`Music, like all art, is communicative. Most composers, performers, and listeners agree that music conveys something—an idea, a story, an emotion—to the listener. A comparison with spoken or written language, then, will be instructive, particularly since a number of music theory terms are borrowed from linguistics.`

22. Phrases, Cadences, and Harmonic Function – Fundamentals, Function, and Form
<a href="https://milneopentextbooks.org/fundamentals-function-and-form/">Return to milneopentextbooks.org to download PDF and other versions of this text</a><p>This text provides readers with a comprehensive study of the theory and analysis of tonal Western art music. Author Andre Mount begins by building a strong foundation in the understanding of rhythm, meter, and pitch as well as the notational conventions associated with each. From there, he guides the reader through an exploration of polyphony—the simultaneous sounding of multiple independent melodies—and an increasingly rich array of different sonorites that grow out of this practice. The book culminates with a discussion of musical form, engaging with artistic works in their entirety by considering the interaction of harmonic and thematic elements, but also such other musical dimensions as rhythm, meter, texture, and expression.</p>



