General Composition
Harmony and Voice-leading
Counterpoint
Arranging and Transcription
Orchestration and Instrumentation
Notation
Atonality, Serial Procedures,
etc.
Almost all composition books in the English language deal with the composition of Western music and few of these stray far from the familiar art music tradition; we urge you to explore other methods and hope that the Institute will lead you to them. Having said that, here are some good books:
General Composition:
Bamberger and Hernandez, Developing
Musical Intuitions: A Project-Based Introduction to Making and Undertanding
Music---for absolute beginners.
Ralph Turek, Elements of Music:
Concepts and Applications (volume
1,
volume
2)---our personal favorite, a detailed explication.
Steinke and Harder, Basic
Materials in Music Theory: A Programed Course, 9th ed.---a popular
text.
Steinke and Harder, Harmonic
Materials in Tonal Music a Programmed Course, 8th ed. (part1,
part2)---a
popular text.
Benjamin, Horvit and Nelson, Techniques
and Materials of Tonal Music: With an Introduction to Twentieth-Century
Techniques, 5th edition---a first text.
Russo et al., Composing
Music: A New Approach---learn by doing.
Winsor, Computer
Music in Composition---eagerly awaited.
Cope, Techniques
of the Contemporary Composer---approaches from the last century.
Winkler, Composing
Interactive Music: Techniques and Ideas Using Max---combining software
with live performance in the Max computer music language.
Rowe, Interactive
Music Systems: Machine Listening and Composing---a survey of systems
for interactive performance.
Kostka, Materials
and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music, 2 edition---a good survey
of modern techniques.
Vander Weg, Serial
Music: A Research and Information Guide---comprehensive and up-to-date.
Castine, Set
Theory Objects: Abstractions for Computer-Aided Analysis and Composition
of Serial and Atonal Music---
Russo, Composing
for the Jazz Orchestra---useful beyond jazz.
Gorow, Hearing
and Writing Music: Professional Training for Today's Musician---as
for dictation, we prefer to leave that to machines. There is some interesting
material on film music and "sketching" here.
Jones, Plunderphonics,
`Pataphysics & Pop Mechanics: An Introduction to Musique Actuelle---a
brilliant perspective on composition.
Irwin Chusid, Songs
in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music---an ecellent
introduction to the outsider.
McCutchan, The
Muse That Sings: Composers Speak About the Creative Process---an
interesting look behind the veil.
Michael Keith, From
Polychords to Polya: Adventures in Musical Combinatorics---an interesting
examination of music theory with combinatorial mathematics.
Csound---this synthesis
language is by far the most valuable compositional tool we've come across.
Anything can be performed.
Gems
of Compositional Wisdom---some interesting practical
insights hiding behind a grandiose title (not that we at the OI think that
grandeur is anything of which to be ashamed).
A
Practical Guide to Musical Composition---is in a similar vein.
Larry
Solomon---has some useful information for Western composers.
Music
Composition FAQ---a good, practical faq.
Techniques
of Musical Composition---crib notes.
Brahms's
advice.
Variation
Techniques for Composers and Improvisors---a good place to get ideas.
Symmetry
as a Compositional Determinant---symmetry as a source of new thematic
transformations, with free software.
The Schillinger
System of Musical Composition---includes a mailing list devoted to
the system of Joseph Schillinger.
NewMusNet---discussion,
interviews, a journal and other material for composers.
Young Composers---a
showcase and forum for young composers.
Kalvos
& Damian---provide an online showcase and forum for composers,
includes a large directory of resources.
Arachnaut's
Lair; Electronic Music---a huge directory, very useful.
Experimental
Music Software---featuring Andrew Culver's I Ching, originally
developed for John Cage.
The Sound
of Mathematics---aduitory display of mathematical structures as a compositional
resource.
MusiNum---a
free fractal music generator.
FractMus---a
free fractal music generator.
Fractal Music Lab---includes
free software.
The
Fractal Music Project---a good resource for fractal/chaotic composition.
