Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods. In a grand sense, music theory distils and analyzes the fundamental parameters or elements of music—rhythm, harmony (harmonic function), melody, structure, form, texture, etc. Broadly, music theory may include any statement, belief, or conception of or about music.^[1] A person who studies these properties is known as a music theorist. Some have applied acoustics, human physiology, and psychology to the explanation of how and why music is perceived.

Fundamentals of music[link]

Music has many different fundamentals or elements. These include but are not limited to: pitch, beat or pulse, rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, allocation of voices, timbre or color, expressive qualities (dynamics and articulation), and form or structure. In addition to these "fundamentals" there are other important concepts employed in music both in Western and non-Western cultures including "Scales and/or Modes" and "Consonance vs. Dissonance."

Pitch[link]

Middle C (261.626 Hz)  Play (help·info).

Pitch is a subjective sensation, reflecting generally the lowness (slower wave frequency) or highness (faster wave frequency) of a sound. Most people appear to possess relative pitch, which means they perceive each note relative to some reference pitch, or as some interval from the previous pitch. Significantly fewer people demonstrate absolute pitch (or perfect pitch), the ability to identify certain pitches without comparison to another pitch. Human perception of pitch can be comprehensively fooled to create auditory illusions. Despite these perceptual oddities, perceived pitch is nearly always closely connected with the fundamental frequency of a note, with a lesser connection to sound pressure level, harmonic content (complexity) of the sound, and to the immediately preceding history of notes heard.^[2] In general, the higher the frequency of vibration, the higher the perceived pitch is, and lower the frequency, the lower the pitch.^[3] However, even for tones of equal intensity, perceived pitch and measured frequency do not stand in a simple linear relationship.^[4]

At and below about 1,000 Hz, the perceived loudness of a tone gets lower as sound frequency decreases, but above approximately 2,000 Hz, the perceived loudness increases as the sound's frequency gets higher.^[5] This is due to the ear's natural sensitivity to higher pitched sound, as well as the ear's particular sensitivity to sound around the 2000–4000 Hz area, the frequency range most of the human voice occupies.^[6]

In Western music, there have long been several competing pitch standards defining tuning systems. Most made a particular key sonorous, with increasingly remote ones more and more problematic; the underlying problem is related to the physics of vibrations.

In addition, fixing notes to standard frequencies (required for instrument makers) has varied as well. "Concert A" was set at 435 Hz by France in 1859 while in England, concert A varied between 439 and 452 Hz. A frequency of 440 Hz was recommended as the standard in 1939, and in 1955 the International Organization for Standardization affirmed the choice.^[7] A440 is now widely, though not exclusively, used as the A above middle C.

The difference in frequency between two pitches is called an interval. The most basic interval is the unison, which is simply two of the same pitch, followed by the slightly more complex octave, which indicates either a doubling or halving of the fundamental frequency.

Scales and modes[link]

Pattern of whole and half steps in the Ionian mode or major scale on C  Play (help·info).

Notes can be arranged into different scales and modes. Western music theory generally divides the octave into a series of 12 notes that might be included in a piece of music. This series of twelve notes is called a chromatic scale. In the chromatic scale, the interval between adjacent notes is called a half-step or semitone. Patterns of half and whole steps (2 half steps, or a tone) can make up a scale in that octave. The scales most commonly encountered are the seven toned major, the harmonic minor, the melodic minor, and the natural minor. Other examples of scales are the octatonic scale, and the pentatonic or five-toned scale, which is common in but not limited to folk music. There are scales that do not follow the chromatic 12-note pattern, for example in classical Ottoman, Persian, Indian and Arabic music. Arabic and Persian classical traditions often make use of quarter-tones, half the size of a semitone, as the name suggests.^{[citation needed]}

In music written using the system of major-minor tonality, the key of a piece determines the scale used. (One way of showing how various keys relate to one another may be seen in the circle of fifths.) Transposing a piece from C major to D major will make all the notes two semitones (or one full step) higher. Even in modern equal temperament, changing the key can change the feel of a piece of music, because it changes the relationship of the composition's pitches to the pitch range of the instruments that play the piece. This often affects the music's timbre, as well as having technical implications for the performers.^{[citation needed]} However, performing a piece in one key rather than another may go unrecognized by the casual listener, since changing the key does not change the relationship of the individual pitches to each other.

Consonance and dissonance[link]

Consonance can be roughly defined as harmonies whose tones complement and increase each others' resonance, and dissonance as those that create more complex acoustical interactions (called 'beats'). A simplistic example is that of "pleasant" sounds versus "unpleasant" ones. Another manner of thinking about the relationship regards stability; dissonant harmonies are sometimes considered to be unstable and to "want to move" or "resolve" toward consonance. However, this is not to say that dissonance is undesirable. A composition made entirely of consonant harmonies may be pleasing to the ear and yet boring because there are no instabilities to be resolved.^{[citation needed]}

Melody is often organized so as to interact with changing harmonies (sometimes called a chord progression) that accompany it, setting up consonance and dissonance. The art of melody writing depends heavily upon the choices of tones for their nonharmonic or harmonic character.^[vague]

Rhythm[link]

Metric levels: beat level shown in middle with division levels above and multiple levels below.

Rhythm is the arrangement of sounds and silences in time. Meter animates time in regular pulse groupings, called measures or bars. The time signature or meter signature specifies how many beats are in a measure, and which value of written note is counted and felt as a single beat. Through increased stress and attack (and subtle variations in duration), particular tones may be accented. There are conventions in most musical traditions for a regular and hierarchical accentuation of beats to reinforce the meter. Syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent unexpected parts of the beat. Playing simultaneous rhythms in more than one time signature is called polymeter. See also polyrhythm.

In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Bengt-Olov Palmqvist, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, and Jonathan Kramer.

Chord[link]

This section requires expansion.

Melody[link]

"Pop Goes the Weasel" melody^[8]  Play (help·info)

A melody is a series of tones sounding in succession. The tones of a melody are typically created with respect to pitch systems such as scales or modes. The rhythm of a melody is often based on the intonation of language, the physical rhythms of dance, or simply periodic pulsation.^{[citation needed]} Melody is typically divided into phrases within a larger overarching structure. The elements of a melody are pitch, duration, dynamics, and timbre.

