5 comments about Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics (Songwriting Guides).

1. This book is a well written book with fresh ideas that can be very helpful to a songwriter. I would highly recommend this book to any aspiring songwriter.



2. This book to great for the songwriter who needs that extra push from ok songs to great songs. Whether you are starting from scratch or revising songs already written, this book will help you see your songs with an objective eye. Not only will you write better but you'll listen better. You'll learn to listen to hit songs and figure out why they are hits. Great tool for any songwriter.



3. I thought the below review from 'an amazonian' was a bit negative and bought it anyway. After reading it however I have to agree with everything they stated.
   
   My advice is only get this book if you really, really struggle with lyric form and structure because otherwise you might find that you've wasted your money. I did.



4. I've been using the techniques advanced in this workbook and found them to be effective. A good book to use while reading The Craft and Business of Songwriting.



5. Perhaps this workbook is somewhat effective when used in a class, less so on one's own. Pattison's writing here is weak and frequently unclear, as if he did tossed this one off too quickly. Worse, the song examples he uses are far too often poor quality lyric writing themselves. Count the imperfect rhymes alone!
   
   Too poorly written for the novice to follow, too frustrating for the experienced lyricist, and way too encouraging of mediocrity by example. Try Pattison's other books instead.

5 comments about Evanescence Fallen (Pvg).

1. This book is a great book, especially for guitar /piano / keyboard players. You can play it with your band (if you have one), and the sheet music for "Hello", "My Immortal" and even piano fill for "Bring me to Life" and other songs are there!

   Note: Guitar-Bass parts does not included.

   This book is easy - BUY IT!




2. I am a vocalist and am taking piano, and I love this music book! It is really great for the vocalist/pianist/guitarist Evanescence fan. However, don't buy it thinking you will sound exactly like the band. Of course, they can't match up the music exactly, and it is a bit different than the album versions or the songs you're used to. However, if you like Evanescence and want to do their songs, buy it!



3. I love this book, I use it all the time at my singing lessons.



4. I first heard the song Imortal on one of the music tv channels,I'm thinking it was VH1. I wish the music channels were all music again. I realized later she was also on the Elektra soundtrack (Great movie and nice outfits-Jennifer Garner) I put the Imortal song on a DVD-I recorded it from TV, I always wanted to learn to play the song so after alittle thinking I decided to purchase the music. I'm the kind of person who buys something -only if it has a few good songs.She has a GREAT voice.



5. It offers exactly what it says. Great for learning piano/guitar duets. ADding the vocals is a given.

1 comments about New York Dolls: Photographs by Bob Gruen.

1. Flash back to 1973-74: I was an impressionable 12 year old rock fan, when I first saw the NEW YORK DOLLS on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert on TV. Immediately I realized that THIS was what Rock & Roll, and particularly Glam Rock was all about. I had just gotten my first electric guitar & was learning how to play. The Dolls' songs were catchy, easy to replicate, and most of all, COOL! Soon I was on my way to replicating the Dolls in any way I could. This book would have helped a lot in those days. There weren't a lot of photos of the Dolls in the magazines back in the day. This book is a treasure trove of rare & amazing shots by legendary rock photog Bob Gruen. I'd recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this legendary band. Much like my well worn vinyl, and CD's, and the awesome DVD Bob release a year ago, this is a "must have" for any fan of David JoHansen, Syl Sylvain, Arthur "Killer" Kane, Jerry Nolan, and Johnny Thunders.

2 comments about Mastering Sibelius 5 (Book & CD Rom).

1. Mr. Schonbrun has done a great job of creating a top-class resource for learning Sibelius 5. Mr. Schonbrun's writing style is very friendly and direct, making this book an easy read. His skill examples are quick-to-do and easily attainable, and all contained on the accompanying CD. Sibelius is now the pre-eminent software for music notation, and Schonbrun makes it a very easy task to learn how to use it. Anybody considering notation software should definitely purchase Sibelius 5, and get this book to accompany it.



2. Mr. Schonbrun's book is an excellent resource for any music educator, music student, musician, performer, or composer who has used Sibelius or is new to using Sibelius. His language is clear and concise and it is simple to find items in his index. The CD that accompanies the book assists the user greatly as it allows the user to learn Sibelius 5 by completing files that correspond with the items in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn how to master a notation software in a way that is comprehensive and user-friendly.

5 comments about Solo Guitar Playing: Bk 2 (with CD).

