Tori Rettberg
Course: Fundamentals & Theory of Music 1, MUSIC-109
Professor: Eric McCullough
Assignment Title: How Music Theory Enhances Music
Assignment Details
For my project I explored key concepts discussed in my Music-109-01 class. I chose to analyze the song “idontwannabeyouanymore” by Billie Eilish using music theory. I examined rhythm, meter, time signature, tempo, syncopation rhythms, scale-usage (major, natural minor, melodic minor) and explored different musical techniques Eilish utilized in her song. In addition, I sang and performed the song on my ukelele.
Application
The information presented in this project is helpful for reading, writing, and playing music. By exploring these concepts more, we can observe how artists convey their purpose through the music they create. The world of music is so much more intricate than I realized before doing this project. Understanding Music Theory is like unlocking hidden gems behind songs. It can also give an explanation as to why we might personally connect more with certain pieces more than others.
Results/Conclusions
Overall, this project shows how music theory enhances the enjoyment and meaning of a song. For instance, a new concept I learned about during this project was “Hemiola.” “Hemiola” in music is a technique where it sounds as if you have changed the time signature for a brief moment because you are moving from two groups of three beats to three groups of two beats. In this song, it creates a unique contrast and Eilish is able to highlight certain lyrics. I found a lot of enjoyment exploring these musical depths not only from an analytical standpoint, but also from the perspective of a performer.
Challenges and Successes
My biggest challenge was time. In Music Theory you can’t move on to the next unit until you understand the previous one. It would take some time to cover all of the material in class so that we could fully grasp each concept. The most successful part of my project was it put a personal touch on all of the topics we learned about in class and I felt like I gained a deeper understanding!