Welcome to The Method Behind the Music

It is a common misunderstanding that music is a freeform, random art. This is not the case. Almost without exception the great musical works of our history are bound by special rules that make their beauty more organized and understandable without dimming their brilliance. These rules and techniques are called music theory. Music theory is the product of over a millennium of work and innovation. It is possibly the greatest unsung achievement we have created as a species.

In this site we hope to educate audiophiles of all ages and levels of prior knowledge. It is our mission with this site to increase the level of enjoyment that can be attained by listening to the classics by allowing people to understand how the music they hear works, both practically, technically and historically. Our site is dedicated to answering questions like: "How does a person conduct music?" "How do I know what key signature a song is in?" "What the is a time signature?" and "What does physics have to do with music?".

Practically: We have made a short course in music theory to help take the mystery out of how music goes from a sheet of paper to a magical performance. Also we have a created a guide to conducting music, for all the aspiring Bachs and Bernsteins out there.

Technically: We have provided examples of how instruments work using cutting-edge FLASH technology.

Historically: To fully understand and appraise classical music, you must know its roots and creators. We have assembled a pre-history of classical music, an easy-to-use explanation of the different genres, and a guide to some of the most popular composers, to elevate knowledge of this artform's roots.

So please come in, look around, and learn something. Learn the method behind the music.

Most of all, have fun!

Here is our Flash Keyboard, which you can play and use to help with the theory lessons.