What purpose do the musical terms in The Great Gatsby serve?Why does F. Scott Fitzgerald use so many musical terms throughout the novel? (Please...

There are indeed many references to music and musical
terms in the novel. Here are a few:

• There is
  music in Daisy's voice.


• A drunken guest at one of
  Gatsby's parties is asked "to sing the notes on her face" (her smeared
  mascara).


• A "celebrated tenor" sings in Italian and a
  "notorious contralto" sings jazz to entertain party
  guests.


• One of the parties is interrupted by "the boom of
  a bass drum" as the orchestra leader introduces the next selection, "Vladimir Tostoff's
  Jazz History of the World."


• In describing a very
  significant moment when Gatsby kisses Daisy, he listens to "the tuning fork that had
  been struck upon a star."


• Music emanates from Gatsby's
  house on summer nights.

These musical
references serve two purposes. Some of them, such as the references to jazz and
specifically to Tostoff's composition help establish authentically the era of the
Roaring Twenties. Many such specific details create a great deal of historical accuracy
in the novel.

Many other musical references develop what
has been termed Fitzgerald's "evocative" style of writing: to use language and imagery
to evoke a certain mood or emotion. Music frequently emphasizes romantic settings,
images, and specific moments in the narrative.