the urgent reform of music theory - taggtagg.org/articles/xpdfs/jjn70yrs.pdf · tagg: the urgent...

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TheUrgentReformofMusicTheory

ContributiontoFestschriftinhonourofJeanJacquesNattiez1byPhilipTagg

Intro

InthistextIargueforanurgentoverhaulofmusictheoryterminology.Itrytoexplainthe inadequacyofsomewidelyusedconceptsandtosuggestalternativestothemisleadingandethnocentricconfusiontheycancause. Iwillalsohighlightsomeaspectsofstructuraldenotationsidelinedorabsentinconventionalmusictheory.

Themainreasonformyinsistenceonreforminthisareaofstudyisthatfrom1971until2009Itaughtthehistoryandanalysisofpopularmusic(includingmusicformovingimages),andthatIcouldnotexplaintheworkingsofsuchmusicsusingsolelytheconceptsofthemusictheoryIdbeentaught(Tagg,2014:16).Sinceretiringin2010,Ivehadtimetoreflecton,andbecomeincreasinglytroubledby,theinabilityorreluctanceofconventionalmusictheorytoaddresstheseissues.

SincemycampaignforreformhassofarfocusedmainlyonproblemsofTONALterminology,Illgiveherenomorethanabriefoverviewofsomeofthose.ThenIllsummariseafewissuesrelatingtoTIMBREandFORM,omitting,forreasonsofspace,mattersofmetre,rhythm,durationandauralstaging.2Illendwithsomereflexionsontheprogressofmyeffortstobringmusictheoryoutofthenineteenthcentury.ButfirstIneedtoclarifyafewbasicissues.

1. ThisarticlewascompletedinSeptember2015andacceptedbytheeditorsforinclusion.ItdoesnotappearintheFestschriftbecauseIwasregrettablyunabletosignthepublishingcontractwhichrequiredmetorelinquishrightstousemytextasIsawfitandtonotmakeitpubliclyavailablebeforeitsappearanceinthevolume.Itwastoolate:Idalreadyputitonline!Besides,otherconditionsinthecontractwerecontrarytoprinciplesofknowledgeaccessibilitythatIveexplainedinTheAcademicPublishingProtectionRacket( tagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.html)andPayforknowledge:why?( tagg.org/articles/PayForKnow2.html)[both 160418].

2. SeeinsteadTagg(2013:281303)andLacasse(2000,passim).

http://tagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.htmlhttp://tagg.org/articles/PayForKnow2.html

2 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

BasicdefinitionsandabbreviationsMUSICTHEORY isitselfastrangeterm.Itspartofmusicologybutdistinct from anthropological, political, semiotic, social or anyothertheoryofmusicinvolvingadynamicbetweenmusicassonicmaterialityanditsusesinhumansociety,ratherthantheidentificationandsystematisationofmusicalstructuresperse.Infact,themeaningofmusictheorymaybeevenmorerestricted.Mostcommonly,thetermdescribestheacademicstudyandanalysisoffundamentalelementsofmusicsuchaspitch,rhythm,harmonyandform.3

Defined in thisway, music theorysharesa lot incommonwithwhattheFrenchusedtocallsolfgeinthatbothsubjectsfocusonnotatablemusicalstructures(pitch,rhythm,harmonyandform)detached from theirculturalmeaningsanduses.Now,while itsclearthattheoriesofsonicstructureareessentialtotheidentificationofelementsinatripartitemodelofmusicsemiotics(Nattiez,1990),itsobviouslyunsatisfactoryifsuchidentificationisbasedonfalsepremises.ItsthosefalsepremisesthatItrytoexposeinthistextwhoseaimistoadvocatenottheabandonmentbuttheradicalreformofmusictheory.ThatswhyIhavetodistinguishbetweenMUSICTHEORYingeneral,reformedorunreformed,and,withapologies for the clumsy expression, CONVENTIONAL [MUSIC] THEORYthatisinacuteneedofreform.Tosavespaceandavoidconfusion,Iwillusetheabbreviationsoftonaldesignationpresentedintables1and2.

Table1.Abbreviationsfornote,chordandkeynames(e.g.E)

LeadsheetandromannumeralchordabbreviationsfollowtheconventionssetoutinEverydayTonalityII,pp.223,231233.4

3. MusictheoryentryinWikipedia,20150907.

Denotationtype Symbol Typography Example

note lower-case sans-serif isamajorthirdaboveleadsheetchord upper-case sans-serif FromB7to (majortriad)

key(Tonart) E upper-case serif constitutesaV-IcadenceinE.

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 3

Spacesavingreferencesymbols( , , , , ,etc.)areexplainedatthestartoftheReferenceAppendix.Pleasenotethatallsourcetypesareincludedinthatsingleappendix.5

Table2.Commonscaledegreeabbreviations

Ialsohavetopositaxiomaticdefinitionsofsomeverybasicterms. NOTE(n.):asingle,discretesoundoffiniteduration. TONE(n.):aNOTEwithaudiblefundamentalpitch. TONAL(adj.):havingthecharacteristicsofaTONEoroftones. TONIC(n.):referenceTONE,keynote. TONALITY(n.):systemorpattern,explicitlycodifiedornot,

accordingtowhichTONEsareconfigured.6 MODE(n.)TONALvocabulary(oftenabstractedandarrangedin

scalarformfortheoreticalpurposes)ofapieceorextractofmusic.

MODAL(adj.):havingthecharacteristicsofamode. EUROCLASSICAL(adj.):relatingtoorhavingthecharacteristicsof

Europeanclassicalmusic.7

4. Thesepagescanbeviewedonlinewithoutdownloadingthewholebook: tagg.org/bookxtrax/FFabBk08/EvTon07ChordsSample.pdf.

5. Forfullexplanation,seeProducingaReferenceAppendixforStudiesofMusicinthe21stCenturyat tagg.org/xpdfs/RefAppxs.pdf [150919].

