musicology
Academic sound study
Musicology is the scholarly study of music—its history, theory, composition, and cultural context.
Where music performance is practical, musicology is academic: analyzing scores, tracing influences, examining how music functions in societies.
A musicologist might study Baroque counterpoint, the blues' African roots, or the sociology of concert halls.
Agreement or musical blend
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
- notationSystem of written symbols
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- modesManners of operation
tonality · rhythm · melody · chords · intervals · meter · tempo · dynamics
Of the Middle Ages
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- romanticConducive to love
modern · composers · Gregorian · polyphony · opera · symphony · concerto · periodization
Sound's distinctive character
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- pitchFrequency of sound
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
overtones · harmonics · soundwave · vibration · reverberation · tonality · spectrum · waveform
Systematic fact-finding effort
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- bibliographyList of cited works
- discographyCatalog of musical recordings
journals · monograph · dissertation · archives · iconography · philology · paleography · reception
Research conducted on location
- cross-culturalInvolving multiple societies
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
gamelan · raga · griot · diaspora · transmission · ceremonial
Who someone is
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- genreCategory of creative work
- performanceCarrying out a task
- sceneDramatic unit or locale
community · movement · subculture · rock · hip-hop · globalization · commodification · authenticity
harmony
Agreement or musical blend
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
- notationSystem of written symbols
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
modes · tonality · rhythm · melody · chords · intervals · meter · tempo · dynamics · orchestration
medieval
Of the Middle Ages
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
romantic · modern · composers · Gregorian · polyphony · opera · symphony · concerto · periodization · patronage
timbre
Sound's distinctive character
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- pitchFrequency of sound
- frequencyRate of recurrence
amplitude · overtones · harmonics · soundwave · vibration · reverberation · tonality · spectrum · waveform · intonation
research
Systematic fact-finding effort
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- bibliographyList of cited works
discography · journals · monograph · dissertation · archives · iconography · philology · paleography · reception · hermeneutics
fieldwork
Research conducted on location
- cross-culturalInvolving multiple societies
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
transcription · gamelan · raga · griot · diaspora · transmission · ceremonial
identity
Who someone is
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- genreCategory of creative work
- performanceCarrying out a task
scene · community · movement · subculture · rock · hip-hop · globalization · commodification · authenticity · fandom
- artsartist, creativity, expression, songs, painting
- academic fieldsmathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history
- disciplinesbiology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
- ologiesbiology, geology, psychology, sociology, ecology
- college subjectsbiology, chemistry, history, mathematics, physics
musicologymusic performance
Live rendition of songs
composition · conducting · studio recording · gigging · session work
musicologist, ethnomusicology, musicologists, ethnomusicologist