Music from
Life---DNA and protein as a compositional resource; includes algorithmic
software.
Algorithmic
Composition for Acoustic Instruments---a system devised by Bruce Jacob.
Anything2Score---a
directory of compositional software which produces Csound
scores.
Music by Numbers---an
article on the effect MIDI and sequencers have had on composition.
Introduction
to Schenker Analysis---suggests a compositional method.
Composition
Lessons---includes some compositional ideas.
Orientalism
and Musical Style---creative misunderstanding is a musical resource,
we would point out.
CDP---we
can't recommend this very expensive software, since other tools (notably
the free Csound) better serve the
purpose.
Organizations:
Resources
for Composers and Contemporary Music---a large directory of organizations
and resources.
The Center for the
Promotion of Contemporary Composers---networking and opportunities.
Just Intonation
Network---many resources for those working with microtonality.
New Consonant
Music---composers dedicated to accesibility.
American Composers
Forum---helpful.
The American Music Center---a
large organization for composers of contemporary classical and jazz music.
American Society of Music
Arrangers and Composers---arrangers and composers working in commercial
music, primarily in films.
Gaudeamus Foundation---promoters
of contemporary music.
The Film Music Network---resources
for commercial music.
Meet
The Composer---helpful.
The Living
Music Foundation---support for struggling artists.
The Association for
the Advancement of Creative Musicians---Chicago-based organization
dedicated to black music; they give wonderful concerts.
Harmony and Voice-leading:
Gauldin, Harmonic
Practice in Tonal Music---an excellent standard text, with wide
coverage and attention to underlying principles; there is an associated
workbook
and CD.
Perone (Compiler), Harmony
Theory---a large bibliography.
Ottman, Elementary
Harmony: Theory and Practice, 5th Bk&Cd edition---a standard
introductory text.
Ottman, Advanced
Harmony, Theory and Practice, 5th Bk&cdr edition---a good,
standard text covering 18th--19th c.
Steinke and Harder, Harmonic
Materials in Tonal Music a Programmed Course, Part 1, 8th edition---a
practical introduction.
Steinke and Harder, Harmonic
Materials in Tonal Music a Programmed Course, Part 2, 8th edition---a
practical introduction.
Prout, Harmony:
Its Theory & Practice---a classic study from the end of the
nineteenth century.
Aldwell and Schachter, Harmony
and Voice Leading/1 Volume Edition,2nd ed.---a difficult advanced
text with associated workbook.
Harrison, Harmonic
Function in Chromatic Music: A Renewed Dualist Theory and an Account of
Its Precedents---an important and unique approach to chromaticism.
Persichetti, Twentieth-Century
Harmony---probably the best treatment.
Mathieu, Harmonic
Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression---an
interesting look into first principles, but beware---there are serious
dangers of chauvinism in this viewpoint---acoustics does not uniquely imply
Western art music.
Rameau, Treatise
on Harmony---the classic, original theory of root progression.
Tenney, A
History of Consonance and Dissonance---a classic study into the
first principles of harmony.
Arkin, Creative
Chord Substitution: A Journey Through Form and Analysis of Modern
Harmony---quartal harmony for pop music? Bravo!
Salzman and Sahl, Making
Changes: A Practical Guide to Vernacular Harmony---introduction
to pop and jazz practices.
Clough and Conley, Basic
Harmonic Progressions: A Self-Instruction Program---a solid introduction.
Wyatt and Schroeder, Harmony
& Theory: A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians---a popular
text for beginners.
D'Amante, All
About Chords---popular amongst amateurs.
Guide
to Chord Formation---excellent; the definitive guide for popular chord
spelling, by Howard Wright.
Music
Theory Corner---several interesting articles on harmony.
Fundamentals
of Tonal Harmony---from a course at Duke University.
Chromatic
Harmony---from a course at Duke University.
Augmented
Sixth Chords---from a course at the University of Texas.
