I open here a page that might in turn become the core of a revised "Music Theory" page. I thought however that it would be easier to leave aside for a while the matter of non-Western theory. Also, I may revise at the same time an existing French page on Théorie de la musique occidentale. This is not meant to be my page on this topic, everyone is eagerly invited to contribute. It is recommended also to have a look at User:Hucbald.SaintAmand/Music theory.
I make use of the < ref > system for biblioraphical references for two reasons: (1) I find this system more easy than any other, especially with the popups that show the notes whenever one "hovers" (passes over) their call, also because comments or quotations may be mixed with references; (2) I don't know how to implement other systems, such as the Harvard one which I find awful because it slows down the reading.
Music theory may be defined as the distanced observation of music.[1]. (For more details on this point, see Theory.) It focuses on musical facts and techniques, "on musical materials per se, in order to explain (and/or offer generalizations about) their various principles and processes".[2] As such, it differs from music philosophy, "the study of fundamental questions about the nature of music and our experience of it",[3] i.e. the ontology of music, or from aesthetics of music, more concerned with the beautiful in music and how we perceive it, and with value judgements about it.[4]
The present article concerns Western music theory, a decision taken to avoid problems with a broader definition and with questions raised by the possible existence of a prehistoric or oral theory. There is another article, Music Theory, which illustrates these problems (see also its talk page). That the present article is concerned with Western theory only in no way implies that this theory is more important than any other; some non-Western theories (e.g. Chinese) certainly predate the Occidental one, even in written form. However, because Occidental culture relied so much on writing, the corpus of Occidental theories probably is quantitatively much larger than any other, and much more easily accessible. But no conclusion can be drawn from this fact.
The same choice has been made in the article "Theory, theorists" in the New Grove, which states:
Claude Palisca defines theory as follows:
About music theory specifically, he adds that the field "has sometimes been called Musikwissenschaft, the science of music, or musicology". Several American universities however describe separate departments for "musicology" on the one hand, "music theory" on the other hand.[7]
David Lewin defined music theory as follows:
See also List_of_music_theorists#Antiquity
It may be necessary to question whether "Antique" theory (by which is meant Greece, probably) belongs to Western theory. The customary answer appears positive, but the question probably must be raised or, at least, mentioned. — Hucbald.SaintAmand (talk) 06:07, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
See also List_of_music_theorists#Middle_Ages
See also List_of_music_theorists#Renaissance
See also List_of_music_theorists#17th_century; List_of_music_theorists#18th_century; List_of_music_theorists#19th_century
See also List_of_music_theorists#20th_century; List_of_music_theorists#21st_century
[These sections to be dealt with from the point of view of history, especially when they overlap topics.]
Theory "can be divided into melody, rhythm, counterpoint, harmony and form, but these elements are difficult to distinguish from each other and to separate from their contexts. At a more fundamental level theory includes considerations of tonal systems, scales, tuning, intervals, consonance, dissonance, durational proportions and the acoustics of pitch systems. A body of theory exists also about other aspects of music, such as composition, performance, orchestration, ornamentation, improvisation and electronic sound production"[9]
See Scale (music); Musical tuning; Musical system of ancient Greece.
Main article: Melody |
Main article: Counterpoint |
Main article: Harmony |
Main article: Mode (music) |
Main article: Tonality |
Main article: Rhythm |
Main article: Meter (music) |
Main article: Musical form |
Main article: Musical analysis |
Main article: Music semiology |
Main article: Musical notation |
Main article: Musical tuning |
Main article: Musical temperament |