A framework for discussing tonality in electronic dance music

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Author(s)
Wooller, Rene
Brown, Andrew R.
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
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We present a framework for discussing tonality in Elec-tronic Dance Music (EDM) which highlights how tonal techniques are employed creatively throughout EDM. While most musicological analysis of EDM focuses on rhythm, we contend that composer/producers of EDM play with a sense of tonality that often defies traditional analytic techniques. The rich tonality of EDM tracks may be illuminated by using our framework, which is broader and more contextually relevant to EDM than standard western classical music approaches to analysis. The framework consists of four attributes that are used to describe the nature of tonality over the ...
View more >We present a framework for discussing tonality in Elec-tronic Dance Music (EDM) which highlights how tonal techniques are employed creatively throughout EDM. While most musicological analysis of EDM focuses on rhythm, we contend that composer/producers of EDM play with a sense of tonality that often defies traditional analytic techniques. The rich tonality of EDM tracks may be illuminated by using our framework, which is broader and more contextually relevant to EDM than standard western classical music approaches to analysis. The framework consists of four attributes that are used to describe the nature of tonality over the course of the mu-sic: rate of tonal change, tonal stability, pitch/noise ratio and number of independent pitch streams. We will define and illustrate these attributes using numerous audio examples. In a practical sense, our framework may be useful for generating more detailed discussions and analysis of tonality in EDM and may lay the basis for formal systems of tonal analysis of EDM in the future.
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View more >We present a framework for discussing tonality in Elec-tronic Dance Music (EDM) which highlights how tonal techniques are employed creatively throughout EDM. While most musicological analysis of EDM focuses on rhythm, we contend that composer/producers of EDM play with a sense of tonality that often defies traditional analytic techniques. The rich tonality of EDM tracks may be illuminated by using our framework, which is broader and more contextually relevant to EDM than standard western classical music approaches to analysis. The framework consists of four attributes that are used to describe the nature of tonality over the course of the mu-sic: rate of tonal change, tonal stability, pitch/noise ratio and number of independent pitch streams. We will define and illustrate these attributes using numerous audio examples. In a practical sense, our framework may be useful for generating more detailed discussions and analysis of tonality in EDM and may lay the basis for formal systems of tonal analysis of EDM in the future.
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Conference Title
Sound : Space - The Australasian Computer Music Conference 2008
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Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2008. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. For information about this conference please refer to the conference's website or contact the authors.
Subject
Performing Arts and Creative Writing not elsewhere classified