Scaledegree noteinC Popularverbalisation

one

flatorminor2|[major]two|sharp2

flatorminor3|major3

4(four)|sharp4

flat5|5(five)|sharp5

flatorminor6|major6

flatorminor7|major7

6. InneoLatinlanguagestonalit,tonalit,tonalidadetc.meanTonart(German)orKEY(English).IusedtoadvisemyfrancophonestudentstokeeptonalitinthesenseofkeyandtouseidiometonaltocoverTonalittandTONALITY.

7. TheEUROprefixavoidsconfusionwithnonEuropeanclassicaltraditions,e.g.Tunisiannouba,Indianrga,theyyuofimperialChina;seeTagg(2014:488).

http://tagg.org/bookxtrax/FFabBk08/EvTon07ChordsSample.pdfhttp://tagg.org/xpdfs/RefAppxs.pdfhttp://tagg.org/xpdfs/RefAppxs.pdf

4 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

TonalityThecentralproblemwithtonalterminology inconventionaltheory isencapsulated in the two falseandmutually contradictorypairsofoppositesTONALv.ATONALandTONALv.MODAL.

Tonalv.atonal(?!)

Here Imassuming, in linewithbinaries likehistorical/ahistorical,typical/atypical,etc.,thattheinitialAinatonalisanalphaprivative,i.e.thatatonalmeanswithouttones,nontonal.Ifso,itssmallwonderthatSchnbergdislikedthelabelatonalappliedtohismusicbecausemostofitfollowedthetonalrulesoftwelvetonecomposition.Besides,neitherhe,norBergnorWebernwere famous fortheiruseofhihat,snaredrum,sampledtrafficorothernontonal(=atonal)elementsintheiruvre.Indeed,itshardtounderstandhoweuroclassicalmusictheoristsmanagedtoconfusethenotionofmusic fulloftonesbutwithno intendedTONIC,as in theworkoftwelvetonecomposersorinmusicfortheshowersceneinPsycho(Herrmann,1960),withmusiccontainingno tones,as in,say, taikodrumming(e.g.Kod,1985)orthecueCrowsattackthestudentsfromTheBirds (Herrmann, 1963).Music theoryneeds todistinguishbetweenTONEandTONIC.Justasclinicalthingsoccurinclinics, justasmusicalthingshappeninmusic,andjustasrhetoricaldevices, like this just as, areused in rhetoric,music featuring aTONIC should be called TONICAL and tonalmusicwith NO INTENDEDTONICshouldbecalledeitherATONICALorNONTONICAL.

Tonalv.modal(?!)

TONALV.ATONALmaybeapreposterousbinarybutitscertainlynosillierthanTONALv.MODAL.8Forexample,askedtocommentonthesongcitedinexample1,mystudentsoftenreplieditsmodal.Whichmode,withwhatastonic?,Iwouldretort. Dorian inCwasagoodguess,I thought,butstillwrong,because thedorianconsistsofscaledegrees ( inC)whereasTheFemaleDrummercontainsnothird,neither ( )nor

8. Iamneithertheonlynorfirstscholartoobjecttotheabsurditiesexplainedinthissection;see,forexample,Berger(1963)andThomson(1966,2010).

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 5

( ).Whatmodearewein,then?wasperhapsanunfairquestionbecausethemusictheorymystudentshadlearntdidnthaveanameforit.NordidIatthetime.UnabletofindanytheoryofeventhemostcommontonicalhexatonicmodesIhadtoinventasystemtoclassifytuneslikeItsNotUnusual(TomJones,1964:dohhexatonic),Jolene(DollyParton,1973:lahexatonic)andTheFemaleDrummer (rhexatonic).9Moreover, euroclassicalmusic theorysnotionof pentatonicismwas limited to twoanhemitonic specimens,itsheptatonicismtojustthesevenchurchmodes.10

Ex. 1. Steeleye Span: The Female Drummer (Eng. trad., rec. 1971)11

9. Ofcourse,thewholetonescaleishexatonic,butitisnottonical(no no ).Forasystematictheoryoftonicalhexatonicmodes,seeTagg(2014:165173).

10. Onlythedoh/majorandla/minorpentatonicmodeswereatallfamiliartomystudents.Thethirdlessrandsolpentatonicmodesweretotallyunknown,aswerehemitonicpentatonicmodes.Eventhechurchmodeswereunfamiliartomanystudents,andcommonheptatonicmodeslikeHijazandNiavent(Tagg,2014:112145)wereunheardof.

6 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

Now,ifitcanbeagreedthatmodenameslikeionian,dorian,rhexatonicandHijazdenoteconfigurationsofparticulartonalvocabularies,thenmodesmustbe intrinsicallytonal,Noonemodecanthereforebequalifiedasmoreorlesstonal(ormodal)thananyother. However, thats exactlywhat conventionalmusic theoryseemstoassume:theionian( )andtheionianisedminorheptatonicmodes( and arethoughtofastonalandasconstitutingtonality,whileothersforinstance (dorian)or rpentatonic)arecalledmodalandcategorisedasexemplifyingmodality.

Itshardtoexplainsuchbizarrecategorisationinothertermsthaneither ignorance of, or unwillingness to recognise equal importance in, severaldifferent types of tonal configuration (tonality).Circumstantialevidenceofthisblindspotaboundsininstitutionsofmusical learning and in the culturally restricted repertoire[s]fromwhichtheirterminologiesderive.Itsaconceptualblindspotthat is to all intents andpurposes ethnocentricbecause it effectivelyrelegatesalltypesoftonalityotherthanthatoftheeuroclassical and classical jazz repertoires to the nontonal ragbag ofmodality.Littlewonder,then,thatmystudentscoulddonobetterthanidentifytheentirelyrhexatonicFemaleDrummerasmodal(nottonal)whileatthesametimelabellingtheentirelyionianfirsteightbarsofTheBlueDanubeastonal(notmodal).Studentsshouldnothavetoputupwithsuchnonsense.

