Should we investigate musical features and practices in the first place? If the answer were “yes” which methods are particularly suited to disclose local knowledge and thus support a culturally informed analysis? First the notion of “culturally informed analysis” will be compared with earlier concepts of musical analysis in comparative musicology. When it comes to the study of musical concepts and practices, participant observation as the standard ethnographic method needs to include what has been called the “learning to perform” approach. In addition, new tools, especially ones making use of computer technology, can add to our range of available methods and techniques. This will be exemplified by drawing on two case studies, namely, mbira music from Zimbabwe and karawitan from Central Java.