🌶💜

[@misterwombat]

"How would I know? I've never heard the song!" My new answer to everything 😂

[@edtauch6167]

You want fries with that?

[@shawnbruce6934]

LOL.

[@nielr6922]

I'll try that in an interview! -D

[@jhandle4196]

Frank Zappa would call that "an adjustable slogan" just like "Read 'em and weep" was for "the daughter of a Florentine Pogen."

[@HammyWheeler]

@@nielr6922 "So, nielr6922 - what would you say is your greatest weakness?"

[@drewsciba]

This is what Rick does instead of yelling at kids to get off his lawn. Love it.

[@jtjones73]

He stands on his porch yelling "you're out of tune!" to the kids.

[@tichu7]

​@@jtjones73And they'd reply, "how do you know? You don't know this song!"

[@mmayer4409]

What’s wrong with yelling at kids to get off your lawn? Lol

[@fposmith]

You're out of tune, is the musical equivalent of "Get off of my lawn" !

[@keithhartman9946]

"Get off my lawn! " In B sharp minor

[@zappasoul]

I feel this right in the middle of the ears of my soul my brother. You are not alone!

[@MariLia-qx5tm]

You're not crazy man! Keep on thinking this way, it makes the world brighter and in touch with reality. Love n Peace

[@jaranth]

My music teacher once said: "Non-musicians hear music... but musicians LISTEN." I think that jives with this video.

[@inthefade]

I'm a musician but I grew up with zero musicians in my family or extended family. I remember hearing "music" and not knowing what each instrument was or what was happening at all. Like it was just a blob of sounds. I love remembering when I couldn't distinguish what was happening.

[@whatabouttheearth]

​​@@inthefade I like laying in bed staring at the ceiling practicing smooth breathing and listening to bands like God Speed You Black Emperor (check out the album 'G# F#') and identifying what instruments I'm hearing, or if a sound is a synth pad or ambient electric guitar, etc.

[@whatabouttheearth]

I like laying in bed staring at the ceiling practicing smooth breathing and listening to bands like God Speed You Black Emperor (check out the album 'G# F#') and identifying what instruments I'm hearing, or if a sound is a synth pad or ambient electric guitar, etc.

[@zombywoof1072]

Jibes. Jive and jibe are different. How can people not hear the difference between words?

[@smarmar400]

Hearing and listening to music is like seeing and looking at visual art. One is passive and the other, active. My drawing teacher once said: "Don't just see the world around you, you have to LOOK."

[@mytchel]

Best Rick's rant of the year so far.

[@robertmellang6998]

My favorite rant was the one about Apple products.

[@julioahora]

Agree. It really has that "Larry David energy" which I love!

[@Beets82]

@@robertmellang6998 then you should listen to the bill burr apple rage podcast episode, its a bit old now but still gold

[@RCAvhstape]

@@robertmellang6998 Gonna take an awful lot to beat that Apple rant.

[@rainscratch]

@@julioahora Imagine Larry David and Rick in an argument. 'Curb' is an amazing series.

[@lorrag8245]

It’s all about having a good teacher, and knowing theory. Rick, you make sense to those that were trained.

[@Car_Mo]

There are some parallels, even outside music; - Like in art, where small differences in composition and colors in certain combinations can be the difference between a absolute masterpiece and a pretentious piece of garbage. - Graphic design suffers from this as well, you can immediately see the difference between something created by an amateur using word and a graphic designer who knows the "rules" and how to break them. Almost every type of creative activity abide by one of the most important facts; you have to know the rules to break them. I think some of the most important testaments of this is of course blues, but even more it's in jazz music. It's simple and complex at the same time, it's behind and ahead but always comes together at the right time. Keep flying that music nerd flag, i love it!

[@jorgeeherrera]

I don’t have perfect pitch by any means, but I know 100% what you’re talking about.

[@Emoralis]

I also do not have perfect pitch. I have decent reference pitch. When I restring a guitar sometimes, and I’m always impressed. I can restring it and get it perfectly in tune when just putting tension on it. I wonder how much this topic has to do with 1) experience 2) how diligent someone is about always checking their instrument for intonation before they play.

[@andrewdon1747]

"how would I know I don't know the song!?" I'm going to use this for everything.

[@michaelalderete9622]

It can be a whole philosophy of life, making this Rick's best ever post!

[@susanmurray7654]

You got that right!

[@disklamer]

Hotel California? Haven’t heard of it. Is that pop? I don’t listen to pop music.

[@RKMontgomery]

"How was I supposed to know, Officer? I've never lived this part of my life before!"

[@johnhasso8908]

@@RKMontgomeryThat's just dumb

[@andy14169]

I absolutely know what you mean. I pick this stuff up all the time while the player seems to have no idea they're out of tune. I feel your pain.

