Teach Yourself Music Theory - The Right Book for You?
The book Teach yourself Music Theory has as it's goal a "comprehensive introduction" to music theory. The chapter list below confirms that the book is in fact pretty comprehensive... Pitch Melody More about Pitch More about Rhythm Sharps and Flats Intervals More about intervals Major Scales and Key signatures Minor Scales and Key signatures Compound Time signatures Introducing Chords Harmony Adding Accompaniment to a Melody Musical Form Tone Colour and Interpretation Ornaments and Non-Harmonic tones Music Theory in the 20th Century and beyond Glossary
1. The book comes with an Audio CD which helps you grasp the concepts discussed in the book. 2. The exercises at the end of each chapter help the student test their knowledge of what they have learned so far. 3. The book is definitely a comprehensive study of Music theory, covering every aspect with some useful examples to help your understanding. 4. Sets you up well for the concepts covered in the Associated Board Theory Exams.
1. The language used in this book really isn't suitable for beginners to the subject. 2. I found the cheesy electronic piano sound a little wearing after a while and would have preferred a bit more variation in the sound over all. 3. As the topics become more complex I feel that more explanation is needed.(It was interesting that in my library copy a student had got as far as Chapter 4 and then given up!) 4. I found when I was listening to the CD that a few more track numbers would have helped me find where I was in the book, without having to press fast forward all the time. 5. The lack of pictures could make the book very dull to read for a child.
For a more fun approach, check this out..
So who is this book most suited to? Overall I like the book as it made a good effort in explaining the different concepts of music theory and also it really encouraged you to ge down and start writing your own music. However I do feel it's trying to cover too much and really should have first concentrated more on the fundamentals to make sure they were really understand. So I would recommend this book for more advanced students who already have the basics under their belt and are looking for a little more depth to their study of the subject.
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