Nog, perhaps a quote from another chapter of this book answers your question on the music (whether Western tradition or not):
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Heidi Steimel
All that we can do today is to compare a secondary world to our own, explaining in our languages and concepts music that could have been completely different. Only the creator of Middle-earth knew what it was like, and even he was limited by his own knowledge and experience in the primary world. (my emphasis)
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Tolkien wrote about what he knew, and that means the music with which he was familiar. He was definitely more imaginative and creative with words than with music, which was not his forte (pardon the pun).
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cross-posted with Aiwendil, who said it all more eloquently - and with instruments as proof!!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth..
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