The
Phrygian II and the Neapolitan 6th---from a course at the University
of Texas.
Tradional
Harmony---a good explanation from Bill
Hammel.
Bob
Frazier's Music Page---has a lot of good material on harmony (as well
as vocal technique).
Schoenberg
on Tonal Function---a rare view of harmonic functions.
Bimodalism---the
harmonic system of Enrique Ubieta.
Polytonics---the
harmonic system of William Matthew Beachy.
The Schillinger
System---devoted to the work of Joseph Schillinger.
Tone
Clock---Theo Hoogstins on Peter Schat's harmonic system.
A
Theory on Open Modality---the harmonic system of Emery Szasz.
An
Investigation of the Effect of Explicit and Implied Harmony on the Perceptual
Processing of Short Melodies---a paper.
Aspects
of Early Major-Minor Tonality: Structural Characteristics of the Music
of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries---a dissertation on the
development of the major-minor system.
A
derivation of the rules of voice-leading from perceptual principles---interesting
work.
Articles
on Early Music Harmony---some excellent articles.
Harmony---considered
from a jazz viewpoint, from the Jazz Improvisation Almanac.
Jazz
Improvisation Primer---includes some material on jazz harmony.
Evidence
of Harmony in Ancient Music---some interesting material, but we would
not venture any conclusions.
Chord
progressions for guitar---a few popular harmonies.
Counterpoint:
Salzer and Schachter, Counterpoint
in Composition---practical covering both Fuxian and Schenkerian
approaches.
Kennan, Counterpoint,
4th edition---covers 17th and 18th century practice; there is an
associated workbook.
Fux, Study
of Counterpoint---Mann's translation of half of the Gradus ad
Parnassum.
Fux, The
Study of Fugue---Mann's translation of other half of the Gradus
ad Parnassum.
Schubert, Modal
Counterpoint, Renaissance Style---a new examination.
Jeppesen, Counterpoint:
The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century---a detailed
study.
Gauldin, A
Practical Approach to Sixteenth-Century Counterpoint---excellent
for early, non-species counterpoint practices.
Gauldin, A
Practical Approach to Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint---excellent
for late baroque practices.
Trythall, Eighteenth
Century Counterpoint---practice of baroque forms.
Norden, The
Technique of Canon---a detailed method.
Thakar, Counterpoint:
Fundamentals of Music Making---a first text.
Moll (Editor), Counterpoint
and Compositional Process in the Time of Dufay: Perspectives from German
Musicology---important insights.
Also, there are the indispensable monographs of Ebenezer
Prout:
Prout, Counterpoint:
Strict And Free---
Prout, Double
Counterpoint And Canon---
Prout, Fugue---
Arom, African
Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structure and Methodology---unfortunately
out-of-print.
What
is monophony, polyphony, homophony, monody etc.?---a good clarification.
Joe
Monzo provides another.
Punctus Contra
Punctum---excellent work, a site devoted to counterpoint.
Principles
of Counterpoint---a good online text.
Notes
on Counterpoint---from a course at the University of Alberta.
Guidelines
for Species Counterpoint---from the University of Chicago.
Modal
Counterpoint---an outline from a course at MiraCosta College.
Tonal
Counterpoint---an outline from a course at MiraCosta College.
Hints
for Composers of Canon and Fugue---a small set of hints, with a good
discussion of fugue.
Cours
d'harmonie, contrepoint et fugue avec traductions en espagnol et en galicien---but
not yet, unfortunately, in English.
Articles
on Early Music Harmony---some excellent articles, including this one:
Thirteenth-Century
Polyphony: A Quick Guide to Combinations and Cadences---by Margo Schulter.
Contrapunctus
diminutus and prolongation---a comparison of fourteenth century practices.
Baka
Pygmies vocal polyphony---a view of one form of African polyphony.
Arranging and Transcription:
Turkel and Smith-Eisenhower, Arranging
Techniques for Synthesis---orchestration for synthestic sound.
