An accessible history of how musicians learned to record music discusses the work of five centuries of religious scholars while demonstrating how people developed methods for measuring rhythm, melody and precise pitch, leading to the technological systems of notation in today's world.
Musical notation has not always existed: in the West, musical traditions have often depended on transmission from mouth to ear, and ear to mouth. Although the Ancient Greeks had a form of musical notation, it was not passed on to the medieval Latin West. This comprehensive study investigates the breadth of use of musical notation in Carolingian Europe, including many examples previously unknown in studies of notation, to deliver a crucial foundational model for the understanding of later Western notations. An overview of the study of neumatic notations from the French monastic scholar Dom Jean Mabillon (1632–1707) up to the present day precedes an examination of the function and potential of writing in support of a musical practice which continued to depend on trained memory. Later chapters examine passages of notation to reveal those ways in which scripts were shaped by contemporary rationalizations of musical sound. Finally, the new scripts are situated in the cultural and social contexts in which they emerged.
This stimulating Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. The world teems with different kinds of music-traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop-and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, Nicholas Cook attempts to provide a framework for thinking about all music. By examining the personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, the book reveals the shortcomings of traditional conceptions of music, and sketches a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
'DAGM will stand as the basic edition for the Greek musical documents for a long time. For specialists, of course, DAGM is a fundamental resource.' -Bryn Mawr Classical Review'Lavishly produced.' -Music and Letters'This magisterial collaboration by two scholars unsurpassed in their field edits all currently known fragments of ancient Greek music, and offers authoritative answers to a number of long-standing problems... This book is a great advance in our understanding of ancient music.' -Teresa Morgan, Times Literary SupplementA uniquely complete and up-to-date collection of the surviving remains of ancient Greek music (fifth century BC to third or fourth century AD) as preserved in ancient notation on inscriptions, papyri, and medieval manuscripts. Each item is accompanied, where feasible, with a transcription into modern musical notation and an explanatory commentary. Good-quality photographs are provided in most cases.
Most classical musicians, whether in orchestral or ensemble situations, will have to face a piece by composers such as Ligeti, Messiaen, Varèse or Xenakis, while improvisers face music influenced by Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, Aka Moon, Weather Report, Irakere or elements from the Balkans, India, Africa or Cuba. Rafael Reina argues that today’s music demands a new approach to rhythmical training, a training that will provide musicians with the necessary tools to face, with accuracy, more varied and complex rhythmical concepts, while keeping the emotional content. Reina uses the architecture of the South Indian Karnatic rhythmical system to enhance and radically change the teaching of rhythmical solfege at a higher education level and demonstrates how this learning can influence the creation and interpretation of complex contemporary classical and jazz music. The book is designed for classical and jazz performers as well as creators, be they composers or improvisers, and is a clear and complete guide that will enable future solfege teachers and students to use these techniques and their methodology to greatly improve their rhythmical skills. An accompanying website of audio examples helps to explain each technique. For examples of composed and improvised pieces by students who have studied this book, as well as concerts by highly acclaimed karnatic musicians, please copy this link to your browser: http://www.contemporary-music-through-non-western-techniques.com/pages/1587-video-recordings
This is the first book to examine comprehensively the major systems of musical notation proposed during the past three centuries. Illustrating the many attempts to improve upon or replace the traditional system, this important work chronologically lists, describes, and critically analyzes the majority of the proposed reforms that have appeared over the years. No other book now available covers the subject in such depth or detail. It is not only a repository of suggested improvements in notation, but also a historical survey of the efforts made to simplify the standard practices.
The main function of western musical notation is incidental: it prescribes and records sound. But during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, notation began to take on an aesthetic life all its own. In the early fifteenth century, a musician might be asked to sing a line slower, faster, or starting on a different pitch than what is written. By the end of the century composers had begun tasking singers with solving elaborate puzzles to produce sounds whose relationship to the written notes is anything but obvious. These instructions, which appear by turns unnecessary and confounding, challenge traditional conceptions of music writing that understand notation as an incidental consequence of the desire to record sound. This book explores innovations in late-medieval music writing as well as how modern scholarship on notation has informedsometimes erroneouslyideas about the premodern era. Drawing on both musical and music-theoretical evidence, this book reframes our understanding of late-medieval musical notation as a system that was innovative, cutting-edge, and dynamicone that could be used to generate music, not just preserve it.
How To Read Music With This Simple Guide! Discover The fundamentals of music with basic readingThis guide provides an insight into the fundamental elements of music that the readers should understand. It also gives an idea about how a song is composed and the process to read musical notations. In this way, a reader will learn how to play a song on any musical instrument.This book comprises of tips and techniques that a reader can adopt in order to develop a musical ear. He can learn how to read music and play the song of his choice 7 Reasons to Buy This Book 1. Comprehensive details about reading music2. Convenient to read3.Simple language4.Reasonable price5.Techniques for understanding music6.Develop a taste for music7.Ideal for music lovers Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... Basics of music Difference between pitch and sound How to enjoy reading music Variation in scales The effect of timbre Impact of Articulation Reading musical notes Tips to develop a musical ear Dynamics of Music Ghost Notes Difference between interval and rest Exercises to read music Much, much more! Want To Learn More? Take action today and download this book for a limited time discount of only $2.99!Download Your Copy Right Now!