March 2, 2023
The past few years have seen a flurry of interest in applications of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to both pitch and rhythmic do[1]mains of music analysis. Despite the fruitfulness of these approaches, the dense mathematics of the DFT can often be a deterrent to many theorists and analysts. In this talk, I focus on how the DFT can be used as an analytical lens to analyze the macroharmony of both notated scores and recorded performance. I show that the DFT is particularly adept at describing how different performances of the same work project harmony into the recorded track. Finally, I provide a tutorial on the DFT with the practical goal of making this tool accessible, approachable, and useful to a wider cohort of scholars.