Allen, Arranging
in the Digital World---handling digital technology for the arranger.
White, Instrumental
Arranging---useful, a standard text; there is an associated workbook
and CDs.
Erikson, Arranging
for the Concert Band---we prefer computers, of course.
Ostrander and Wilson, Contemporary
Choral Arranging---covers a variety of styles.
David, Jazz
Arranging---a standard text.
Baker, Arranging
and Composing, for the Small Ensemble: Jazz-R&B-Jazz & Rock---a
puzzling title, we think.
Ellingford, The
Art of Transcribing for the Organ : A Complete Text Book for the Organist
in Arranging Choral and Instrumental Music (The Organist's Library)---
MusicArrangers---good
information and advice for arrangers and orchestrators, also, blank manuscript
paper.
MbooM---a sequencer
which claims to be suited to arranging.
Sonic Foundry---produces
Acid,
software which claims to be suited to arranging.
Table
of Transposing Instruments---handy tables.
A
Composer's Guide - Writing for the Recorder---good for arrangers too.
Arranging
for Brass Instruments---a work in-progress.
The American
Song-Poem Archive---the results from "lyrics set to music" advertisements;
an excellent online museum.
The
Music Arrangers' Guild of Australia---a professional organization.
Transcription in the sense of dictation (as opposed to
its sense in arranging, e.g., as in this
pipa song transcribed for ocarina.):
AudioWorks Ltd.---produces
audio-to-MIDI converters.
Wildcat
Canyon Software---produces audio-to-MIDI converters.
AmazingMIDI---an
audio-to-MIDI converter.
Note Chaser---transcription
software featuring visual displays.
Woodshed
Home---software that slows down audio without changing pitch.
Seventh
String Software---software that slows down audio without changing pitch.
(Note: a good sound editor, such as CoolEdit
can be useful for transcription.)
Visualization
of Multi - Part Music (Acoustics and Perception)---a good paper on
the problem of automatic transcription.
Orchestration and Instrumentation:
Adler, The
Study of Orchestration, 2nd edition---an excellent text, with associated
CDs
and workbook.
(A new edition of the book
and CDs
is promised).
Forsyth, Orchestration---a
classic of great depth, but dated on a few technical points.
Kennan and Grantham, The
Technique of Orchestration, 5th edition---a thorough, standard
introduction, with associated workbook.
Stiller (Compiler), Handbook
of Instrumentation, 2nd edition---an excellent, comprehensive reference.
Berlioz and Strauss, Treatise
on Instrumentation---older viewpoints, very entertaining.
Rimsky-Korsakov, Principles
of Orchestration---includes attention to artistic aspects.
Prout, Orchestra,
The - 2 Volumes---Prout is always learned and thorough.
Prout, Instrumentation---Prout
is always learned and thorough.
Shatzkin, Writing
for the Orchestra: An Introduction to Orchestration---notable for
its practicalities.
Blatter, Instrumentation
and Orchestration, 2nd edition---a large instrumentation text.
Perone (Compiler), Orchestration
Theory---a comprehensive bibliography.
Black and Gerou, Essential
Dictionary of Orchestration: Ranges, General Characteristics, Technical
Considerations, Scoring Tips: The Most Practical and comprehensive---a
good quick reference.
Carse, History
of Orchestration---an overview, from the early twentieth century.
Sabina, Jazz
Arranging and Orchestration---eagerly awaited; will it fill the
gap?
Gilreath, The
Guide to Midi Orchestration---for emulating orchestras with MIDI
(you should be using Csound for that, I think).
Read, Style
and Orchestration---
Read, Compendium
of Modern Instrumental Techniques---an exhastive compendium of
unconventional techniques.
Read, Thesaurus
of Orchestral Devices---
Sin-Yan Shen, Chinese
Music and Orchestration: A Primer on Principles and Practice---very
spotty, but valuable for its uniqueness; intersting ideas about blending
and contrast.
The
Orchestration Pages---a large useful site for the Western orchestra,
excellent.
