Abstract
We consider music consumption an integrative practice that promotes taste, in which consumers of a specific musical genre are occasionally interested in learning to play a musical instrument. In this context, the article analyzed the interrelationships between practice and taste externalized among Brazilian consumers of metal music and related subgenres. We conducted interviews to understand how self-taught instruction, formal music education and musical instruments configure the process. Self-taught instruction is based on listening/technical skills enhanced by informal pedagogical resources, in which the performance of metal artists also influences the song reproduction. Formal music education is guided by traditions and methods rather than focusing solely on the learner’s taste; however, it is a path for ‘authorial experiments’ that externalize the preference for metal music. Musical instruments influence this process due to their technical specifications, electronic equipment and aesthetic elements. We concluded that the learning process to play musical instruments constitutes a taste externalization practice and that the way it occurs is associated with metal music consumption in the researched context.
Introduction
A field of study that has produced relevant knowledge about consumption as a sociocultural phenomenon can be found in the interrelationships between practice, taste and music. Some examples include the transformations that digitalization has exerted on music, with the re-signification of physical media through consumption practices (Duester and Bennett, 2023; Magaudda, 2011) in the intergenerational transmission of taste (Derbaix and Derbaix, 2019), as well as digital platform algorithms influence on the formation of musical taste (Airoldi, 2021; Webster, 2020) as this consumption occurs on streaming services through dispersed everyday practices (Beuscart et al., 2023; Fuentes et al., 2019).
The recent emphasis on the effects of music dematerialization has undoubtedly resulted in several studies on the readjustment of consumption practices and taste parameters, which, according to Castro et al. (2021), was helpful to understand the role of technology in this context. However, these authors assess that concern about the respective effects seem to have fixed the idea that music consumption would be just a routine activity and support other daily actions, making it necessary to reposition music to the locus of analysis as an integrative practice and promoter of taste. This approach would rescue musical taste as the result of human performance in synergy with the other necessary equipment (Hennion, 2001, 2010) so that consumption would be inserted in the understandings, procedures and engagements that configure the practice performed (Warde, 2005, 2017).
An alternative that could be viable in this scenario would be the investigation of the learning process to play musical instruments by consumers of a particular musical genre. Deslyper (2018) argues that the way of thinking and making music is associated with how it is transmitted between individuals, and the musical practice is understood regarding its forms of appropriation or acquisition. This author’s findings demonstrate that musicians who resort to formal musical education are prone to understand music in a more logical conception and are open to performing different musical genres; however, individuals who learn to play an instrument on their own are inclined toward identification with a specific musical genre and oriented by immediate performance goals. In the latter case, we assume that taste is a determining factor in stimulating musical practice as a form of social distinction in music consumption (Castro and Rezende, 2023), which can be supported by resources that facilitate the self-taught learning process on an instrument (Möllenkamp, 2019; Vaizman and Harpaz, 2023).
Taste externalization practices refer to the actions that individuals perform to demonstrate appreciation for a sociocultural product. As they engage in these actions, they refine their taste in a reflexive manner in line with their consumption practices. In a context of music, the question arises as to how this may be reflected in the process of learning to play a musical instrument, considering an informal approach (Green, 2017) and its possible implications for the transition to a formal pedagogical teaching method. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the interrelationships between practice and taste externalized among Brazilian consumers of metal music and related subgenres who learn to play musical instruments.
We justify and expect to contribute to sociocultural research on consumption (Rezende and Castro, 2021; Warde, 2015; Welch et al., 2020) at the theoretical level, in which the interrelationships between the theory of practice and the social theory of taste have been recently adopted to address this phenomenon (Arsel and Bean, 2013; Maciel and Wallendorf, 2017; Quintão et al., 2017). In the empirical dimension, we are aligned with the premise that music is an object of sociocultural consumption capable of developing the practice and taste of individuals (Castro et al., 2021; Pomiès and Hennion, 2021), and therefore holds the potential to unveil the nuances that constitute the relationships between these concepts. Specifically to the metal musical genre (we present a brief context later), the findings of this study can elucidate sociocultural aspects linked to the interdisciplinary area of knowledge called ‘Metal Studies’ (Scott, 2012; Weinstein, 2011), especially in the Global South, a geographic and symbolic space obscured in the academic literature and that could be better explored due to its regional particularities (Varas-Díaz et al., 2020).