Conversely, failure to conceptualise the ionianas justonemodeamongmanyothershasat least twoseriousconsequences. [1] Iftheionianisnotconsideredamode,itcannotbereadilycomparedwithothersineffortstodiscoverhowitsparticularcharacteristicsbecamesocentraltoEuropeancultureintheageofEnlightenmentduringtheriseofthebourgeoisie.[2]Themoretheionianandtheionianisedminorkeymodesareregardedas the tonalnormalityfromwhichothertypesoftonalityarethoughttodiverge,themore

11. isplayedasanopen5thdyad , as etc.Thetune,assungandasplayedonfiddle,variesslightlyfromversetoverse.

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 7

difficultitbecomestohearandunderstandthedynamicofthoseothertonalities.Herearesevenexamplesofthatproblem.1. Notionsofdominant,subdominantandperfectcadence

becomeirrelevantormisleading,aswithIV, VandIinGuantanamera,Labamba(I-IV-V),etc.,orinV-IV(-I)bluesprogressions,ormixolydianchordloops((I-)$VII-IV-I),etc.

2. Otherharmoniccadencelabelsbecomeabsurd;forexample,interruptedandhalfcadencesareoftenfinalorcomplete.12

3. Bimodality,shuttlingbetweentwotonalcentres,modalcounterpoiseetc.areignoredaskeyfactorsoftonalconstruction.12

4. Full,finalphrygiancadencesarenotheardasfinal.135. Manycommonmodesareeithermisnomers(e.g.phrygian

andlydiandominantscaleswithnodominantfunction,frigiomayorizadoinsteadofHijaz)ornotnamedatall(e.g.rhexatonic,dohhexatonic,lahexatonic).14

6. Giventheexistenceoftonaltraditionsotherthanthetertialeuroclassicalbefore,duringandafterthehistoricalperiodcoveredbyconventionalmusictheorystonality(e.g.pentatonicism),theconceptspretonalandposttonalmakenosense.

7. Quartalharmonyisradicallyundertheorised.Theseventhpointdemandssomeclarification.

QuartaltonalityPutsimply,QUARTALqualifiestonalityfeaturingfourthsandtheiroctavecomplement,fifths,ratherthanthirds(andsixths).Thefirstconceptualproblemhere is thatquartal sounds, like thenonionian[ised]modes discussed earlier, have in conventionalmusictheorylargelybeenseenasdivergentfromaculturallyrestrictivenotionoftonality.TheyhaverequiredidentificationasanOther(quartal,modal),whereaseuroclassicaltonalityhasunilaterallybeenassumedtoneednosuchcategorisation.However,assoonas

12. Bimodality:seeTagg(2014:433442,453455);counterpoise:seeTagg(2014:336339,396398).

13. Finalphrygian:seeTagg(2009:15:0519:00;2014:436442).14. SeeTagg(2014:421450);seealsoTagg(2009).Lydianandphrygiandomi

nantsaremisnomersusedmainlyinjazztheory.

8 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

theconceptoftonalityhadtobecomefielddependent,15thepreviouslyabsolutenormalsoneededalabeltodistinguishitfromtheabnormal.Atleastfourbizarrelabelsforthirdbased,euroclassicalharmony resulted from thisprocess: tonal,diatonic, functionalandtriadic.Thelabeltonalharmonyisuselessbecauseitmerelyreiteratestheoldabsolutenorm.Diatonicisabsurdbecauseiterroneouslyimpliesthatnoquartalpolyphonyevervisitedallnotesinadiatonic heptatonicmode.16 Functional harmony is no better becauseitimpliesthatquartalharmonyhasnofunctions.Finally,triadicharmonyis,asshownnext,aseriouslyflawedconcept.

Ex. 2. Four tertial and five quartal chords

Example 2 shows nine chords, the first four based on stackedthirds,thelastfiveonstackedfourths.Chordnumbers1,2,4,5,6and 7 are triads because each contains three differently namedtones, chords3and8are tetrads (fourdifferentlynamed tones)andchord9isapentad(five).Chords5,6and7arequartaltriads,chord8aquartaltetradandchord9aquartalpentad.Sincechords1,2and4areneithermorenor less triads than chords57,andsinceharmonybasedonstackedfourthsiscalledQUARTAL,harmonycharacterisedbythestackingof thirdsshouldbecalledTERTIAL.Inshort, thebinaryTRIADICv.QUARTAL is falsebecause it confusestwodistinctcriteriaofdesignationthenumberofnotesinachord(triadic, tetradic,etc.)andtheprincipleof intervalstackinginachordTERTIALforthirds,QUARTALforfourths.Chords1,2and4arethereforetertialtriads,chord3atertialtetrad.Assuch,chords14belongtothesphereoftertialharmonyandareindicativeoftertialratherthanquartaltonality.

15. i.e.whenitbecamenecessarytocompareonetypeoftonalitywishanotheronanequalfooting.Fielddependentargumentation:seeToulmin(1972).

16. ItsasifBlaBartk,McCoyTyner,ClarenceAshley,JoniMitchellorSokratisMlamashasnevermademusic.

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 9

QuartalubiquityandstructuraltheoryQuartalsoundsaboundineverydaytonality.Notonlyaretheyafeatureofvernacular chorality in ruralRussia,ofCentralAsiankomuzaccompaniment,ofAppalachianbanjoplaying,ofvariousstylesoffolkandprogrock,ofnews jingles,oflibrarymusicforcorporatemodernity,andofsignalsfordigitaldevices; theyalsofeatureprominentlyinrecordingsbyjazzartistslikeMcCoyTyner,aswellasintheworkofStravinsky,Copland,HindemithandBartk.17Aswithitsapparentdisregardfortonicalhexatonicism,conventional music theory has also, it seems, failed to dealsystematicallywith thewidespreadpracticesofquartal tonality.Unfortunately, theresno roomhere to exploreborder areasbetweenquartalandtertialharmony,18butitisworthdrawingattentiontoafewkeyaspectsofquartaltonality.Themostobviouslyfalselabelappliedtoquartaltonalityissus(suspension)becausenoquartal chord canbea suspension inaquartalcontextanymorethan canbedissonantinatertialchord.Inquartalharmony,no needsresolvingto andany , orwill almost certainly be intrinsic to the quartal consonance ofwhichitispart.Thenotionofanomittedthirdisalsomeaningless in quartalharmony.Thesebasic truths affectquartal chorddesignation so that, for example: [1] the open fifth dyadshouldbeabbreviatedasA5,notAT3,becausenothingisomitted;[2]thetriad shouldbeA4,notAS4,and[3]thetriadshouldbeD2,notDS9becausenothingissuspended.19Anothercardinaldifferencebetweentertialandquartalchordsisthat the former can preserve their tonical identity in inversion:bothCzq( ,firstinversion)andCzs( ,second)areheardas

17. ItcouldalsobearguedthatquartalelementsarepresentinmusicbyMussorgsky,DebussyandDvok.Formoreonthistopic,seeTagg(2014:306349).

