Music Theory

This section provides a foundation of knowledge for understanding music. Please read at your leisure. And, by all means, pause, take a deep breath, and take a moment or two to think about the information contained herein. Music is an adventure. An adventure is full of excitement, joy, wonder, curiousity, enchantment, challenges, and self-discovery. There is a lot to be discovered. And the adventure never ends! So, let's get going!

Music, it could be said, is the action of molecules bouncing off each other in an ordered fashion. But wait, there's more! These bouncing molecules enter your body through the mechanisms of your ears where they are converted to electro-chemical signals that are sent into and interpreted by your brain. Once in your brain, these signals stimulate sensations throughout your body. Somtimes these sensations are fun and exciting, releasing chemicals that make you happy and want to move your body and dance. Sometimes these sensations release chemicals that help you to relax. Sometimes these sensations can trigger emotions that make you feel sad, angry, annoyed, and anxious. Music does all this and more. On this web page we will explore the science and art of music.



Sound is first created by a force. Bare with me, I am not a physicist.The force could be two objects colliding, such a drum and a drumstick (and I'm not referring to something you would order at a KFC) or a pick pushing a guitar string, or someone blowing air into a trumpet or saxophone, or someone blowing into an old milk jug, etc. (you get the idea). This force causes friction. Friction moves molecules. Molecules bounce off each other and cause a chain reaction, creating something called a soundwave. A soundwave is similar water waves created in a large body of water. Something occurs that pushes the water molecules in a certain location. This creates a wave. The water that was intially pushed, pushes the water in front of it, which then pushes the water in front of it, so that it moves in a steady direction, until eventually it comes up against something that causes it to lose force. Sound waves work similarily. Sound waves enter your ear and somehow convert the movement of the molecules into electro-chemical signals, which allows you to hear. Without either ears or properly functioning areas of your brain, you would be incapable or hearing sound. Without force, there would be no motion. And without force and motion, there would be no music. Which brings us to the formula E=mc squared (or something like that).


Shown above: molecules colliding and creating waves



Like I said, I am not a physicist. Anyhow, this is the basic idea of how sound operates in nature. Now, if a tree fell in a forest and no one was around to hear it, would it still make a sound? Well, that depends on how you percieve sound. If sound is merely the movement of the molecules caused by the force of the tree hitting the ground, then the answer to that question is yes: it would make a sound. If you perceive sound as more than the movement of the molecules and as something that involves the mechanisms of hearing (human or other animal), then the answer to the tricky little question would be no: there would be no sound. Most likely though, something would be around to hear the sound, whether a squirrel, a bird, a bear, or an insect. So sound is the movement of molecules, as well as a perception of that movement by something else, such as a human, a bird, a bear, an ape, etc.



So that is how sound works! Now, what distinguishes "sound" from "music". After all, one person's "noise" is another person's "music". Is it merely a subjective distinction, or is there actually some science behind it? Hmm....

Ponder that question for a while. Really think hard about what you believe music truly is? What is the difference between noise or just plain sound and music? Delve deep into your thoughts. You know it when you hear it, but how do you describe it in words. Say, an alien from a galaxy far, far, away landed in your backyard and asked you "what is this thing you call music? I cannot hear the way you can. I have never heard or experienced music. I can only understand your thoughts. Tell me with you words what music is?" What would you say? Once, you have really thought about it, write down your thoughts,organize them, and write up a definition. Then, if you want to see what Dr. Webster thinks Click here for a dictionary definition of "music". I would really like to know what you think. Dictionaries are not necessarily the final word. Definitions may change over time. Just look at different contemporary dictionaries and you will find slight variations in many definitions. Examine dictionaries from different time periods (for instance a 1890 edition of a Webster's or Oxford dictionary and compare it to one written in 2008 - you just may be surprised). So, just because your personal defintion is different from that of a particular dictionary, it does not mean yours is wrong. Although much research, collaboration, and editing goes into defining words in the dictionary (which is why dictionaries are usually given a lot of weight and authority) they are not error-proof. I am not a dictionary-basher (in fact, I used to read dictionaries for hours and hours to improve my vocabulary and because I had a fascination with language). What I am trying to convey is that you shouldn't think that your personal definition of "music" is wrong, just because it is different from a particular dictionary. Language changes over time and varies between groups and cultures. Words were invented by human beings as were their meanings. Our words are influenced by our thoughts and our thoughts are influenced by our words. So, tell me: What is music? E-mail me what YOU think. Send it to: rickjbrix@aol.com



So...what is my definition of music? I am sure you are just dying to know. Perhaps, you may be somewhat curious. Well, in any case, here's my humble opinion.



