[Smt-talk] Pop Music And Theory

Isaac Malitz imalitz at omsmodel.com
Thu Dec 11 21:42:02 PST 2014


There is plenty of method/structure/model to be found in pop music.

However, the grain of truth (more than a grain really) in Carson's 
comment is that pop music in recent decades has evolved with freedom and 
many wonderful innovations.


Isaac Malitz
imalitz at OMSModel.com
www.OMSModel.com
818-231-3965


On 12/11/2014 8:29 AM, Victor grauer wrote:
> --------------------------------------------
> On Wed, 12/10/14, CARSON FARLEY wrote:
>
> "The essence of Pop music is that it is free of all rules and not concerned with structure in the same way that classical music/art is."
>
>   I completely disagree. According to my research, pop music is in fact highly constrained. As you say, the musicians themselves are usually not consciously aware of the constraints -- but the same could be said for many "classical" composers as well. Certain fundamental structural and stylistic elements have been passed on as taken-for-granted traditions. But that does not make popular music free of all rules, not at all.
>
> For some insights into how pop music operates within very rigid constraints dating, very possibly, from the 16th century, see my book "The Life and Times of a Musical Virus: A Critical History of the Rhythm Section" --
>   http://www.amazon.com/Life-Times-Musical-Virus-Critical-ebook/dp/B00LH0GKJC
>
> Victor Grauer
> Pittsburgh, PA
> USA
>
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