The
Orchestra Pit---orchestration for musical theatre.
Musical
Instrument Range Chart---a basic chart.
A
Modest Glossary of Modern Orchestration---small.
OrchestrationList---a
mailing list devoted to orchestration.
Chinese Music
Society of North America---conducts some interesting research in comparitive
orchestration.
Greek
Folk Instrumentation Styles---the instrumentation of Greek folk music.
instruments
used by the Sunshine Skiffle Band---an excellent look at skiffle and
jug-band instrumentation.
Soundscape
Composition and the Subversion of Electroacoustic Norms---a paper on
the use of natural sound.
How
to Produce Chinese Folk Music Using Regular MIDI Equipment---two very
interesting articles on Chinese Folk Computer Music.
Lark
In The Morning and The Early Music
Shop---cannot help but inspire the jaded.
The Early Music
Network---may also be helpful, concerned as it is with authentic instrumentation.
Notation:
Common Music Notation:
Heussenstamm, Norton
Manual of Music Notation---an excellent reference for composers
and arrangers.
Mohn, Preparing
Traditional Music Manuscript: Including a Handbook of Instrumentation,
Theory, and Musical Terms---a standard text.
Read, Music
Notation, 2nd edition---a large reference work.
Read, Compendium
of Modern Instrumental Techniques---an exhastive compendium of
unconventional techniques and their notations.
Gerou and Lusk, Essential
Dictionary of Music Notation: The Most Practical and Concise Source for
Music Notation---a quick reference.
Wood, Hemidemisemiquavers--and
other such things: a concise guide to music notation---a quick
guide to common problems.
Shanet, Learn
to Read Music---probably the best beginners' text.
Cooper, Basic
Guide to How to Read Music---another beginner's text.
Holst, ABC
of Music: A Short Practical Guide to the Basics---another beginner's
text.
Stewart, The
Musician's Guide to Reading and Writing Music, 2nd ed.---for beginners
(who already call themselves "musicians?").
Braille Music Notation---books
and related materials.
Krolick, Dictionary
of braille music signs---unfortunately, out-of-print.
History:
Williams, The
Story Of Notation---an early history.
De Handlo and Hanboys, Regule:
The Rule and Summa: The Summa (Greek and Latin Music Theory)---
Schreur, The
Tractatus Figurarum: Treatise on Noteshapes (Greek and Latin Music Theory)---
Parrish, The
Notation of Medieval Music---
Berger, Mensuration
and Proportion Signs: Origins and Evolution---an important reference
to mensuration.
Sanders, French
and English Polyphony of the 13th and 14th Centuries: Style and Notation---
Duggan, Italian
Music Incunabula: Printers and Type---the early history of musical
typesetting.
Gamble, Music
Engraving and Printing : Historical and Technical Treatise---
Houle, Meter
in Music, 1600-1800: Performance, Perception, and Notation---the
co-evolution of notation and measured music.
Van Orden (Editor), Music
and the Cultures of Print---the effects of printing on music.
Toft, Aural
Images of Lost Traditions: Sharps and Flats in the Sixteenth Century---a
study of modality.
Read, Pictographic
Score Notation---a comprehensive study of a popular twentieth century
technique.
Other Notations; Criticism, Experimentation, Non-Western,
etc.:
Kurkela, Note
and Tone: A Semantic Analysis of Conventional Music Notation (Acta Musicologica
Fennica, 15)---
Read, Source
Book of Proposed Music Notation Reforms---a survey of 961 proposed
notational reforms, 1657--1983.
Second
MNMA Conference Proceedings, 1991: With Test Drive the New Notation Systems---an
important effort from the Music Notation Modernization Association.
Read, 20th-Century
Microtonal Notation---an important source for historical microtonal
notations.
Selfridge-Field (Editor), Beyond
Midi: The Handbook of Musical Codes---a standard reference for
music representation.
