A Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Music

Abstract

This paper aims to explore a comparative study between Chinese music and Western music. By analyzing the characteristics, history, and cultural background of the two types of music, this article believes that there are differences and complementarities between Chinese music and Western music. This article focuses on analyzing the historical origins of Chinese and Western music. Chinese music emphasizes the expression of melody and the transmission of aura, while Western music places greater emphasis on harmony and rhythm. In addition, this article points out their pitch encoding and differences in musical form: Chinese music is based on the pentatonic scale, while Western music uses the twelve-tone average. At the same time, this article analyzes the characteristics and development of the two types of music from a historical and cultural perspective, comparing their musical styles, cultural backgrounds, and musical differences. Based on a comprehensive analysis, this paper concludes that there is a significant difference between Chinese music and Western music. But these differences are not antagonistic. The two types of music have many similarities in certain aspects, which also proves that they complement each other. Finally, this paper presents prospects for future research on communication and interaction between two types of music.