The organizing principle for this course is what we shall refer to as "S. H. M. R. G." It's a way to categorize the many aspects of what makes music "work" and break it down into smaller pieces that are easier to understand and communicate. It can be a daunting task to analyze music, especially if you are unfamiliar with a particular type of musical practice or style. Understanding each of the following principles will give you a "window" into any music that you wish to explore, helping to focus your attention as you look and listen.

S = Sound: Essentially, this refers to the instruments (or voices) that are being used and how performers play (or interpret) the music. It encompasses musical terms like timbre, dynamics, articulations, and texture.

H = Harmony: The vocabulary and grammar of music; the chords and scales being used, and how they "progress" throughout the instrumental composition or song.

M = Melody: Aspects of the music that stand out in the foreground, catching the listener's attention; it's often considered the "protagonist" of music: something that the audience follows as the music develops from beginning to end.

R = Rhythm: How sound, harmony, and melody are organized and proceed in time. It encompasses musical terms like duration, beat, tempo, and meter.

G = Growth: How all these parameters work together and change over time to create a sense of musical structure or form.

Did you know? These principles are discussed in greater detail by musicologist Jan LaRue (1918–2004) in his Guidelines for Style Analysis.