Haik-Vantoura, The
Music of the Bible Revealed: The Deciphering of a Millenary Notation, 2nd
Rev edition---fascinating work on interpreting the Masoretic text.
Kaufmann, Musical
notations of the Orient: notational systems of Continental, East, South,
and Central Asia---out-of-print.
Gopalam, Facets
of Notation in South Indian Music---
Williams, The
Nashville Number System, 5th edition---the essential reference
to Nashville chord notation.
Gray, Roots
Jam: Collected Rhythms for Hand Drum and Percussion---includes
a notation for hand drums.
The
Big Site of Music Notation and Engraving---an excellent guide.
Common
Music Notation and Computers---an excellent directory for the various
forms of music notation, electronic and otherwise.
Music Notation
Modernization Association---an important organization seeking to improve
notation.
The
American Society of Music Copyists---a professional organization.
Music
Braille Table of Signs---an excellent reference.
Braille Music Notation---a
commercial supplier of books and related materials.
An
Introduction to Music Notation & Braille Music---a brief introduction.
Development
of Medieval Musical Notation---an excellent introduction.
Gregorian
Chant Notation---a good introduction.
Klavar---keyboard
tablature.
Introduction
to Tablature Notation---a practical guide to guitar tablature.
Sacred
Harp Singing---a directory of resources for the traditional shape-note
notation.
Fasola Home Page---a
large directory for different styles of shape-note genres.
The
Music of Angels---an interesting article on Shaker, "small letteral
notation."
the abc
musical notation language---popular for notating monophonic tunes in
ascii.
Hand
Drum Notation---a good, practical system.
The Nashville
Number System---a brief introduction to a form of chord notation.
Teamim
Notation---includes a guide to properly intoning the Torah.
English/Eaiea
Dictionary---a natural language for pitches rather than speech.
TAL
notation---an extension of common music notation to indicate timbre.
The Printable
Staff Paper Page---free blank sheets for a variety of stave configurations
and tablatures.
blank
manuscript paper---for a variety of situations.
A
Reformed System of Musical Notation---a long article.
Notation
for microtonal scales---John S. Allen's approach.
Second/Third
century Musical Notation---a curiosity from the Oxyrhynchus Papyri.
Violin
Music Notation---genetic algorithms to choose your bowing patterns.
Music
Notation Software---a large directory.
Finale---the
excellent software for music typesetting, very popular; see also this
directory of third-party resources.
Sibelius---excellent
software for music typesetting.
Graphire---producers
of high-quality music typesetting software.
Lime---music
notation shareware.
MusEdit---good,
cheap notation software which can handle tablature, drums and chord symbols.
ABC2Win---a shareware
abc notation editor.
BYZWRITER---software
for Byzantine Music Notation.
Swar Systems---producers
of software for Indian music, including notation.
Sargam Editor---software
for notating North Indian Classical Music.
Mozart---music
notation software.
NotationMachine---music
notation from recorded sound (alternative
site).
Midiscan---Converts
printed sheet music into multi-track MIDI files.
PaperChord---software
for guitar chord notation and lead sheets.
MusicEase---notation
shareware.
MidiNotate---a
simple shareware notation program.
Typesetting
music in TeX---macros for setting music with the wonderful typesetting
language, TeX.
CMN
(Common Music Notation)---a free Western music notation package written
in Common Lisp.
Optical Manuscript
Recognition---an important project at the University of Leeds.
Atonality, Serial Procedures,
etc.:
Practical:
Perle, Serial
Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg,
Berg, and Webern, 6th Rev edition---a clear exposition of the techniques.
Straus, Introduction
to Post-Tonal Theory, 2nd ed.---a popular first text.
Perle, Twelve-Tone
Tonality, 2nd Rev ex edition---an excellent treatment.
Forte, Structure
of Atonal Music---a somewhat ideosyncratic study.
Marquis, Twentieth-Century
Music Idioms---a broad overview.
Reginald Smith-Brindle, Musical
Composition---includes many twentieth century techniques.
