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Introduction
Before we begin the study of musical theory, we should clarify the reason
for doing so. It’s often questioned why we should study harmony
and what we could hope to gain from such study. Popular misconceptions
such as "You need to know the rules before you can break them" only add
to the confusion.
It must be kept in mind that theory follows practice. Musical
theory is not a set of directions for composing and performing music.
Rather, it is the collection of systematically drawn conclusions made by
observing composers over a long period of time, quantifying what has been
their method of composition.
It’s value, then, is a study of what’s being done now and what’s been
done before, and is therefore indispensible.
To begin, we need to establish a musical vocabulary. Sometimes
it may seem to be rather "technical", but if we are proceed with any degree
of precision, the concepts must be made clear.
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