A brief overview of consumption as a practice and its relationship with musical taste
The movement known as the ‘practice turn’ in the social sciences (which emphasizes the importance of everyday practices and social contexts) was relevant to consolidate the understanding of consumption as a sociocultural phenomenon, rescuing the hedonic, aesthetic and symbolic dimensions for the locus of analysis conducted under the aegis of the interpretivist paradigm, and generating new research paths on consumer behavior (Warde, 2005, 2017). The understanding of the practice as a routine behavior that constitutes the social reality responsible for organizing the arrangements that structure the relationships between individuals and society (Reckwitz, 2002) is relevant to visualize consumption as a routine process (Warde, 2014; Welch et al., 2020). Warde (2005: 137) comprehends consumption as a ‘process whereby agents engage in appropriation and appreciation, whether for utilitarian, expressive or contemplative purposes, of goods, services, performances, information or ambience, whether purchased or not, over which the agent has some degree of discretion’. This author emphasizes that consumption occurs within and because of practices, and that each one requires adequate instruments and materials for its realization.
Reckwitz (2002) argues that social practices incorporate various interconnected material and immaterial elements, representing an infinity of standardized actions carried by the practitioners, which they can perform through their bodily and mental conditions. Halkier et al. (2011) state that the approach evidenced the centrality that (im)material objects have in the reproduction of routine practices related to everyday life, avoiding attributing greater emphasis only to the conduct of human actors in the execution of these actions. Social practices arise, persist and disappear as associations between materials, competences and meanings are (un)made, given that they can change over time and integrate more than one practice simultaneously (Shove et al., 2012). Given this context and considering the diversity of practices in which consumers engage, it is relatively common for these individuals to organize themselves into communities based on taste (Gherardi, 2009), so this concept is appropriate in promoting the unity of people around a consumption practice (Rezende and Castro, 2021).
The beginning of social taste theory can be attributed to Bourdieu (1984) and his study on the distinction between social classes, which resorted to various cultural fields (among them the music field) to demonstrate that taste constitutes a classifying element in society. Recently, and in line with the ‘practice turn’, it has been argued (De Boise, 2016; Prior, 2013) that musical taste could be seen beyond social stratification by resorting to an approach that values people’s actions and the agency power of objects in this context, with an orientation focused on practices.
Hennion (2001, 2010) was a precursor of these studies in the music field when he proposed that musical taste could be studied through routine performative actions carried out through social practices, considering that music is a dynamic element conceived by instruments, devices, machines and hands. The author states that constant music consumption practice (listening, playing, recommending, etc.) can improve/change a person’s music taste through an introspective process that generates new skills and abilities as one practices. This statement corroborates the understanding of Reckwitz (2002) regarding practices and their ability to develop internal skills in individuals. In the consumption field, Warde (2005, 2017) assesses that practitioners can carry out such activities in several ways to the extent that mental conditions influence individual capacity and performance, favoring the attribution of social distinction status as the individual improves his performance and uses the (im)material resources required to obtain better performance.
Based on this conception, Castro et al. (2021) assess that individuals can perform taste externalization practices to demonstrate appreciation for a particular musical genre. These authors suggest that when performing active practices that involve the consumption of music, practitioners assume a reflexive character that results in the refinement of taste, at the same time that their musical preferences are externalized. Meanwhile, the taste for a musical genre could stimulate individuals in their consumption practices. This conception echoes Antoine Hennion’s thoughts about the non-existence of dualism between objects and people when investigating taste, and therefore studies in the field of music should be based on a more pragmatic approach, emphasizing the individual practices, experiences and skills (Pomiès and Hennion, 2021).
Context and research methodology
Brackett (2016) draws on the work of Franco Fabbri to explain that a musical genre can be defined as a set of musical events guided by socially accepted rules, which cannot be dissociated from its sociocultural context. It is assessed that the dynamic interaction between these events allows a musical genre to evolve over time, adapting to new influences while maintaining a recognizable identity. Considering the classification system proposed by Lena (2012), heavy metal illustrates the trajectory that a musical genre follows when starting from an avant-garde conception, being influenced by the scene/industry until it establishes itself as a traditionalist (i.e. consolidated in the musical scene), as its particularities are shaped according to the interests of artists, audiences and mediators who are part of this context (Weinstein, 2000).
In addition, Moore’s (2012) contribution to the field of theoretical music studies is relevant for clarifying the relationship between genre and style, in which the former refers to the identity and specific expectations about how a song should sound, while the latter is associated with the way the song is performed through the musician’s gestures. This understanding is pertinent and has implications for the categorization of metal as a music genre, which should not be understood as something specific in itself, but rather as something that unfolds into several styles and subgenres. Weinstein (2000) says that the boundaries of metal are not rigid, but expand or contract as they also structure the related music scene. For illustration purposes, some of the subgenres that have consolidated in the metal music scene are Hard Rock, Heavy, Thrash, Death, Black, Doom, White, Core, Nu, Power, Speed, Progressive and Symphonic, among others. Phillips and Cogan (2009) state that there are some similarities between metal subgenres, meaning that an artist/band can fit into more than one denomination.