[@piotrkapis1530]

You're not crazy, Rick. You are simply very, very good at it. I admit that I don't have good musical hearing and I wouldn't spot out of tune string most of the time (unless it's obvious like your C-chord example). But one of the reasons I like watching your videos or those of other music experts like The Charismatic Voice, is because I learn something. I may spot those things only when you point them out and even then it will be only part of what you show, but it is something new to me. And that gives me new appreciation of what the artists are doings - or you confirm my dislike of some, who are just lazy and create things which can hardly be called songs.

[@tom.m]

Are you crazy? Yes. Are you wrong? Nope! This is a good reminder how easy it is to take our own skills and knowledge for granted.

[@jonathanrao6498]

what I don't understand is that it seams that at first he is arguing about how people don't get when he complains about stuff not being in tune (like the response to him calling out that viral song for not being in tune), but then he also says how nowadays everyone is hypersensitive to stuff being in tune and on grid??

[@syakirkhalidkhalid5387]

​@@jonathanrao6498for vocals will be more sensitive for ppl whio are so used to auto tuned singing.. but live instruments.. it is possible young folks who only listen to mainstream electric pop finding acoustic guitars exotic sounding

[@bigvrocks2480]

@@jonathanrao6498 To truly understand, you must first separate the Fribish from the Frobish; then all things will make sense.

[@Bangulo]

@@jonathanrao6498 Yeah, he's contradicting himself.

[@Liveleadplayer70]

@@jonathanrao6498 it gets us commenting n clicking..its just some cheeky filler content,,but i also have experienced non players say something sounds great when on certain flat frets i'm criniging inside

[@RadCenter]

You've perfectly described my experience as a professional copy editor reading social media posts. "You know this is riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, don't you? Don't you?" I scream into the void...

[@facelessandnameless]

😂

[@AFrownAndAFatMan]

I get you. Old-world copywriter here. 😂

[@professorronsprivateclassc2850]

I get you--I've taught English for most of the last 35 years. The language is changing. My younger colleagues insist that I'm a grammar-gatekeeper. My solution? I'm retiring in a month. And I'm going to spend all my time working on music. That's my comment. I'm going to tune my guitar now.

[@jerrycordato3489]

😂 Yup

[@andrewwalsh2316]

​@@professorronsprivateclassc2850😂

[@mysterions13]

As a guitar player & a passionate music listener, trust me that demonstrating the subject of 'out of tune' to my girlfriend was an epic test of my patience & multiple deep breaths!!!!

[@MusicmanII777]

You are spot on Rick. I get frustrated whenever people can't tell the difference between the song out of tune or if its just the instrument itself.

[@judgegixxer]

It's exactly like asking someone "listen to my motor, you think it's running right?" and they say "How am I supposed to know? I don't drive a Ford."

[@breasonable4343]

Hah!

[@dennismontalvo300]

Bruuh, what is wrong with these people

[@hamstercanibal]

Yes, it is running right, sounds way better when compared to my VW 1.9 TDI engine

[@STRANGERINMOSCOW1]

Good one 😂

[@wildbeige]

If one of the cylinders is misfiring it doesn't matter what kind of car it is. It'll knock & ping. Its timing is "out of tune". No engine anywhere is supposed to sputter or knock.

[@Flushot22]

Look, I'm no top .01% musician or anything, but if even Ricks family doesn't know when something sounds out of tune, it makes me feel like I'm part of some extensive and pretentious musicians club, and today I thank you for that Rick.

[@DrewWren]

No kidding! 😂

[@PlasmicAngel-iw1rw]

@DrewWren social media is being used to hurt society and control everyone however people are being forced to engage in it

[@LilMonsterInc]

His family absolutely knows when something is out of tune, they just don't understand what the words "out of tune" represent. When Rick says "out of tune", they're obviously understanding something different. Our ability to hear and understand music is biological, unless you have some sort of amusia (tone deafness), you can hear things being out of tune, because it sounds deeply unpleasant.

[@dio_hoestar_4204]

​ @LilMonsterInc The crossing of musical understanding and biology is very interesting. It is engrained , but it's definitely not form birth or immutable, because it's very dependent on socialization. We're used to hearing the same 12 semitones over and over again in a certain way. So we grow up to be conditioned to think that that is the way and everything outside of it sounds wrong. The reality is that notes are nothing but frequencies. As something that can be mathematically measured, they're infinite. So the 12 frequencies we are used to are a very small % of all the infinite frequencies that exist. Most of them we do not even know what they sound like because humans are only able to hear from 20Hz to 20kHz. What happened is that a long time ago, someone probably in Europe decided that these 12 semitones were cool and all the theory that developed around it became the standard in the west. There's many ethnic temperaments that deviate outside of this. To a person born and raised listening to western music it will sound "out of tune", but for a person raised in a culture that employs what we would call microtonal scales, it would sound good and vice versa. The social science and natural science studies that involve the relationship of humanity and sound are very complex. Oops, sorry for nerding out.

