Schenkerian Analysis

Schenkerian Analysis is a method used to understand the structure and harmony of a piece of music. It reveals the underlying two-tone core (called the "fundamental structure") that shapes the music's surface details. By examining how melodies and chords relate to this core, analysts can show how a piece unfolds gradually, highlighting moments of tension and resolution. Essentially, it decodes the hierarchical layers of musical design, helping listeners appreciate how composers craft coherent, expressive voices from underlying, often hidden, structural patterns.