Music is neither continuous noise nor continuous silence. Music is a combination of noise and silence and of tones. A tone is a specific pitch or vibration of molecules (remember, what we mentioned above). A single mono-tone played continously would not constitute music in my opinion. Music should consist of a variety of tones. Music should also consist of some form of rhythm. Rhythm is a recurrent or patterned movement or fluctuation of sound. Tone and rhythm are essential ingredients in what I choose to call music. Another element that is an important, if not essential, ingredient of music is melody. Melody is a rhymic succession of tones organized in a systematic manner. Harmony is also an important, though perhaps not essential, part of music. Harmony involves the relation of specific tones to each other. Harmony often is used in reference to chords and specific notes within musical scales. So far then, my definition of music is: a succession and combination of sound and silence that has tone, rhythm, and melody. Does this sound like a good definition to you? Let me know your opinion. (E-mail me at: rickjbrix@aol.com). Other components of music that deserve mention are timing, tempo, cadence, and key.



Let's now examine more closely the major components of music: sound, silence, tone, rhthym, melody, harmony, timing, tempo, cadence, and key.

We will begin with sound. Can music exist without sound? Think carefully about this. Do you sometimes "hear" a song or melody in you "head", even though there is no outside source causing it. Have you ever had a "song" stuck in your head? I know I have had this experience many times. But, the original source of this experience was usually the song itself, or in the case of an originally conceived melody, a combination of tones that at one time had been actually percieved from a physical source. Could someone that has never "heard" a sound in their entire life (someone born deaf) ever have this experience? I don't know the answer to this question. I can just try to explain it from my own experiences. Therefore, the explanation that follows is based purely on my personal experiences, which are, of course, limited to the abilites of my own senses.

Sound has two major components: movement and perception. As stated above, sound is an effect of two or more objects colliding. Once these objects collide a domino-like effect occurs in which one molecule hits another molecule, causing another molecule to move and bump into one or two other molecules, and so on, which will continue (according to Newton's "law of motion") will continue until there is an equally powerful force causing the movement to stop (what physicists called "friction"). This process just described is the external physical component of sound. The other major component of sound is perception. This involves an object or subject recieving the force caused by molecules bouncing off each other. This mechanism in living organisms is called hearing - which, in human beings and most other animals, involves the physical organs of the ears and the brain. The sound vibrations (the bouncing molecules) enter the ears and are converted into electro-chemical signals which travel through the brain at amazingly quick speeds, causing millions of signals to be sent to different parts of the brain. These signals can cause several things to happen in the body, changing chemical process which control emotion, thought, mood, and even physical sensations. So sound is something we percieve, feel, are aware of physically and cognitively. However, there is an entire spectrum of sound in nature, a large portion of which human beings cannot, at least, naturally (unaided by man-made instruments) detect. Other animals have differering and broader ranges of hearing. So, a dog may hear a sound that a human being cannot hear. A dolphin may hear a sound that a dog can't hear. Human beings have invented sound-detecting instruments that can detect sound that is not within the known range of human hearing. A dolphin or a dog, or many other animals, may hear a symphony of sounds, that to them may be music to their ears. But to human beings, this symphony would be undetectable (at least without artifical mechanisms).

I stated earlier that sound (defined as the movement of molecules as well as the perception of that movement by some subject) is an essential element of music. What about human beings or animals that are deaf? They obviously cannot hear sound. But, if the sound reaches a certain threshold, they can feel the sound. The vibrations of the molecules are perceived by the nervous system and the signals are sent to the brain. In this example, the sound is felt, as you might feel an earthquake or a vibrating object touching a part of your body. A certain pattern of vibrations may create a very rhythmic (soon to be elaborated) and pleasant sensation. Each sound has a distinct pattern of vibrations (the molecules have varying velocities, trajectories, intensities, and frequencies). These sound vibrations are one of the main components of what we call "music." For more information on sound, check out this wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound.

