Thread: music analysis?

i often listen to classical music but actually know very little about the theory....which i am really interested in.
can someone recommend a good source, books, videos, website...whatever, that has some analysis of classical works? like the composition of a piece, the chords, rhyme, and the instrument used. i believe that would help me understand and learn classical works better.

To learn about theory and to study an analysis of works are really two different questions.

However, maybe we can get on the road to doing a little but of both by checking out these threads:

Music Theory from Square One

Recommended Books!

Do you read music?
Most books on theory and analysis use many written examples which make it impossible for the non music reader.
Realistically, you need to have a firm grasp of the basics of music theory before being able to read analyses of works. EG. key, scales, harmony, rhythm.

To know theory is one of the most useful skills one can have while analyzing music. I love to analyze music too, and theory has definitely opened my mind to a lot of things that happen in music.

One cool thing to learn is how to figure out a time signature, and conduct.
A meter is determined by 1) Division of beats 2) Number of beats in a measure.

Simple meters have divisions of the beat into 2 parts (normal 8th notes), and Compound meters usually have the beat split into 3 parts (like triplets).
It usually it can be expressed as something like "simple quadruple" which would mean the time signature 4/4, and "compound duple" which would be like 6/8.
Knowing the meter can help you determine phrases (and vice versa), and in more detailed music, when the meter changes, or what kind of dance rhythm it might be (Waltz, Menuet, etc.)

You would need to supplement this with reading and more listening, but here is a good series of online lectures from Yale for starters:

Listening to Music

p.s. Welcome, Camus (from a fellow Camus fan).

Originally Posted by Earthling

You would need to supplement this with reading and more listening, but here is a good series of online lectures from Yale for starters:

Listening to Music

Thank, this looks really useful. Now I have to figure out a way to fit everything I want to watch into my day, as well as work, family, household etc. Maybe I'll just give up sleeping.

Originally Posted by mamascarlatti

Thank, this looks really useful. Now I have to figure out a way to fit everything I want to watch into my day, as well as work, family, household etc. Maybe I'll just give up sleeping.

Ha! I know what you mean!

I've been watching these lectures with my girlfriend, acting as a tutor of sorts. Its quite good, though I think the professor goes too quickly.

The lectures on ancient Greece are interesting and the US Civil War lectures are excellent.

thanks to all of your guys~ i took a glance at the yale course and found it really useful!

actually this username is from one of my favorite cartoon characters~