Listening
The Bass Line That Gives an Ensemble Its Ground
Learn how a bass line joins rhythm to harmony, and use a simple listening method to hear the ensemble’s foundation…
The listening shelf
All pieces
Explore the Spirited Music Journal archive by subject, from musical traditions and instruments to the small listening choices that make a familiar sound come alive.
Instruments
Keys, Valves, and the Different Routes to a New Note
Compare how keyboard and valve instruments change pitch, and learn what their physical controls reveal about…
Traditions
When Music Began to Travel as a Printed Score
Printed music circulation carried written compositions beyond their first performers, while each community still had…
Sound
The Myth That Folk Tunes Have One True Version
Folk tunes have no single true version: learn to hear changing melody, rhythm and ornament as signs of a tradition…
Performance
A Listening Walk with One Sound in Mind
A listening walk with one sound in mind turns an ordinary outdoor stroll into focused musical attention, without…