[@LilMonsterInc]

@@dio_hoestar_4204 The notes (those 12 frequencies and their multiples) are not biologically fixed, but the relationship between them (intervals) is, and it's universal across cultures. This has been studied, and there are good proposed explanations for this phenomenon. You can learn to appreciate more complicated relationships for sure, like extended harmonies, dissonance, and key changes, but the fundamentals are there. Musicality can be developed (as in grown), but it's fundamentally innate. You may be used to different kinds of melodies and scales depending on your culture, but what's "musical" doesn't change. A newborn baby will find a perfect fifth pleasant, and something that's not quite a perfect fifth (out of tune) unpleasant, naturally.

[@MYOB2023]

I have perfect pitch and obsess over this very same conversation you just had. Thank goodness I am not alone on this one! Drives me crazy!!

[@67davbeav]

My dedicated singer sister has perfect pitch and she says it's not a gift, it's a curse.

[@MYOB2023]

@@67davbeav Sometimes it certainly feels like a curse! As a music major I felt thankful for it.

[@colnuttall9035]

You're not crazy Rick. I know exactly what you mean, but I am 70 years old. Ive been obsessed with guitar for more than 50 years and i'm still learning. Love your show, the world is an evolving place and not always for the better. Personally I much prefer human performances. Click tracks and grid-snap leave me cold. All the best, Australia

[@jedisparky]

My dad told me when I first started playing "you can't play untill you know how to tune your guitar. " It was the first thing I learned. It's the absolute basics.

[@Boppsta712]

Ey! Yea if you're tuned, worst thing that happens is you accidently hit some open string and you can improvise your way out of it

[@rockinron3215]

That's the 1st thing I teach people. No sense practicing out of tune.

[@SodiumWage]

I learned this for drums too when I was a kid. Granted, tuning drums is different than tuning a guitar, but everyone still needs to be in tune with everyone else, as well as with their own instrument.

[@alukuhito]

Yeah, but you need to tune it for the particular song though, which is why everyone was saying you can't know if something's out of tune or not if you don't know the song.

[@laudanum669]

When I first started to learn how to play the guitar a good friend gave me an electric guitar tuner unit. It really helped me, after a while I didn't need it. Because I knew what out of tune sounded like.

[@TheLuke1184]

This is the most hilariously relatable look into the life of a musician/father/husband...I can 110% imagine having this conversation with my wife and kids.

[@fleatactical7390]

Same. I'll mention stuff like this and I get blank stares from my family.

[@lisahinton9682]

@TheLuke1184 You meant "100%." Either that, or you don't know how percentages work.

[@jamman3131]

Out of tune relative to the rest of the notes, I understand exactly what you’re talking about, you’re not crazy, just misunderstood, as most geniuses are…great video as always ❤

[@jarodvmusic]

A lot of us know what you mean. Music clicks more with some than others. Also some are more devoted to the craft than others! Great vid as always.

[@Hoppenoffer]

I am a lifelong musician, Rick, lots of people know when the singer is out of tune. Fewer people know when a guitars out of tune, but they know there’s something wrong. It doesn’t sound good. Have faith. you’re not nuts. Love your show…✌️❤️

[@ykar18]

and none of them know the bass is completly out of tune 😂

[@S7RauzZz]

@@ykar18 First thought that came to my mind when I've started reading that 😂 absolutely true!!

[@jeffmckinnon5842]

When everybody is out of tune, you are in the Stones!

[@richardrich8010]

@@jeffmckinnon5842hahahahaha true👍

[@genemalowany8436]

Yes, you’re in the Stones-or listening to Stevie Nicks.

[@ruggerobelloni4743]

I just remembered the advice Maurice Chevalier gave a very young singer 100yrs ago: " Always start and end a song well and with confidence , very few can understand the part in the middle"

[@miguelbarahona6636]

For your age, over 100, you have good memory. 😂

[@nemocookfan6961]

This explains a lot about beginning players in ukulele club. Lol.

[@ruggerobelloni4743]

@@miguelbarahona6636 I am that young singer... 🤫

[@davidg3944]

@@ruggerobelloni4743 Tell us more! How did you happen to meet Maurice?

[@ruggerobelloni4743]

@@davidg3944 I was in Paris with my girlfriend Josephine Baker, yeah, that's the ticket ! Obviously I'm just doing a John Lovitz. When I saw Chevalier live on TV he was in his seventies and I was a child. The reason I sometimes mention him is because in the 80s ,when an older friend raved about his Drive-in romances, I told him I liked a fireplace, Champagne and a Song. He teased me saying: " Of course, you're Maurice Chevalier!".

[@andrewsimineri2243]

Hey Rick! I got my first guitar at 7 while my older brother played drums so naturally, I had to be a better drummer than my older brother. I never stopped playing guitar but always connected with drums over guitar. You'd be surprised at how many guitarists and bass players that don't know when their instrument is out of tune. I've been on stage with guys that don't even know when they're strumming the wrong chord! Arrrggghhhhh. I DO NOT have perfect pitch but I hear every out of tune string and every time someone hits a bad chord or plays a bad note. Love your channels with world class guests and discussions. Never stop PLEASE!

