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by citation_please
2849 days ago
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Hmm, I was hoping for something more contemporary that I could relate to, but was disappointed that it focused on pieces written centuries ago...like most formal musical theory. Anyway, this passage stuck out to me: """There is something that still rings true of Mattheson’s general idea. We do tend to associate some musical features with being uplifted and others with melancholic reflection, both of which might afford a certain subsequent pleasure to listeners. Just think of how we use music in our everyday lives: some tunes help us to work out or to get something done, while others allow us to cry.""" Composers aren't the only ones who have ever tried to manipulate the crowd. I'm not sure how pop stars/rock bands etc. plan out their sets, but one thing that any DJ[0] worth his salt pays attention to is "harmonic mixing"[1]. Taking things "darker", or trying to bring up the energy, are common strategies taken into account when planning a harmonic transition. I've personally bore witness to plenty of incredible sets that take you from the very top to the very bottom, and it's funny to me that the same ideas are masked behind hoighty-toighty music theory terminology that is used almost exclusively in reference to...music that was composed hundreds of years ago. [0] By DJ I mean someone who does more than weddings, and certainly doesn't take requests. [1] https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/14291/what-is-harm... |
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I'm just coming up to speed on music theory, but my impression so far is that it's reactive, not proactive. We already have music that we like; music theory is about trying to tear it down, identify why we like it, establish base principles that can be used to guide composition, and then use those to create something new. Fairly recently, this had led to "generative music".
I'm finding music theory to be useful to build a more accurate mental model of the instruments I'm playing, which I believe will eventually improve my ability to improvise and play by ear. I think that people who are musical prodigies have an intuitive understanding of those things, but I'm having to build my own understanding explicitly.