1. I've started and stopped trying to teach myself how to play guitar on 3 different occasions for over 10 years. (I did have prior music experience from playing the violin as a youth.) I bought this book some time ago, got 20 pages in and then decided I'd just try to learn tabs and chords like everyone else seemed to be doing. But then I engaged my ego and decided to learn how to read notes and properly learn the playing technique I would need to last me for a lifetime. I dusted this book off again and kept plugging away. Lo and behold, I kept getting further and further into the material. The thing that helped me, which I didn't do on prior attempts, was to exercise PATIENCE! If it takes me two or three weeks to master a chapter, then so be it - I know it will stand me in good stead in later lessons and boy, has it! I now play at least 4 times a week for at least an hour, including practicing arpeggios and scales, for the sheer joy of it.
   
   I am loving this book and have Solo Guitar 2 standing ready for when I complete the first volume. Highly recommend for those trying to teach themselves the "right" way. :-)



2. First let me say that I would not recommend this book unless you are at least an intermediate classical player, if not, then begin with Noad's "Solo Guitar Playing 1", which goes from beginner to intermediate. Both of these books come with a cd containing most of the songs from the book, and neither one has tab. Solo guitar 2 has some technical instruction, such as counting dotted notes, rest stroke and free stroke, slurs, trills and other ornaments, and a number of definitions of classical music terminology. This book covers the periods known as classical, romantic, renaissance and baroque, with exercises and songs from each, by masters such as Sor, Tarrega, Guiliani (including his exercises for the right hand), Bach, Handel and others. The material goes from fairly easy examples that will improve your speed, accuracy and sight reading ability, to "Recuerdos de La Alhambra" and "Estudio Brillante de Alard", which are advanced concert quality pieces by F. Tarrega. There is also a song by Frederic Hand called "Study number 1", which isn't exactly classical, but it is quite nice anyway. This is one of my favorite classical guitar books, the material was selected to be educational and very enjoyable as well. If you put in several months (years ?) of work on this book you will not regret it, and by the end, you will be able to play these great songs, and just about anything else that you could ever imagine.



3. I stumbled onto this book as a teenager trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I found it both easy to understand and rewarding. Eventually I went on to minor in jazz guitar in college and spent several years as a union musician. A few years ago I returned to this book (I finally replaced my old copy with a new version) when I wanted to venture into classical guitar. Almost thirty years later I found it equally as captivating and rewarding as it was in my first encounter.
   
   Recently I decided to learn to play the English concertina, but found that there were no quality tutorials readily available, so I turned, once again, to Mr. Noad. The exercises presented in the book have been very helpful and have allowed me to feel an increasing sense of aptitude on the concertina as I step through the lessons!
   
   Solo Guitar Playing is built on a clear, accessible methodology and a well-paced progressive learning system that stands the test of time! If you could only have one guitar instruction book, this would be the one to consider.



4. I ditto both previous review. Don't buy this book until after you have completed Noad's book one. It reviews some previous technique, but is much more advanced generally. I found a few mistakes in it so far, in the learning to count notation section, so it does have some notational errors. But overall, so far I think this is a good book worth the money. It would best to use this book in conjunction with a quality classical guitar teacher. Trying to learn classical guitar on your own with no professional guidance is begging to learn terrible playing habits.



5. his is the first classical instruction book i ever had with a cd i had flamenco books with a cd guide to show how you are playing i am looking forward to many hours of fun playing and learning using this book.

5 comments about Performance Success : Performing Your Best Under Pressure (Theatre Arts).

1. After spending my teens and twenties playing rock and roll, I began playing the cello at 29 and a decade later now play at a professional level. Along the way I have experienced plenty of psychological bruises in performance situations--which, thanks to this book, I learned were self-inflicted. "Performance Success" has provided me with plenty of "right-mind" ideas for dealing with performance anxiety, which I have tried out successfully on stage. If you've ever dealt with nerves before performances or auditions, this book is a must-read!



2. This is a very good book for performance artists, not only for musicians. The strategies and exercises for performing at your optimal under situations of high pressure are effective. Nonetheless, sometimes I thought they were oversimplified. The exercises explained in the book DO work, however, I thought that the lenght of time proposed in the book to practice and master them are unrealistic. I don't think that after practicing and performing without an intense focus for many years I could just make it happen in one week by just practicing it a couple of minutes a day. I know it takes (at least to myself) many months even a couple of years to train my mind to be in the "here and now" every single minute I play. What this book did for me was to create a new awareness of how should I approach my practice time, what kind of exercises to do to be better prepared for a big event and what kind of mental state I should be pursuing in the moments leading to and during performance.



