Adam Neely on the Western bias in music theory
Adam NeelyRecommended by 11 people on Hacker News, 2020–2023
3.2M views · 6 years ago · talk
A video essay built on Philip Ewell's paper: how Western classical theory became 'music theory', what North Indian and other traditions do differently, why music isn't a universal language, and the debate over Heinrich Schenker.
Widens what 'theory' means for anyone who learned only the Western classical version, with clear musical examples from other traditions.
- 0:00 Introduction
- 2:53 Part I - The White Racial Frame of Music Theory
- 8:28 Part iim - North Indian Theory and Perspectives
- 16:52 Part IIIm7b5 - Alternative Perspectives to Western Theory
- 22:04 Part IVmaj7 - Music isn’t a Universal
- 28:24 Part V7(b9,#9,b13) - Heinrich Schenker
- 36:16 Part vim - Responses to Phil Ewell
- 40:19 Part viio - Coda
2 comments from Hacker News
There's a very good video on the way too narrow view many people in the west have of music.
Some people will naively say "All music has pentatonic! Universal!" but ignore vital cultural context.