An Approach to Include Tonnetze in School’s Music Class Curricula and Why This Can Be a Good Idea

by , | Jul 3, 2023 | AI, Paper

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Did you know that Neo-Riemannian Theory (NRT) and its visual representation known as Tonnetz can be incredibly useful, even essential for analyzing music? What do they do? For once, Tonnetz helps us understand the basics of harmony and visualize how different chords transition smoothly. It’s like a visual roadmap for learning music.

In this essay, we argue for the inclusion of NRT in music education curricula and provide practical examples of how to make it happen. We understand that every school and country has different curriculum structures, so we tailored our examples to different stages of musical education. We have also considered different learning styles to make our suggestions easy to follow and flexible to implement.

Bonus: There are plenty of interactive Tonnetz representations available for free! They can be used as supplementary teaching materials, adding an exciting and interactive element to music education.

So, let’s dive into the world of NRT and Tonnetz, and discover how they can transform music education for the better!

Spoiler Alert:

Music theory can seem like a puzzle, but what if we told you that diagram from 1739 can make music analysis more accessible and exciting? NRT and its Tonnetz visualizations offer a gateway to understanding harmonization principles at all levels of education. Are you up for the challenge?

Good to know:

Ideally, you are equipped with basic knowledge of music theory, however, this is not crucial, as key concepts are highlighted and explained throughout the text. You heard that there are different learning types – e.g., visual learners – and you have a rough understanding of didactics.

Course:

Artificial Intelligence, Essay for ‘Formal Models for Analyzing and Creating Music’ taught by Kai-Uwe Kühnberger. ST22

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Laura Hellmann

Laura Hellmann

“The study program of Cognitive Science here at Osnabrück offers a rich variety of topics to choose from with a lot of emphasis on technical expertise. However, another area that Melissa and I are particularly interested in is the application of the theoretical knowledge. In this work, we approached it with the topic of music theory, something that is rarely dealt with.”
Melissa Jansen

Melissa Jansen

“Laura and I realized that we, ourselves, received fundamentally different training in musical theory in school that was not adaptable to various learning types and levels. Therefore, we decided to convert this issue into a practical work complemented with applicable examples that can be put into practice.”

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