It is common for the metal musical genre to be described as ‘heavy’ due to the high volume and sound distortion effects, with musicians and producers valuing aspects such as extremity, impact, energy and precision in mixing this style (Thomas and King, 2019). However, Sinclair and Dolan (2015) assess that metal has gone through different periods of popularity, generating various subgenres and experimental scenes with their own characteristics beyond their British and North American origin. Placing Latin America in this background, Varas-Díaz et al. (2020) establish that the origins of the metal musical genre in this region are rooted in a history of oppression, coloniality and resistance to the Global North so that actors in this place seek to value the social context and local sounds to create a distinctive musical identity.
The metal musical genre emerged in Brazil during the dictatorial period of the 1980s, being propelled by the first edition of the Rock in Rio festival in 1985 (Silva, 2014). Although the event has expanded the dissemination of this style of music in the country, Dhein (2012) assesses that the traditional Brazilian media’s repulsion prevented its dissemination beyond people already involved with the underground metal scene. This was a relief in the view of more conservative metal fans, who were not interested in dialoguing with other musical genres popular in Brazil at that time. Metal music is still not the preference of most of the Brazilian population today, despite the fact that Brazil recurrently hosts concerts by foreign artists and has launched some internationally recognized bands, such as Sepultura and Angra (Ribeiro, 2018). Metal listeners in the country tend to have high cultural capital and musical tastes opposite to the most popular genres in Brazil (Morel et al., 2021), being introduced in the respective scene through the family nucleus, social circle and specialized media (Castro and Rezende, 2023).
Once inserted in this field, Castro et al. (2021) state that the musical genre listener would be able to perform taste externalization practices through the circumstances that involve and imply consumption, such as routine performative actions when playing musical instruments (Hennion, 2001, 2010). In this context, we interviewed Brazilian consumers of the metal musical genre to analyze the interrelationships between practice and taste externalized in the learning process to play a musical instrument. To achieve this goal, we chose individuals who play the electric guitar due to following reasons mentioned by Deslyper (2018): a considerably higher number of guitarists seek formal learning in relation to other musical instruments; and the technical differences between various instruments require constant adaptations in the learners’ explanations, something harmful to a better understanding of the analyzed performance.
We interviewed 20 individuals who learned to play musical instruments as a consequence of the consumption of the metal musical genre – so this information was obtained previously and in a self-declared way. Although the demographic data did not present a significant influence on the analysis of the results, it can be pointed out that the participants are characterized by gender (11 men and nine women); average age of 33 years; predominance of higher education level and residence in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is also worth mentioning that the research subjects have some involvement with the Brazilian metal scene, exercising different activities with a greater or lesser engagement degree (e.g., independent musicians, digital influencers, music journalists, sound engineers, tour managers, physical media collectors, etc.).
Halkier et al. (2011) point to the effectiveness that the theory of practice has to clarify the performative aspects of consumption in social life. These authors argue that the researcher should resort to qualitative methods that contribute to the explanation of habits, behaviors and routine activities that are carried out by consumers. Therefore, in-depth interviews serve this purpose and allow the understanding of the sociocultural aspects that shape human actions in the face of consumption (Fischer et al., 2014). In order to obtain the necessary information for this study, a semi-structured interview script was elaborated (Gaskell, 2003) with questions that could provide detailed reports regarding participants musical learning. Although they had a flexible proposal, the subjects addressed in the script were about the learning process to play a musical instrument; reports about daily training and technical improvement of performance; considerations on musical instruments and related equipment.
The interviews were conducted through Google Meet and later transcribed to enable the development of thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) for identifying, analyzing and reporting patterns (themes) within the data. This method serves as a resource for organizing and describing a set of detailed information. There was an effort to define and interpret these themes in the way in which the studied phenomenon is expressed (Scussel, 2017), based on the premise that the meanings that form social reality are constructed continuously through human actions (Geels, 2010), as they are shared intersubjectively among people who carry out social practices in favor of attributing meaning to lived experiences (Cunliffe, 2011). Excerpts from the interviews are interspersed throughout the analysis of the results – which were obtained in Portuguese and translated into English, preserving the original meaning attributed by the interviewees in their statements.