[@rudel1950]

I am with you 100% Rick,... no one understands the meaning of tuning or natural shifts in rhythm during a song because they have never learned what is good and right with either of these things. People need to be told what is good and that is a sad situation!

[@davidmoore5276]

I, too, am an old man shaking my fist at the clouds. I'm with you Rick.

[@AdAstraCan]

Me as well.

[@ThomasNimmesgern]

Fight the clouds!

[@RayThingProduction]

Me too.

[@TomJacobW]

Those darnded clouds had it coming, i tells ya! ☁️💪👨‍🦳

[@bonfromagetech5207]

Bass player, and fellow old man yelling at a cloud. I play in a local cover band, and I've had to come to that realization that Maurice Chevalier (mentioned in a previous comment) had it right: As long as you start and end the song confidently, you could completely bork the middle parts and no one would notice. Especially after a night of drinking. Happened to me more times than I can count. Don't try to explain to normies how you screwed up and why...just accept the compliments and have fun doing what you do.

[@bman68au]

Rick man, I am no musical genius, but my head just about explodes when I hear something that's out of tune. I'm with you man.

[@MickH60]

Me too !!

[@ulysax1979]

I totally feel you bro! you are not alone!

[@jonmustang]

Notice that when you gave your family a practical example of the guitar string, they immediately understood. The problem here is simply that you're communicating in jargon to them about things they understand but don't know the jargon for.

[@ahcubac]

Mind boggling that that was their response! "How would i know it's out of tune since i don't know the song?" WHAT??? Right with you on this Rick.

[@yadamspiezer]

I'm a regular person. I absolutely could not tell you whether a guitar was in tune or not. Most people are not musicians.

[@Kyle-wb7wx]

@@yadamspiezer How did you get here??

[@richardgleichmann7671]

​@@yadamspiezer.. You don't have to be a musician to tell if something doesn't sound right or, sounds just "bad".. But, true.., to some people.., it just doesn't matter..

[@nisselarson3227]

@@yadamspiezer Did you imagine people re-tuned their instrument for every song? Trust me, you could hear if it was out of tune. You could not hear anything "off" about Rick's out of tune chord?

[@yadamspiezer]

@Kyle-wb7wx I love music and enjoy Rick's content, even though I'm just a layperson. Doesn't seem that weird to me.

[@paullawrence7336]

Our bass (acoustic) player had perfect pitch. Four piece lounge band with vocals, middle of a song and he leans over to the guitar player and says, "your A string is a quarter tone flat." The Guitar player looks at him like he's crazy. Song ends and the guitar player finds that his A string is a quarter tone flat. We had all heard that song before. Keep it coming Rick.

[@PhillWard]

I'd say you could do this without having perfect pitch - but very good relative pitch... I could tell you if the A string was flat relative to the rest of the band, regardless of whether everyone was tuned to A440...

[@OldDawg-mc3dy]

I don't have perfect pitch but I could always tell if my guitar slipped out of tune during rehearsal. Playing at some rock clubs with horrible sound systems is another story

[@gkbradshaw]

If the guitar player can’t hear that himself then he’s got bigger problems 😂

[@PhillWard]

It's also true, as others are suggesting, that this gets a lot more difficult in loud rooms and on loud sound systems. Pitching vocals gets harder ... And I once played a gig where it was so loud I could have sworn my bass was a semitone sharp - but my tuner, and everyone else's ears confirmed it was fine!

[@HereXEG]

​A lotta players are tone deaf. Youd be suprized at how many cant tell their guitar is outta intonation or outta tune.

[@pjacques123]

Rick, you are a National Treasure! Love You! Always entertaining and informative. If I'm playing live and notice one of my strings has gotten whacked out I try and "play around it" and look for alternate voices/strings to play on to get through the tune. It makes me crazy to hear an out of tune guitar. Crazy.

[@adampaulgould8449]

Totally agree with Rick- well put!

[@lois708]

I had this experience last year, I was listening to the The Voice Portugal with family members. The contestant was about to play a song in an acoustic guitar, but for some reason the organisers thought it was a good idea to have fire torches around the stage. With the heat the guitar fell out of tune almost immediately, NO ONE NOTICED, they thought the performance was going really well. I immediately pointed out "the guitar is really out of tune because of the fire, he won't be able to sing like this". They thought I was mad. The performance continued for a bit longer, then the jurors interrupted the show and asked for the guitar to be tuned and the fire to be extinguished. They asked me "how did you know that? do you know the song?" me: "never heard it in my life" Out of tune is just... out of tune... with it self, no matter what, it's the relationship between notes, X matches with Y, not with Z

[@danieltrickey9285]

It's the reason I don't like playing outside. The sun wreaks havoc on the strings.

