How Good is Alfreds Essentials Of Music Theory?
The introduction to Alfreds Essentials of Music Theory states: "Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory is designed for students of any age, whether listener or performer, who want to have a better understanding of the language of music. This music theory course is divided into three sections of 40 pages each, with each section containing six units. There is a table of contents for each book....A unit consists of four or five pages of instructional material(including written exercises), an Ear Training page and Review page."
Chapter 1: The Staff, Notes and Pitches Chapter 2: Treble Clef and Staff Chapter 3: Bass Clef and Staff Chapter 4: The Grand Staff and Ledger Lines Chapter 5: Ledger Lines (low and hight notes) Chapter 6: Note Values Chapter 7: Measure,Bar Line and Double Bar Chapter 8: 4/4 Time Signature and Note Values Chapter 9: Whole, Half and Quarter Rests Chapter 10: 2/4 Time Signature Chapter 11: 3/4 Time Signature Chapter 12: Dotted Half-note Chapter 13: Ties and Slurs Chapter 14: Repeat Sign, 1st and 2nd endings Chapter 15: Eighth Notes Chapter 16: Eighth Rests Chapter 17: Dotted Quarter Note Chapter 18: Dynamic Slurs Chapter 19: Tempo Marks Chapter 20: Articulation Chapter 21: D.C.,D.S.,Coda and Fine Chapter 22: Flats Chaoter 23: Sharps Chapter 24: Naturals Chapter 25: Whole Steps,Half Steps and Enharmonic notes BOOK 2 Chapter 26: Tetrachords and Major Scales Chapter 27: The Sharp Scales - G and D Major Chapter 28: The Flat Scales - F and Bb Major Chapter 29: Key Singnatures - The Sharp Keys Chapter 30: Key Signatures -The Flat Keys Chapter 31: The Remaining Major Scales with Key Signatures Chapter 32: Chromatic Scale Chapter 33: Intervals Chapter 34: Circle of Fifths Chapter 35: Perfect and Major Intervals Chapter 36: Minor Intervals Chapter 37: Augmented and Diminished Intervals Chapter 38: Solfege and Transposition Chapter 39: Sixteenth Notes Chapter 40: Sixteenth Rests Chapter 41: Dotted Eighth Notes Chapter 42: Common Time and Cut Time (Alla Breve) Chapter 43: 3/8 and 6/8 Time Signature Chapter 44: 3/8 and 6/8 Time Signatures at fast tempos Chapter 45: Eighth Note Triplets Chapter 46: Incomplete Measures(pick up notes) and Syncopation Chapter 47: Triads Chapter 48: Primary and Major Triads Chapter 49: Scale degree names Chapter 50: The Dominant 7th chord BOOK 3 Chapter 51: Triads-1st Inversion Chapter 52: Triads-2nd Inversion Chapter 53: Dominant 7th Chord-1st,2nd and 3rd Inversions Chapter 54: Figured Bass Chapter 55: Major Chord Progressions Chapter 56: Minor Scales Chapter 57: Natural,Harmonic and Melodic Scales Chapter 58: Minor Triads Chapter 59: Augmented and Diminished Triads Chapter 60: The Primary Triads in Minor Keys Chapter 61: Minor Chord Progressions Chapter 62: Modes Related to the Major Scale Chapter 63: Modes Related to the Minor Scale Chapter 64: Harmonzing a Melody in a Major Key Chapter 65: Broken Chords and Arpeggiated Accompaniments Chapter 66: Passing and Neighbouring Tones Chaoter 67: Composing a Melody in a Major Key Chapter 68: Harmonizing a Melody in a Minor Key Chapter 69: Composing a Melody in a Minor Key Chapter 70: 12-Bar Blues Chord Progression Chapter 71: The Blues Scale Chapter 72: Basic Forms of Music - Motive and Phrase Chapter 73: AB (Binary Form) Chapter 74: ABA (Ternary Form) Chapter 75: Rondo Form
1. The Exercises on EACH page are excellent and really cement your knowledge. 2. The Ear Training section at the end of each chapter is a good way to start developing your musical ear. 3. The Review section at the end of the chapter checks out your understanding for each musical concept. 4. I like the way that the book has been split into different sections, with each section becoming more complex as you go along. 5. The Accompanying CD's are of excellent quality, using real instruments and the production is also first class!
1. The layout of the book is a little cramped. There could be more space between each section. 2. There are no pictures to keep children amused and make it more fun. It's quite a serious book. For a much more fun approach click here. 3. The glossary doesn't cover all the technical words in the book.
Alfreds Essentials of Music Theory is a great music theory book that is very comprehensive. It does only covers the American System of whole note and half notes so if you are looking for the British system of semibreve and crotchet then I suggest you try
Music Theory for Dummies
But overall it is an excellent book with a wealth of information between's it's covers.
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