Silence is the absense of sound. It also implies the absense of objects hitting or bouncing into each other. In the beginning, before the universe existed (if there ever really was such a time - though scientists hypothesize the universe began around 15 billion years ago), all was silent. Then, something happened. The moment of creation, "the big bang", whatever you wish to call it. Then there was light. Then the was movement. Then there was sound. Then, there was rock! The universe began expanding and has not stopped expanding for fifteen billion years (if modern science is correct). The universe is full of energy and energy and matter help create sound. The universe is full of sound. Silence is an absolute term - either there is silence or there is sound. But the universe is full of energy and matter and it is constantly moving. So, is there such a thing as silence in our universe? Several decades ago, 1964 to be exact, a couple of scientists named Arno Allen Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson, working in a Bell Labratories sound observation lab in New Jersey (of all places) discovered that space echoes with sound - what they termed "cosmic microwave background radiation". This echo began with the creation of the universe and has not ceased since. These two scientists were widely given credit as a result of this observation for "proving" the "Big Bang" theory, for which they were both awarded the Nobel Prize. Silence may not even exist (at least in this universe). Silence, we could say, is in the ear of the beholder. Perhaps, silence can actually occur in a vacuum, or a completely closed off pocket of space, somehow shut off from the rest of the universe, but if this is true it is probably a very rare occurrence (as any parent of four or more children will confirm). For us human beings, silence is sound outside our radar, not within our area of detection within the spectrum of sound. That is my personal take on "silence". It may be completely wrong, but so may a lot of theories and so-called "laws" of science. We are imperfect beings, and cannot be certain (no matter how many times we perform experiments or confirm evidence) that our perceptions are reality. Being imperfect, we can never really know. As Descarte deduced in the early 17th Century in his quest to discover the foundation of human knowledge, the only thing I know is "Cognito Ergo Sum," which is Latin for "I think therefore I am." Beyond that, everything is speculation and imperfect observation. Given that, sometimes I really appreciate my moments of silence (rare though they are). But in those soothing moments of silence, I try to ignore the observation of those two scientists in New Jersey, that the universe is crackling with sound.

Now that I threw a wrench in the whole concept of silence, let's discuss tone. Tone is a particular form or "frequency" of sound. All sound occurs in specific frequencies. A "frequency" is a term used to describe the vibration of molecules as they knock into each other, creatng a sound-wave. These waves are measured by their cycles (technically called Hz - an abbreviation for the German physist Heinrich Hertz, who did pioneering work in elecromagnetism. The General Conference on Weights in Measures replaced the previous term "cycles-per-second" to honor Hertz and his major accomplishments - for more read this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertz). A sound wave consists of cycles. Think of a wave in the ocean. The top of the wave is called the "crest". The bottom is called the "valley" (actually, I am not sure what the bottom of the wave is called, valley just sounded good. If you want to learn the actual technical terminology of waves go to this site: http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/01/wave-properties.html).

Anyway, the distance from one crest (top height of the wave) to the next crest is called a cycle, technically a Hz (after that aforementioned German guy Heinrich Hertz). Frequency of a sound is determined by the number of Hertz (cycles) per second. Just to give an example, the frequency of an A-note above the middle-C key on a piano is 440Hz (that is, the sound waves vibrate at 440 cycles per second). Each tone has a different frequency. (I am getting tired of writing, so I'll continue this lecture sometime in the near future). Start thinking about these concepts and come up with your own definitions and your own ideas about what music consists of. There are tons of resources out there in this vast world of communications. The world of information is literally at your fingertips, as is the practicing of your guitar. So think, ask questions, reflect, and, of course, practice, practice, practice. Theory without application is like an ocean without water, or breath without air, or a fart without smell - sorry for that last analogy. That was slightly crass. It is late in the evening, I'm getting tired and my thoughts are drifting into that mysterious realm between consciousness and subconsciousness. E-mail me your thoughts, ideas, criticisms, disparagements, dreams, etc. Speaking of dreams (yawn) Good night!....zzzzzz....zzzzzz....zzzzz....