[@Ariel-om5fh]

And the 'jurors' didn't even know this much about pitch and chord tunings? What an incompetent world of 'entertainment' we have. 🤣

[@BalazsiSzabi]

@@danieltrickey9285 wow, I've never heard 'wreaks' and 'havoc' in my life

[@ezmatt]

could you find the video? I want to see if I can recognise it's out of tune like you could.

[@youdontneedtoreadthis]

​@BalazsiSzabi Really? Are you really young or not a native English speaker?

[@michaelhendrickson9809]

I believe that the key is in the words. People who have no music education won't know what you mean by "in tune" or "out of tune". "Tune" to them might mean "a song", etc. Words have many meanings and uses, so people can miss what you're saying. So when someone tells me that they "don't know about music" my favorite reply is to quote Duke Ellington: "If it sounds good, it is good." That alone can get the ball rolling so that neither of us goes nuts, and to get the person to realize they don't need to know anything in particular to appreciate the beauty in music.

[@ianperesmusic]

What key is that, specifically? G# Major? D minor?

[@psilocybe_reptiliensis]

i had the same impression

[@endless_universe2023]

You don't need to know music theory to hear something's out of tune you just need to know what it means

[@gersonjr7302]

Bingo! 👆💯

[@zealousie]

@@endless_universe2023 i think he's saying that the fact that "tune" is synonymous with both "song" and "pitch" people who are not versed in music may automatically go with the "song" definition, hence them all saying "how would i know if it's out of tune if i've never heard the song before?" they don't know what Rick means because there's a false axiom underlying their whole perception of the concept. boiled down: they think he's saying the musician playing the song has done so incorrectly, when he's actually saying their instrument is not in the right state.

[@shadowswithin9919]

Rick, I'm with you man 100%.

[@prestonrowland2604]

As a guitarist and a fan of the channel I completely understand what you are talking about. I also do recording and run live sound and bad sound anywhere with a PA drives me insane. My wife has noticed I can hear things and almost instantly notice sound issues so now she always makes comments like "You want to go fix that don't you?" 😂😂😂

[@billhemphill2139]

Great rant. ❤ In my band (mid-90s), everytime our lead guitar wanged an out of tune note, he'd just press on to eight bars later and wang that same bad note again. Said, "if you repeat it, it's not a mistake; it's jazz." RIP, David.

[@dougray30]

Sounds like my friend who justifies every grammar error with "English is a living language."

[@tdkeyes1]

@@dougray30 It is. But as I always said to my ESL wife; "English is a precise language" as in, you need to speak it correctly.

[@SoWhat.BigDeal.]

That's an old one. I wish I could remember who said it, but it was one of the 60s-70s greats quoted back then in Guitar Player. Timeless wisdom, spoken here in the voice of PeeWee Herman, "I meant to do that."

[@VoodooBossanova]

Wolfgang once said his Pop told him that when he was starting out with VH “If you make a mistake just do it again so people think it was right”.

[@dvs6121]

Thelonius Monk used dissonance intentionally.

[@tombombadil1262]

It’s funny what you mentioned right around the 5 minute mark. As someone who largely despises new music but is of the younger generation any time I have to hear newer stuff it sounds different/mechanical compared to the old/good stuff I listen to

[@raytrazer]

Relax, Rick. Most people get what you’re saying. Especially us guys from your vintage. Everything is fine. You’re not crazy. Don’t go crazy, Rick. We need you. Appreciate you. Understand you.

[@jamesastle6472]

Non musicians experience the world completely differently from us. I am amazed continuously at this and accept it. It's like a foreign language.

[@uptoeleven]

Oh don't. "We have music on in the office to help us concentrate..." - nope, can't work there like that. A week later: "Why are you listening to white noise thru your headphones?" - I can't concentrate on working if there's music distracting me - I am literally seeing notes / chords / relative intervals in my head while I hear it.

[@magicbrownie1357]

@@uptoeleven I'm a lifelong musician and I am WAY more productive and accurate while listening to music. We're all different. Thank God.

[@blasterofmuppets4754]

most of them also lose the feeling for music thats is liked by common people and wonder why their music is only liked by other musicians.

[@keithbenedict8764]

@@uptoeleven Me too. I need silence or something close to it, otherwise my mind wants to play the song or figure it out.

[@Allan_Stone]

​@@uptoelevenwhat you describe in that second part is what helps me get into a flow state when I need to focus on particular thing. Without the music my mind just starts wandering

[@harimuzumdar8269]

This is the kind of honest, true- to-oneself rant that doesn't rub anybody the wrong way. 😊

[@csn10]

Would this be the wrong time to mention that I don't know what's meant by "Pitch"? Or that time I went to Subway, and they were out of tuna? Worst day of my life!

[@cnnhdlvth9557]

How can you know if this rant is true to itself if you've never heard this rant before?