Harmony[link]

IV-V-I progression in C  Play (help·info)

Harmony is the study of vertical sonorities in music. Vertical sonority refers to considering the relationships between pitches that occur together; usually this means at the same time, although harmony can also be implied by a melody that outlines a harmonic structure.

The relationship between two pitches is referred to as an interval. A larger structure involving more than two pitches is called a chord. In common practice and popular music, harmonies are generally tertian. This means that the interval of which the chords are composed is a third. Therefore, a root-position triad (with the root note in the lowest voice) consists of the root note, a note a third above, and a note a third above that (a fifth above the root). Seventh chords add a third above the top note of a triad (a seventh above the root). There are some notable exceptions. In 20th century classical music, many alternative types of harmonic structure were explored. One way to analyze harmony in common practice music is through a Roman numeral system; in popular music and jazz a system of chord symbols is used; and in post-tonal music, a variety of approaches are used, most frequently set theory.

The perception of pitch within harmony depends on a number of factors including the interaction of frequencies within the harmony and the roughness produced by the fast beating of nearby partials. Pitch perception is also affected by familiarity of the listener with the music, and cultural associations.^{[citation needed]}

"Harmony" as used by music theorists can refer to any kind of simultaneity without a value judgement, in contrast with a more common usage of "in harmony" or "harmonious", which in technical language might be described as consonance.^{[citation needed]}

Monophony is the texture of a melody heard only by itself. If a melody is accompanied by chords, the texture is homophony. In homophony, the melody is usually but not always voiced in the highest notes. A third texture, called polyphony, consists of several simultaneous melodies of equal importance.^{[citation needed]}

Texture[link]

File:Sousa - "Washington Post March," m. 1-7.png

Introduction to Sousa's "Washington Post March," m. 1-7 Play (help·info) features octave doubling (Benward & Saker 2003, 133) and a homorhythmic texture.

Musical texture is the overall sound of a piece of music commonly described according to the number of and relationship between parts or lines of music: monophony, heterophony, polyphony, homophony, or monody. The perceived texture of a piece may also be affected by the timbre of the instruments, the number of instruments used, and the distance between each musical line, among other things.

Timbre[link]

Timbre, sometimes called "Color", or "Tone Color" is the quality or sound of a voice or instrument.^[9] The quality of timbre varies widely from instrument to instrument, or from voice to voice. The timbre of some instruments can be changed by applying certain techniques while playing. For example, the timbre of a trumpet changes when a mute is inserted into the bell, or a voice can change its timbre by the way a performer manipulates the vocal apparatus, (e.g. the vocal cords, mouth and diaphragm). Generally, there is no common musical notation that speaks specifically to a change in timbre, (as "pianissimo" would indicate "very soft" for a change in dynamics).

Expressive qualities[link]

Expressive qualities are those elements in music that create change in music that are not related to pitch, rhythm or timbre. They include dynamics and articulation.

Dynamics[link]

In music, the term "dynamics" normally refers to the softness or loudness of a sound or note: e.g. pianissimo or fortissimo. Until recently, most dynamics in written form were done so in Italian, but recently are sometimes written or translated into English. Another sense of the word refers to any aspect of the execution of events in a given piece; either stylistic (staccato, legato etc.) or functional (velocity) are also known as dynamics. The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics.

Articulation[link]

Examples of articulations. From left to right: staccato, staccatissimo, martellato, marcato, tenuto.

Articulation is the manner in which the performer applies their technique to execute the sounds or notes—for example, staccato or legato. Articulation is often described rather than quantified, therefore there is room to interpret how to execute precisely each articulation. For example, staccato is often referred to as "separated" or "detached" rather than having a defined, or numbered amount by which the separation or detachment is to take place. Often the manner in which a performer decides to execute a given articulation is done so by the context of the piece or phrase. Also, the type or style of articulation will depend on the instrument and musical period, e.g. the classical period, but there is a generally recognized set of articulations that most all instruments (and voices) have in common. They are, in order of long to short: legato ("smooth, connected"); tenuto ("pressed", "lengthened but detached"); marcato (heavily accented and detached); staccato ("separated", "detached"); "martelé" (or "rooftop accent" or "teepee accent") for its written shape (short and hard). Any of these may be combined to create certain "in-between" articulations. For example, portato is the combination of tenuto and staccato. Some instruments have unique methods by which to produce sounds, such as spicatto for strings, where the bow bounces off the string.

Form or structure[link]

Form is a facet of music theory that explores the concept of musical syntax, on a local and global level. The syntax is often explained in terms of phrases and periods (for the local level) or sections or genre (for the global scale). Examples of common forms of Western music include the fugue, the invention, sonata-allegro, canon, strophic, theme and variations, and rondo. Popular Music often makes use of strophic form many times in conjunction with Twelve bar blues.

Theories of harmonization[link]

[edit] Four-part writing

File:Four-voice texture in Genevan psalter.png

Four-voice texture in the Genevan psalter: Old 124th.^[10]  Play (help·info)

Four-part chorale writing is used to teach and analyze the basic conventions of "Common-Practice Period music", the time period lasting from approximately 1650 to 1900.^[11] In the German musicology tradition referred to as functional harmony.^{[citation needed]} Johann Sebastian Bach's four-voice chorales written for liturgical purposes serve as a model for students. These chorales exhibit a fusion of linear and vertical thinking.^{[citation needed]} In analysis, the harmonic function and rhythm are analyzed as well as the shape and implications of each of the four lines. Students are then instructed to compose chorales, often using given melodies (as Bach would have done), over a given bass line, or to compose within a chord progression, following rules of voice leading.^{[citation needed]} Though traditionally conceived as a vocal exercise for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, other common four-part writings could consist of a brass quartet (two Trumpets, French Horn, and Trombone) or a string quartet (including violin I, violin II, viola and cello).