18. Forexample,thecontributionofchordsoftheeleventh(fromDvoksNewWorldSymphonyandBurleighsarrangementsofspiritualsviaCoplandtogospelharmonyandfilm/TVunderscores)toasenseofUSAmericantonalidentityinthetwentiethcentury;seeTagg(2014:306315).

19. Formore,seeTagg(2014:293294).N.B.Thenotionspresentedhere,includingthechordabbreviations,arenotpartofstandardmusictheoryteaching.

10 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

variantsofC( ,rootposition),sotospeak.Quartaltriadsdontworkthatwaybecauseatriadlike (C4)invertedas willsoundlikeF2and,invertedto ,itbecomesG.20Theideathatthe tonal centreofquartal chords can floatup to twopositionsround thekeyclockwithoutupsetting theirbasicsenseof tonalrootednesscanalsobeunderstoodbycomparingtheprogressoftertialandquartaltriadsroundthecircleoffifths(example3).Ex. 3. Tertial (1) and quartal (2) triads flatwards round the key clock

Fivekeypointscanbegatheredfromexample3.1. Whileeachtertialprogression(1)involvesholdingoneand

changingtwoofthetriadsconstituentnotes,proportionsareinverseforeachquartalchange(2).

2. Oneofthenotechangesinthemovementoftertialtriadsinvolvesasemitone,e.g.from to ,aminimalpitchdistancebutalloffivestepsawayonthekeyclock.Thatswhatgives itsstrongleadingnotedirectionalitytowards (equivalentto

< = inthetargettriad).Inquartaltriadprogressions,thesinglereplacementnoteisonlythreekeyclockstepsawayattheminorthird(e.g.greplacedbyb$).

3. Quartalharmonyhastoshifttonalcentrebythreekeyclockstepstosoundlikeanewkey.AtonalareacoveringthreekeyclockpositionsfunctionsasaTONICALNEIGHBOURHOOD.

20. Forexplanationofquartalchordsymbols,seeTagg(2014:293296).

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 11

4. Allnotesinatertialtriadhavedisappearedjusttwohourslaterroundthekeyclock.Eachquartaltriadnotelastsforthree.

5. Quartaltriadscontainnotesrelatedtoeachotherbyafourthand/orfifth.NotionsofVor asdominantandIVor assubdominant,aswellasofmodulationbetweenIandIVorV,arethereforemeaningless.Majorandminorkeys,aswellasperfect,plagal,interruptedandhalfcadencesarealsolargelypointless.

Thesearejustafewofthekeytheoreticalpointsthatcanhelpexplaintheworkingsofwidelyusedtonalidiomsqualifiableingeneraltermsasquartal.21

Timbre

Timbreisprobablytheparameterofmusicalexpressionmostfrequently singled out by popularmusic scholars as conventionalmusic theorysmostseriousblindspot.Thisobservationderivesfromsuchevidenceas:[1]timbresconventionalrelegationtothestatusofasecondaryparameter;22[2]conventionaltheoryslackofsystematicvocabularydescriptiveoftimbre;[3]thepaucityoftimbraldatainthenotationthatisconventionaltheoryspreeminentformofmusicalreference,storageandretrieval.Thesethreeinterrelatedsymptomsarepartofavastproblemcomplex involvingsuchissuesasunawarenessoftherelativeimportanceofdifferentparametersofexpressionindifferentmusicsandinsufficientproblematisationofthenotionofamusicalworkandofitscommodityform.Theresnoroomheretodiscussthisproblemcomplexanyfurther,butIwillsuggesttwo linesofinquiryonemorestructural, the other relating to thebinary POESISv.AESTHESIS thatmayshedsomelightonthematter.

21. Manyimportantfeaturesofquartaltonalityareabsentfromthisaccount,e.g.[1]theconfusion,injazztheory,betweenquartalharmonyandquartalvoicing;[2]thequartalcharacterofmuchdronedmusicusingopentuningsanditstonalkinshipwithanhemitonicpentatonicism,especiallythequartal(thirdless)randsolmodes.

22. See,forexample,Meyer(1989:1422).

12 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

PowerchordsExample4illustratesamorestructuralapproach.Itshowsthefullpitchcontentofapowerchord,inthiscasethedyadA5playedondistortedelectricguitar.Althoughonlytwonotes (110Hz)and (165Hz)areactuallyplayedby theguitarist, the full soundproducedconsistsnotonlyof those two fundamentalsand theirovertonesbutalsoofanacousticallyquantifiabledifferencetoneat=55Hzthedistortionfundamentalplusallofitsovertones.Analysisofthissoundsuggeststhatpowerchordsareextremelystabletonalentitiesthankstotheharmonicseriesconsistingofpartialsdefiningthemandbytheactualacousticpresenceofadifference tone. This tonal rootedness makes the power chord anessentialconstituentofheavymetal,industrialandgrungemusicbecause it allows for the unequivocal statement of substantialtonalelsewheres in relation to the tonic (I5).The$II5 ofmanyphrygianheavymetalpiecesillustratethisphenomenon,asdotheboldharmonicstepsinNirvanasLithiumandTeenSpirit(1991).23Ex. 4. Basic power chord harmonics for A5 (a2 110 Hz, e3 165 Hz)24

Itshouldbenotedthattherearenoclearcutbordersbetweentoneandtimbreintheseheavymetalandgrungecontexts.Timbrecannotbeconsideredasasecondaryparametertotone;itshouldinstead be understood as a codeterminant in the production oftonalityintherepertoireofwhichitispart.

