The understanding of music involves the mastery of its various layers of meaning. Sometimes this meaning is acquired through human insight; at other times, it can be learned. The central concern of this volume is the tension between intuitive and analytical ways of making sense of the world. The author examines this relationship on three levels: in considering music as a way of knowing; as the apparent predicament between qualitative and quantitative research paradigms; and as a tension in education. Swanwick guides his reader from a theoretical exploration of musical knowledge, through an examination of ways of researching the musical experience to a concluding section which should be of direct practical help to teachers. He suggests ways in which music education can be a vital transaction, giving examples across a range of music teaching, including school classroom and instrumental studios.