Taste externalization practices in the learning process to play musical instruments
Some metal genres are more intuitive to learn on guitar for me. For example, when I was going to learn a song that was considered easier, like AC/DC’s hard rock, I had the impression that it was more difficult to perform, even though it seemed simple. Then, suddenly, learning a song with a faster picking, like Metallica’s thrash metal, that is difficult to execute, seemed easier to adapt for me. I think it has to do with the fact that it is a song that I most like to listen to, and, consequently, I make more effort to play it – I19.
The reflection that opens the results section, made by Interviewee 19, shows that taste is a factor that affects the learning of a musical instrument. However, it is opportune to clarify that the background of this finding is part of a common intersubjective understanding among the interviewees, who consider that the consumption of the metal genre occasionally stimulates the individual to generate some interest in playing a musical instrument. The first section of results is based on the idea that the musical learning process can originate from informal practices that are unusual in pedagogical teaching standards, valuing the autonomy and capacity of practitioners (Green, 2017). The second section deals with the transition to the acquisition of formal knowledge and technical skills (Deslyper, 2018), which are eventually improved through the instructional supervision of a tutor or music school. A brief presentation on elements of musical instruments in the context of taste externalization practices concludes this section.
The self-taught instruction
The self-taught instruction stems from the various actions that complement each other and are carried out to enable the taste externalization practice in the metal genre when playing a musical instrument – not necessarily guided by a formal and sequential study plan. The inherent proactivity may involve, at first, the individual’s listening skills from the music perspective they want to learn to play [there were some songs by Ozzy that I put the CD to play and I pressed play and pause to go listening note by note, and then I would do it on the guitar. This helped a lot to develop my ear to pick up the musical notes – I09] in order to create some affinity with the musical instrument and the sound elements that make up the music as a whole [when you are going to learn a musical instrument your ear is untrained, right? As the repetition happens, you will understand if it is out of tune or if the notes do not correspond – I05]. Castro and Rezende (2023) endorse this finding stating that metal listeners develop auditory and appreciation skills during music consumption, which improves the listening experience to assimilate music nuances and the synchrony between instruments, at the same time that this practice updates the meanings inherent to the taste normative system (Arsel and Bean, 2013).
In addition to listening skills and affinities with the musical instrument that needs to be developed in the beginning, another relevant point is the technical skill required in the self-taught instruction process, and the practitioner should start with songs with a lower degree of difficulty and advance gradually to those that require more technique in learning [I started with Breaking the Law by Judas Priest, as I thought it would be an easier song. As much as possible, I tried to learn more difficult songs. . . Slayer’s Angel of Death I never played completely, because the real difficulty in this song is playing quickly – I04]. To overcome difficulties inherent to the self-taught instruction process and technical skill levels, some resources are available for the practitioner to develop his learning on a musical instrument. At this point, it is pertinent to point out that Deslyper’s (2018) conception of the self-taught is useful for this context, as it refers to the learner who did not attend formal music teaching schools but who eventually may have had contact with some pedagogical resources that guided learning.
A relatively conventional example considered among the interviewees concerns magazines that contain chord charts and tablatures in general, as they facilitate the essential learning of elements for musical practice [there were little books with tablature and chord drawings. At least I learned what a G# is a bar sharp chord in the guitar. That was very didactic for me – I19]. In a similar logic and guided by technology, the use of related software also proved to be a relevant resource for learning to play a musical instrument, with the advantage of having pre-recorded sound bases that facilitate the synchrony of the practitioner with the music being played [I remember downloading Guitar Pro, and I started to learn some songs by looking at the tabs. As they scrolled across the screen at the same time as the music was playing, it showed the moment you had to play. So, it was easier to learn – I12]. Möllenkamp (2019) emphasizes that software helps to transpose visions and ideals for making music without the need for prior education so that musicians can practice a range of new strategies through the computer, which represents a clear effect of the digitization of instruments that are related to musical practices.
Still, in the scope related to technology, the Internet facilitated the dissemination of materials that provide self-taught instruction in a musical instrument, especially video lessons produced by the related community of practice (Gherardi, 2009) to refine the technique and improve performance [I really like the video lessons you have on Youtube. I learn a part of the music by ear, but when it comes to the technical piece, which is more refined in metal, I’m not lazy and I go there and see how the guy did it, so I can do the same – I20]. Vaizman and Harpaz (2023) endorse the relevance that tutorial videos online have among autonomous learners, highlighting that self-esteem and hours practiced contribute to self-efficacy. In some cases, video lessons produced by artists who are part of metal bands can help the practitioner acquire knowledge about the techniques used in the compositions, facilitating the learning process to play these songs [I wanted to play like the guys I listened to, then I found a video lesson on John Petrucci’s alternate picking technique. Dream Theater was my bible. I tried to master everything I could on the electric guitar – I03].