23. Phrygianheavymetalexamples:Powerslave(IronMaiden,1984);WhereverIMayRoam(Metallica,1991).Nirvanasequences:Lithium:D5 F#5 B5 G5 B$5 C5 A5 C5inD;SmellsLikeTeenSpirit:F5 B$5 A$5 D$5inF.

24. Figure4isabasedonLilja(2009:104114,esp.p.113),initsturnbasedonresearchconductedatHelsinkiUniversityofTechnologysDepartmentofSignalProcessingandAcoustics.

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 13

Poeticandaesthesicdescriptors25

Asnotedabove,conventionalmusictheorylacksasystematicvocabularydescriptiveoftimbre.Italsoreliesonnotationasitsprimarymodeofstorage,which,asalreadystated,encodeslittleornotimbral data.Moreover, since notation must normally be performed for it to be heard, it can be considered an intrinsicallypoeticmedium.These observations seem to suggest that structuraldescriptorsoftimbremay,atleastatthetimeofwriting,beeasier tocreateonanaesthesicrather thanpoeticbasis. Indeed,Ivefoundthatstudentswithlittleornoknowledgeofmusictheorynonmusoshavegenerallybeenlessinhibitedthantheirmusopeerswhenitcomestocharacterisingaspectsofnonnotatablesound.Thistendencyhasbeenparticularlystrikingindiscussionsofvocaltimbrewherepersonadescriptors,betheypsychosomatic/emotional (e.g. overthetop, edgy, cheeky) or demographicandarchetypal(e.g.young,workingclass,Celticfolkvirgin,suicidalstudent),occurmorefrequentlythandomoredirectlysounddescriptive concepts (e.g. highpitched, rasping, indistinct).26Itsalsoworthunderlining thataesthesicdescriptorscanalsoconnectwithnotatableparametersofexpression,forexamplethe finalminormajornine chord at the end of the JamesBondtheme(Em^9,apoeticdescriptor)referredtoasaspychord,detectivechord,dangerchord,etc.(aesthesicdescriptors).27

Theobviousproblemwithaesthesicdescriptorsisthattheyrelyonlinguisticallyandculturallyspecificpatternsofmetonymy.Forexample,wetechoasanaesthesicdescriptorofreverberationlasting, say,3 secondswith inandoutput signals set to the ratio

25. PoesisandaesthesisareconceptsderivingfromMolinoviaNattiez(1976).Theirmeaningsareadaptedhereasfollows.POETICDESCRIPTORSarethosethatdesignatetermsdenotingastructuralelementofmusicprimarilyfromtheviewpointofitsconstruction(e.g.consordino,glissando,majorminorninechord,analoguestringpad).AESTHESICDESCRIPTORSaretermsdenotingstructuralelementsprimarilyfromtheviewpointofhowtheyreperceived(e.g.allegro,spychord,Scotchsnap,cavernousreverb).

26. SeeVocalpersona,chapter10inTagg(2013:343382).27. TheoriginalnameoftheDrNotitlethemeisactually007(Norman,1962).

14 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

65:35(poeticdescription)makesnosensetranslatedliterallyintoItalianasunecobagnato,justtheculturallymoreadequaterenderingofwetechoasunecodellaMadonnawouldbemeaninglessiftranslatedback intoEnglishas anechoofOurLady.However,notonlycanaesthesicdescriptorsofthistypeworkwellinsidelocalareasofculturalreference:theycanalsobecomparedwitheachother.Theircommonalitiesofspatial,gestural,tactileandkineticconnotation couldbe investigated and, togetherwith studies oflexicalpatternsused in thenamingof loops, soundeffects templatesandsynthesiserpresets,couldformthebasisofamoretransculturallyviablevocabularyofaesthesicdescriptors.

FormAccording to theOxford Concise EnglishDictionary (1995), FORMmeanstheshapeorpatternintowhichdifferentpartsorelementsarearranged,ordered,orotherwisecombinedintoawhole.Contemplate,ifyouwould,thisbush.

Thebushsconstituentelements(stem,branches,twigs,etc.)havebeenintentionallycutandtrimmed(arranged)intoaformresemblingthatofamushroom.Itmayhavetakenalongtimetoproduce that form but its perception as a form is virtuallyinstantaneous.Nowpleaseconsiderexample5.Itlastsforfourseconds (8beatsat =120)and isheardseveral times in succession,witha fewminorvariations,beforebeing replacedbyaslightlydifferent groove. It contains several constituent elementsthe

onguitarandbass, onviolinsand flute, ontrombonesplushihatandkickdrumpatterns (not shown).Alltheseelementshavebeencombinedintoanidentifiablewhole(Ge

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 15

stalt)thatrepeatsasasingleongoingunit.Ithas,inshort,aform.Ex. 5. Museme stack (excl. drumkit) in Shaft (Isaac Hayes, 1971)28

Themushroombushandexample5illustrateanotherconceptualconundruminconventionalmusictheorywhich,despitethedictionarydefinition, isunlikely toconsiderexample5as form. Instead itreserves the term tomean theway inwhichepisodesorsectionsareorderedhorizontallyalongtheunidimensionalaxisofpassingtimetocreatelongerpatternsofmusicalchangeandrecurrence. Sonataform, rondoform, dacapoaria, 32bar jazzstandardandsoonexemplifythatuseoftheterm.Now,ofcourse,thenarrativeorepisodicaspectofarranging,orderingorotherwisecombiningpartsintoawholeisanessentialaspectofforminmusic,butitiscertainlynottheonlyone.Indeed,ifscholarsseriouslywishtoinvestigateformasformratherthanasform,theywillneedtoconsideratleasttwoequallyimportantaspectsofthephenomenon: [1] its extensional, episodic,narrative,diachronic,horizontalpropertiesitsDIATAXISand[2]itsintensional,synchronic,verticalpropertiesitsSYNCRISIS.29SYNCRITICFORMis,asillustratedinthefoursecondsofexample5,perceptiblewithinthelimitsof theEXTENDEDPRESENT,30and, inmany typesofpopularmusic,bothintendedandheardasacompositeofaurallystaged,31simultaneouslysoundingmotifs,riffs,chords,instruments,voices,timbres,pitches,rhythms,etc.inaparticularmetreataparticular

