

Ask HN: Why are great coders often also great musicians - bopf

In my circle of friends those who know how to code really well often also master one or two musical instruments really well. I don&#x27;t know of any other profession where there are so many good musicians. What do you think is the reason for that. How does good code relate to good music?
======
input
Both require the learning and manipulation of abstract symbols whilst
performing 'in the zone'. Programmers and musicians both learn to weave these
abstractions into a larger, continuous tapestry. Musicians stream notes into
music, as coders stream logic into a program.

However you'll also find it usual for excellent people to excel in many areas,
so the real question here is - How many professions do you have in your circle
of friends? I would expect there to be similar correlation of musicians in any
other occupations which require timing, dexterity and creativity.

------
thaumasiotes
Musical ability has long been known to cooccur with mathematical ability. If
you rephrase this question as "why are great coders often also great at
math?", you might find it less surprising.

~~~
bopf
True.. but to me great music is not so much about hitting the right notes.
Putting emotions and groove into your playing makes it great. Something I
never managed to do. I can hit all the notes perfectly on my guitar but it
still sounds crappy. So does great mathematically ability also lead to a
deeper understanding of music and the ability to get the original intent of
the composer across?

