Introduction to Music & Music Theory
When we begin any course of study, we should ask and answer some important philosophical questions: what exactly are we studying... and why?
What is Music?
Most people generally define music as the art of organized sound, delineating it from other fine arts like painting, sculpture, theatre, theatre, dance, architecture and literature.
However, composers and works sometimes challenge this definition. Many people define music subjectively as being pleasing to the ear; someone might refer to a piece or genre they do not like as not music but noise. A well-known piece by American composer John Cage entitled 4′33″ consists of a pianist sitting at an on stage piano without playing a note for the duration of the piece, framing the ambient sounds of the performance hall as the performance itself. One might ask: is this music?
Music in Context
How we define music can be dependent on the context in which it is heard. Some of the ways we use music include:
- Entertainment & Ambience: music listening can be an activity by itself, such as attending a concert or actively listening to an album or single; or to add enjoyment to other activities, such as at parties or athletic events.
- Rituals & Ceremonies: music often plays a large part in cultural or religious events such as worship services, or in ceremonies such as patriotic events or graduations.
- Education: music can act as a means of instruction to facilitate memorization or provide helpful mnemonic value.
- Promotion: music is often commercially in product advertising or political campaigning.
- Treatment & Therapy: music can be used as part of medical processes, where it can have provide psychological benefit or assist with the completion of rehabilitation programs.
Each of these contexts have different metrics for what defines a successful piece of music, whether it is evoking an emotional response, being memorable, or providing a particular therapeutic result.
Music and Language
Music is sometimes referred to as a "universal language." This is usually understood to reflect the idea that, for example, someone can enjoy Brazilian music without speaking or understanding Portuguese.
However, music is technically not a form of language in the same way as Romanian, Navajo or American Sign Language are. Written and spoken languages provide specificity of communication: if a language is unable to portray the difference between a napkin and a blanket, for example, it might be considered a flaw.
Music, as most people define it, has no such requirement. A common musical technique is to portray emotion, rather than specific meaning, but even then it is generally accepted that listeners will interpret these emotions differently based on their own experiences.
Composers, Performers and Listeners
A piece of music may have different meanings and value to the person who created it, the person who is performing it, and the person who is listening to it. All of these reactions are an important part of the musical process, even if they conflict with one another.
For example, American composer Samuel Barber's most well-known piece, the Adagio for Strings, was originally written as part of a string quartet inspired by a Latin poem about agriculture dating from the first century BCE. Modern listeners, however, often associate the piece with tragedy after notable radio performances after the deaths of American presidents Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy, and its use in the soundtrack of the 1986 Vietnam War film Platoon. Individual listeners may ascribe personal meanings to the piece, tragic or otherwise.
What is Music Theory?
People sometimes misunderstand music theory to be a list of rules for writing music. This is incorrect for a few different reasons: first, most composers do not follow rules when they write music; they may follow patterns that are common in similar pieces, but in fact often it is the deviation from these patterns that make for memorable works of musical art.
Second, music theory is not prescriptive, but descriptive; it is not meant to specify how music should be written, but is an analysis of what composers have done. One of the most common goals in music theory is to understand why a particular piece of music works: how it is assembled, how it presents itself to the listener, and how it generates the emotional reaction that it does. In some cases, these questions may not have clear answers, but the search can help us understand more about music itself.
Music Studies
Music Theory is usually a part of a broader program of study for professional or amateur musicians. In addition to individual performance lessons and participation in musical ensembles, general music studies are often divided into sequences with different goals:
- Music Theory is the study of how music is made and how it works.
- Music History is a historical study of music and musicians, often through primary and secondary sources.
- Ethnomusicology is an anthropological study of music in its cultural context.
The term musicology is sometimes used synonymously with music history, but more accurately describes the broad, academic, research-based study of music — incorporating music theory, music history, and ethnomusicology as well as other related fields like music cognition and music pedagogy — as opposed to the more practical, performance-based aspects of music training.
Music theory sequences are often paired with aural skills courses, in which students improve capabilities in audiation, sight-reading, dictation, transcription, and other practical skills used by professional musicians.
Methods
Traditionally, music theory courses involve three different types of activities:
- Music Literacy: Exercises to gain fluency in music notation
- Analysis: Examination of musical works to study melody, rhythm, harmony, form, orchestration and other characteristics
- Composition: Writing short examples of music in various styles as a means of gaining familiarity with genre norms
Why Do We Study Music Theory?
The study of music theory can have different benefits for different types of musicians.
- By studying the patterns and techniques of other works, composers, arrangers and music producers can learn new methods and help improve and refine their own writing.
- Music performers can use music theory study to not only gain a deeper understanding of the works they perform, but a fluency in musical language that is vital for learning new works and improvisation in various styles.
- Music educators need to have a strong foundation in music theory study in order to prepare their own students for various types of professional musicianship.
- Music therapists must not only be familiar with many musical languages but able to make connections from performance and appreciation to clinical and rehabilitative goals.
Students of music theory can often apply knowledge to their performance and casual listening immediately, and might discover benefits long after they have completed formal study.
Introduction to Music & Music Theory: Summary
- Music is often defined as the art of organized sound, though individual interpretations tend to vary from person to person.
- Whether or not something considered musical can depend on the context in which the performance takes place.
- Music, which can sometimes portray moods and emotions, is generally considered different from language, which portrays specific meaning.
- A specific piece of music can be attributed different meanings and value by the composer, performer, or listener.
- Music theory is the study of how music is made and how music works.
- Student musicians usually engage with music theory as part of a complete program of study, which includes performance studies, ensemble performances, and courses in music history, ethnomusicolody, and aural skills.
- Music theory studies generally focus on gaining music literacy, analyzing existing works, and composing in various historical and contemporary styles.
- Music theory can have different applications for different types of musicians by helping inform compositional language, interpret musical performances, and provide a foundation for clinical and educational activities.