[@gaylacedarpark3094]

Totally get it. I play clarinet and sometimes I have to work to get certain notes in tune using my emboucher. A clarinet can have poor intonation. Especially the e flat soprano, which I play. I'm kind of glad I actually get it. You are not crazy.

[@denniskager5459]

No, you are good I'm the same way. What biows me away is when you are out in public ( like at the mall) and someone is performing (and a guitar is out). I can't believe that no one hears that. Dissonance jumps right out at your. Keep up the great work!

[@delbartel8810]

I agree with you 100%. No, you're not crazy. Pitch matters! Being in tune matters! Perfect harmony matters!

[@MrFelo17]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@G_Machine_Joe]

You're NOT crazy. Finally someone feels the same as I do! I don't know how you CAN'T tell an instrument is out of tune.

[@Advcrazy]

This!

[@stuartkinzel8195]

Hearing someone playing out of tune drives me crazy. I'm about one more time hearing it from storming a stage and tuning a guitar for someone.

[@markjthomson]

Yup. "Did you tune your guitar?" "Yes, did it this morning..." "OK, it needs re tuning..." "really? I did it this morning..." Thus displaying a fundamental lack of understanding of the peculiarities of a string instrument, wood construction, humidity, temperature... and musical knowledge and a "deaf" ear.

[@thedolphin5428]

​@@markjthomson "I dunno what's wrong with my guitar -- it was in tune when bought it".

[@thebigmacd]

Like seriously, how can they not hear the terrible "beat frequencies"? I find this with amateur singers singing along with accompanyment. How can you not tell you're a whole note off? When I sing, if I can't find the "groove" I can't even sing, my body just stops.

[@TheMrBallew]

Oh my...I was cackling out loud watching this video this morning...My housemate was like "What's so funny?"...so I started to explain this to her, and she was like, "Well how would his wife know if it's out of tune if she's never heard the song before"...(long pause with blank and bewildered stare) "WHAT THE CUS?! NOT YOU, TOO!"...So now I feel your pain, Beatoman! (Insert tears of laughter and sorrow here)...

[@durwoodball4062]

No, Rick, you are not crazy. You are a musician, pure and simple--a great musician and teacher. I remember the day when we tuned our guitars and bass guitar to the E note on whatever piano the keyboardist played in the house or on the stage. And we tuned up by ear. I'm always blown away by older musicians, particularly great vocal harmony groups, including the Beatles, who could sing and play live in tune with no monitors and tuners. Those guys and gals performed in a completely different universe. The complexity existed in their music and musicianship, not in the technologies they brought in stage.

[@danielmccafferty4413]

I'm with you Rick. You're not crazy. I know when something is "out of tune".

[@garysladek9110]

Hell yeah. I get it.

[@kbusby4824]

Same.

[@dmtcrowley]

I'm totally in tune with what he is saying, songs sped up or slowed down will be out of tune to standard tuning but will sound in tune as all the instruments are tuned the same.

[@MitchRuth]

I’m a piano tech and so many people will tell me they can’t tell when their piano is out of tune. But those people are always pleased with my work when I’m done. You may not know what ‘in tune’ means to a musician but you know what sounds good. Teaching beginning musicians how to tune and the concept of tuning musical pitches together gives them great advantage.

[@Ariel-om5fh]

Before every gig I change strings and double-check intonation, pickups and fretting all along the neck. I don't have a tech to do that, and that's just what a lead guitarist has to do if they want to sound the best they can.

[@alexandreabreupassos2560]

I'm in tune with u Rick. You are not crazy.

[@donivanthompson221]

I think that we have heard so much bad music for so long, that some people can’t even hear the out of tune songs.! I have a good ear and I can hear a song for the first time and I can feel the music if it’s right! You’re absolutely right!!

[@brettreynolds1976]

I know absolutely nothing about music, yet I completely understand what you mean.

[@billcookerly7529]

And that’s why we love listening to him! Love the passion.

[@user-jx6zy9ff9q]

I'm on your team. Doesn't matter what song, you can tell whether it is sharp or flat.

[@Dianeokeefe]

He's right. Of course you can tell if it's out of tune. You can hear it.

[@luke5100]

But that’s exactly it - I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about. It’s understandable if the whole song is sharp or flat it would be hard to tell, because those of us who don’t have perfect pitch can only tell when something is out of tune relative to another pitch that’s in tune. For example, I can only tell if a song is slightly sharp or flat overall if I try playing along to it, but I can tell right away if a string or an instrument is out of tune with the rest of the music

[@smtxtv]

Not sharp or flat, but harmonic vs dissonant.

[@nickrock23]

By ear I can only tell if it's out of tune against itself.

[@pennywise4843]

I think you’ve just proved his point. A song being flat or sharp is not ‘out of tune’. It’s just that all notes have been tuned down or up consistently with each other. One of the notes being non consistent with the rest is ‘out of tune.’

[@marcoferrao]

I am with you Rick and I actually go thru it from time to time, but with no musicians of course.