There are seven chords used in four-part writing that are based upon each note of the scale. The chords are usually given Roman Numerals I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII to refer to triadic (three-note) chords based on each successive note of the major or minor scale the piece is in. Chords may be analyzed in two ways. Case-sensitive harmonic analysis would state that major-mode chords (I, IV, V⁷, etc.), including augmented (for example, VII⁺), would be notated with upper-case Roman numerals, and minor-mode chords, including diminished (ii, iii, vi, and the diminished vii chord, vii^o), would be notated with lower-case Roman numerals. When a scale degree other than the root of the chord is in the bass, the chord is said to be in inversion, and this is indicated by numbers written above the roman numeral. With triads a 6 indicates first inversion, and 6 4 indicates second inversion. With seventh chords, 6 5 indicates first inversion, 4 3 indicates second inversion, and 4 2 indicates third inversion. ( I⁶, IV^4/3,V ^4/2 , etc.) Schenkerian harmonic analysis, patterned after the theories of Heinrich Schenker, would state that the mode does not matter in the final analysis, and thus all harmonies are notated in upper-case.

The skill in harmonizing a Bach chorale lies in being able to begin a phrase in one key and to modulate to another key either at the end of the first phrase, the beginning of the next one, or perhaps by the end of the second phrase. Each chorale often has the ability to modulate to various tonally related areas: the relative major (III) or minor (vi), the Dominant (V) or its relative minor (iii), the Sub-Dominant (IV) or its relative minor (ii). Other chromatic chords may be used, like the diminished seventh (made up of minor thirds piled on top of each other) or the Secondary dominant (the Dominant's Dominant – a kind of major version of chord II). Certain standard cadences are observed, most notably II^b7 – V⁷ – I. The standard collection of J. S. Bach's chorales was edited by Albert Riemenschneider and this collection is readily available, e.g. here.

Music perception and cognition[link]

Serial composition and set theory[link]

Tone row from Alban Berg's Lyric Suite, mov. I.  Play (help·info)

Musical semiotics[link]

Music subjects[link]

Notation[link]

Tibetan musical score from the 19th century.

Musical notation is the symbolic representation of music (not to be confused with audio recording). Historically, and in the narrow sense, this is achieved with graphic symbols. Computer file formats have become important as well.^[12] Spoken language and hand signs are also used to symbolically represent music, primarily in teaching.

In standard Western music notation, music is represented graphically by notes placed on a staff or staves with the vertical axis roughly corresponding to pitch and the horizontal axis roughly corresponding to time. Note head shapes, stems, flags, and ties are used to indicate duration. Additional symbols represent key, tempo, dynamics, accents, rests, etc.

Mathematics[link]

This section reads like a news release and needs to be rewritten.

In music history mathematics were the foundation of the first understanding of tones, intervals, and scales developed by the Greeks between 530 and 500 BC. This discovery was based upon shortening a harp’s string by a half, creating an octave. Further, separating the same string into two-thirds or four equal parts produced intervals known as fifths and fourths, respectively.^{[citation needed]}

Guerino Mazzola, together with a group of collaborators including contributions by two of his students, presented a theory with a basis in algebraic geometry and topos theory originally put forth in his 1990 book Geometrie der Töne and updated in the 2002 book The Topos of Music.^[13][14][15] Dmitri Tymoczko has put forward a theory suggesting that relationships between notes exist in multi-dimensional geometric forms, or orbifolds. Mazzola and Tymoczko have participated in debate regarding their theories documented in a series of commentaries available at their respective web sites.^[16][17]

Tymoczko discovered his theory when writing down all possible two note chords in columns on a sheet of paper. After doing so Tymoczko observed the possibility that a pattern existed,

Suddenly Tymoczko realized that if he cut two triangles from the piece of paper, turned one of the triangles upside down, and reconnected the two triangles where the chords overlapped, the two-note chords on one edge of the resulting strip of paper would be the reversed versions of those on the opposite edge. If he then twisted the paper and attached the two edges, the chords would line up. "That’s when I got a tingly feeling in my fingers," he says.^{[cite this quote]}

Two-note chords, the minimalist form of a chord (as a chord is any combination any number of notes played simultaneously) is represented graphically by a Mobius strip, a two-dimensional surface embedded in a three-dimensional space. As the chords are composed of increasing numbers of notes, the geometric form they take on becomes increasingly sophisticated. Three-note chords are represented by twisted three-dimensional shapes, and four-note chords, four-dimensional shapes. These principles on tonal relationships apply to every genre of music and have been unintentionally practiced by theorists and composers since medieval times.^{[citation needed]} The significance of this finding is rooted in teaching and applying music theory. The simplistic relationships of tones as geometric shapes allow students of music to understand the composition of complex musical scores. In doing so, students can apply the relationships used in preeminent examples of melodic composition more easily into their own writing. Tymoczko explains this simplicity as being

the "amazing and mysterious" thing about music … Three singers can go from a pleasing C-major chord to the complementary and more plaintive A-minor chord by moving just one note: changing from CEG to CEA. Someone playing Hey Jude on the piano can move his or her fingers very little while moving from one sonorous chord to another. Miraculously, the chords that sound good together and the ones that produce efficient voice leading are the same.^{[cite this quote]}

It was this idea that lead Tymoczko to the study of mathematical music theory and explains his discovery of representations of these relationships. Tymoczko has used these tools to facilitate his own composition and in an analysis of Western music in his book A Geometry of Music: Harmony and Counterpoint in the Extended Common Practice.^[18]

Analysis[link]

File:Bass prolongation.png

Bass prolongation: I–IV–V–I  Play (help·info) as elaboration of I–V–I  Play (help·info).

Analysis is the effort to describe and explain music. Analysis at once is a catch-all term describing the process of describing any portion of the music, as well as a specific field of formal analysis or the field of stylistic analysis. Formal analysis attempts to answer questions of hierarchy and form, and stylistic analysis attempts to describe the style of the piece. These two distinct sub-fields often coincide.