In addition, the performance techniques of metal artists are relevant factors that induces the self-taught instruction of practitioners due to the inspiration associated with the idol. For example, the characteristic sonority influences the practitioner’s learning process since the performance on the musical instrument involves the implementation of sound effects made possible by equipment that contribute to the identical or approximate reproduction of the original version of the music performed [I would not say that I tried to imitate Slash, but one could see that the sound didn’t come out the same. Then I bought an overdrive. They told me I didn’t even know how to play . . . and I said: that’s why! Because the overdrive will improve the sound, it’s not foolish – I14]. Warde (2014) explains that practices involve specialized equipment linked to actions performed during moments of consumption, so the materiality and functions of these objects have significant consequences on the practitioners’ performances.
The convergence between listening skills development, a technical improvement on the musical instrument via informal pedagogical resources, and the influence of a reference idol generally comply with the immediate objective of the self-taught learner to perform the metal musical genre. The reports indicate that the apex of taste externalization practice in this context is manifested in the reproduction of songs by metal bands admired by the practitioner [when I play a song it is because I really like that band. The idea is to pay a tribute and try to reproduce it in a well-executed way – I07], at the same time that serves to improve the performance on the musical instrument [playing a cover song is cool because the person is practicing. I like to show that I know how to play something and that I have developed a technique – I10]. For some interviewees, the fact that the performance can be shared between peers is important [the videos that get the most engagement on my Instagram are the ones where I play a riff or a solo. I posted a song by Sepultura, and it was the one that got the most reactions from people – I03] and serves as a stimulus to achieve faithful song reproduction and avoid criticism that may eventually arise [I won’t post on TikTok playing any song. We always think about the critics, and I know the work it takes to reach those 30 seconds to play something sensational – I20].
Self-taught instruction offers more freedom for the practitioner to combine technical development with his taste for the metal genre, shaping his learning in line with his musical preferences [I started listening to bands that had a more direct sound, and at that time I really liked Kiss and AC/DC. The fact that I was learning to play at that moment shaped my taste based on what I could play – I12]. Once the practitioner has acquired the basic knowledge that makes a musical performance possible, there is an understanding that the metal genre encourages improvement in the instrument that originally aroused that individual’s interest in starting to play [Metal forces you to evolve, a guitarist is not satisfied with playing anything. He wants to play like Malmsteen, so he will dissect all of his techniques to reach the level of his idol – I16]. Thus, some practitioners decide to get formal education with the support of music teachers, aiming to reinforce learning and improve performance.
The formal music education
Classes taught by a teacher generally observe a specific method for learning to play a musical instrument, with a predominance of formal pedagogic resources rather than focusing solely on the learner’s taste in music. This change in attitude can be understood through the findings of Deslyper (2018), who states that musicians who acquire formal music knowledge tend not to stick to a specific musical genre and are open to performing other styles. The author also clarifies that musical theorization linked to exercise-centered practice becomes a way for the individual to go beyond the previously acquired knowledge, that is, to develop a logical and in-depth musical understanding for the benefit of technical improvement and creative capacity – transitioning from ‘just doing’ to ‘knowing what you are doing’.
In this context, understanding music theory is a necessity to be worked on from the beginning of learning [I started in a very theoretical way: rhythm, melody, harmony, reading music score, knowing chords – I01], as it allows the practitioner to deal with the various elements involved that affect the structure of a song, as well as making it possible for this knowledge to be applied during performance more effectively [When you understand scale and harmony in theory, you can improvise better and create very cool things. Previously, I had to test note by note, it was difficult – I11].
Allied to musical theory, manual skills on an instrument are developed simultaneously [The teacher suggests exercises and songs that we start playing first, which allow the finger that is still stiff to move a little slowly – I15], being improved as the practitioner exercises their practice [I looked at the guitar fretboard a lot, and the fingers did not respond you know? One day I noticed that I was reading the score, and the finger went automatically. This marked my musical learning process – I18]. As the practitioner handles the instrument and understands the theoretical knowledge, the interrelationships between these elements become even more evident during musical learning [To make a bar chord on a guitar, in the beginning, you learn in the theory as if it were the F chord. So, I understood that if I did the same ‘F chord hand shape’ in other frets, I would play other chords – I13]. The findings allude to what Maciel and Wallendorf (2017) identified as the development of cultural competencies that combine bodily and sensory elements involved in the practice, which stimulates the individual’s ability to judge and express aspects of taste later on.
