The Handbook: a Manual for Learning Music.  

Written in all honesty by Rebeka Lyn, musician & technician.

Chapter One: An Introduction.

Philosophers, poets, scientists, and artists of all kinds have been trying to describe—in words—what is music for ever and a day.  But of all the profound nonsense that has ever been written about what music is, I stand with most certainty behind the words of Marilyn Manson, who very simply & succinctly said about the matter that “Music is Magic”.

In so far as magic is a word to describe the phenomena which inspires a depth of almost religious awe, which science still cannot explain and therefore cannot as of yet reduced into trivial insignificant tedium & monotony, Marilyn’s statement rings true as the truest way to say what music is.  See, the problem with trying to define music is that there is no combination of words that can accurately contain & thereby express what music is, exactly.  And the reason for this is that music defies words.  It is an expression of another kind altogether, one that is heard, but not necessarily in words.  Music may be made with words, as it is also true that music may be made with kitchen pots & pans.  But music is more than words, as it is also true that music is more than kitchen pots & pans.  Because of this conundrum, whereby the essence of the heart of music continues to remain elusive and any attempt at a concrete definition of music can easily be debunked, many in academia have stupidly concluded that “music is whatever you think it is”.  This is simply not true.  For example, when your bestie calls you up after long time—no see and says “how does a cheeseburger sound right now?” and you reply, “if you say that it’s your treat, then a cheeseburger sounds like music to my ears…” this does not mean that a cheeseburger is music.  Clearly, that notion is utterly ridiculous.  And I do not need to formulate a logical proof to explain why; if we would all agree to share in a moment of collective honesty, I am certain the world would unanimously conclude that a cheeseburger is not music.  Meaning that, we have already reached the mental plane of understanding whereby we realize that there are some things that are not music, ergo music cannot be “whatever you think it is”.  I would like to begin this manual for learning music with this unilateral recognition.

There are in fact things that can be said with certainty about music.  Even though none can say definitively what music is, we most certainly can discuss what music is like—meaning, metaphors that describe [rather than define] music.  It has been said by many that music is a language, but I think we should revise this statement, in light of our previously stated conclusion [see above paragraphs].  But to restate, we have decided to stab our egos in the eye and humble our souls into accepting that we in fact do not know with any amount of real certainty what music is, exactly, only what it is like.  Music is like a language…it might sound like a series of structured sounds uttered against a backdrop of silence, which is how most of us have come to experience most forms of linguistic expression.  Of course this is the very essence of what we call “Rap”, and rap has, of course, been dismissed by most of the classical & jazz communities as “not real music”.  So, as we fall back to the beginning, which is to say “back to the drawing board”, we begin to realize how complicated this topic really is…and sensitive…and downright “touchy”.  People have become attached to their ideas about what things are, especially when it comes to the topic of music.  The reason for this is—in my humble opinion—is due to the mental-emotional connections that we humans make with music.  Memories of good & bad music are oftentimes all tied up in our minds with thoughts & images of past experiences we endured, be them nostalgically joyous, saddening, maddening, or monotonous boredom [like the smooth jazz filling the silence in the grocery stores].  The way most of us experience music is as an ongoing soundtrack to our memories, and we all have un-dealt-with emotions wrapped up & around these memories.  So when a certain song or type of sound begins to play, emotional thought-memory forms are triggered, and we have reactions to the music that may or [probably] may not have been properly analyzed & intellectually processed.  If this is the case, then we have a situation where most of us have rather immature & unevolved ideas about what music should be, due to the fact that we are protective of the sensitive emotional memory thought-forms incited by the music we hear.  And for the record, we should also unanimously conclude that it is undisputedly the nature of nature to want to feel good, and to not want to feel bad, about whatever is happening or already happened.

I say, music is more than just a language, and it can also be less than a language.  Music can take the form of a highly organized system of mathematically-defined relationships between keys on the piano; however until the discipline of mathematics discovers a way to account for the human emotional experience in terms of mathematical symbols that can be strung together in logical sequences and mapped out on a graph…meaning, until mathematicians develop the mathematics of the logistics of emotion…until then, this is the situation: music that prioritizes mathematical relationships in its composition is music that struggles to connect to our emotional experience.  Music can also take the form of rather primitive-sounding cries & moans, expressing a depth of feeling that does not wish to speak.  Music can be vague, like a painting by Monet; rigid, like a military march; or dreamy, like eggs over-easy when the yolk has already begun to run away and your goes mind with it.  I suggest that a new approach to music is needed: that we agree to alter our collective attitude and learn to embrace the wide variety of musical expressions, while at the same time exploring the question of how to impose standards of quality [as opposed to quantity] within the music industry.  What I can say of myself in all honesty, is this: I know good music when I hear it.

Chapter One Challenge:

The practice of any & every creative endeavor requires two things: knowledge of the craft itself [in this case, music], as well as the ever-deepening understanding of one’s own ever-changing inner experience of Life itself.

Knowledge of music [as is true of any craft, or trade] consists of two things: study of the Science behind it all and the continued exploration of the Art of the craft itself.  Science includes philosophy—which in this case is music theory—as well as the ongoing study of its history, so that we can begin to understand how the theory was developed, including, perhaps, cultural peculiarities and/or biases influencing the development of the supporting philosophies.  For example, American music has been heavily influenced by the system of western classical major & minor scales, so much so that foreign music—such as the music of India or the Middle East—may sound “wrong” to our American ears. That is because of differences in the musical theories governing our musical education.  We will not be exploring all of these differences in this course; as I have designed this manual to serve as a general introduction to an alternative approach to the life-long study of music.  And I need to interject a disclaimer which is not to be glossed over: Music is a life-long pursuit.  There are no short-cuts; there is no “quick and easy” method to the mastery of any craft.  Mastery requires focus, patience, practice, & discipline over a prolonged period of time.  The school of thought in which I was taught teaches that you can read & practice all you want, but before the Secrets are to be unlocked, you must prove to the Muses that you are a worthy vessel.  Do what you want with that last statement; my personal metaphysics will kept to a minimum in this manual.  You will be encouraged to reach your own conclusions on these topics.

Understanding of Yourself also requires time, patience, and dedication.  I suggest that you keep a journal of your musical journey, and begin with a simple exercise: choose a song that you find truly meaningful, listen to it several times, and then ask yourself the following question: 

Using as much detail as possible, can you tell me what does this song mean to you and why do you like this song?  

Can you write a critical analysis of your feelings regarding your chosen song?  If you can do so, then you will be making progress in deepening your understanding of yourself: why do you like the sounds that you like; which type of sounds—meaning rhythms, harmonies, & melodies—strike a chord within your own self, for better or for worse?  

Can you identify the instruments that you hear; can you tease apart the layers of the song with your mind?  

How was the song structured: is there a difference between the beginning, the middle, and the end?  

What is it in particular that gets your attention and draws you into the song?  

Now listen for the Rhythms, the Harmonies, and the Melodies in the song: what is the relationship between these elements; how does the relationship between these elements change [if at all] during the length song, particularly noticing the transitional points, like when the verse turns into the chorus and vice-versa; and how well do the use of these 3 basic musical elements support the lyrical choices, if any?  

What is it about the song that inspires you to want to make music of your own?