About this Website
This guide is designed to enhance and expand the listening experience of music lovers by exposing them to the fundamentals of Western music history, theory, and performance practice. Users will gain a greater understanding of written music notation, basic music theory, musical instruments, the history of Western music, modern and historical musical styles, and performance practices. This guide does not aim to turn non-musicians into musicians, but instead seeks to both deepen and broaden the horizons of music lovers who want to know more about the way music works.
Although a great deal of the history of Western music is dominated by so-called "classical" music (more accurately called "art" music), this guide is arranged thematically and strives to include examples from both the popular and art spheres, ranging from Ancient and Medieval pieces all the way through 20th and 21st century music. This organization scheme may be more engaging than the traditional chronological system because it emphasizes connection rather than division, and allows for the consideration of popular and contemporary works alongside historical pieces that may be less familiar and more challenging to modern listeners.
The musical practices followed outside of the Western music tradition are not considered here, but the fundamental concepts that will be covered are readily applicable to any musical tradition, and their study will enhance the listener's experience of any type of music.
Why Learn Music Theory?
Although some performers think they are taking a shortcut by playing by ear (not from notation) and ignoring music theory, it is actually the other way around. It is must faster to learn a piece from notation than by ear, regardless of how skillful a person may be at hearing pitches and rhythms. Composers and songwriters, too, will find that the 'rules' of music theory are actually tips for writing music that sounds good.
Music theory is a description of musical practices, not a prescription of how music should be. It is the culmination of observation and analysis of music that is performed and enjoyed, not a set of regulations put in place to control or limit musical creativity. This being the case, music theory reveals the systems that all music is based upon, and thus understanding theory goes a long way towards understanding music overall.