# What cannot be written down?

**What in music cannot be written down?**

Notation fixes pitch and rhythm well and leaves out timing, tone and the small bends of a voice. Traditions that pass music from person to person keep what writing leaves out.

Connects to:
- [Notation](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_notation)
- [Rāga and śruti](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_raga)
- [Gamelan and ombak](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_gamelan)

Source: https://mapideas.org/i/q_mu_written · open on the map: https://mapideas.org/#q_mu_written