Tempo

Rhythm

Pitch

Harmony

Symbols

Instruments

For more information visit the San Francisco Symphony Website for kids

Studying Music of the World’s Cultures

The music and musical life of any society is a complex phenomenon

You’re looking to understand cultures from around the world

Your understanding will be limited if you do nothing

You want your appreciation to grow

The course will give you an understanding of world music that you seek in a global context

Here are numerous examples. Which ones are music? Which ones are not? Why?

We will study eleven different cultures, their similarities and their differences We will study eleven different cultures …their similarities and differences

Music is a cultural phenomenon

Each society has a musical system that suits its culture

How can culture affect music?

We must also examine each society’s ideas about music

There are Five Universals of Music

What types of expectations do audiences have when hearing music from their own culture?

Alan Merriam Developed a Three-Part Model

How is music considered a behaviour?

Musical instruments have five classifications

Aerophones (Wind instruments)

Chordophones (String instruments)

Idiophones

Membranophones

Electrophones

Since there are many similarities in musical instruments throughout the world, could there have been patterns of cultural diffusion? If you think so, how might they have operated?

Music changes over time

All music has a history

A culture’s music is affected when brought in contact with another musical culture

In many societies, music is often transmitted aurally

Western music has spread throughout the world

How can we be more open-minded when listening to music of another culture?