I love how at 1:09 there’s a guy clearing his throat and someone hushes him like “bro, don’t interrupt this sweet silence”

I can't even begin to imagine how quickly the world would set on fire if John Cage were allowed to copyright this

I played this at my piano exam. The judges were not amused.

It's one of those tunes that gets stuck your head, even during a coma.

I once didn't speak for five minutes and this guy sued me for copyright...

When the piece went " ", and then " "... I felt that 😔

I'm not a big fan of the first movement, but the second movement is HIGHLY underrated. And don't get me started on the third movement. Simply spectacular!

When you pause the video but the song's still playing:

Man, I can't get this tune out of my head for days, what shall I do?

I don't always listen to John Cage, but when I do, neither do my neighbours.

The lyrics to the song: ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎

Finally, a song that fits my vocal range!

This is the first song I learned on the piano because I have no piano

This piece: *exists* Person who coughs in the audience: It’s my time to shine

“How did you get popular?!” “I did nothing on the piano” “Oh”

This man is a legend, he just came in and sight read the whole piece

This is actually the first piece that I mastered at home.

My friend absolutely stole the show with this on karaoke night the other night. He brought us all to tears with his brilliant singing.

this song is so powerful that I can listen to it even with a broken headphone

As a deaf person, this legendary masterpiece really makes me so emotional.

I played this last night, and the neighbors complained.

I'm gonna buy his album for sure..

He did this for five minutes and got a standing ovation

I think I'll use this song for my alarm.

Some poor Twitch streamer: "How the hell did I get a copyright strike for 4 minutes of silence?!" *John Cage rolling in his grave*

It's hard to get this catchy tune out of your head. A truly beautiful melody!

This is actually a very calming and meditative piece. The way it encourages you to really analyze the little noises going on around you. How there’s never really true silence.

My friend: “What type of music do you listen to?” Me: “It’s complicated”

Since i set this song as my ringtone, nobody called me.

We did this piece in my first year of college, as my percussion professor showed us unique pieces like this all the time and it actually totally broke my mind open to asking "what is the definition of music truelly?"... Anyway, when we performed it, part way through the 2nd act, someone left to go to the bathroom and all the noise they made of walking down the bleachers, the door, the bathroom door, the super faint toilet flush, washing hands, and all sounds of them returning. My teacher at the end acknowledged it as a solosist

I call it fire alarm with low battery

1:10 that cough followed by "shh!" is just golden... kinda like silence!

Strange.. I closed this video but this music still keeps playing..

every single time you listen to this it is a different song. you and your current environment will never be the exact same and will be different each time.

Definetly my favorite cover of Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound Of Silence

Now without a doubt, this truly is one of the ever made. It is one of the of all-time. I rate it /10 would listen to it again.

When John Cage said “ “ I felt that 🔥🔥🔥

Finally, a piece that Beethoven can actually hear.

people think this as a joke, I certainly did at first, but here's the background behind this piece because it genuinely interested me: Composer John Cage was inspired by many things. The first of which was Zen Buddhism, a Buddhist practice of being zen, which emphasizes simplicity, nonconceptual understanding, present-moment awareness, and meditation. At the same time John Cage was studying Zen Buddhism, he was also inspired by chance operations, where the creator removes the option of choice from the player. These are two very important factors of this piece. Cage went to an anechoic chamber (soundproofed chamber, said to allow no one to hear ambience while they are inside) and heard two sounds, one high and one low. "I heard two sounds, one high and one low. When I described them to the engineer in charge, he informed me that the high one was my nervous system in operation, the low one my blood in circulation." This is where Cage noticed the impossibility of silence, another key factor in this song. He was, however, debating on whether or not to compose it. Cage felt that such a piece would be "incomprehensible in the Western context", and was reluctant to write it down: "I didn't wish it to appear, even to me, as something easy to do or as a joke. I wanted to mean it utterly and be able to live with it." (Cage). However, he was inspired by his friend Robert Rauschenberg, who, in 1951, produced a series of seemingly blank canvases, though they were painted with white house paint. Roberts aim was to make a piece that looked untouched by human hands, as though it had arrived in the world fully formed and pure. These paintings aimed to be change based on the lighting in the placement of the area that the painting was to be hung, shadows looming over the painting, and so on. "Actually what pushed me into it was not guts but the example of Robert Rauschenberg. His white paintings ... when I saw those, I said, 'Oh yes, I must. Otherwise I'm lagging, otherwise music is lagging'." (Cage). The guts from Robert Rauschenberg to publish a simplistic and controversial art piece led to John Cage publishing a simplistic and controversial composition. A quick note, 4'33" is supposed to take the room ambiance and the sounds surrounding it and make it music. This means that the only sounds in the song are the audience trying to be quiet. The point of it was to show something about the relation of music to silence. The best moments were, as I have read while researching, the performer stays completely quiet while the room does the same. Some time into the performance, someone practicing a Beethoven sonata was playing, so the music during this performance was audience noises, and occasionally "A B C D E F# [mistake] Dammit! A B C D E F# [mistake] Son of a biiitch!" and so on. The same person who told that story also said that the audience applauded wildly after that. TL;DR: Think of that one Simon & Garfunkel song but without any words or notes.

