Autechre Musical Theory

[Guest tbio2007]

At the risk of erasing any originality from the my music, does anybody know any good books on Electronic Music Theory (if there is such a thing) or just general music theory books? And are they actually worth reading?

 

I get to a certain stage where I just don't know where to take a track, I have no musical training or anything like that but I suppose I am heartened by the fact Autechre did not have any of that either...

[zazen]

I havent found many good books on musical theory. A lot of books claim to be about musical theory but are actually about musical notation which is well boring.

 

Though generally, you do need to know musical notation to get your head around musical theory because a lot of examples in the books are shown as staves. I find piano rolls much more intuitive but I've had to learn a bit of the standard stave notation to read the books.

 

Wikipedia is actually a pretty good place to read about stuff:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_%28music%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_change

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode

 

The first few chapters of this book are pretty good for describing the basics and the relationships between harmony and mathematics:

 

Measured Tones: The Interplay of Physics and Music by Ian Johnston

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Measured-Tones-Int...7625/ref=sr_1_2

[Guest hahathhat]

there's that on the wires of our nerves book

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838751555/

[taphead]

Find the book "Stockhausen on Music" by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The "Four Criteria For Electronic Music" essay in there is some of the most electronic music music theorizing I've ever read.

[pcock]

http://www.musictheory.net/

[Guest Rook]

I don't know about electronic music theory, but up to a certain point, pretty much every music theory book is the same. It just depends on whether it is a jazz book or a classical book.

 

I don't know about electronic music theory, but up to a certain point, pretty much every music theory book is the same. It just depends on whether it is a jazz book or a classical book.

[Siegecow]

on a semi-related note is there a good place where i can check out scales/keys and how to play them/what keys they are on a piano?

[pcock]

http://www.musictheory.net/

[zazen]

http://www.musictheory.net/

 

there is some great stuff on there, but I find that the standard teminology of music is quite confusing and full of redundancy

 

(perhaps because it evolved in different countries over a long period)

 

its probably fine if you start with it from when you first learn music, but when you're working mostly with piano rolls, its not that helpful.

 

For example, consider the names they give to intervals:

 

 

why bother talking about 'augmented fourths' and 'diminished thirds'?

why not just say the number of semitones? (6 and 2 in this case)

 

sometimes the concepts are quite simple but they are made to sound much more complex by the surplus of redundant jargon.

 

When they start trying to come up with names for the various types of 'seventh chord' they really go to town. jesus - just describe the intervals in semitones

[pcock]

because its far more organized to use terms instead of numbers, and it really isnt too difficult. about 300 times easier than learning french, a month and you could be fluent in music tbh.

[kcinsu]

its because they have certain functions and tendencies, within tonal music, that numbers don't properly convey.

 

if you get into post-tonal theory, its ALL numbers, and is quite the mind fuck after awhile.

[kaini]

its because they have certain functions and tendencies, within tonal music, that numbers don't properly convey.

 

if you get into post-tonal theory, its ALL numbers, and is quite the mind fuck after awhile.

 

just reading up on messiaen's modes of limited transposability, fantastic idea

 

something i am definitely gonna have a mess about with

[Guest Idrn]

a musician needs musical theory like a woman needs a fish that needs a bicycle that needs a new inner-tube because the last one got punctured.

[Braintree]

Counterpoint is pretty handy to know for writing melodic electronic music. A lot of it doesn't use chords outright, moreso implied harmony. So understanding the nature of intervals and progression is pretty important.

[oyster]

For electronic music, knowing a lot about the science of sounds is very important too I think, like more than just how to put music together but how to form really amazing sounds, like the way sounds can effect the human mind.

[kcinsu]

its because they have certain functions and tendencies, within tonal music, that numbers don't properly convey.

 

if you get into post-tonal theory, its ALL numbers, and is quite the mind fuck after awhile.

 

just reading up on messiaen's modes of limited transposability, fantastic idea

 

something i am definitely gonna have a mess about with

 

Hmmm, I haven't heard of that. Google doesn't give too many results, but from what I did found, it seems to fit with pitch set theory, breaking down components of a scale to the interval.

 

Got a good link, or is this a book?

[kcinsu]

For electronic music, knowing a lot about the science of sounds is very important too I think, like more than just how to put music together but how to form really amazing sounds, like the way sounds can effect the human mind.

 

explain

[oyster]

Well I don't know, I have no clue about this stuff.

 

But my gut instinct tells me when I listen to someone like Aphex's music, there's more to it than just him being a great musician. I mean like for example the thread about BETA waves in MT Saint Michel Mix.... it's just so other worldly sounding, there has to be some psychology behind it.

[pcock]

lol

[oyster]

lol indeed

[kcinsu]

oh, you're refering to "The Book of Equations for Sonic Awesomeness" which is limited to 5 copies, of which Aphex owns 2 (one he read and put in his vault, and the other he ate, to "absorb" the awesomeness)?

[oyster]

Of course.

 

I understand the sarcasm and bitterness, I have a clear idea of what I'm trying to say but can't seem to put it into words. I geuss I just mean the technical aspect is important to...I don't know. Whatever, I need some sleep. :confused:

[kcinsu]

gotcha.

[oyster]

I'm 29 years old, married with five kids, and I have four degrees from an Ivy League institution in the US. Hardly your typical 'fanboy'. I take my music very seriously, and Aphex Twin happens to be at the top of my list.

 

In my defense.

[kaini]

its because they have certain functions and tendencies, within tonal music, that numbers don't properly convey.

 

if you get into post-tonal theory, its ALL numbers, and is quite the mind fuck after awhile.

 

just reading up on messiaen's modes of limited transposability, fantastic idea

 

something i am definitely gonna have a mess about with

 

Hmmm, I haven't heard of that. Google doesn't give too many results, but from what I did found, it seems to fit with pitch set theory, breaking down components of a scale to the interval.

 

Got a good link, or is this a book?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modes_of_limited_transposition

 

the first mode is essentially the wholetone scale: C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C; transposing this mode up a semitone gives C#, D#, F, G, A, B, C#. Transposing this up another semitone would give D, E, F#, G#, A#, C, D which is exactly what we started with.

 

there are a limited number of scales like this

and there is also 303