Chapter 3: Musical Sound

In general, MANY of these definitions can be explained in simpler terms.

- I would not start people off learning information pertaining to overtones. While I understand that this is an important concept in the Digital Sound and Music world, it is a VERY daunting concept, one that most musicians don’t even begin discussing until they are more advanced. Also, if you introduce overtones later in the chapter, perhaps you could include a diagram describing the overtone sequence and how this influences an instrument’s sound/method of playing (perhaps a chart like this is later in the book?) The more advanced music students would really appreciate this, and would be interested to see how this sequence relates to the math/science concepts introduced earlier in the chapter.

-Since you start by introducing the idea of the “symbolic language of music notation,” wouldn’t it make more sense to begin instructing students how to understand this language? Here are a few of my suggestions for re-ordering/re-formatting the beginning of this chapter:

1) Begin with Figure 3.2, describe how each note on the keyboard relates to a note on the staff, then introduce treble and bass clefs/how to read them

2) Description of semi-tones/whole tones

3) Key signatures

4) Scales

Other suggestions for 3.1:

-Also, I don’t think that including the names for positions of notes is necessary. At this point in the chapter, I don’t think these names aren’t going to mean anything to anybody, except for advanced music students (even Music Theory I students are not familiar with all of these terms.)

-Figure 3.18- This piece “Eine Klein Nactmusik” is not in 6/8 originally. Is there any way you could find another musical example??

-I think it would also be a good idea to include a separate diagram for all the uses of the word “key.” Using one word in so many different contexts could be extremely confusing. Creating a separate chart of these definitions would also call attention to the multiple definitions, thereby allowing people to read more efficiently.

-Why teach all the types of major/minor scales in such an in-depth way? This seems like a little too much information.

3.1.4- Scales

I think it would be more useful to put the Musical Notation section (3.1.5) before the section on Scales. This re-ordering seems to make more sense to me (maybe because I’m more resistant/unaccustomed to the "Computer Science-style" of trying to convey all the information at once and then getting more specific.)

In general, I found that the concepts in this section were conveyed in a way that would have confused someone lacking a strong music background. For instance, I was not a huge fan of the 2212221 method of explaining a major scale (although I am very interested to hear what Anqi and Jason thought of this section, coming from strong computer science/math backgrounds). I really enjoy the format of this website’s explanation of scales: http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/intervals.htm, in which the whole steps and half steps are shown under a musical notation (with the note names underneath) in addition to the keyboard.

However, I absolutely loved the Scale Generator. This tool is awesome (where was this scale generator when we were learning pentatonic scales in Theory II?? Sigh.) Plus, the hands-on aspect of it makes learning scales easily approachable and- dare I say it- fun!

Also, I was constantly thrown off by the use of the words “semitone” and “whole tone” since all of my theory books used the terms “half step” and “whole step” instead. While this textbook does mention that these terms can be used simultaneously, I found this transition to be difficult.

3.1.5- Musical Notation

-Would be helpful to include a picture showing where the G and F are in describing alternate names for the two clefs (pg. 10)

-pg. 11- need picture to show placement of mnemonics (FACE, etc.) I think it’s a little too abstract to picture if you can’t read music. A few diagrams would make this section much easier to understand.

3.1.5.2- Notes and Their Duration

-I’m a little unsure as to why the book begins explaining rhythmic concepts beginning with the smallest note value, the 32^nd note. In my experience as a private music instructor, students have a much easier time beginning with whole notes. This problem would be easy to fix- simply re-order the blocks to begin with the largest note value. (This note also applies to 3.1.5.4- Rests and Duration.)

(To be continued)