Analysis of harmonic structures is typically presented through a roman numeral analysis. However, over the years, as music and the theory of music have both grown, a multitude of methods of analyzing music have presented themselves. Two very popular methods, Schenkerian analysis and Neo-Riemannian analysis, have dominated much of the field. Schenkerian analysis attempts to "reduce" music through layers of foreground, middleground, and, eventually and importantly, the background. Neo-Riemannian (or Transformational) analysis began as an extension of Hugo Riemann's theories of music, and then expanding Riemann's concepts of pitch and transformation into a mathematically rich language of analysis. While both theories originated as methods of analysis for tonal music, both have been extended to use in non-tonal music as well.

Ear training[link]

Aural skills – the ability to identify musical patterns by ear, as opposed to by the reading of notation – form a key part of a musician's craft and are usually taught alongside music theory. Most aural skills courses train the perception of relative pitch (the ability to determine pitch in an established context) and rhythm. Sight-singing – the ability to sing unfamiliar music without assistance – is generally an important component of aural skills courses. Absolute pitch or perfect pitch describes the ability to recognise a particular audio frequency as a given musical note without any prior reference.

See also[link]

• Pitch (psychophysics)
• AP Music Theory
• Theory of painting
• Musicology
• List of music theorists

Notes[link]

Sources[link]

• Benade, Arthur H. (1960). Horns, Strings, and Harmony. Science Study Series S 11. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
• Boretz, Benjamin (1995). Meta-Variations: Studies in the Foundations of Musical Thought. Red Hook, New York: Open Space.
• Benward, Bruce, and Marilyn Nadine Saker (2009). Music in Theory and Practice, eighth edition, vol. 2. Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-310188-0.
• Bent, Ian D., and Anthony Pople (2001). "Analysis." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
• Castan, Gerd (2009). "Musical Notation Codes". Music-Notation.info (Accessed 1 May 2010).
• Cavanagh, Lynn ([1999]). "A Brief History of the Establishment of International Standard Pitch A=440 Hertz" (PDF). http://web.archive.org/web/20090325223741/http://www.wam.hr/Arhiva/US/Cavanagh_440Hz.pdf.  (Accessed 1 May 2010)
• Harnsberger, Lindsey C. (1997). "Articulation". Essential Dictionary of Music: Definitions, Composers, Theory, Instrument and Vocal Ranges, second edition. The Essential Dictionary Series. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 0-88284-728-7.
• Jackendoff, Ray and Fred Lerdahl (1981). "Generative Music Theory and Its Relation to Psychology." Journal of Music Theory.^{[page needed]}
• Josephs, Jess L. (1967). The Physics of Musical Sound. Princeton, Toronto, London: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc.
• Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne (2004). Tonal Harmony, fifth edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Kramer, Jonathan (1988). The Time of Music. New York: Schirmer Books.
• Lerdahl, Fred (2001). Tonal Pitch Space. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Lewin, David (1987). Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations. New Haven: Yale University Press.
• Lloyd, Llewellyn S., and Hugh Boyle (1978). Intervals, Scales and Temperaments. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-42533-3
• Olson, Harry F. (1967). Music, Physics and Engineering. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-21769-8. http://books.google.com/?id=RUDTFBbb7jAC. 
• Stevens, S. S., J. Volkmann, and E. B. Newman (1937). "A Scale for the Measurement of the Psychological Magnitude Pitch". Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 8, no. 3:185–90.
• Yamaguchi, Masaya (2000). The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales. New York: Charles Colin. ISBN 0-9676353-0-6. 

Further reading[link]

• Apel, Willi, and Ralph T. Daniel (1960). The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 0-671-73747-3
• Benward, Bruce, Barbara Garvey Jackson, and Bruce R. Jackson. (2000). Practical Beginning Theory: A Fundamentals Worktext, 8th edition, Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-697-34397-9. [First edition 1963]
• Brown, James Murray (1967). A Handbook of Musical Knowledge‎, 2 vols. London: Trinity College of Music.
• Chase, Wayne (2006). How Music REALLY Works!, second edition. Vancouver, Canada: Roedy Black Publishing. ISBN 1-897311-55-9 (book)
• Hewitt, Michael (2008). Music Theory for Computer Musicians. USA: Cengage Learning. ISBN 139781598635034.
• Lawn, Richard J., and Jeffrey L. Hellmer (1996). Jazz Theory and Practice. [N.p.]: Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 0-88284-722-8.
• Miguel, Roig-Francoli (2011). Harmony in Context, Second edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ISBN 0073137944
• Owen, Harold (2000). Music Theory Resource Book. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511539-2.
• Seashore, Carl (1933). Approaches to the Science of Music and Speech. Iowa City: The University.
• Seashore, Carl (1938). Psychology of Music, New York, London, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
• Sorce, Richard (1995). Music Theory for the Music Professional. [N.p.]: Ardsley House. ISBN 1-880157-20-9.
• Taylor, Eric (1989). AB Guide to Music, vol 1. England: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. ISBN 1-85472-446-0
• Taylor, Eric (1991). AB Guide to Music, vol 2. England: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. ISBN 1-85472-447-9
• Yamaguchi, Masaya (2006). The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales, revised edition. New York: Masaya Music Services. ISBN 0-9676353-0-6.

External links[link]

Wikibooks has more on the topic of Music theory

• Dillen, Oscar van, Outline of basic music theory (2011)
• http://www.musictheoryhelp.co.uk

Song In (in hangul 송인, in hanja 宋仁) was a civil official in the mid-Goryeo era who became the intermediary founder of the Jincheon Song clan. His highest post was munha pyeongjangsa (문하 평장사). This was the highest government position in the period. Song In was responsible for administration, judicial affairs and economy in the district.^[1]

As he performed meritorious deeds during the King, he was conferred with Chanhwagongsin and Jincheonbaek. Baek was a position of politicians who were responsible for administration, judicial affairs and economy in the district. As the government created him Jincheonbaek, his family started regarding Jincheon as their origin. Hence, the family origin became Jincheon Song.

