Fundamentals of music (Discovering yourself in music)

This is a much have book for your vocal and music development for every great singer.

INTRODUCTION

Music can be defined as organized sound. It is a living language that has been developed over centuries
and continues to be refined and reinvented by composers and musicians today. In various parts of the
world, different musical languages and “dialects” are used. However, the music written in Europe during
the “common practice” period from about 1650 – 1900 comprises a very large portion of our musical
heritage, and includes such famous composers as Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms,
Verdi and Wagner.

Most of the popular music of today still uses the syntax and musical “grammar” of
that period. This type of music is based on both acoustic principles and tradition, constituting what we
often refer to as “tonal” music. Just as words function a certain way within a sentence, chords and
rhythms function a special way within tonal music. Even in other types of music – contemporary art,
popular, jazz, eastern, Latin American, African, and Native American – the principles used in western art
music can help one to better understand and appreciate the beauty and structure found within each of
these music’s. So whether you are a performer, composer, or simply a person who likes listening to
music, an understanding of how music works is a valuable and essential asset.

This is intended to be a course of study that will provide a solid and complete background of the
fundamentals of both tonal music and voice training. Upon successful completion, it is hoped that you
will have an understanding of the fundamentals of the language of the voice and tonal music, it can be of
use to anyone who wants to better understand the language of music.