# Heads up - How Music Works with Howard Goodall **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067 "2007-05-30T14:55:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/1 "2007-05-30T14:55:58Z")
Just a note to any UK/Ireland Dopers who might want to see the Howard Goodall documentary which generated a little controversy in some recent threads - Channel 4 are repeating it next week, 10:30am Monday to Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/2 "2007-05-30T15:00:41Z")
Briefly, what was the controversy? Also, Howard Goodall was at school with me, though he was a sixth former while I was in the first year. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/3 "2007-05-30T15:14:07Z")
Well, your old mucker made some assertions about the origins of contemporary musical styles, which are apparently pretty out-there and caused raised eyebrows among more musically knowledgable Dopers than me. He gave Cuban music a remarkable amount of credit for inspiring the rhythmic patterns of modern pop songs, for example. But a fascinating piece of telly nonetheless, well worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/4 "2007-05-30T15:26:56Z")
Sorry, just realised you can’t search: > **[Major rhythmic change in Western popular music circa 1960?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409530)** > > In composer Howard Goodall’s TV programme How Music Works he makes what seems a startling claim. He says that between about 1960 and 1970, Western popular music adopted the syncopation patterns of Cuban son, wherein the notes of the melody and... > **[Is four a universal number in music?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418500)** > > I don’t know a lot of the music terminology I probably want to refer to, but here goes: Most western music is based on a 4/4 time signature. But even that which isn’t is based off of some multiple of four. Melodies are often repeated four times... ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/5 "2007-05-30T16:19:46Z")
Why can’t I search? Do you know something I don’t? (I was just being lazy.) ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/6 "2007-05-30T16:21:55Z")
I thought only we Charter Members could search? :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/7 "2007-05-30T16:24:03Z")
10:30am? The week _after_ half term? Cheers, Channel 4, that’s really helpful :mad: ( :eek: has **jjimm** not coughed up his subs?) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/8 "2007-05-30T16:35:06Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Why can’t I search? Do you know something I don’t? [/QUOTE] 17,000 posts. That’s why. First, they take your ability to search. Then they come for the “Report post.” Finally, they confine you to MPSIMS and kitty threads. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/9 "2007-05-30T16:50:09Z")
[QUOTE=Doctor Who] 17,000 posts. That’s why. First, they take your ability to search. Then they come for the “Report post.” Finally, they confine you to MPSIMS and kitty threads. [/QUOTE] Oh, shit! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heads-up-how-music-works-with-howard-goodall/406067/10 "2007-05-31T21:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Oh, shit! [/QUOTE] I don’t normally comment on post counts (mainly down to shame) but yours and mine are remarkably similar. Though you’ve a few months on me…