rickjbrix@aol.com

Good morning! What time is it? Time for more music theory. Incidentally, do you ever hear music in your dreams? I cannot think of a time when I ever "heard" music in my dreams. In fact, I don't think I hear sound in my dreams. I could be mistaken. How about you? I would like to take a brief survey. How many of you hear music (or any sound at all) in your dreams. I feel very deprived. Dreams would be so much better with music. It would be like a soundtrack to a movie. Action-packed dreams would have intensive hard-rock and heavy metal music playing in the background. Scary dreams would have suspenseful and scary music interspersed with thrilling and shocking sound effects. Dreams about love would have... (well, if you are 18 years of age or older, I'll let you use your imagination). Flying dreams would be accompanied by the song "I Believe I Can Fly", "Learning to Fly", "Fly Like an Eagle", or, more disturbingly, "Free-Fallin" playing. Funny dreams might include the "Benny Hill Theme (Yateky Axe)" "the Chicken Dance"or Rodney Carrington, Adam Sandler, or Weird Al Yankovick songs. Bizarre dreams might feature music from Marilyn Manson, Yanni, Enya, Jonh Tesh, Korn or maybe Michael Jackson singing about children (sorry all you Michael Jackson fans - and Michael, if you can hear me, please don't haunt me in my dreams, okay?). Annoying dreams would probably include Rap music playing (forward or backwards), twangy country, cast-out American Idol contestants, Josh Grobin, the Chipmunks, or Hannah Montanna (sorry you kids who have been captured by the hypnotizing spell of mass marketing). Dreams about death would probably have the music of Black Sabbath, Megadeath, Slayer, or Metallica blasting loudly and eerily in the background. If you are enjoying your dream and want it to continue, you may hear Steven Tyler of Aerosmith in the background singing "Dream On". So, why don't I hear music in my dreams? Am I normal? Well, at least am I normal in this respect. I feel so deprived. I often say that music is my life. But, I spend at least one-third of my life in a state of sleep. I want to ROCK!!! in my sleep. Perhaps you may know of a good psychoanalyist who could help. Please e-mail me your comments and support! Send them to: rickjbrix@aol.com. Well, enough of my personal problems.

Okay! Back to the subject of music theory. We were discussing the components of music and how they work together to define music. We defined frequency as the speed of vibrations of molecules as they travel through what is called a sound wave. The amount of waves per second is measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the number of Hertz, the higher the frequency. Frequency is often used interchangably with the term "pitch." A high pitch is a high sound (meaning the molecules are vibrating very quickly and the wave crests are close together). A low pitch produces a low sound (meaning the molecules are vibrating slowly and the wave crests are further apart). Tone is sometimes used interchangeably with frequency and pitch, but the term "tone" has more connotations. Tone involves frequency and pitch, but it also involves something called timbre. Timbre is the quality of a sound. Some sounds (sounds produced by a cymbal for instance) have a harsh, sharp tone. While other sounds have a mellow, softer tone (those produced by a flute, a harp, or a classical guitar). This quality aspect of sound is called timbre.

Let's delve deeper into the meaning of musical tonality. Tones are what gives music variety and creates melodies and harmonies. Without tones there would be no music. Tones are the specific nature and quality of sound. Just one example: do, re, me, fa, sol, la, ti, do - this is what is called solmization, which is the system of using syllables to represent musical tones. Have you ever seen the classic movie "The Sound of Music"? Maria, the character played by Julie Andrews, sings a song with the Von Trapp family children that uses solmization (also called the sol-fa method). It went something like: "Do, a deer, a female dear; Re, a drop of golden sun; Me, a name I call myself; Fa, a long, long way to run..." and so on. What Maria was actually doing was teaching the children (in the form of a catchy little song) the tones of a scale. A musical scale is a succession of tones in a specific ascending or descending order according to a specific scheme of musical intervals. Are you scratching your head and thinking 'what the heck does that mean'? Or 'okay, that's enough of that!" But hopefully, you will hang in here with me. I will do my best to make this as clear and simple as possible. Albert Einstein once said something like: "de best theories [and explanations] are usually de simplest." He also said "E=MC-squared". Huh? Part of the reason that music can be such a difficult concept to define is that it involves subjectivity. To be sure, music is an observable phenomena. Yet it has so many dimensions, variables, possibilities, and ways of percieving, that it can be difficult to measure and explain. Music is and isn't a science - depending on how you look at it. Music is commonly associated with the arts. If you get a degree in Music at a University or College, you recieve a Bachelor of Arts (or Master or PhD of the Arts), not a Bachelor of Science Degree. Whenever there is subjectivity involved, explaining and defining can be a confusing (and sometimes foolhardy) endeavor. There is a reason we refer to "Music Theory" and not "Music Fact". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Music is in the ear of the beholder.