This is my favorite song to play when the kids leave the house.

My neighbors called the police because I was listening this too loud.

This is magic, I pause the video and the music was still listening!!

When the world is loud, Music is silent. And I love that kind of music it feels comfortable and it feels calm. Music says don't worry. Take it easy. 😊

Little known fact: Comedian Freddy Lewis was in attendance for this performance. He was thrown out for chewing popcorn too loud! xoxo The Clarences

Gotta practice 40 hours a day to play this masterpiece like this legend

Fact: every song ever made is just a version of this, but with sound added on or the form elaborated upon.

I’ve been playing music for 30+ years but that bit in the third movement, at 4:44 of this video, trips me up every single time. Aaaargh!! Confound you John Cage and your brilliance!! 🖤🤍🖤

This song is dedicated to those who can’t find it.

The scary thing is the fact that we're unknowingly listening to this even when we're not listening to any music.

"Everything we do is music." Me, heading to the bathroom: I'm so excited for this concert

I discovered this for the first time today. Now it's been repeating in my head all day.

I don’t normally listen to john cage but when i do, I don’t 😂😂

I imagine someone sitting down thinking "I paid $ 10 to see a man looking at a piano"

The final boss of Shazam

Been playing a record of this at high decibles and still the neighbors didn't complain.

Whenever I get a song stuck in my head, I just remember this one and get it stuck in my head instead

1:10 LMAOOO someone coughed and another guy said "shh"

Back in school i asked my piano teacher if i could play this for the music concert that was coming up and he was like sure just but im pretty sure your still gonna mess it up somehow,which i did,closed the fallboard and accidentally hit a key..

imagine a talking cat suddenly appearing in front of you, asking if you want a superpower in exchange for having to listen to one song of your choice for the rest of your life and you choose this...

1:10 Random Person 1: aHEM Random Person 2: shh. Idk why this had me dying but it did

The second movement brought me to tears.

*your heartbeat changes to match the rhythm of the song you're listening to* me:

Pianist: (Closes lid) Me: Wait wha- Pianist: (starts a stopwatch) Me: oh shi-

i thought my Spotify went wrong so i came here

Play this song at my funeral

I couldn't even enjoy the music because everyone kept coughing.

I actually learned this piece as the first thing I did on the piano, it was so satisfying as it is a wonderful piece that doesn't take much to play

