Music Appreciation – A discussion and guide
Category: Miscellaneous
What is music appreciation? Music appreciation involves listening to music and understanding its form and context. Even if the type of music does not necessarily appeal to you – music appreciation will allow you to pick out and understand certain elements of the content and style. The following is a short guide to help you begin your journey of music appreciation. If you feel the need for more help, check out your local college to see if they offer introductory music appreciation courses.
Step 1: Find
Find different types of music – music that you wouldn’t normally listen to. Find music from different genres and different eras. Each type of music has a character and structure that makes it unique. For example, music from the Romantic era (1815-1910) tends to be more expressive and passionate than previous eras.
Step 2: Listen Perceptively
Listen to the music – really listen. Notice the melody and the harmony. Notice the rhythm and the structure of the piece. Notice the different instruments – try to identify the instruments that are used and listen to each one separately. Notice the tempo and dynamics and any changes that occur during the piece.
Step 3:Understand
As you become more comfortable with the fundamentals of music, it will become easier to understand and fully appreciate the nuances of music. Another aspect of understanding the music is to understand the context of the music. Understand the history of the music, where it came from, and how it evolved.
Step 4: Listen Again (and again and again….)
Listen to more music, listen to it often, and listen to it repeatedly. Each time you listen to a piece of music pick out something different to focus on.
By following these 4 simple steps you can begin your journey of music appreciation. You may discover a new type of music that you weren’t aware of, or you may begin to like something that didn’t appeal to you before. Either way, music appreciation is an essential step to becoming a well-rounded musician.
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Bowmar’s Adventures in Music Listening, Level 1 By Dr. Leon Burton, Dr. Charles Hoffer, Dr. William Hughes. This edition: Student Activity Book. Music Appreciation. Adventures in Music Listening. Level: Grades K-2. Book. 40 pages. Published by Alfred Publishing. (BMR08201S) See more info… |
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Posted on October 24th, 2008 by sharlene
1 Comment
October 29th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
This post is very good. Music appreciation is a valuable learning tool. Really glad to see this topic covered.