1. SOUND: ask questions pertaining to the sound of the music itself.
A. What is the organization of the music?
Voice, small instrumental ensemble, large orchestra, etc.?
B. What kind of instruments are used?
 Idiophones, Membranophones, Aerophones, Chordophones
C. What is the melodic organization?
Many notes/few notes; Song-like/speech-like; Wide range/narrow range
What type of scale can be derived from the melody?
What type of intervals predominate, e.g. small steps or wide leaps?
What kind of melodic contour: Ascending? Descending? Arched?
 D. What is the rhythmic organization?
  How can we describe the duration of each of the notes used?
  Are the notes roughly equal, long, short or both, in combination?
  Are there accents or beats?
Is it metrical (recurring rhythmic pattern) or non-metrical?
 E. Tempo: is it fast or slow? Does it gradually get faster or slower?
 F. Dynamics: is it loud or soft? Does it become loud or soft suddenly/gradually?
 F. Texture: Is there a single line of music performed by one singer or instrument?
  Is there a drone accompanying the melody?
  Are two or more voices/instruments playing the same melody
but slightly different? (heterophony)
  Are there separate melodic lines occurring simultaneously? (polyphony)
 G. Tone color (timbre): can we attach descriptive labels to the quality of musical sound?
e.g. nasal, throaty, bright, muted, piercing, mellow, harsh, etc.

2. CONCEPTS: ask questions about native concepts and ideas about the music.
A. What is considered music? What is not considered music?
B. What are the names of styles and how are they used?
C. What terms exist to describe music? Is there a systematic music theory?
D. What makes music effective, powerful or beautiful?
E. What does music mean? What does it reference? What does it communicate?
F. Do instruments have any symbolic meanings?
G. Why do people make music?

3. BEHAVIOR: ask questions about human behavior in relation to music.
A. Who makes the music? Who listens to the music? Men/women; old/young;
ethnic majority/minority; upper/lower class; urban/rural; professional/amateur
B. When and where is music performed? (contexts for music)
C. What kinds of activity are associated with music?
Dance, drama, work, worship, weddings, funerals, protest
D. What relationships exist between music and other domains of culture?
Economics, politics, social structure, belief systems, and ritual behavior?
E. What are the social functions of music?
F. How is music transmitted? How is music taught or learned?
G. Is notation used or is music memorized?
H. How do composers construct music? How do performers perform music?
Is there improvisation? How does it work?