28. Theextractstartsat1:44,transcriptionbyBobDavis(2005:299).

16 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

speedanddBlevel,etc.Syncrisisisinotherwordsabatchofnowsoundthatinvolvesmoretheshapeandformofadynamicstatethanofaprocessornarrative,ofabeingratherthanofabecoming.As such, it constitutes the ideal formalunit for examiningmuseme stacks thatmay, through repetition, occupy entire episodesbutwhichcanalsofunctionasbuildingblocksinlargerformalunits(periods,episodes,sections,entirepieces,etc.).32

Conventionalmusictheorysconceptualmonopolisationofformisinotherwordssimilartoitshijackingoftonality.Themaindifferencebetweenthetwoisthatwhiletheconceptualfalsificationoftonalitygivesrise,asexplainedearlier,toaseriouslyconfusedandflawed terminologytonalasopposednotonly to atonalbutalsotomodal,pretonalandposttonal,itsinabilityorreluctancetodealwithformotherthandiataxisconstitutesanerrorofconceptualomission.Thereisinotherwordsnovalidreasonwhynarrativeprocessesinmusic(diataxis)shouldbeprioritisedattheexpenseofmusicsdynamicstates(syncrisis),especiallyinrelationtomusicswherethelattermaybeofprimaryinterest.

29. DIATAXIS()meansorderofserviceinByzantineOrthodoxliturgy.Asachronologicalorderingofconstituentepisodesintoanoverallform,diataxiscanbeusedtodesignatewhatconceptslikesonataformandthe32barjazzstandardhaveincommon.SYNCRISIS()literallymeansaputtingtogether,anaggregate,combination,etc.Syntaxcanbeconsideredtoconstituteathirdandequallyessentialtypeofmusicalform.Forfurtherexplanationofpointsinthisfootnote,seeTagg(2013:383385;417;586,603).

30. TheEXTENDEDPRESENT(alsomisleadinglycalledthespeciouspresent)lastsnolongerthanamusicalphrase,oranexhalation,orafewfootsteps,orashortgesturalpattern.Itsadurationexperiencedasasingleunit(Gestalt)inpresenttime,asnowratherthanasanextendedsequenceofideas.TheextendedpresentcanalsobeimaginedasthehumanbrainsequivalenttoacomputersRAMwhereinformationisprocessedimmediately,ratherthanasitsharddrive(longertermmemory)whereaccessandretrievaltimesarelonger.Forfurtherexplanations,seeTagg(2013:1920,272273,588).

31. AURALSTAGING:seeTagg(2013:299303,583).32. Forexplanationsofdurationalhierarchiesinmusic,seeTagg(2013:281288).

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 17

Quefaire?

SinceOctober2011Iveconductedaminicampaignaimedatconvincingcolleaguesandstudentsthatsomethingneedstobedoneaboutthesortofconceptualchaosdescribedinthistext.ProgresshasbeenslowandIvehadtoresorttoseveraltricksofpersuasiontofurtherthecause.Ihave,forexample,distilledsomeoftheissues down to simple requests, like please distinguish betweentone/tonalandtonic/tonical,pleasedistinguishbetweentriad/triadic and third/tertial, please treat all types of form as form,pleasehelpcreateaviablevocabularyfortimbreandauralstaging, etc.Then Ivedelivereddifferentversions ofmy Troubleswith Tonal Terminology presentation in numerous places andtriedtoreachawideraudiencebyproducingavideocalledWhat(theHell)isTonality?33Ivealsoaddedother,equallyproblematic,factorstothemix,suchasconventionaltheorysinadequateconceptualisation ofmetre, rhythm, syncopation, periodicity, polyphony, counterpoint and duration (including the extendedpresent).Iveeventriedappealingtoacollegialsenseofprideinmusicalscholarshipinthehopeofminimisingtheintellectualandethicalembarrassmentthatmusictheorysterminologicaldisordercancause in interdisciplinarycontexts.Forexample, Ivehad topointoutthatnoselfrespectinglinguistwouldeverconcludethat,say,EnglishorSpanishweregrammaticallanguagesandthat,say,ChineseorRussianwerenot, justbecausedefiniteandindefinitearticlesarekeyfeaturesofsyntaxintheformerbutnotinthelatter,whereasmanymusictheoristsseemquitehappytothink inthatwayabouttonality:onetypeoftonalitywithitsparticulartraitsiscalledtonalbutothers,withdifferenttraits,arenot.Iverepeatedlyexpressedastonishmentat theabsenceofanyoutcry inmydisciplineagainstsuchfoolishness.

Moreover,ifmusicsotherthanthoseintheeuroclassicalandclassicaljazztraditionsremainuncodified,theterminologyofconventional euroclassical music theory will stay unchallenged and

33. 9ZE-DpkRYb0 [150919].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZE-DpkRYb0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZE-DpkRYb0

18 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

continuetomarginalise,trivialiseorfalsifyanytypeofmusicexhibiting important traits forwhich that theoryhaseither flawedconceptsornoconceptsatall.Notonlywouldsuchneglectprolong the undemocratic disrespect and ethnocentric ignorance itseemstoshowtowardssomanymusicsusedbyamajorityoftheworldspopulation; itwouldalso,asarguedearlier,obstructeffortstounderstandwhatmadethemusicaltraditiononwhichitbasedthatsameterminologysoinfluentialandunique.

FinalreflexionsReactionstomylittlecampaignhavegenerallybeenmorepositivethannegative.Herearejusttwoofthem.34

Ivetaughtanalysisinmyuniversityfor25yearsandIvemetthesameproblemsasyouWeeventriedtosetupamusicalterminologycommissiontenyearsagobut...Iwasraisedinawiderangeofmusicaltraditions.ThenIrecentlystudiedmusicology,sohadtoconfrontallthose[strangeterms]Well,withthe[local/regional/national]musicaltraditionsIknow...Wow!Alotofthosetermsjustdontworkatall.

