PHOTO : SAURABH SOSHTE FROM PIXABAY
MUSICAL SCORE & THE LIMITATIONS OF LANGUAGE
By Omar Shabbar
Last September , I started my masters in ethnomusicology at York University in Toronto . Most of my studies focus on how musicians from different musical cultures learn and perceive music . For us in North America and Europe , much of how we learn and perceive music can be defined by western musical notation . Obviously , not all of us use music notation in our everyday life , but it really wasn ’ t so long ago that writing notes on a staff was an essential skill for all musicians .
For those of us who are classically trained , or even if you ’ ve spent some time at a conservatory or post-secondary program , you ’ ll know that the practice of music notation is still alive and well . In one of my classes entitled 20 th Century Form , Structure , Significance , I wanted to analyze the relationship between musicians and music notation and I noticed more and more of the shortcomings of this medium of conveying music . This led me to question why we still rely so heavily on music notation in so many musical circles when we now have more efficient ways of conveying music , such as audio recordings ? Subsequently , I wrote an essay on the topic entitled The Musical Score and Limitations of Language . I believe that this topic is relevant to all musicians , classically trained or not . As such , this article is an adaptation of that essay .
The Musical Score and the Limitations of Language As musicians in the 21 st century , music notation can be a very important tool for us . It has become the preferred medium for conveying musical ideas between composer and performer , for teaching and learning music ( especially music theory ), for musical analysis , and — for much of western history — preservation . Beyond the score ’ s function as a musical tool , there is also a certain romance associated with it . When we sit down and analyze one of Bach ’ s scores , for example , we are actively participating in a long and rich tradition , one that has been practiced by many of the great composers throughout western music history . I can
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