Aiming to detail the technical improvement, interviewees stated that the daily practice centered on musical exercises is essential to develop skills and motor coordination, as constant training allows the individual to refine their manual movements and naturally acquire immediate reflexes in their performance [When you train every day, it will be natural. You start to have muscle memory, and that comes from a lot of training – I11]. Linked with technical improvement, physical conditioning is an equally relevant factor for better musical performance. There is a belief that the metal genre is a style of music that demands a lot from the musician in terms of body performance [You have to be physically fit. Metal songs are fast, and you can’t escape much because it’s a lot of notes in a row. You have to be well prepared – I02]. At the same time, it was also mentioned that to keep high levels of performance and obtain technical improvement in the musical instrument, one has to focus on physical conditioning, with direct implications in situations where there is no routine training [I was doing solos that you could clearly see a musical evolution. As I stopped for a long time, if I were to play now, my fingers would be sore as if I had never done that. It’s a physiological thing – I17].
Once knowledgeable of music theory and endowed with technical skills on the instrument, the interviewees considered themselves able to carry out taste externalization practices through ‘authorial experimentation’ in the metal genre. These attempts at musical compositions are defined as the moments in which the practitioner exercises his performance in order to create some authorial piece (e.g., a guitar riff, a guitar solo, etc.) either intentionally or uncommitted. A possible explanation for this finding can be observed in the concept of virtuosity based on the study by Stachó (2018), which has been addressed among scholars in the field of music in two distinct conceptions of virtuosity in musical performance: the mechanistic and the mental.
In the first case, the mechanistic virtuosity comes from the esteem for the technique executed with precision, dexterity and motor coordination, combined with the understandings derived from studies in the music field [I pay a lot of attention when executing, and I have a standard of excellence in how to play the guitar in progressive metal, which has influence on concert music and long instrumental passages – I06]. Hennion (2012) explains that this type of internal virtuosity involves technical insistence due to the extreme difficulty of the exercises, whose reproduction may be beyond the reach of average amateurs depending on the level of the music demand. So, compositions arising from this nature can be based on the practitioner’s taste, as in situations where sound elements of metal dialogue with other equally complex musical genres [I put together the things I like to make the music because the composition is a mirror of what you hear. There are things that I experiment with the harmony of jazz and classical music, and metal accepts well these hybridizations that we can see in Folk and Prog Metal – I03]. Morel et al. (2021) demonstrate that the musical taste of Brazilian metal consumers is associated with an audience with high cultural capital and aligned with complex musical genres (e.g., jazz, classical and blues), which perhaps explains their influence in this process of ‘authorial experimentation’. Walser (1992) notes that classical music serves as a significant model for virtuosity, influencing heavy metal guitarists who often possess exceptional technical facility similar to those of classical musicians.
However, mental virtuosity values the practitioner’s ability to express cognitive mastery over the instrument in a contemplative perspective of music regarding the sensations that are experienced during execution [I’ve always admired the feeling of Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden. He’s not a faster guitarist, but he has a very intense feeling in his bandings and vibrato. It is a different approach, and, of course, I use it – I19], so that the practitioner can anticipate, reflect and appreciate the emotions that can be enjoyed during the ‘authorial experimentation’ process [The music has to be at the service of feeling. One thing among guitarists that I liked is precisely the fact that they use the technique at the service of feeling, using musical notes to build something deeper and less mechanical – I15]. Hennion (2012) argues that this type of external virtuosity is associated with performativity, in which a kind of movement occurs between body and soul that alludes to a human extension of the musical instrument through gestures that evoke a projection of the musician in the performance, sensitive to the vivid reality of the music. Walser (1992) highlights that virtuoso musicians can also captivate their audience through emotional expression in the metal musical genre.
In both virtuosity conceptions, it is plausible to infer that these ‘authorial experiments’ follow the practitioner’s musical taste and the characteristic sounds of metal, so that artists and bands of this genre can serve as inspiration during this creative process [It would be cool if it looked like the Megadeth album. So, I’m going this way. Obviously, I’m not going to copy, but I’m going to do it in a way reminiscent of Megadeth–I08]. The basis of a musical influence is not always something premeditated but arises involuntarily during the attempt at authorial composition [After it’s done, I realize, or someone else comments that ‘it got a thrash metal sonority’ and even compares it with the bands that I like. But it is something unintentional and occurs naturally – I01]. The reports illustrate that taste is a reflexive activity subject to manipulation and stabilization comparatively with other practitioners inserted in this field (Quintão et al., 2017).
