"According to music theorist Ian Bent, music analysis 'is the means of answering directly the question 'How does it work?'.'"
Methods of analyzing and interpreting musical performances, including transcription, sonic ethnography, and musical analysis.
Ethnomusicology: The study of music in its cultural context, including its history, structure, performance, and function within a society.
Musical notation: The system of writing music that allows musicians to read and perform the music accurately.
Tonality: The organization of music around a particular pitch, or tonal center, and the use of harmonies and chord progressions to create tension and release.
Structure: The organization of musical elements such as melody, rhythm, and harmony to create a cohesive and meaningful whole.
Form: The overall structure of a piece of music, including the use of repeating elements, sections, and themes.
Context: The cultural, historical, social, and political factors that influence the creation and reception of music.
Style: The characteristic features of a particular musical genre, including melody, rhythm, harmony, instrumentation, and performance practices.
Performance: The act of playing or singing music, including the techniques and skills required to execute a piece of music accurately and expressively.
Improvisation: The spontaneous creation of music within a particular style, often using a set of established techniques and conventions.
Analysis: The process of breaking down a piece of music into its component parts to understand its structure, form, and meaning.
Interpretation: The act of performing a piece of music with personal expression and style, drawing upon the performer's own knowledge and experience.
Cultural appropriation: The use of elements from one culture by members of another culture without permission or understanding, including the use of music as a form of cultural expression.
Colonialism and music: The impact of colonialism on music, including the suppression and erasure of indigenous musical traditions and the creation of new hybrid musical forms.
Music technology: The impact of technology on music, including the development of new instruments, recording techniques, and digital platforms for distribution and consumption.
Gender and music: The ways in which gender influences musical expression, including the role of gender in performance, composition, and the marketing and reception of music.
Music and resistance: The ways in which music has been used as a tool for social and political resistance, including its role in movements for civil rights, anti-colonialism, and environmental justice.
Globalization and music: The impact of globalization on musical traditions, including the diffusion and fusion of musical styles across cultures and the creation of new hybrid genres.
Historical analysis: Examining the historical context in which a piece of music was created and performed.
Musicological analysis: Looking at the specific musical components of a piece of music, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, form, and instrumentation.
Cultural analysis: Analyzing the cultural context in which a piece of music was created and performed, including societal norms, rituals, and beliefs.
Comparative analysis: Comparing and contrasting different musical traditions or genres.
Performance analysis: Studying the performance aspects, including techniques used by performers and their social roles within their communities.
Cognitive analysis: Focusing on the human cognitive processes involved in the creation and reception of music, including aspects such as memory, perception, and emotion.
Ethnographic analysis: Conducting fieldwork, interviews, and observation to gain an understanding of the cultural and musical practices of a particular group.
Structural analysis: Analyzing the structure of musical systems, including rules governing pitch, rhythm, and form.
Semiotic analysis: Examining the meanings and symbolic functions of music within a cultural context.
Stylistic analysis: Identifying and analyzing the unique stylistic features of a particular musical tradition or genre.
"...the study of musical structure in either compositions or performances."
"The method employed to answer this question, and indeed exactly what is meant by the question, differs from analyst to analyst, and according to the purpose of the analysis."
"According to Bent, 'its emergence as an approach and method can be traced back to the 1750s.'"
"Yes, 'it existed as a scholarly tool, albeit an auxiliary one, from the Middle Ages onwards.'"
"Composers, such as Edgard Varèse's, claimed that 'to explain by means of [analysis] is to decompose, to mutilate the spirit of a work.'"
"Varèse's claim that 'to explain by means of [analysis] is to decompose, to mutilate the spirit of a work.'"
"According to Bent, music analysis 'is the means of answering directly the question 'How does it work?'""
"Musical structure in either compositions or performances."
"The method employed to answer this question differs from analyst to analyst."
"Yes, the purpose of analysis can vary depending on the purpose of the analysis."
"Bent traced the emergence of music analysis back to the 1750s."
"Yes, it existed as a scholarly tool from the Middle Ages onwards."
"Varèse believed that analysis 'is to decompose, to mutilate the spirit of a work.'"
"Varèse believed that analysis is a tool to 'decompose, to mutilate the spirit of a work.'"
"No, analysis can be applied to both compositions and performances."
"Yes, the purpose of analysis can differ between analysts."
"Music analysis is the study of musical structure in either compositions or performances."
"Ian Bent is a music theorist who defined music analysis as the means of answering the question 'How does it work?'."
Music analysis has been "variously criticized, especially by composers."