• Considers how we think about music, and the basic principles and processes that apply across all musical cultures
• Presents the Western classical tradition within the context of many other musical cultures across the world
• Explores the history of music
• Considers the nature of performance and how composers create music
• Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over ten million copies sold worldwide

New to this Edition:

• Engages with fundamental changes in the creation, production, and monetisation of music resulting from digital technology
• Considers the role of music in our increasingly globalized world
• Thoroughly restructured and rewritten throughout
• Incorporates discussion of gender issues in music throughout the book
• Offers a new emphasis on music as performance