At this stage, the individuals have incorporated the elements of practice responsible for the connection between mental activities and bodily routines in the face of taste externalization. From the perspective of Reckwitz (2002), this means that individuals see themselves as ‘carriers of practice’, able to regularly perform bodily and intellectual behaviors properly associated with understandings concerning relevant objects used in everyday activities. This is consistent with an approach that emphasizes the routine nature of consumption, as the practice involves manual and mental procedures based on repetition aimed at acquiring skills through object use (Warde, 2005, 2017) Given the relevance that the musical instrument has for self-taught instruction and formal musical education, the following section explores its characteristics.
The musical instrument
After describing the taste externalization practice in compliance with the ways of learning and performance improvement on the musical instrument, it was deemed relevant to evaluate the way in which technical specifications, electronic equipment and aesthetic elements influence the researched context. That can be useful to understand how the characteristics of the object contribute to the routine actions that configure the analyzed practice (Halkier et al., 2011) in the face of consumption of the metal musical genre.
In terms of the technical specifications of a musical instrument, some elements are considered by musicians when choosing the one that will be most suitable for a good performance in the metal genre. It was emphasized that the body of the instrument is a factor that influences the sound and the precise tuning of strings, being an essential requirement regarding the adequate conditions in its physical structure [The guitar must be well-built. The distance between the frets has to be fit to the millimeter. Otherwise, it won’t tune – I06]. Another relevant factor that can be highlighted regarding the physical contact between the practitioner and the instrument body is the convenience that the object can offer during the musical performance [Comfort, weight, and ergonomics. Spending hours with an uncomfortable guitar will make your hand sore, harming your joints and muscles – I08].
Regarding the electronic pieces of equipment, it is essential to pay attention to the type of pickup and the musical instrument model to obtain the characteristic sound of the metal genre [You don’t go with a Stratocaster with a simple pickup to play heavy metal. Go for an Explorer by Dimebag Darrell where the sound is naturally heavy, or a Les Paul with active pickup by Zakk Wylde – I13], being able to use external equipment that emulates the desired timbre [I prefer to have a pedalboard that I can manage myself in order to modulate and imitate the effects of several artists – I11]. These reports corroborate what is argued by Thomas and King (2019), in which the authors draw attention to the fact that the metal genre generally requires the use of adequate equipment capable of guaranteeing the implementation of characteristic and distinctive sound effects of this music style. In some cases, playing a specific metal subgenre may require some technical particularity in relation to the musical instrument because its sonority is associated with this differential [Death metal and nu metal are highly marked by the seven-piece guitar strings. The guitarist who plays on this model has an appropriate pickup to implement the correct timbre – I16].
The aesthetic elements are also a relevant factor in taste externalization for the metal genre for most interviewees. Among those who establish a link with the aesthetics of the instruments in this style of music, it was mentioned that the fact that the artists opt for some specific models helps to strengthen this relationship [There are types of instruments that I think have more to do with the metal musical genre. A Gibson SG guitar that Tony Iommi uses, and the Flying V that the thrash metal crowd uses a lot – I01], and, likewise, there is a belief that using models that have no immediate visual association with the genre of metal can be weird in terms of aesthetic appreciation [I like fancy models, like Explorers and Flying V’s. The design influences the metal. There are heavy metal bands playing with Fender and Stratocaster. I don’t think it matches. It’s quite strange – I04]. Weinstein (2000) states that the metal musical genre has a visual dimension that involves several aesthetic elements responsible for assigning meanings that are shared between artists and the public, providing a reference to appreciate music beyond its characteristic sound.
Discussion
Musical taste is the result of a performative and reflective process inseparably linked to the practices of individuals (Hennion, 2001, 2010), in which consumption preferences are externalized as the practitioner develops their skills (Castro et al., 2021). Assuming that consumption practices configure a complex socio-material context (Magaudda, 2011) and that they can lead to changes as individuals experiment, improvise and adapt to improve their skills (Warde, 2005, 2017), the results indicate that the learning process to play a musical instrument is a practice that fits this understanding. Shove et al. (2012) state that practices are defined by relationships of interdependence between materials, competences and meanings that are mutually molded so that new practical knowledge can be added to the previous one. Considering the results of self-taught instruction, formal music education and the musical instruments used, Figure 1 summarizes the aspects that configure taste externalization practice for the metal genre in this research context.
Taste externalization practice in the learning process to play a musical instrument.