Somereactionshavebeenmoreguarded,forexample:Ofcourseyourerightandwhatyousay isperfectly logicalbuttheresnotahopeinhellthatanythingwillcomeofit!

Ifearthatthisopinion,expressedbyaseniorprofessorofcompositionafteroneofmypresentationsonthetopic,maybearealisticassessmentofthesituation.Twocloselyrelatedtypesofreactionhavepromptedmetothinkalongsuchlines.OneisthecompactsilenceImetonseveraloccasionswhenpresentingthesortofissuesdiscussedhere.Theythinkyourecausingunnecessaryproblems,a young researcher toldme outside the venue at a particularlysouldestroyingmusicanalysiseventinItaly.Theyjustwantyoutodisappearsotheycangetbacktobusinessasusual in theirivorytowers.35

34. Ireceivedthesecommentsbyemailinlate2013fromaseniormusicprofessorinVenezuelaandfromamusicianandmusicologystudentinColombia.

35. Iregretnothavingnotedthestudentsname.Ijustwrotedownhiscomments.

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 19

AswiththeSHUTUPANDGOAWAYstrategyjustdescribed,theothertypeofnegativereactionisalsocharacterisedbyacompletelackofwilltoenterintoanysortofdialogue:Imnotevenpresentedwithanycounterargumentsrefutingmylineofreasoning.Thissecondtypeofstrategyis,however,moreaggressivethanthefirst.Iinterpretitasarearguardactionmountedbythosewhofeelthreatenednotjustbybudgetcutstotheartsandhumanitiesbutalsobythoseofuswhoadvocaterealreform.Theproblemisthatinsteadofsafeguardingthefutureofourdisciplinebyaddressingthemulticulturalinternetrealityinwhichstudentsactuallylive,thesefellowscholarsregressintotheillusorysafetyofaninstitutionalpastwithitssingletimehonouredrepertoireandastoragetechnologydatingbacktothefifteenthcentury.36Theseknightsofthemusicologicalrearguard,keentoprotecttheirnotionsofmusic,includingitsstructuraltheory(nottomentiontheirjobs)fromattack,thenpullupthedrawbridgeandshoreupthedefencesoftheirfiefdoms,ensuringthatonlythosewhodefertotheirauthoritycanenter.Theyform allianceswith others in similar fiefdoms and banish fromtheirrealmsanyonewhocommitstheheresyofquestioningtheirlegitimacy.Theseactsofexcommunicationareoftenaccompaniedbyderogatory rumours circulated about theheretic andhis/herfollowers,whoarethenwillfullykeptoutoftheinstitutionalloopofacademicexchangeandemployment.37Thissortofbehaviourisexacerbated by themanagerialisation of university life, by barragesofKafkaesqueauditsandassessmentexercises,aswellasbysubjectiontoleaguetablesthatcanlogicallyfunctionasacompetitive comparisonmechanism only if theres a consensus aboutwhateverybodydoesoralwayshasdone.Thosebizarremechanismsfavourseatsofmusicallearningwhichfocusontraditions

36. Gutenberg(13981468)introducedEuropetotheprintingpresswithmovabletype.Petrucci(14661539)isoftencitedasthefatherofmusicprinting.

37. ThesituationisparticularlyseriousinItalianinstitutionsofmusicology(seePopularMusicStudiesinItalianUniversitiesapetition tagg.org/html/Petition1405.html.[150918],especiallyaboutthebaronieacademicheandsettoridisciplinarie).WearecurrentlypreparinganewreportonirregularitiesinthefieldofItalianmusicology.

http://tagg.org/html/Petition1405.htmlhttp://tagg.org/html/Petition1405.htmlhttp://tagg.org/html/Petition1405.html

20 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

thathave tobe sociallydead,orat leastmoribund, inorder forthem tobecome fixedascanonsforexample, theeuroclassicalcanon, the jazzcanon, the academicsafaricanonand,morerecently,therockcanon.Suchfixationofrepertoire,ofaestheticsandstructuraltheory,ismoreoftenthannotunderstoodasanecessityininstitutionsthathavetorepeatcoursesfromoneyeartothenextinthenameofcoursecontentconsistencyorcostcutting.Allthesemechanismsencouragestagnationandgenerateaclimateoffeardetrimentaltoreformandinnovation.Tosurviveshortterminthesystemyouneedtotoethelineandkeepalowprofile.Tosecurefunding,youandyour institutionhave tochasebrowniepoints,ticktherightboxesandsubmittotheacademicpublishingprotectionracket.38Ifyoudontfeedthemanagementmonsterinthesewaysyoullincuritswrathandbevisitedbyitsinquisitors.39

Heresy,inquisition,excommunication?Whoknowshowfarthingscangoinauniversitysystemunderthepallofmarketfundamentalism?40Maybe,now thatstudentsare customersand teachersservice providers, well soon have to sell degrees like indulgences.41When thathappensandenoughofusareexcommunicated, our universities can be left entirely in the hands ofaccountants.Then,likeLutherandtheGermanpeasantrebelsofthe1520s,wecanhaveafullblownreformationofuniversitylife.Inthemeantime,wecannotdomuchmorethanexposeflawsinthecurrentsystemandpinourthesestothedoorofmusicallearning.42Thistextisintendedasjustonesuchthesis.

38. SeeTheAcademicPublishingProtectionRacket( tagg.org/rants/AcPub-Pizzo.html) [160418].

39. IwassubjectedtoamanagementinquisitionatLiverpoolUniversity;seeAudititis:arampantcontagion tagg.org/rants/audititis/audititis.html [150919].

40. SeeGeorgeSoros:TheCrisisofGlobalCapitalismasreviewedbyBeams(1998).41. ThankstoGoffredoPlastino(Newcastle)fortheindulgencesanalogyandto

KaireMaimets(Tartu)forremindingmeoftheperversionofthestudentteacherrelationshipintothatofbuyerandseller.