When he was in the position of Sangsanbaek, he tried to be just and fair in all the administrative affairs and strived to enhance the welfare of his people. He also focused on education for the youth and courtesy for people, which made his district famous for most excellent behaviors in the nation. After that, the people have long paid tribute to his feats.

During the insurrection of Yi Jagyeom in the 4th year of King Injong of Goryeo's reign in 1126, he was killed by a rebellious band led by Cheok Jun-gyeong while escorting the king. After the rebels were put down, Song In was posthumously named 'meritous subject' and titled Lord Sangsanbaek (상산백).

Song In was born in Durujinmaeul (village), Duchon-ri, Deoksan-myeon in 1125 during the reign of King Injong of the Goryeo Dynasty. He was promoted to Pyeonjangsa, which was the highest government position in the period.

Tomb of Song In[link]

Chungcheongbuk-do Monument No. 91 Location: Duchon-ri, Deoksan-myeon, Jincheon-gun

This is the tomb of Song In (?-1126). It has a rectangular-shaped protective wall surrounding the tomb, typical of the Goryeo style. There are two tombstones erected in the late Joseon Dynasty period.

In the grave area, there are many tombs that belong to the clan. In front of his tomb stands the jaesil (chamber for memorial rites) with the tablet reading 'Sangsanjae'.

His grave is in Duchon-ri, Deoksan-myeon, which had been called Duruji, Sanjeong-myeon. The beautiful peak behind his grave is called Mountain Bibong which was named after Bongsae (bird) that is said to live in heaven and to fly down to sit on the summit. However, after the statue was inscribed of In Gong, the founder of Jincheon Song, the peak was compared to a slowly dropped ume flower. Thus, Mountain Bibong was called Maesanbibong, in which 'Mae' was named after an ume flower instead of a bird.

As he was a meritorious subject and served as a Pyeongjangsa (higher government official), the government ordered his grave mound to be surrounded by stones and a monument. The grave is one of the oldest ones in Jincheon and is recorded in Seokchong (stone tomb) in Hwanyeoseungram.

Thousands of descendents of Jincheon Song are living across the nation. Song Guk-cheom and Song Eon-gi who were devoted to fight against the Mongolian invasion into Goryeo are also the offspring of Jincheonbaek.

See also[link]

• Song (Korean name)
• Bon-gwan

References[link]

External links[link]

• Photo of the tomb
• Song In
• Monument 91, Tomb of Song In
• Jincheon Song bon-gwan information (Korean)
• Jincheon Song bon-gwan website (Korean)
• http://www.jincheon.go.kr/english/sub04/sub0404_01.jsp

This Korean biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This Korean history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert with Mr.Big at Festivalna Hall, Sofia
Background information
Born	(1966-11-06) November 6, 1966 (age 45) Carbondale, Illinois United States
Genres	Instrumental rock, heavy metal, hard rock, neo-classical metal, speed metal, progressive metal
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, bass, keyboards, Percussion, Harmonica
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Universal Japan, Shrapnel
Associated acts	Mr. Big, Racer X, G3, Yellow Matter Custard, John Paul Jones, The Evil Stepsisters
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Ibanez PGM signature series, Ibanez Fireman

Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Illinois, USA) is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr. Big, as well as many solo albums and numerous collaborations and guest appearances with other musicians.

He has been voted number 4 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time",^[1] as well as a spot in Guitar World's 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time list.^[2]

Shrapnel Records[link]

Gilbert was raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.^[3] Around 1981-82, he first contacted Mike Varney, founder of Shrapnel Records, asking for a gig with Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15 year old guitarist, but after listening to his demo he changed his mind. Gilbert was featured in Guitar Player magazine at the age of fifteen.^[3] They talked for the next 3 years, until Paul went to L.A. for the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology), and then was ready to record Racer X's debut album Street Lethal.

Racer X[link]

Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X originally comprised Paul Gilbert (guitar), Juan Alderete (bass), Harry Gschoesser (drums) and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (later known for being the drummer for Judas Priest) in 1986, and Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitar player. Bouillet was a very skilled player, as he had to play over Gilbert's always difficult and challenging phrases. Paul Gilbert gained recognition as one of the fastest guitar players in the world due to incredibly technical pieces like "Technical Difficulties" "Frenzy", "Scarified", "Y.R.O." and "Scit Scat Wah". Gilbert left Racer X in 1988. Racer X carried on for a short time with guitarist (and fellow GIT alum) Chris Arvin and vocalist Oni Logan (later of George Lynch's Lynch Mob) when singer Jeff Martin departed to play drums in Jake E. Lee's Badlands, in which he replaced Eric Singer who left to join Alice Cooper. Shortly thereafter, the members of the re-invented Racer X went their separate ways. The original band would eventually reform (although without Bruce Bouillet, who in-turn did produce the first reunion record).

Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all agreed to return, with the exception of Bruce Bouillet. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released another album, Superheroes. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.

In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years to a sold-out crowd at the famed Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom.

In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes, and the final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and was to be later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more so than a traditional Racer X album.

Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consists of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.^[4]

Mr. Big[link]

When Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's band in 1988, he joined with Paul Gilbert, who had left his former band, Racer X. They founded Mr. Big, with Pat Torpey on drums and singer Eric Martin. The band was initially a huge success in Japan, and became famous internationally in 1991, with the release of their second album, Lean Into It. This album featured the ballad "To Be With You", which received strong media play and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Gilbert continued playing in Mr. Big until the late 1990s. He left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.

In June 2009, Paul Gilbert reunited with original Mr. Big members; Eric Martin (vocals), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey, for a world wide reunion tour. They recorded a new album with producer Kevin Shirley.^[5] titled What If.... The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the USA in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicked off at The House of Blues, in Hollywood, CA on April 2, 2011, followed by several dates in Japan in the same month. In May and June 2011, the tour continues in China, Korea, The Philippines and Europe.

Projects[link]

Gilbert performing on March 2, 2007

In May 2003 he played in an only twice-performing project called Yellow Matter Custard, a Beatles cover band consisting also of Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), and Matt Bissonette. In February 2011 Yellow Matter Custard re-formed for 3 Nights Across America. Kasim Sulton replaced Matt Bissonette in the 2011 shows due to other commitments. They took their name from a Beatles lyric in "I Am the Walrus": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".