Once upon a time, in a small cozy home, lived a curious and music-loving granddaughter named Emily. Emily shared a special bond with her grandmother, Eleanor, who was a wise and gentle soul. They would spend countless hours together, sharing stories, laughter, and their mutual love for music. One sunny afternoon, Emily visited her grandmother's house, excited to share a new piece of music she had discovered. As they sat in the living room, Eleanor smiled warmly, eagerly waiting to hear what her granddaughter had in store. With great anticipation, Emily played John Cage's 4'33". The unconventional composition, famously known for its silence, seemed like an unusual choice. However, Emily believed that music was not only about sound but also about the emotions it evoked and the experiences it created. As the minutes passed, the room was filled with a profound silence, and the melodies of life outside the window intertwined with the absence of sound within. Emily watched her grandmother closely, wondering how she would react to this unique musical journey. Eleanor closed her eyes, her face serene and peaceful. She immersed herself in the silence, allowing the music of the moment to unfold within her soul. It was as if the absence of sound invited her to reflect on the beauty and significance of the world around her. In that poignant moment, Emily realized that 4'33" was not just a piece of music; it was an invitation to embrace the quietude and appreciate the subtle symphony of life. It was a reminder that sometimes the most profound moments could be found in the spaces between the notes. Days turned into weeks, and Emily continued to visit her grandmother, sharing music and cherishing their time together. Eleanor's health began to fade, and it became clear that her time on Earth was drawing to a close. In their final moments together, Emily held her grandmother's hand, reminiscing about their shared love for music. As they sat in silence, Eleanor whispered, her voice filled with love and gratitude, "Thank you for introducing me to the beauty of silence, my dear Emily. Through 4'33", I found solace in the stillness and the unspoken connection it held with the world." Tears filled Emily's eyes as she embraced her grandmother tightly, understanding the profound impact that music, even in its silence, had on their lives. Eleanor's passing left a void in Emily's heart, but she carried the memories of their musical journey and the lessons they learned together. From that day forward, whenever Emily heard John Cage's 4'33”, she felt a deep connection to her grandmother. It became a reminder of the bond they shared, the beauty of silence, and the importance of finding music in the spaces where it seemed absent. And so, as time went on, Emily continued to explore music, embracing both the harmonies and the pauses in between. She cherished the memory of her grandmother, forever grateful for the last song they listened to together and the profound impact it had on their lives.

Someone: “That guy looks depressed with his Black hood and headphones. What is he listening to?” His headphones:

Now i can finally say that i know how to play the piano.

"Hey, I can play that!" "Yeah. But you didnt."

This is the piece I keep hearing literally everyday, truly life changing!

Finally. A genre of music I can be good at.

can we just take a moment to appreciate the guy at the beginning who coughed in the video and the other person who told him to shush.

I think I found the perfect last minute recital piece for one of my students!

When ever I need a laughter I would come here and read out the comments and always work

I tried playing this but damn its a very hard piece to learn. :'( I still have a lot to improve. Wish me luck guys

Our teacher showed us this on our music class, we were confused and thought something was going to happen at some point. She then ask us what do you think of it, and played the video again 4 times. She made us watch this for 42 minutes. It was a blast

Simon and Garfunkel sitting in the audience "WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN"

The shusher to someone coughing a bit is the best part. That killed me, lol.

If you guys think this is good, just wait until you here the full orchestra arrangement

Not to brag, but I can play this song on any instrument.

I had to listen to this three times to truly appreciate the emotions I was feeling.

Every time i hear this on the radio, I freaking blast it

Instead of: "Shut up!" Say: "Go practice John Cage's 4'33!"

*Put your volume down to zero for full experience*

>choose song challenge >pick 4’33” by john cage >profit

I showed this to my piano nerd 12 year old daughter and she was confused at first. After the first act i asked, what does John Cage think is music? She actually gasped and said, “oh EVERYTHING!!” Then we sat in the music of our home and neighborhood for the next two acts. It was one of my loveliest parenting moments so far.

My professor showed this in my composition class and all my classmates are like "this is so sophisticated" and "it represents patience" and I'm just sitting here like "what the hell" lmao

This is the type of music Beethoven listens to

Laugh if you want, but his work with Milli Vanilli was perfection.

I love when my sister plays it! It is the most beautiful thing she plays!

I can see how Brett & Eddie struggled with this one EDIT: Holy smokes, Thanks for the likes. Now, Go Practice

When he played , I felt that.

The best piece to play for an exam if you're a procrastinator!

This is what i searched for: "The most stupid piano song john cage"

The piano is not in tune ...

I'm completly sure that youtube will place Ads in the middle of this masterpiece of music someday

I got this to play at my homecoming last year. Chaos erupted like crazy.

I was asked in our department meeting today as an icebreaker question if I had a theme song what would it be. I answered with 4’33”.