[@jt12blk]

I feel your pain. Some understand, some do not. And there’s just no way to explain it.

[@Jander.Duarte]

You summed up in 5 minutes what I've been trying to explain to my wife for the last 20 years... "Can't you hear this is out of tune?!?!" Greetings from Brazil.

[@Ci-Me122...]

I totally understand you Rick...it's not just having perfect pitch, you can hear it if a string is sharp or flat. You are definitely NOT CRAZY!!!

[@thomasmleahy6218]

As a previous long term guitar strummer, in my old age combined with arthritis the, ability to play behind me, I oftentimes hear out of tune guitars, usually the b and e strings. When strummed together I'll hear their mismatch as a beat frequency between the 2.

[@Token528]

yeah man you arent crazy , but only guitar players can pick that up ... unless you point it out .. i am constantly fixing my strings and obsessing over them being in tune

[@chaos.corner]

Basically this.

[@thepotatotaxi2430]

Bro I can FEEL it if I bend an out of tune string

[@2TallDils]

Right on Rick! Well said. You are not crazy.

[@PankajSingh-xq1wf]

I totally know what you mean Rick, and understand the frustration when others don’t get the simple concept that comes naturally to the rest of us. Anyway great job trying to explain 😂

[@RayatoTV]

The title is giving “Old man yells at cloud” energy, and I love it.

[@IsuiGtz]

It's like 80% of his content to be honest.

[@leocai1909]

@@IsuiGtz and thats why we love him lmaoo

[@ncnoman]

came here to say this 😂 no one in my family thats not a musician understands talking about music. and the young ones definitely dont like my music, tho its got nothing to do with quantization, its cause they don't understand music and have no tastes 😅

[@adamf4364]

This is Rick's best video ever. This rant sounds like me screaming for years, the frustration is real!

[@arthurjones9580]

Me too, damn this was funny

[@MisterCross]

100%

[@McSlobo]

To yourself? I mean, it's really a nuisance when you can't stand even minor imperfections in tune. Should've never bought a Peterson tuner, it just points that I'm correct with my estimate. This drives me mad. And it concerns of course intonation too. Like... aaaaargh.

[@covertyankee]

I absolutely love watching your videos and listening to the way you speak about music. I am an absolute rube compared to your musical knowledge. I have learned so much and you inspire me to look thing up and learn more because I want to know what you're talking about. I'm proud of myself because I actually did know what you meant by "out of tune".

[@josezavala-garcia1183]

I'm with ya Rick... It drives me crazy as well!

[@davidclutterbuck7076]

Totally understand you! If it’s out of tune, it’s out of tune!! I have no comprehension of why anyone would think anything else.

[@mikespain8655]

Because they don't have the ear or ability to tell the difference.

[@nomoresaul]

@@mikespain8655You don’t need “the ear” or “the ability.” Unless you’re extremely hard of hearing or, like my grandparents, deaf, everyone can tell when something in a song is out of tune.

[@Unlitedsoul]

They are confusing "out of tune" with being "out of key".

[@dominicsantiago8177]

Rick ought to disavow his family. I can see no other way out of the situation.

[@philiphaseldine1135]

@@mikespain8655 It's innate. Doesn't require either of those things. Like knowing what a loud sound is. Doesn't require special training.

[@DougsterCanada1]

Imagine getting Rick one of those nature sounds relaxation albums. Instead of relaxing he is noticing 3 of the loons are "off" and the birch trees with the wind blowing through the leaves are flat. Rick, I envy you your talent. ❤

[@davidhenson7445]

Or from a more practical perspective, noticing which of the fluorescent lights in aisle 8 at your grocery store has the transformer that hums the root of Baker Street. Not that I'd know... (I know).

[@brianklenzendorf2853]

It would always bother me listening to nature sounds when I could hear when the loop restarted!😅

[@lwest1504]

That's funny; "The Loons are off." That could be a song title 😂

[@wendym2544]

Oh this makes me laugh so hard.

[@librasky]

Those whale songs aren't in key 😖

[@RobertsMarketingTube]

Rick, all I can say is that you are crazy passionate about music. Me too, but just in different music. I spent half the day listening to jazz from 1969. Man, I love your channel. You are amazing.

[@rodrigoriquelme527]

Absolutely, I thought the same , now when I listen some classics I note something weird that I did not notice before, and is because current music has absolutely no mistakes and the ears gets used to that as the normal music.

[@raultrevino3342]

I had the same experience so long ago that I'd forgotten about it. Non-musicians sometimes think that "out of tune" means "not the way it's supposed to be in that tune/song." It blew my mind.

[@javio4636]

Really? Would you be kind enough to elaborate on that?

[@ochenturbo]

Yes! That's why, I am sure.

[@tetedur377]

@@javio4636 It's like a cover that doesn't sound like the original. Admittedly, there are some discordant covers, but I like a lot of them. One that comes immediately to mind is "Sugartime," which a number of people have done. My go-to is the 1958 version by the McGuire Sisters. I just heard a modern version, don't know who did it, but I liked it. Other people my age probably would not.

