Introduction

Abstract This introductory chapter lays out the aims of the book, summarises the chapters and their relationships, and provides concise definitions of key terms that recur throughout the book. I note the origins of the book in our 2013 article “Toward a new comparative musicology,” the resurgence of comparative musicological studies in the past two decades, along with corresponding concerns about the continuing colonial legacy of comparative musicology. I briefly summarise the six main chapters (“1. Introduction,” “2. Tutorial,” “3. History,” “4. Universals,” “5. Evolution,” and “6. Applications”), plus the prologue, epilogue, and forewords by leaders in ethnomusicology (Svanibor Pettan) and music cognition (Psyche Loui). I briefly define key terms, including “music,” “science,” “evolution,” and “universal,” and point to relevant chapters for further discussion.