Table of Contents
Preface
Author's Note
1. Prelude: The Harmonious Universe
An Introduction
2. Overture: Why We Sing
What is music and where does it come from?
3. Staccato: The Atoms of Music
What are musical notes and how do we decide which to use?
4. Andante: What's In a Tune?
Do melodies follow rules, and if so, which?
5. Legato: Keeping it Together
How do we decode the sound?
6. Tutti: All Together Now
How do we use more than one note at a time?
7. Con Moto: Slave to the Rhythm
What gives music its pulse?
8. Pizzicato: The Colour of Music
Why do instruments sound different, and how does that affect the music?
9. Misterioso: All In the Mind
Which bits of the brain do we use for music?
10. Appassionato: Light My Fire
How does music convey and elicit emotion?
11. Capriccioso: Going In and Out of Style
What are musical styles?
Is music about notes, or patterns, or textures?
12. Parlando: Why Music Talks to Us
Is music a language? Or is it closer to the non-verbal arts?
13. Serioso: The Meaning of Music
What are composers and musicians trying to say?
Can music in itself say anything at all?
Coda: The Condition of Music
Credits
Notes
Bibilography
Index