[@raultrevino3342]

@@javio4636 I think that for people who don't understand music from the perspective of the performer or the composer (that is to say perhaps, the "average listener"), they don't understand basic musical terms such as "pitch" or "interval" so terms like out of tune have a different meaning or no meaning at all, if you don't know what being IN tune means. Therefore it is possible to invent a meaning which is out of context, such as "out of tune" must mean that it doesn't belong in this song. There's no conceptualization of individual instrumental pitch for someone who doesn't understand musical composition or structure at the granular level. Ordinary listeners just hear the song holistically (in my experience).

[@gregjohnson1079]

You’re not crazy Rick- LOL- I can absolutely hear if someone’s playing is out of tune-even if it’s one string. You make perfect sense to me.

[@ajmusicpr]

You are NOT crazy!!!! It's a great example of how technology has influenced the way we appreciate music. Sure, tech has given us lots of advantages, but people rarely talk about how our musical perspective has change since Autotune. Awesome video and great food for thought.

[@willjam465]

Totally know what you are talking about, Rick. You are not crazy, but I have played instruments since 1983. I am 53 now and still have a drum kit and bass guitar in the house. I love music.

[@garymjenkins]

I am 71 and I have been playing since 1963 and I know exactly how you feel. I know people that don't know the difference.

[@TheJimNicholson]

I majored in classical guitar and worked as a musician for almost a decade. Elementary and middle-school concerts used to drive me insane because of tuning issues. The worst was the string orchestra. People around me had no idea what I was complaining about.

[@GuitarReader]

some people around you knew

[@butterflywing61]

Worse than nails on a blackboard. Ugh.

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

I was in orchestra in middle and high school. I know what you mean! lol!

[@nathanclark4674]

Boy, is THAT the truth! There ain't much that sounds more like a bag of cats than a junior high string orchestra out of tune.....

[@manfromnantucket6880]

@@nathanclark4674 One exception ... Elementary school string orchestra lol

[@TheGigmiester101]

Rick…You’re right on the money with that. Keep America hearing properly and in tune! 👍👍😁

[@scottpaulson1714]

Just keep up the good work Rick 🙂 no matter the pitch or tune

[@dmacd9058]

I have been teaching band for 25 years and I have this conversation and subsequent lessons on intonation many times during the school year. I feel your pain. You have not lived until you are placed feet away from 15 middle school flutist 5 days a week.

[@brucemacmillan9581]

School bands are notorious for not playing in tune. Especially the horn and wind instruments. Strings aren't much better.

[@GavinMcCune]

How do you resist Hari Kari... seriously (lol).

[@bigkickleo]

Bless you sir!! 😅

[@FYMASMD]

My jazz guitar teacher did the same. No wonder he plays 7 string guitar solo. Always. No bands. He only teaches advanced players now. 😎

[@JohnFoxBass]

Are the oboes any better?

[@timsgotissues3581]

I can't read, write or play music, but what you just described is how I've always understood "out of tune".

[@ninabalekic1431]

I'm with you.

[@tranxss]

yes you are crazy!! i´ve noticed most of the people around me don´t realize what "out of tune" is, and mostly "out of tune with itself"... for some of us, it kind of hurts when you listen to it... specially if it´s my instrument, feels horrible and is an obstacle some times, in the way i perform. Maybe is just obsession... but even if you don´t realize, it is a different feeling, and clarity is gold in my humble opinion.

[@peterhofmann8292]

I must admit my musical knowledge is just a half thimble, but if something sounds wrong then it hurts my ear. Do I know it is out of tune? Nope but now I do. Thank you Rick for making me aware of this

[@EricBlackmonGuitar]

Wow. Was just discussing this very thing with one of my students today. We were working on an older song that was off pitch. I tuned my guitar to the song by ear and the student was completely blown away. "How in the world are you able to do that?" he asked. I said, "I can here the pitches in the song and match the string pitches to them". "NO WAY!" he said. "YES WAY!" I replied. "You can learn to do this."

[@lancelotlink6545]

When I learned to play by ear it felt like I learned the cheat code. BTW- love your channel.

[@georgehoward9944]

Ha, ha! Thank you for letting me correct your, “here”, to, hear. We care about that which we find important, but, don’t stress about the little things. Enjoy our differences, and give peace a chance, everyone. 🌈

[@StokesMusicStudiosOnline]

As a 51 year old, these were skills you had to have in the 20th century if you wanted to play and sound good. I walked 5 miles uphill both ways

[@wwiiinplastic4712]

@@StokesMusicStudiosOnline Did you get the baked potatoes during winter to keep you warm on those walks and was your meal for the day? That was back when we still built character.

[@daveb227]

A good old fashioned tuning fork. PINGGGG. or pitch pipe.