Music Theory Essentials
A Step-by-Step Introduction to Music Theory for All Musicians
By: Barton Press
Copyright 2020 by Barton Press
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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Without music, life would be a mistake.
Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
Music theory is a sub-field of study under the more general subject area of musicology. The word musicology comes from the Greek words '' (mousik) for 'music' and '' (logos) for 'domain of study'), and so refers to the scholarly study of music. This includes examination of many diverse topics related to music, including the history of music, how music is understood and created in different cultures, and more recently, how music might be used therapeutically. However, while we might briefly touch on each of these three topics, the primary focus of this book will be on music theory.
Music theory is the study of what music is, how it is done, how it is organized, and how and why it can have such an effect on us.
First and foremost, music is created through sounds and silences. However, that is not all it is, nor is it just plain noise. Music is sounds or silences that are organized (whether by humans or machines) into carefully designed structures, patterns, or sequences, and with a variety of characteristics (e.g., pitch, duration, timbre) that are manipulated, with the goal of achieving some purpose.
And by how it is done, I mean not only the basics of how it is done or created (e.g., notes, scales, rhythms, etc.) but also what distinguishes those who do it well from those who do not, and what distinguishes those who do it well from each other.
Finally, as we all know from our own personal experiences, music can certainly create emotional reactions in us as listeners that go beyond other forms of communication. It may remind us of a sad experience in our life and perhaps even bring us to tears, or it may allow us to recapture the joy of a particularly happy moment and lift our spirits for the rest of the day. Something in music can move youit can make you cry, remind you of a lost loved one, or bring you back to the happier days of your childhood.
Music may even have a physical effect on us. For example, it can cause us to experience a type of physical reaction known as a frisson (French, for shiver), also sometimes called a tone chill. A frisson is an unexpected but pleasurable psychophysiological response to a particular auditory stimulus. Usually lasting only a few seconds, it is typically manifested as a skin tingling or shiver up the spine accompanied by goosebumps, hair standing on end, or pupil dilation.
Maybe it is the particular combination of sounds, or how they are organized, the silences between them, an unexpected change in the volume or key, or some other violation of musical expectations, that effects us in such a profound way. This is one of the questions that music theorists try to answer.
Music as Language
Music is often compared to language, and that comparison is a valid one. A language is also sounds (and silences) organized into carefully designed structures, sequences, or patterns, for the purpose of communicating ideas. The structures, sequences, and patterns that are more commonly used, form the grammar of that language, and the grammar then serves as guidelines for others to learn and use that language. However, the use of language is not and never should be limited by grammatical rules that require that it only be used as it has been used before. There should always be room for creativity. In fact, linguists recognize an entire area of study that focuses on the pragmatics of language, in other words, language as it is actually used by speakers, which is often inconsistent with the so-called rules of grammar. Grammatical rules are broken by all of us every day when we use slang, engage in everyday conversation, or when we send text messages to friends.
Actually, music may be thought of as a language used for communicating emotions. And while music theorists devote a lot of time to researching the how and why of compositions from musicians throughout history, in order to better understand how music has been done, they also recognize that these patterns should not be thought of as rules constraining the works of future composers. Even more so with music, creativity should not be constrained by what has been done before. Some have argued that not only is learning music theory a waste of time for musicians, it can actually negatively impact their efforts, because it teaches them to follow rules, thus limiting and stifling their creativity. However, this would only be true if a musician blindly adhered to rules and conventions based on what was done in the past. But that is not what music theorists espouse, and even if they did, most musicians would never limit themselves in such a way anyhow. In the same way that a writer must learn to use language according to certain rules, but also know when to break those rules for the sake of achieving their objective or for the sake of creativity, being an effective composer of music requires finding the right balance between following the rules and breaking them. And breaking the rules will be much more meaningful if we know and understand what rules we are breaking and why. Just like any artist, the best composers know when and how to push the boundaries of their art and when not to.
Why Learn Music Theory?
Musicians, such as pianists, guitarists, drummers, oboe players, or vocalists, study music theory to understand what various instruments (or voices) are capable of doing and not doing, to learn and memorize pieces of music faster, and to be able to improvise more easily and effectively.
Composers study music theory to fully understand their compositional options, to understand how to create certain structures and produce certain effects in their own works, to create more complete and aesthetically pleasing compositions or music that elicits a desired emotional reaction, and to develop their own personal style.
Lyricists study music theory to produce songs that are maximally adapted for the specific characteristics of a particular performers voice, or to produce music that sounds rich and creative, even when the accompaniment is simplified.