Reginald Smith-Brindle, The
New Music: The Avant-Garde Since 1945, 2nd edition---goes even
farther.
Castine, Set
Theory Objects: Abstractions for Computer-Aided Analysis and Composition
of Serial and Atonal Music---fascinating to those of us interested
in object-oriented representations of musical ideas.
Schoffman, From
Chords to Simultaneities---a bold but well-calculated attack on
atonality and serialism.
Kondo J., Gagaku
and Serialism---we'd like to see more such cross-cultural studies.
Weg, Serial
Music: A Research and Information Guide---includes a detailed bibliography.
Basart, Serial
Music---a bibliography with a wider scope than the title suggests.
John Rahn, Basic
Atonal Theory---unfortunately out-of-print.
Historical:
Samson, Music
in Transition: A Study of Tonal Expansion and Atonality, 1900-1920---an
history of precursors and early developments.
Kinderman and Krebs (Editors), The
Second Practice of Nineteenth-Century Tonality---important for
undertanding atonal motivations.
Neighbour, Perle, and Griffiths, New
Grove Second Viennese School---a major historical reference.
Simms (Editor), Schoenberg,
Berg, and Webern---
Schoenberg, Structural
Functions of Harmony, Revised edition---his ideas about traditional
harmony.
Simms, The
Atonal Music of Arnold Schoenberg, 1908-1923---
Forte, The
Atonal Music of Anton Webern---
Headlam, The
Music of Alban Berg---
Adorno, Alban
Berg: Master of the Smallest Link---by his student.
Mead, An
Introduction to the Music of Milton Babbitt---includes an introduction
to twelve-tone music.
Antokoletz, The
Music of Bela Bartok: A Study of Tonality and Progression in Twentieth-Century
Music---his ideas about pitch organization.
Serial
Materials---an excellent introduction and guide to composition.
TwelveToneToyBox---an
applet to play with twelve-tone music online; delightful.
Java
Set Theory Machine with All
About Set Theory---an applet with sound.
Guidelines
for Serial (Pantonal) Composition, Introduction
to Set Theory and List
of Pitch Class Sets--from Larry Solomon.
Joseph
Lubben's MUTH 232 Resource Page---helpful notes from Oberlin.
A
Brief Introduction to Pitch-Class Set Analysis---well-done.
12-Tone
Matrices: An Introduction to Serial Music---a lesson; it includes a
row-finding applet.
SetFinder---another
applet.
Serial
Music Row Finder---finds the Babbitt square.
Research
on measures of pitch-class set similarity---pitch-class set similarity
calculator software.
Mathematica
code---includes two musical Mathematica notebooks, one for serial composition.
Atonal
Ear Training---web-based exercises.
Motivic
Transformations & Lie Algebras, Composition
with Pitch Sets and Evolving
Dodecaphony---three interesting articles.
NonTonalAnalysis:
a different approach to the analysis of atonal chords: achieving a clearly
perceivable directional logic in atonal harmony---an interesting article.
Issues
in the Study of Similarity in Atonal Music---an interesting article.
Atonality,
Information, and the Politics of Perception---an article seeking cognitive
explanations.
Bitonal
Concepts in Jazz---a brief note.
Schenkerian
Analysis in Pantonal Composition---an interesting application.
The
Bransles of Stravinsky's Agon: A Transition to Serial Composition---an
analysis.
Between
Multi-scale Melodies and Atonality---an analysis of some pieces by
Frank Zappa.
A
Brief History of Developments in 20th Century Classical Music---another
interesting Zappa-related article.
Aatonal---some
rambunctious anti-atonalists on the de-evolution of music. We do
not propose to take sides.
A
Century of New Music in Vienna from Beethoven to Webern---an historical
overview.
Die
3 Wiener Zwölftonschulen---an overview of the three schools with
musical examples.
The
Arnold Schönberg Center---in Vienna.
Arnold
Schoenberg (1874-1951)---a comprehensive directory.
AntonWebern.com---the
composer's website.