A Geometry of Music

Harmony and Counterpoint in the Extended Common Practice

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Theory & Criticism, Theory, History & Criticism, Reference
Cover of the book A Geometry of Music by Dmitri Tymoczko, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dmitri Tymoczko ISBN: 9780199887507
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: March 21, 2011
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Dmitri Tymoczko
ISBN: 9780199887507
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: March 21, 2011
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

How is the Beatles' "Help!" similar to Stravinsky's "Dance of the Adolescents?" How does Radiohead's "Just" relate to the improvisations of Bill Evans? And how do Chopin's works exploit the non-Euclidean geometry of musical chords? In this groundbreaking work, author Dmitri Tymoczko describes a new framework for thinking about music that emphasizes the commonalities among styles from medieval polyphony to contemporary rock. Tymoczko identifies five basic musical features that jointly contribute to the sense of tonality, and shows how these features recur throughout the history of Western music. In the process he sheds new light on an age-old question: what makes music sound good? A Geometry of Music provides an accessible introduction to Tymoczko's revolutionary geometrical approach to music theory. The book shows how to construct simple diagrams representing relationships among familiar chords and scales, giving readers the tools to translate between the musical and visual realms and revealing surprising degrees of structure in otherwise hard-to-understand pieces. Tymoczko uses this theoretical foundation to retell the history of Western music from the eleventh century to the present day. Arguing that traditional histories focus too narrowly on the "common practice" period from 1680-1850, he proposes instead that Western music comprises an extended common practice stretching from the late middle ages to the present. He discusses a host of familiar pieces by a wide range of composers, from Bach to the Beatles, Mozart to Miles Davis, and many in between. A Geometry of Music is accessible to a range of readers, from undergraduate music majors to scientists and mathematicians with an interest in music. Defining its terms along the way, it presupposes no special mathematical background and only a basic familiarity with Western music theory. The book also contains exercises designed to reinforce and extend readers' understanding, along with a series of appendices that explore the technical details of this exciting new theory.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

How is the Beatles' "Help!" similar to Stravinsky's "Dance of the Adolescents?" How does Radiohead's "Just" relate to the improvisations of Bill Evans? And how do Chopin's works exploit the non-Euclidean geometry of musical chords? In this groundbreaking work, author Dmitri Tymoczko describes a new framework for thinking about music that emphasizes the commonalities among styles from medieval polyphony to contemporary rock. Tymoczko identifies five basic musical features that jointly contribute to the sense of tonality, and shows how these features recur throughout the history of Western music. In the process he sheds new light on an age-old question: what makes music sound good? A Geometry of Music provides an accessible introduction to Tymoczko's revolutionary geometrical approach to music theory. The book shows how to construct simple diagrams representing relationships among familiar chords and scales, giving readers the tools to translate between the musical and visual realms and revealing surprising degrees of structure in otherwise hard-to-understand pieces. Tymoczko uses this theoretical foundation to retell the history of Western music from the eleventh century to the present day. Arguing that traditional histories focus too narrowly on the "common practice" period from 1680-1850, he proposes instead that Western music comprises an extended common practice stretching from the late middle ages to the present. He discusses a host of familiar pieces by a wide range of composers, from Bach to the Beatles, Mozart to Miles Davis, and many in between. A Geometry of Music is accessible to a range of readers, from undergraduate music majors to scientists and mathematicians with an interest in music. Defining its terms along the way, it presupposes no special mathematical background and only a basic familiarity with Western music theory. The book also contains exercises designed to reinforce and extend readers' understanding, along with a series of appendices that explore the technical details of this exciting new theory.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Russia in Flames by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Judicial Review of National Security by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Reunion and Reaction : The Compromise of 1877 and the End of Reconstruction by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Beyond 1917 by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Beethoven's 32 Piano Sonatas by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Women Who Fly by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Micro Level by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Interrupting Capitalism by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book The Land Shall Be Deluged in Blood by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Death before Dying by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Theology: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book The Tears of Re by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Climate and Culture by Dmitri Tymoczko
Cover of the book Thomas Aquinas on God and Evil by Dmitri Tymoczko
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy