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goh-zensen-1469's picture

Since I'm a music theorist, I shall start the ball rolling. Personally, I don't quite like the name of this discipline because it often carries with it a not-so-positive connotation. Why? Generally people would associate it with the learning of (especially) the Western 5-lined stave or notation system (or what we colloquially call it 'the tadpoles' or 'beansprouts').

But we know that Music Theory comprises much more than that - other than notations, it also touches on items such as... See More

Since I'm a music theorist, I shall start the ball rolling. Personally, I don't quite like the name of this discipline because it often carries with it a not-so-positive connotation. Why? Generally people would associate it with the learning of (especially) the Western 5-lined stave or notation system (or what we colloquially call it 'the tadpoles' or 'beansprouts').

But we know that Music Theory comprises much more than that - other than notations, it also touches on items such as harmony, modulations and syncopated rhythms.

Thus, I would prefer to call it 'music concepts'. It is akin to 'salesman' being re-coined as 'sales engineers'.

Closely related to this, the titles of the music arranger and copywriters aren't going a service to what they deserve - people who don't know are likely to misconceive them respectively as "workers who arrange for music events, including coordinating logistics matters" and "workers who copy (or transcribe) what someone articulates orally onto a piece of paper".

Any thoughts to share?

#MusicTheory