Where is that music coming from? or Where does that music come from?

[Belles1654]

Why do we say...

Where is that music coming from?
or
Where does that music come from?

What is the difference,
why do native speakers say Where is... and esl learners think where does.. that music come from sounds better.

Any help would be appreciated.

Annabelle

[SkiIucK]

To me, both sentences have different meanings.

The first one suggests that you are asking where the music is coming from right now.

The second one suggests that you want to know where the music originated.

[Esl_Expert]

Hello Annabelle,

The difference in meaning simply reflects the standard way two English verb tenses are always used.

Present continuous:
- Where is that music coming from?
This question asks about the source of a sound that you can hear at the moment. That particular sound doesn't necessarily always come from that source. The question asks only about something that is happening at this particular moment.
For example, I might ask that question if my daughter's boyfriend has just pulled into the driveway and he's got music blaring in his car. He might be playing a CD so loudly that I can hear it in the house. Thus, the answer to that question might be this:
- That music is coming from Jimmy's car.

The next time Jimmy plays that music, he might play it in his bedroom at home. The next time I hear that music, it might possibly be at the mall. And so on.

Simple present tense:
- Where does that music come from?
This question would ask about the (permanent) origin of some music. The origin never changes -- it is always the same.
Perhaps it's music that was written in France, in which case the answer to the question might be this:
- That music comes from France.

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“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.” ~ Victor Hugo