Musical Notation: The Universal Language of Expression
Learn all about musical notation and the benefits this shared language brings!
This article comes from composer & music producer Tero Potila!
Music throughout human history has always been a powerful form of expression, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers. At the heart of this universal language lies musical notation, a communication system as complex and nuanced as any written language.
I learned to read music at 3 years old; my father, now retired, was a clarinet, saxophone, and music theory teacher at the local music institute. Because of his teachings, reading music has always felt natural to me.
In my professional music career, I've worked a few times in recording sessions and rehearsals for performances with foreign artists where we didn't have a strong enough spoken language between all of us for clear communication.
We worked around that mostly by using notation. Outside of musical communication, we used what few English words everyone knew, with sign language and other ways of describing what we were trying to convey. But having musical notation as the common language helped us overcome all the most significant challenges.
The Basics of Musical Notation
Musical notation, with its roots dating back to ancient civilizations, has evolved over centuries into the system we know today. It is a universal language that musicians worldwide can understand, regardless of their cultural or linguistic backgrounds. This universality allows it to transcend borders and unite people in a shared experience.
Some words are also used in musical notation to add more detailed descriptions for the player to understand precisely how the music should be performed. Italian terminology made its way into our scores when composers in 17th-century Italy started adding descriptive terms to their compositions, and the rest of the world eventually adopted the custom.
We still follow this tradition today, though you might also encounter English words in a modern score.
The Cognitive Benefits of Learning Musical Notation
Learning musical notation does more than just equip you with the skills to read and play music. It has a profound impact on brain development and cognitive functions.
Studies have shown that the part of the brain that processes auditory input and language, known as the left planum temporale, is also active when musicians read and listen to music.
Interestingly, when nonmusicians listen to music, their brains do not use the left planum temporale to process it.
This proves that our brains perceive music and musical notation as a language that can be learned. If it's a language you haven't learned, you can still enjoy the sound of music, but you won't understand it on the same level of detail as someone fluent in that language.
Music as a language includes the same two parts as any developed human language: Performing and listening to music, equivalent to speaking and understanding the language. And musical notation, the same as reading and writing the language.
The Intersection of Music and Language
Music and language share more than just a casual relationship. They are intertwined in our neural networks, suggesting a deep, intrinsic connection.
Evolutionary evidence indicates that music predates speech and language by hundreds of thousands of years. This means that our use of speech as a form of communication has its roots in the original evolutionary history of music.
This makes sense when we examine how we interpret the emotions behind a statement. If the person says it with a specific tone and pitch, we'll know if they are upset or trying to be funny.
Musical notation takes this much deeper; when correctly written down according to the latest agreed rules, we can understand the exact meaning and emotion behind the musical statement.
Compare that to a text message that left you wondering if the sender is happy or mad at you! We’ve all been in that situation. Musical notation is far superior when it comes to expressing emotional details.
Musical Notation as a Form of Expression
As we just discovered, musical notation is more than a system for transcribing sounds. It's a powerful tool for self-expression and communication.
Through musical notation, composers can convey complex emotions and ideas that would be difficult to express through words alone. This shared emotional experience forms strong human connections without speaking a word.
I wish every teenager would learn the language of music! It certainly helped me through my own dark times at that age.
It can also help people from different backgrounds and cultures to understand each other. One of the side effects of our modern, always-connected society is a lack of empathy. I believe a big reason for that is people not understanding each other. If everyone was more fluent in the language of music, I bet we'd have more empathy for each other.
Studying music from another culture can be like reading a detailed book that reveals a historical record in a time of the emotional landscape of that culture. It’s fascinating that we can still relate to emotions a composer wrote down hundreds of years ago!
The Practical Applications of Understanding Musical Notation
Understanding musical notation has obvious practical benefits. It can enhance your appreciation of music and open up new creative avenues. Whether a seasoned musician or a beginner, learning to read and interpret musical notation will only deepen your connection to music and broaden your expressive capabilities.
When you get to a more advanced level of studying notation, it's an incredible experience to realize for the first time that, in your mind, you can actually hear the music you're reading.
Composer Perspective
As a composer, I still prefer to write down my ideas before building an arrangement. But time constraints often force me to go straight to my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and record everything as I go. Exceptionally high-quality virtual instruments through the perfectly calibrated speakers in my studio bring the music to life without the need to hear it in my mind first.
This capability has its benefits, but I feel it can have negative effects, too, as it removes some of the opportunity for instinctive expression I might have imagined first. In the typical modern media composer workflow, we often miss that opportunity.
No matter how capable our technology gets, your mind is still the most powerful and creative computer there is.
Musical Notation: Conclusion
Musical notation is a universal language of expression. Its impact extends beyond music, influencing cognitive functions and language development.
It can help people communicate and bring them together from all backgrounds and cultures. It's the one genuinely global language we have.
There are so many benefits to knowing how to read and write music! I would encourage anyone with a deep interest in music to invest time in learning musical notation. It will take your musical experience and understanding to another level.