This said, we still can learn by understanding some major concepts involved in music. We may not have precise - foolproof - means of descrbing and defining, but we can relate to certain elements and reach concensus in certain areas. (This is really racking my brain! However, I refuse to give up! Knowledge is power!)

Sound can be measured using "scientific" instruments. "Tones" can be measured in the same fashion. There are many instruments used to measure sound in different ways (if you are interested visit this URL: http://sensors-transducers.globalspec.com/Industrial-Directory/sound_decibel_measuring_device).

So, the point is, several elements of sound and music can be measured and analyzed scientifically. But, the quality of music (whether certain music is "good", "bad", "pleasant", "unpleasant", "amazing", "awesome", "boring", "sucky" or just plain "rotten") is primarily a subjective matter. As I said many times, "one person's noise is another person's music." One person may feel that the music of Mozart is the most wonderful, powerful, creative, and enjoyable music ever created. While another person may think Mozart is boring, annoying, and just plain "sucks", and that Slayer or Megadeath is far superior music. How can you say that one person's opinion about music is better than another's?

Here is where I would like your input again. What makes "great" music in your mind? What makes Bach better than Beck, or Mozart better than Slayer, or Elvis Presley better than Hannah Montana? What specific qualities do you think make good, quality music? Is music all in the ear of the beholder? Or is there an objective way to measure and judge the quality of music?

I am asking you to really think, to use your brain, make those neurons fire, employ all the power of your rationality, combined with your knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Use the force Luke! (or Joe, or Bob or Sue). Come on! Get fired up! "Hit me with your best shot. Fire away!" Your strength is yours to find. You have the power within you - unleash it!

Now e-mail me: rickjbrix@aol.com

Then, once you have discovered your strength, we will continue our training and move on to the next level. Let go of your inhibitions. Let the music engulf your entire being. Wash out any doubts. There is not "can't". There is not "try." There is only DO! Now, breathe in and feel the force flowing through you! It is all around you and it is within you - it is your entire being! You are on your way to becoming a true musician. Mastery of your instrument will come in time. With patience, practice, persistence, perseverance, and a positive attitude you will discover the joy and wonder of music. You have the power within yourself. Now, you must learn how to use it.



Think about what music means to you. Time to meditate and ponder....mmmm.....
Here are a few statements about music that I came up with. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Music is organized and refined sound.
Music adds spice to life!
Music can help get me through the day!
Music can change my mood.
Music can change human emotions!
Music can change the world!
Music helps me relax!
Music is exciting!
Music is fun!
Music is life!

What does music mean and do for you? Stop and ponder for a moment. What have you discovered? As the Oracle of Delphi read: "Know Thyself!" Discover yourself and unlock the mysteries of life! Music can be a very important key to self-discovery!

Here are a few exercises that will help your brain organize and process the information you have learned and know about music. Seriously and mindfully doing these exercises will help you to become more self-aware.

Exercise #1: Write a list of ten things that music does for you. Think about specific examples of how music has impacted your life. (For example: a specific song reminds me of my senior year in high-school, or that other song reminds me of my first "so-called" date, or I remember playing that song when I was feeling really sad, or when I was feeling really happy, etc., etc., etc. Go into as much detail as you wish).

Exercise #2: Make a list of five (or more) ways music can benefit you in the future.

Exercise #3: What are your specific dreams of being a musician? Do you have any "rock star" fanatasies? And what do you hope to accomplish with your music?

Exercise #4: What specific things do you need to do to make those dreams (see Exercise #3) come true?


More
to
come!


MUSIC IS THE SYMPHONY OF THE UNIVERSE!



Now, it's time for you
to write the soundtrack 
of your life! 
Make each note
exactly as you like it.
It is your life-
It is your masterpiece!