a fan.
i have broad music tastes but at the same time, too focused to appreciate all the subdued shit. I'm curious but with limits.

I know a few professional musicians - in this case that means Cathedral organists and 'classical' musicians - and they've always told me to avoid looking into musical theory too deeply because it destroys the fun. A warning to us all.

I will say though, the sheer act of listening doesn't make a person an expert - one has to listen well. Better to hear one record well than a million badly.

Particularly virulent hangover.

Expert in the case of real life. Not obscure in the internet world.

I'd say I'm a fan.

I consider myself an expert when compared to my mates who know shit about music. When I compare myself to many of you guys who are walking encyclopadias, I consider myself a wee fanboy.

fan of expert.

My musical knowledge is very limited, in comparison to the likes of some people here.

But in comparison to my friends, I'm a genius.

I'm definitely only a fan.

I am master of all I survey.

fan, but a semi-expert due to my very good memory.

FA Cup Winners in 1980. You've got ten seconds!

Definitely a fan, too much music out there to hail myself as an expert

I know my fair share of great bands but certainly not as much as most people do here. So I'm gonna go with music-fan.

I'm very good at getting a record or a band, quickly too, yet I would never consider myself an expert 'cause that would imply that I know every single thing that comes out, which I don't.

I can't even say that I specialise in any particular type of music because my taste is broad and ''moody'', therefore there will never be any time to get to know every single artist in any given genre or style.

In my circle of friends I guess I'd be the expert. I listen to a lot more music than they seem to, so I get asked about certain bands or artists from time to time.

I'd say I'm just a fan though. I know a lot about the bands I like, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't mean much.

That quote is exactly where I fall in.
I am both.

Knowing about the history behind music, as opposed to just listening to the music, is like having a sword in both hands, instead of just one. It's not mandatory or essential (you can battle just fine with only one Nodachi) but possessing the two certainly doesn't hurt.

...Unless of course you're an asshole about it ("I have two swords and you only have one. ha ha ha") In which case, the music "expert" would be a major turnoff, a point you guys have already driven home. And though I know many people like that, I tend to not engage in music conversation with them.

But an expert in a loving to learn about the music/the musicians that make it and the origin of the band/song/guitars they use/etc etc is exactly the kind of fan that I am. And that's the only kind of expert I would consider expert; people that know enough about their knowledge to care about it, and care enough about their knowledge to (want to) know about it.

That word "expert" bothers me though. I don't think it's the right word for the idea my opinion is grounded in.
If we're talking about encyclopedic, Kim Peekesque expertise/knowledge, where, yeah, he can recite almost any pop culture and historic question you ask him, but does he care about these things? That is obviously a vapid kind of knowledge.
In terms of loving the music and wanting to know the background of the music and learning about the nooks and crannies of it all, I consider both of those methods a part of being a fan. You're a fan in both cases. I don't consider myself an expert because I'm not, but I like to think that I know a lot for my age and I like to learn and know as much as I can about music that I truly love.

So its a mixture of the two.
Knowing about music, though not terribly important, counts in my book. It can only be a good thing.

I ama music fan and a music expert in one. I seek to find out anything and everything I can abouyt artists whose music I love and whose music moves me.
That makes me somewhat o f an expert on the bands I love.

well said Rob. that's exactly what I'm talking about.

i think anyone who calls themselves an expert probably isn't very aware of how much music is out there.

I think anyone who says stuff like this is 12 years old and does not realize the meaning of the word EXPERT

It does NOT mean you know everything.

It does NOT mean you have a comprehensive knowledge bridging all musical genres and fields.

It does mean that you have a lot of knowledge, more so than the average person, about a specific field/genre/band/instrument.etc.

a person can be an EXPERT on toilet tissue and know nothing about bidets.

I can be an expert on sonic youth and know nothing about the Swans.

This here.

i'm a fan but i guess you can say i'm an expert on certain scenes. like the DC hardcore scene, riot grrl, southern california punk scene 77-83 yeah.