Sorry for being late. Been abroad, did not check the forum for some time.

I believe the idea of timeless rules for music is an aftermath of 19th century positivism that was still strong in musicology until the 1940s.
If there was a "world formula" that physicists could explore there had to be a "music formula" music theorists could describe.

To provide a little bit of basic food for thought myself:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism
  
• If you write about "song from every time period", are you aware that there's a lot of music outside the song form? Concerts, drumming et al?

If there was a timeless music theory we could just spend 3-5000 years to write a corresponding algorithm, quit composing and have fun with our [girl]friends instead. Until then music is a very personal thing to me.
While valuing other peoples observations I refuse to regard them as final rules. And I don't believe that is very unique.

 

Pick a song ANY song ANY time period.

it is going to fall under 4 categories. ( assuming 12 tone e.t.)
Tonal, Modal,Poly-tonal, or atonal

each of these is its own "language"
music works in these 4 ways.

there are no "rules"

do you think that the way human digestion works is a set of rules? or "the way the human body works"?
is it s rule that if you get hit by a tractor trailer at 70 mph , that you will die? no that is the way things work.
how about a rule that a human being must have food and water to survive? is that a rule to follow where you get punished if you break it?
no its the way the body works

my point is reality is the way things actually work.

for music it is not that there are rules to follow other wise you stand in the corner with clown shoes .
there are 4 distinct types of musical language( under the category of 12 tone e.t.) , which ever one a song is, follows that structure independent of time and date the song was written.

P.S> drums are tuned.

by the way I am more than happy for you to demonstrate a song which does not fall under the 4 categories for the way music actually works in reality.

 

Last edited: Jul 27, 2018