The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition
by Michael Miller
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael MillerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-09-06
ISBN: 1592574378
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Alpha
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781592574377
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition
Book Review: Excellent, must read for anyone lacking a solid understanding of music theory
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a bunch of music books kicking around here, but this one was unusually excellent, despite the title, and no, I'm not an idiot (at least I hope I'm not). Music theory is covered pretty well here, some of which might be left out of other books or which might be presented in an unnecessarily complex way. This book also provides some introductory information on composing and arranging. I've been playing guitar for years now and my understanding of music theory had more than a few holes in it, but this book was excellent in patching things up. I'm getting more into writing lately, and I'm also trying to stretch out to other instruments a bit. A solid understanding of music theory is very helpful. I'd recommend that anyone who is involved in the creation of music and who hasn't learned theory yet read this book, whether you play jazz, punk, country, rock, whatever style. I'd guess that anyone with the curiosity for it, even theory n00bs, could digest this book over a week or two of casual reading and writing (the book is actually a very casual read) and be putting what you've learned to use right away, which is another good aspect of this book - it encourages you to put what you're learning to practice.
This book can show you how chords (including inversions and extensions) and scales are constructed and how they are relative, common chord progressions that everyone should know, how chord progressions are constructed (including substitutions), how to get started writing melodies and backing progressions, give you a gentle intro to reading music, a primer on arranging and composing, lots of in between stuff, and it makes a good reference.
My suggestion to anyone out there who is having a hard time learning theory (I see a few mentions in the reviews here): Have a need to learn music theory first - maybe your cart is in front of the horse. Spend some time playing, learning, and creating music first, and you should be finding yourself with plenty of questions that need answering - write down your questions as best as you can in a notebook or something. When you feel that you need to have some of these questions answered, see if learning music theory doesn't answer them directly, or at least put you on the path to figuring out the answers for yourself. If you're a three chorder and manage fine without knowing any theory, great - skip learning this stuff. But maybe you're learning a song and wondering where the next chord is or how the writer came up with the chord progression in the first place - understanding chord construction and chord progressions will help you right away. Or, you have a melody in your head, but you don't know how to work out the backing rhythm for it - understanding harmony and chords can help you get there much faster than poking and hunting alone. Maybe you're tired of playing the same old generic progressions and are looking to add some color - understanding chord extensions and substitutions can help you in spicing things up. Maybe you occasionally jam with some more advanced musicians but you seem to get lost at times - knowing theory can help you to better understand what's going on in the moment, give you choices of where to go next, and show you how to communicate with other musicians in music terms. For example, I'd say that piano/keyboard players generally know more about music than guitar players, but how can a guitar player learn anything from them if he/she can't speak the common language?
Music theory is a tool, and in my opinion, you should learn it if you have a need and curiosity for it, not because musicians are supposed to know it. The alternative to an excellent book such as this one is finding a teacher to help you, which isn't a bad idea for many people. For those of us who prefer to learn things on our own, for whatever reason, a good book such as this is very helpful.
Summary of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition
A music theory book that hits the high note ?
This updated and expanded edition of The Complete Idiot?s Guide® to Music Theory breaks down a difficult subject in a simple way?even for those who think they have no rhythm or consider themselves tone deaf. With clear, concise language, it explains everything from bass-clef basics to confusing codas. This new edition includes:
-A brand-new CD
-A comprehensive ear- training section
-Musical examples of intervals, scales, chords, and rhythms
-Aural exercises so readers can test their ear training and transcription skills
Download a sample chapter.
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