He rejoined Portnoy along with Dave LaRue and Daniel Gildenlöw for a Led Zeppelin tribute band called Hammer of the Gods in November 2003. The same year, he toured Japan with Linus Of Hollywood, TJ Helmerich, and Scot Coogan in support of his solo albums Burning Organ, Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert, and Gilbert Hotel. In September 2005, he joined Portnoy, Sean Malone, and Jason McMaster in the Rush tribute band Cygnus and the Sea Monsters. In May 2006, he joined Portnoy, Gary Cherone, and Billy Sheehan to form Amazing Journey: A Tribute to The Who, playing three shows. The band (excluding Sheehan) destroyed their equipment after the show in homage.

He was also revealed to be the guest guitarist on the Neal Morse solo album, Sola Scriptura. In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured with Bruce Bouillet for promotion of his first instrumental album, Get Out of My Yard, which was released in 2006. Also joining him was his wife, Emi Gilbert, on keyboards. Paul Gilbert also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in the 2007 G3 tour. This was the 5th North American G3 run and the 12th tour worldwide since its inception.

On January 23, 2008, Paul released an instrumental CD titled Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in America on April 8, 2008. This is Paul's second instrumental album.^[6]

On October 22, 2008, Paul released an album with vocalist Freddie Nelson entitled United States.^[7] The collaboration has been described as a cross of Queen and Mr. Big.^[8]

Paul with Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Gilbert, and finally Racer X. This Racer X lineup consisted of Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.^[4]

Gilbert also joined George Lynch and Richie Kotzen on the Guitar Generation tour.

On June 30, 2010, Gilbert's new album Fuzz Universe was released in Japan, with a release in America and Europe soon after.^[9] It is Paul's 3rd solo album being entirely instrumental.^[9] A cover of Johnny Cash's "Leave That Junk Alone" is featured as a Japanese bonus track.^[9][10]

Influences and Style[link]

Talking about his influences, Paul mentions many different artists, including: Randy Rhoads, Kim Mitchell, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, John J Kirby, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Jimmy Page, Robin Trower, Ritchie Blackmore, Pat Travers, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Judas Priest, Akira Takasaki, Steve Clark, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, and The Ramones. Paul has stated many times that he was heavily influenced by his uncle Jimi Kidd who was instrumental in getting Paul interested in playing the guitar. He is also a great fan of The Beach Boys and The Beatles. He states on the Space Ship Live DVD that George Harrison is one of his favorite guitar players. Guitar World magazine declared him one of 50 of the world's fastest guitarists of all time, along with Buckethead, Eddie Van Halen, and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, metal, blues, funk and european classical music, but is perhaps best known for his versatility and speed. He is noted in particular for his efficient picking and his tendency to pick many notes rather than relying on legato for fast passages.

Instructor[link]

Paul Gilbert wrote his own section of the British guitar magazine, Total Guitar, where he normally demonstrated guitar techniques in the magazine and accompanying CD. Even before that, he contributed instructional articles to Guitar Player Magazine in a late 1980s/early 1990s series entitled "Terrifying Guitar 101". His period of working with Total Guitar spanned thirty-one issues until the November 2006 issue. Paul also teaches at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) regularly, and is also an "honorary dean" of the GIT division in Japan. Paul visits Japan, enjoying the lifestyle like his Shrapnel labelmate Marty Friedman, who still lives in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. Gilbert is known for his instructional videos, which are often comical in nature. One of his instructional videos includes him pulling a rabbit out of his guitar, putting his guitar in a straightjacket and having presents thrown at him by members of the film crew. Paul also was, for a short time, the guitar teacher of Buckethead, Russ Parrish (A.K.A. Satchell from Steel Panther), Michelle Meldrum (The late wife of Europe guitarist John Norum) and Nicole Couch of Phantom Blue. Gilbert now writes a column for Premier Guitar entitled "Shred Your Enthusiasm".

Gear[link]

Gilbert playing his signature guitar 2007

Paul Gilbert primarily uses his Ibanez PGM signature series guitars,^[11] identified by the unique painted on "F-holes". Although earlier PGM models featured the Ibanez Lo-Pro/Edge double locking tremolo system, many of his guitars (such as his main PGM300) were modified to accommodate a fixed bridge after he stopped using whammy bars in the early 90s, hence the Ibanez PGM301 guitar. Along with his signature guitars, Gilbert often uses his sticker-covered "Dino" Ibanez RG550, in addition to a wide variety of Ibanez solidbody and semi-hollow electric guitars. Recently, Gilbert has been using Ibanez "Fireman" (a reversed-body Ibanez Iceman with single-coil pickups and an extra cutaway) guitars, which he designed himself.^[12] A red version The Ibanez Fireman is to be mass-produced for consumers at a more affordable price than the Ibanez PGMFRM1 (current Paul Gilbert signature Fireman) in Fall 2011.

Regarding amplifiers, Gilbert used A/DA preamps (A/DA MP-1) and rack effects units early in his career prior to switching to Laney amplifiers. He praised the Laney amps as having "the best natural distorted sound of any tube amp ever heard" Since the G3 2007 tour however, Gilbert stated that playing with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci inspired him to take a closer look at his own guitar sound. As a result of his search he found the Marshall Vintage Modern series. He currently uses the Marshall Vintage Modern 2266c combo amps. Paul now uses the Marshall JMD:1 (specifically JMD501) amplifier along with his Vintage Modern amplifier. Paul uses Jim Dunlop Tortex picks, of which he prefers the orange (.60mm) picks. As far as cables Paul uses^[13] Bullet Cable 30' Coiled Cables, Bullet Cable SLUG DIY solderless patch cables for his pedalboard and effects.

