All conscious functions of perception and recognition are controlled by the cerebral cortex. Neuroscience has provided insights into the structure of knowledge representation and neural information processing. The advent of imaging techniques has significantly contributed to the understanding of these processes.

The exploration of human musical understanding aligns with the pedagogical interest in cognition. New insights from brain research have led to a changed understanding of musical learning. A cognitive psychology approach seeks to determine the meaning-generating consciousness behind perception and to illuminate it in terms of learning theory implications.

The second edition of "The Music Understanding" expanded the neurobiological approach in light of new research findings; the third edition added topics related to mirror neurons and evolutionary biological aspects of vocal learning. In contrast, the fourth edition offers an unchanged reprint of the expanded third edition, as the fundamental approach of understanding music learning as the construction of mental representations remains valid.

Contents include: Listening to music – Listening texts: On the textuality of listening – Traces and plans in mental maps – The image of music in the mind – How children learn music – Learning and memory – Neuroscientific foundations of music learning – Educational aspects of music learning.