Thread: Playing A Musical Instrument In A Dream

This is one interesting subject to me, and I am almost sure it has been discussed\tried lots of time before, but just incase...
Did anyone try that? Can you practice by playing while dreaming? Does it improve your technique too or just your ability to play that certain piece maybe? Did anyone try opening a book, saying it is your book of personal compositions, and playing whats in it? Sounds interesting

I never actually played my instrument, and I believe if I tried it would sound like something absurd, or what I want it to sound like no matter what key is pressed. There is just a gimmick of the law of physics in the oniric world. I don't think that I could even recreate my instrument correctly.

I once played music with my simple will, and it sounded like the most beautiful thing ever, and it was quite elaborate. I would focus on one instrument, and the other instruments were played by my brain. I felt like...Beethoven. Of course, I was totally unable to remember the music once I woke up, though even in the physical world I often have a hard time remembering what I just played/heard.

It is much less original than reading a fantasy music book, however it should be far easier.

I've played my guitar in a non-lucid before and it sounded good.
But when i played it in a lucid it sounded horrible and i couldn't play it, it was like too confusing or something.
One thing on my dream to do list is to play a big rock concert, maybe a stage dive would be cool too,ha.

I've played my violin and penny whistle in non-lucid dreams. It will often sound okay, but I have a terrible time playing things at the right tempo, for some reason. It's like I'm pulling the music notes through syrup.

Practicing in a LD is on my things-to-do list.

I had a dream Harry Potter was teaching me how to play the piano once, in a non-ld. I had a hard time reading the chords, but that's how I am when I'm awake too. In fact, in all dreams where I've played the piano I found it extremely difficult.

I'm defenitely going to try this in my next LD, although maybe on the oboe. No chords on that instrument!

I've played the Guitar in my dreams. Though, I find that my fingering is off or my hand placement is just out of place. but I make a good sound. I never have that awkward feeling while playing the piano in a dream. Maybe, it’s just showing me that I'm not great at the guitar in dreams either

ive played guitar several times in non lucid dreams and it sounds really good. Its really good for writing songs, you can get some really original stuff.

I have been obsessing over the electric guitar for a while now. I have been playing drums for about 4-5 years now, but I want to learn the guitar. One night in my dream, I played this awesome song on a electric guitar without having any lesson or anything. I think dreams make you insanley good at musical instruments

it's been bullshit for me so far

i once had a guitar in a LD... except it had 4 strings and 5 frets. like, what?
another time it just sounded like total crap

i played a piano in a nonlucid too, it sounded ok but the octaves were wrong.

i tried to play drums in a LD but the pieces were messed up. missing toms, and the double pedal was like... both pedals in FRONT of the drum. grr.

a musical instrument's been too complicated for my LDs to reproduce well.

Originally Posted by Taiji

it's been bullshit for me so far

i once had a guitar in a LD... except it had 4 strings and 5 frets. like, what?
another time it just sounded like total crap

i played a piano in a nonlucid too, it sounded ok but the octaves were wrong.

i tried to play drums in a LD but the pieces were messed up. missing toms, and the double pedal was like... both pedals in FRONT of the drum. grr.

a musical instrument's been too complicated for my LDs to reproduce well.[/b]

I read over your profile and it says you unicycle, like me! Are you a part of the unicyclist.com forums?

Originally Posted by Infraredkelp

I read over your profile and it says you unicycle, like me! Are you a part of the unicyclist.com forums?[/b]

actually yeah i do have an account there but i havent beeon on it in ages

i haven't unicycled in a while either, but i plan to get back to it this summer
i want a coker

i play bass... and i thought it sounded alright when i played... i dunno if this is the case, but i know my instrument pretty well, so all the frets were in the right place, all the strings... everything was right. it was fun. but the chances of remembering something from a dream are so slim its not worth it. it would just be fun to be like the best in the world with your instrument.

good stuff guys

what do you think about practicing in regular basis through a dream though
lets say i only learn theory on how to play guitar, and i practice the practical playing only in my dreams.
could i eventually play the guitar in reality without any 'real' practice?

Originally Posted by Vall3y

good stuff guys

what do you think about practicing in regular basis through a dream though
lets say i only learn theory on how to play guitar, and i practice the practical playing only in my dreams.
could i eventually play the guitar in reality without any 'real' practice?[/b]

Hmm. I think you'd probably be able to remember songs better, perhaps, but I believe that a lot of learning an instrument is building muscle memory. Since you're basically paralyzed while you dream, you won't be able to 'teach' your fingers what to do. You won't have the calluses you'll need for string instruments, or you might not be used to using the weird muscles required for some instruments. Dreams could be really good for building confidence with the material or reducing performance anxiety, but I think at some point you actually have to apply butt on chair in the real world and get some practice in.

Well I can play the piano better in dreams then I can in real life.

agreed. the callouses and finger strenght take some time to develop.

when i first started playing guitar, my left hand fingers were soft and weak. over time, they adapted and now theyre like hunks of iron.

then i picked up bass as well, and when i stopped using a pick and started donig finger and slap style, my RIGHT hand fingers were soft and weak, but once again, they adapated and became hunks of iron.

you can probably supplement but not replace any real life learning with LDs

the thing about doing something in a dream is that you have to discover them yourself, you cant do anything you dont already know.