Paul has been known to use the following effects:

Paul also used a modified vintage A/DA Flanger from the 1980s (source: Berlin VIP session interview). You can hear it on tracks like 'Bucket of Rocks', and he also uses it on the 'Snowball of Doom' DVD. Paul stated the flanger had been modified. He would set the flanger to self oscillate, which would make the pitch of the resulting signal alternate up and down to create a sound similar to a dive bomb or a pull up on a whammy bar. Unfortunately, during Paul's 2008 European tour, his trusty A/DA Flanger broke. Thankfully, before the pedal broke, he and Ibanez collaborated to make a similar pedal, with both a regular flanger mode and a mode which can be set to create a close approximation of the A/DA pedal's sound, and the pedal has been released as the Ibanez Paul Gilbert AF-2 Airplane Flanger. He also uses the Psilocybe phaser and THC chorus pedals from Home Brew Electronics.

In the intro to "Get Out Of My Yard" Paul uses a Boss DD-3 Delay pedal to achieve the altered pitch looped effect at the beginning of the track. This was also demonstrated by Paul on the instructional DVD of the same name.

He is also famous for using a Makita cordless drill with three picks mounted on the end of it, which he used most famously on the Mr. Big track "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy".

In 2009, Ibanez released a new PGM model, the Ibanez PGM401, which is rather different from most of Paul's previous models, with an ash body (most of his previous models were made of basswood, although his PGM800 guitar was made of lightweight ash, a similar but different wood than that used in the PGM401), Trifade Burst finish, Cosmo Black hardware and a regular headstock replacing the reversed one of the previous models. Also, rather than the DiMarzio PAF Pro, Tone Zone and Super Distortion pickups used in his previous models, the PGM401 comes with Paul's favorite humbucker model for the past five years, the DiMarzio Air Classic, arranged in a dual humbucker arrangement. Paul has stated that he had the bridge pickup moved 1mm closer to the neck, which he said results in a warmer and thicker sound, particularly for the high notes he often uses in soloing. The F-holes are 3% smaller, to make the look more balanced with the pickup mounting rings. But perhaps the biggest difference from other current Ibanez guitar models, is that the PGM401 uses the old late-1980s neckjoint, which is thicker than the current neckjoints on other Ibanez guitars.^[14]

In 2011, Ibanez released a new model for Gilbert the FRM100. The design of the FRM100 was inspired by many hours of playing and performance by Paul Gilbert with the original Ibanez Fireman model featuring a distinctive reverse Iceman body outline ^[15]

Discography[link]

Racer X[link]

• Street Lethal (1986)
• Second Heat (1987)
• Extreme Volume Live (1988)
• Extreme Volume II Live (1992)
• Technical Difficulties (1999)
• Superheroes (2000)
• Snowball of Doom (2002)
• Getting Heavier (2002)
• Snowball of Doom 2 (2002)

Mr. Big[link]

• Mr. Big (1989)
• Raw Like Sushi (1990)
• Lean Into It (1991)
• Raw Like Sushi II (1992)
• Bump Ahead (1993)
• Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 (1994)
• Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996)
• Hey Man (1996)
• Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest Hits (1996)
• Next Time Around Best Of (2009)
• Back To Budokan Live (2009)
• What If... (2011)

Solo Albums[link]

• Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (EP) (1991) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #59)
• King of Clubs (1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #28)
• Flying Dog (1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #23)
• Beehive Live (1999) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #72)
• Alligator Farm (2000) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #24)
• Raw Blues Power With Jimi Kidd (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
• Burning Organ (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #27)
• Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert (2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #31)
• Gilbert Hotel (2003)
• Acoustic Samurai (2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
• Space Ship One (2005) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #53)
• Get Out of My Yard (2006) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #52)
• Tough Eskimo (limited edition EP) (2007)
• Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar (2008) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #39)
• United States With Freddie Nelson (2009)
• Fuzz Universe (2010) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #57)

Other appearances[link]

• Trouble In The Streets- Black Sheep(1985)
• Atomic Basement Tapes - Missing Lynx (1985)
• Revelation - Darrell Mansfield Band (1985)
• Pump It!' - Jeff Berlin (1986)
• Out of the Sun - Joey Tafolla (1990)
• Humanary Stew - A Tribute to Alice Cooper
• Guitars That Rule the World (1992)
• Smoke On The Water: A Tribute (1994)
• Samad: Samad Lead Guitar on "Joget" and "Animo" (1994)
• Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle (1996)
• Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus (track "Dislocated") (1996)
• Akira Takasaki - Wa (1996)
• Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas (1997)
• Mikazuki^{[disambiguation needed ]} "In Rock" Sound Track, Guitar on tracks "Crescent Moon" & "Theme for Kazeo" (2000)
• Becker 2001, Warmth in the Wilderness -A Tribute to Jason Becker(Guitar and vocals for Hawkin)
• Hughes Turner Project - HTP (2002)
• Battle Gear III: The Edge (played on "Charge and Discharge," "Morning View," and "The Machine of Rage" bonus tracks) (2003)
• Kim Fox Return to Planet Earth (2003) Guitar on track 4
• Guitar Wars (2003)
• Return to the Planet Earth - Kim Fox (2003)
• One Night in New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Mieze - Marco Minnemann (2004)
• Five Feet...No Inches - Pintsize (2005)
• Contraire de la chanson - Marco Minnemann (2006)
• Parador (track "Joke") - Wisely (2006)
• Light at the End of the Tunnel - War and Peace (2006) (with Richie Kotzen, John Norum, Jeff Pilson)
• Two Nights In North America - Hammer of the Gods (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• One Night in Chicago - Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Live with Sex Machineguns - Tokyo (2005)
• One Night in New York City - Amazing Journey (2007) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
• Spin The Bottle - An All Star Tribute To Kiss (guitars on "I Want You") (2004)
• Numbers from the Beast - An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (guitars on "The Evil That Men Do") (2005)
• Evil Lives: A True Metal Tribute to Black Sabbath (with Racer X on Track 4: "Children of the Grave") (2006)
• The Fool - Jeff Martin solo album (2006)
• Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse (2007)
• G3 Tour (2007)
• Lifeline - Neal Morse (2008)
• Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn't Make You Slash) - MC Lars (2008)
• Bowling for Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas Volume 1 (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause) (2009)

