4 ms·

I think the only "universal" part of music theory is the integer resonance stuff, "a perfect fifth is a 2:3 frequency ratio", because integer resonances do seem

I think the only "universal" part of music theory is the integer resonance stuff, "a perfect fifth is a 2:3 frequency ratio", because integer resonances do seem to have biological significance for us. The rest is culturally dependent: it's not describing some uniquely necessary mathematical object, but more like describing the spoken language of a certain region and time period. The best way to understand it is to play music from that period, notice some common "moves" (like the move from dominant to tonic), and realize "hey, music theory has a name for that". You wouldn't use music theory to write music, same as you wouldn't use a grammar book to write a novel. You write music by intuiting the sequence of moves you want to make, guided by your ear and listening experience, and maybe even coming up with some new ones. Then if you're successful, theorists will make theories about it.

Kye 2y ago
The canonical video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3quGh7pJA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3quGh7pJA Some people will naively say "All music has pentatonic! Universal!" but ignore vital cultural context. One example in the video is ragas: they can look a lot like Western scales and modes, but they have a time and context. Western music also has a time and context, but it doesn't stand out as much to us unless someone goes full ham breaking that context like with the Imperial March in a Major mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk It changes the mood from "this is the bad guys!" to something more positive and triumphant.
- PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
  There are also several traditions that have scales/modes where certain note sequences (typical pairs) are only "allowed" in one direction (i.e you can play #3 after #1 if you're ascending from #1 to #3, but not the other way around). This adds additional confusion to comparing scales/modes between cultures. We do have at least one such mode/scale in the western european classical tradition, but it is not widely used.
crdrost 2y ago
So it's not biological significance... You are born loving the sound “shush,” white noise. This is also the great irony of people complaining about distortion and thick bassy kick beats, we actually like it because it's warm and “takes us back”: indeed even to the noisy slushy womb and the heartbeat there. Rather it's that things that hit one tone either also tickle the hairs in your organ of Corti at 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x the frequency (strings) or at 3x, 5x, 7x, 9x the frequency (half-open acoustic resonators—guitar bodies, panflutes), and your brain feels comfortable when those tickle together as they are familiar.
kmmlng 2y ago
I would disagree with the second point. Music theory has definitely changed how I make music. The initial idea is typically still conceived intuitively, but I definitely use music theory to develop it into a whole piece. Before knowing music theory, developing an idea further felt a lot like applying a brute force algorithm. Now, I can recognize what my initial idea is doing and I know where I could take it - both by following conventions and by breaking them.

Kye 2y ago

The canonical video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3quGh7pJA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3quGh7pJA Some people will naively say "All music has pentatonic! Universal!" but ignore vital cultural context. One example in the video is ragas: they can look a lot like Western scales and modes, but they have a time and context. Western music also has a time and context, but it doesn't stand out as much to us unless someone goes full ham breaking that context like with the Imperial March in a Major mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MShtCg4fk It changes the mood from "this is the bad guys!" to something more positive and triumphant.

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
There are also several traditions that have scales/modes where certain note sequences (typical pairs) are only "allowed" in one direction (i.e you can play #3 after #1 if you're ascending from #1 to #3, but not the other way around). This adds additional confusion to comparing scales/modes between cultures. We do have at least one such mode/scale in the western european classical tradition, but it is not widely used.

crdrost 2y ago

So it's not biological significance... You are born loving the sound “shush,” white noise. This is also the great irony of people complaining about distortion and thick bassy kick beats, we actually like it because it's warm and “takes us back”: indeed even to the noisy slushy womb and the heartbeat there. Rather it's that things that hit one tone either also tickle the hairs in your organ of Corti at 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x the frequency (strings) or at 3x, 5x, 7x, 9x the frequency (half-open acoustic resonators—guitar bodies, panflutes), and your brain feels comfortable when those tickle together as they are familiar.

kmmlng 2y ago

I would disagree with the second point. Music theory has definitely changed how I make music. The initial idea is typically still conceived intuitively, but I definitely use music theory to develop it into a whole piece. Before knowing music theory, developing an idea further felt a lot like applying a brute force algorithm. Now, I can recognize what my initial idea is doing and I know where I could take it - both by following conventions and by breaking them.