The findings confirm what Deslyper (2018) stated about self-taught instruction in which individuals are oriented toward immediate performance goals in a specific musical genre, using informal pedagogical resources to develop listening (Castro and Rezende, 2023) and technical skills (Möllenkamp, 2019; Vaizman and Harpaz, 2023) on playing the instrument. This learning method is also influenced by the musical performance of a reference artist in the metal genre, culminating in taste externalization as a consequence of the attempt of reproduction of songs that are consumed by the practitioner. Eventually, the process may trigger the need for the individual to resort to formal music education based on a learning method that values music theory and is centered on the practice of exercises that improve musical performance (Deslyper, 2018), which, in principle, would not take into account only the practitioner’s taste in learning. However, the results demonstrate that the mechanistic and mental virtuosity (Stachó, 2018) acquired by the practitioner can enable the taste externalization for the metal genre due to the ‘authorial experiments’ during learning. It is also evident that the technical specifications, electronic equipment and aesthetic elements of the musical instrument can influence the taste externalization practice, a fact which endorses the influence of material objects in this context of consumption (Halkier et al., 2011).
These results correspond with other studies that also elucidated the overlap between practice and taste in consumption in different sociocultural fields (Arsel and Bean, 2013; Maciel and Wallendorf, 2017; Quintão et al., 2017), reinforcing the existence of common elements in this research perspective. This can be exemplified by the notoriety that the constancy of the actions performed by the practitioner with the object has to develop and improve bodily and mental skills, as the meanings inherent to the taste normative system are increasingly incorporated into everyday performance; as well as the importance of institutionalized knowledge disseminated by actors involved in a specific field for the benefit of the refinement of the practitioner’s cultural skills, which will influence the judgment of aesthetic dispositions of taste and their respective joint appreciation among peers. In this way, investigating the learning process to play a musical instrument was conducive to demonstrating how self-taught instruction and formal music education are related to the metal genre consumption so that each learning modality has its own characteristics and expresses different goals of individuals in their musical performance.
We concluded that the process of learning to play musical instruments constitutes a taste externalization practice, and the way in which this occurs is linked to the consumption of the metal music genre in the context studied. From a sociocultural perspective (Warde, 2014), it became evident that music can stimulate individuals to engage in consumption practices associated with taste, involving an effort to learn to play a musical instrument in a manner coherent with the structuring elements of the genre in analysis, perpetuating the sound and aesthetic meanings that characterize it (Brackett, 2016). From a pedagogical approach, it was revealed that musical taste can trigger the need for practitioners to seek informal and self-taught learning resources (Green, 2017) that enable them to reproduce music similar to their consumption preferences. In addition, it was shown that practitioners can improve their technical and theoretical knowledge through formal teaching methods (Deslyper, 2018), enabling the externalization of taste based on the ‘authorial experimentation’ inherent to musical virtuosity (Hennion, 2012).
The information presented in this article reinforces the relevance of sociocultural research on consumption (Warde, 2015) and contributes to the agenda of cross-pollination between the social theory of taste and the theory of practice to identify its modus operandi (Rezende and Castro, 2021). It became evident that taste can be examined in an approach that emphasizes the performance of individuals (Pomiès and Hennion, 2021) through the agency power of objects and actions practiced in the field of music (De Boise, 2016; Prior, 2013), characterizing the usefulness that the theory of practice has to complement with other theoretical resources in the investigation of sociocultural phenomena (Welch et al., 2020). In addition, the study repositioned music as the central object of analysis, contemplating it as an integrative practice that promotes taste (Castro et al., 2021), which is externalized through the consumption of a specific musical genre by individuals who learn to play a musical instrument. The metal genre is a fruitful field in this regard, and the article’s findings also value the particularities of music consumption in view of the Global South (Varas-Díaz et al., 2020).
It is valid to point out that the taste externalization practice studied is limited to a small portion of Brazilian consumers of the metal genre who learn to play musical instruments, and it is not our intention to generalize the results to the national level or to the whole universe of metal fans. We believe that this sociocultural phenomenon can be investigated in different contexts (e.g., music performance with bands) and encompass different musical genres (such as the influence of musical eclecticism), in which intersubjectivity is the target of qualitative investigation and produces other complementary results in the explanation of the relationship between practice and taste in music consumption. Therefore, the knowledge generated in this article can encourage other researchers to follow that path, joining efforts toward a better comprehension of music as a sociocultural field central to the relationship between taste and practice.
Footnotes
Data availability statement
Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This work was supported (scholarship*) by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES, linked to the Ministry of Education of Brazil.
