Musical introduction
For many years now, I have wanted to know more about the history and details of music. Other than listening, my musical experience is all more than a decade old, and consists of (badly) playing the recorder and autoharp in elementary school. From time to time, various friends with musical knowledge have given me some informal background information, but I would appreciate something more comprehensive.
Can anyone suggest a book that does a good job of laying out what things like chords, octaves, syncopation, fugue, etc, etc actually mean? I tend to appreciate books that combine technical with historical elements best. Something that covers the evolution of music may be ideal.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
These Ask Metafilter threads may be helpful:
Help me appreciate classical music
I like classical music. I live in Canada, and usually when I am driving my radio is tuned to CBC 2, which plays copious amounts of classical. Yet I remain woefully ignorant. I have no idea what baroque means or any of that stuff.
Learning Music Theory
July 19, 2005 3:40 PM RSS feed for this thread Subscribe
How should I go about learning music theory?
Music: Just what exactly is ‘key’? [more inside]
I’ve read the definitions in some textbooks. I know the formulae for the scale constructions. A Major key is supposedly upbeat, a minor is more sad/dissonant/whatever. But what exactly is the ‘key’?
I want to be more ‘modern classical’ literate.
January 20, 2006 4:10 PM RSS feed for this thread Subscribe
Music Filter: I want to be more ‘modern classical’ literate.