42. Lutherissaidtohavenailed95thesestothedooroftheSchlosskircheAllerheiligeninWittenbergin1517,therebyignitingtheProtestantreformation.IfonlyLutherhadsupportedthepeasantrebelsinsteadofcondemningtheiractions!

http://tagg.org/rants/audititis/audititis.htmlhttp://tagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.htmlhttp://tagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.htmlhttp://tagg.org/rants/audititis/audititis.html

Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory 21

References

Thisappendixcontainsalltypesofreference.Tosavespace,thefollowingsymbolsareused: bibliographicalsource(writtenword); audiovisualsource; audiorecording; internetreference; YouTubefile.Pleasenotethat replaces sothat,forexample, rWlt9Is1nmsmeanstheURL.

BEAMS,Nick(1998)Soroswarnsofmarketfundamentalism.WorldSocialistWebSite,19981222

wsws.org/en/articles/1998/12/soro-d22.html. [180918].BERGER,Arthur(1963)ProblemsofpitchorganizationinStravinsky.PerspectivesofNewMusic,2/1. http://disciplinas.stoa.usp.br/pluginfile.php/226656/mod_resource/content/1/Probems%20of%20pitch%20organization%20in%20Stravinsky%20%28BERGER%201963%29.pdf.DAVIS,Bob(2005)WhoGotdaFunk?AnEtymphonyofFunkfromthe1950sto1979. PhD,Facultdemusique,UniversitdeMontraltagg.org/bookxtrax/DavisFunkPhDv1.pdf [2012-11-15].

HERRMANN,Bernard(1960)Psycho(Colonnasonoraoriginale).RCACinematreNL33224(1975) Xd_OolN34eA[131229].

(1963)CrowsattackthestudentsfromTheBirds hplpQt424Ls (0:42, ff.) [131229].JONES,Tom(1965).ItsNotUnusual.DeccaF12062.

KOD(1985)Miyake.KodHeartbeatDrummersOfJapanSheffieldLabCDKODO.

LACASSE,Serge(2000).ListentoMyVoice:TheEvocativePowerofVocalStaginginRecordedRockMusicandOtherFormsofVocalExpression.PhDdiss.,InstituteofPopularMusic,UniversityofLiverpool.

mus.ulaval.ca/lacasse/texts/THESIS.pdf| [101021].

MEYER,LeonardB.(1989).StyleandMusic:Theory,History,andIdeology.Philadelphia:UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress.

NATTIEZ,JeanJacques(1976)Fondementsdunesmiologiedelamusique.bParis:Ug.

(1990).MusicandDiscourse:TowardaSemiologyofMusic.PrincetonUniversityPress,1990NIRVANA(1991)SmellsLikeTeenSpiritandLithium.NeverMind,Geffen4344252S.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1998/12/soro-d22.htmlhttp://tagg.org/bookxtrax/DavisFunkPhDv1.pdfhttp://tagg.org/bookxtrax/DavisFunkPhDv1.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd_OolN34eAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hplpQt424Lshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hplpQt424Lshttp://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1998/12/soro-d22.htmlhttp://mus.ulaval.ca/lacasse/texts/THESIS.pdfhttp://mus.ulaval.ca/lacasse/texts/THESIS.pdfhttp://disciplinas.stoa.usp.br/pluginfile.php/226656/mod_resource/content/1/Problems%20of%20pitch%20organization%20in%20Stravinsky%20%28BERGER%201963%29.pdf

22 Tagg: The Urgent Reform of Music Theory

NORMAN,Monty(1962)43ThemefromDrNo(a.k.a.JamesBondTheme,a.k.a.007).TheBestofBond,UnitedArtistsUAS29021(1975).

PARTON,Dolly(1973).Jolene(single);alsoonJolene;RCAVictorAFL10473(1974).

STEELEYESPAN(1971)TheFemaleDrummer(Eng.trad.viaTheWatersons).PleasetoSeetheKing.Crest8.

TAGG,Philip(2009)DominantsandDominance rWlt9Is1nms [150919].

(2013)MusicsMeanings:amodernmusicologyfornonmusos.NewYork&Huddersfield:MassMediaMusicScholarsPress

tagg.org/mmmsp/NonMusoInfo.htm [150919].

(2014)EverydayTonalityII:towardsatonaltheoryofwhatmostpeoplehear.NewYork&Huddersfield:MassMediaMusicScholarsPress.tagg.org/mmmsp/EverydayTonalityInfo.htm [150919].

(2015)TheAcademicPublishingProtectionRackettagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.html [160418].

THOMSON,WilliamEnnis(1966)TheProblemofMusicAnalysisandUniversals.CollegeMusicSymposium,6. http://kb.osu.edu/rest/bitstreams/211370/retrieve.

(2010).SerialistClaimsversusSonicReality.EmpiricalMusicologyReview,5/2(2010:3650). http://kb.osu.edu/rest/bitstreams/211370/retrieve.

TOULMIN,Stephen(1972).HumanUnderstanding:TheCollectiveUseandEvolutionofConcepts.1972.PrincetonUniversityPress.

43. Normanslegalauthorshipisnolongerlegallydisputed,butitspossiblethatthethememaybemusicallyasmuchtheworkofJohnBarryandDonBlack.

http://tagg.org/mmmsp/NonMusoInfo.htmhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWlt9Is1nmshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWlt9Is1nmshttp://tagg.org/mmmsp/NonMusoInfo.htmhttp://tagg.org/mmmsp/EverydayTonalityInfo.htmhttp://tagg.org/mmmsp/EverydayTonalityInfo.htmhttp://users.skynet.be/P-ART/PARADISE/JOURNAL/JOURNL20/journ20.htmhttp://kb.osu.edu/rest/bitstreams/211370/retrievehttp://kb.osu.edu/rest/bitstreams/211370/retrievehttp://users.skynet.be/P-ART/PARADISE/JOURNAL/JOURNL20/journ20.htmhttp://tagg.org/rants/AcPubPizzo.html

IntroBasic definitions and abbreviationsTonalityTonal v. atonal (?!)Tonal v. modal (?!)Quartal tonalityQuartal ubiquity and structural theory

TimbrePower chordsPoetic and aesthesic descriptors

FormQue faire?Final reflexions

References