Videography[link]

• Intense Rock Jams - Sequences & Techniques VHS version
• Intense Rock II featuring Paul Gilbert VHS version
• Guitars from Mars Japanese DVD release
• Guitars from Mars II Japanese DVD release
• Terrifying Guitar Trip VHS version
• Eleven Thousand Notes DVD
• Guitar Wars DVD
• Space Ship Live DVD (2005)
• Complete Intense Rock DVD (2006)
• Terrifying Guitar Trip DVD (2006)
• Get Out Of My Yard Guitar Instructional (string skipping) DVD (2007)
• Get Out Of My City Guitar Instructional DVD/VCD (2007)
• One Night In New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003)
• Two Nights In North America - Hammer Of The Gods (2006)
• One Night In Chicago - Cygnus And The Sea Monsters (2006)
• One Night In New York City - Amazing Journey (2007)
• Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar Guitar Instructional DVD And Shred Annex (2008)
• The Last Note of Freedom

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Gilbert

• The official Paul Gilbert site
• The official Racer X site
• Paul Gilbert - Rock Squad Interview
• Gilbert's solo on Mr Big site
• Paul Gilbert on Last.fm
• Paul Gilbert artist page at Guitar Video Channel

Abingdon Boys School (stylized as abingdon boys school) is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa.

Formed in 2005,^[1] the band shares a name with the British independent school Abingdon School, in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the all-male school where the rock band Radiohead was established.^[2][3][4]

Biography[link]

Formation and influences[link]

Abingdon Boys School began in 2005 when Takanori Nishikawa, known for his pop music as TM Revolution, decided to return to his rock roots in Luis-Mary with guitarist Sunao. They were introduced to guitarist Hiroshi Shibasaki (ex-Wands) and continued to discuss forming a band until an offer came to record a song for manga series Nana. The three presented a demo to producer Toshiyuki Kishi who became the fourth member of the band.^[1]

The origin of the name comes from a combination of Nishikawa's love of cars' anti-lock braking system and the resemblance of the initials to the pronunciation of the Tokyo district Ebisu where the band practiced. When searching on the internet for a backronym Nishikawa discovered Abingdon School and the connection to Radiohead, who's members are of the same generation. A.B.S are also all from the same generation and each fell in love with music when they were in school, so they thought "it would be cool if we could go back to that feeling again."^[1]

Abingdon Boys School intended to bring song structure back to pop and rock music, with elements such as "intros, vocal lines, guitar solos and instrumental sections".^[1] The band's style recalls 1980s hair-band era Van Halen and edgier '90s rock outfits such as Jane's Addiction.^[1]

History[link]

In 2005, Abingdon Boys School released its first song, "Stay Away", an English-language song written by Nishikawa and composed by Shibasaki for the shōjo anime and manga series Nana tribute album Love for Nana ~Only 1 Tribute~. The band also recorded a cover of the Buck-Tick song "Dress" (ドレス, Doresu^?) that was featured on the tribute album Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-. The band's first live concert was performed on November 24, 2005, alongside Uverworld and Tsubakiya Quartet, a show presented by music magazine CD Data.

On September 3, 2006, the band announced that they would make their official debut through Sony Music Japan's Epic Records, which was also the label of Nishikawa's solo project T.M. Revolution. The band performed at the Japanese leg of Live Earth in Tokyo on July 7, 2007,^[5] and their first self titled album was released on October 17, 2007.^[6] Their debut peaked at no.2 on the Oricon charts.^[1] On July 16, 2008, Abingdon Boys School released a live DVD from the concert they held in February 2008.

In November 2009, Abingdon Boys School went on a tour through Europe, securing a record deal with Germany label Gan-Shin that saw their debut available in Europe. The group played shows in Helsinki, Stockholm, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Paris, London and Moscow. In London the group played in Camden Underworld venue, famous in Japan as it was the place where Sadistic Mika Band had played in 1975, the first Japanese rock band to ever tour in Europe.^[1]

In Helsinki, Andy McCoy of 1980s hair-metal band Hanoi Rocks showed up unannounced, one of the groups idols.^[1]

A B-sides compilation album was then released in Japan titled Teaching Materials. Shortly after, a second studio album was announced for January 27, 2010, titled Abingdon Road.^[1] In addition to 6 new tracks, the album contained singles released since the band's first full album and a cover of "Sweetest Coma Again", originally found on Luna Sea Memorial Cover Album -Re:birth-.

Abingdon Boys School released a book containing scores of their singles on 12 November 2010.^[7]

Work used in media[link]

All of the band's singles are songs that have been used in anime and video games; perhaps owing to Nishikawa's personal interests, having gone so far as to voice a few anime roles himself. "Innocent Sorrow" was used as the opening for the D.Gray-Man anime; "Howling" and "From Dusk Till Dawn" for Darker Than Black and its sequel Ryūsei no Gemini; "Nephilim" for the PlayStation 3 game Folklore; "Blade Chord" and "Jap" for the Sengoku Basara series; "Strength" for the Soul Eater anime, and "Kimi no Uta" for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. "Fre@k $HoW", the b-side off their "Innocent Sorrow" single, was also used in a tribute compilation CD for the movie Death Note: the Last Name. A slightly modified version of the b-side off their "Jap" single, dubbed "Valkyrie -Lioleia Mix-", was also featured in the Monster Hunter tribute album Monster Hunter 5th Anniversary.

Members[link]

• Takanori "T.M. Revolution" Nishikawa (西川貴教, Nishikawa Takanori^?) – vocals
• Sunao – guitar
• Hiroshi Shibasaki (柴崎 浩, Shibasaki Hiroshi^?) – guitar
• Toshiyuki Kishi (岸 利至, Kishi Toshiyuki^?) – keyboard, turntables, programming

Support members[link]

• Ikuo – bass
• Koji Hasegawa (長谷川 浩二, Hasegawa Kōji^?) – drums

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Abingdon Boys School (2007)
• Abingdon Road (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (Japanese)
• Sony Music Japan page (Japanese)
• Nippon Project interview