3. I believe strongly that the key to winning an audition lies in identifying the stresses that affect all musicians and performing artists, and learning how to become more comfortable with your abilities by accepting both your strenths and weaknesses. Winning an audition is a game, and whatever you can do to prepare yourself psychologically is a help. This book categorises the psychological activity that accompanies the lead up to an audition or performance, and allows you to set up a regime of positive thinking and relaxation that will inspire you to achieve more from each of your successive performances. I think it is an absolutely essential addition to any serious musician who really is determined to pursue their dreams. Too many of us engage in "doomsday thinking", and don't allow ourselves to find out what we could really achieve if we just gave ourselves a fighting chance. Obviously you don't have to use everything in the book, but as a professional violinist, i highly recommend it to any of my colleagues who have problems focusing on achieving a good performance in the meager ten munites that we often have to prove ourselves.



4. This book empnasizes on how to manage your fear, stress, emotion and all situations that will not let you perform adequately. Mr.Greene gives some good examples on how to use your right side of the brain, the place where everybody would love to be. Also there is a series of questions that will let you know at what level of performace you are at that moment, and according to the score, he tells you how to improve on it. So all you people out there looking for a book on self control in front of an audience, this is it!



5. Don Greene is good at explaining how to utilize your "right brain" for performance purposes. It's harder to work through the material in book form, but if you can't get his CD or work with him personally, the book is great. I would definitely recommend it.

5 comments about Study of Orchestration, Third Edition.

1. All I can say is these six CDs make all the difference when taking this orchestration course, no matter if it's in a class or on your own. In fact, this whole set, including the book and workbook, was a dream come true for me. Orchestration is greatly demystified with the accompanying CDs.



2. Samuel Adler's book covers all important instruments in the modern symphonic orchestra: how they look, how they are played, where they come from, how they sound, how they blend with other instruments, their practial range (both for professional and non-professional players) and the correct notation within various contexts. It also tells the orchestrator about limitations and build-in problems for each instrument and how to deal with it. This alone is worth the price tag.
   
   This book focusses on the orchestral "tone colors" and how they are mixed. Of course the widely accepted notation is widely covered as well in many examples.
   
   I would have loved to have an accompanying CD (which of course would be expensive to produce - but it would immensely add to the value of this work), and I also would have loved to learn more about how to build great sounding voicings and how exactly the various sections dovetail into each other (melodic and harmonic concepts and layers). From this book I know what I can do and what might sound odd. But I gained little insight on how to tackle an orchestration, how to start: the down to earth nuts and bolts.
   
   There are some examples on how great composers broke the rules. But (as I expected) we have no clue about the ideas behind it and if it actually worked. I would love to have for once a book who doesn't make gods out of famous composers (they are, no doubt, but that's old news - true teaching should equal motivation) but let us in on their secrets, at least as much as possible. Also: we know that rules are meant to be broken, but there are even rules on how to break rules. It's just the next level. I would love to have books on that.
   
   Otherwise: very highly recommended! Not to be left out in any orchestrator's library!



3. This is a wonderful addition to the already comprehensive book "The Study of Orchestration". People who may have a little trouble hearing what they read on the page--as is my case--will find very clear and well-recorded examples of everything discussed in the books.
   
   In addition to the useful audio recordings of several short score excerpts seen in the book, there are also very helpful video recordings of musicians playing various instruments using every different known technique.
   
   For those who cannot get a hold of a live orchestra to demonstrate the limitations and qualities of each instrument, these CDs and the book they accompany are an effective substitute, and worth every penny.



4. In order to get the most benefit from Adler's text, I would urge the user to purchase the accompanying enhanced multimedia CD set. Given the magnitude of subject matter being covered, noone can reasonably expect each and every one of the hundreds of sound clips to be perfectly illustrative of what the author discusses. But I would say that most examples are quite useful. Reading through some of the text can be a little dry and overwhelming; if nothing else, listening to the music bits along the way breathes a good deal of life (and some fun) into the material.



5. Great transaction. My son needed this text book for school. It was about 3/4 of the regular price. And it it was shipped right to his door. Ya gotta love it!

5 comments about 100 Carols for Choirs.

1. This book is a wonderful source for any established choir. The multi-part harmonies are arranged in a unique and expressive way. The song selections range from old latin (Quem Pastores Laudavere), to religious (It came upon a midnight clear), and even encludes variations of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.



2. I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop with David Willcocks, and received this book as part of it. It was first published in 1987, but Sir David had some amusing anecdotes to share about how he and John Rutter, another name to reckon with in choral music circles, put it together.

   This is what I like about it:

   * These gentlemen are giants in the English choral music scene, and personify the English choral tradition in everything they do. So it's a pleasure to find that they have included many carols from other countries, as well as the English ones. It's very hard to find non-English-language carols, so this is a nice little collection.

   * Their 4-part arrangements are imaginative but easy enough to sight-sing.

   * It also includes a listing of church festivals other than Christmas, with the names and page numbers of carols that would be appropriate for each.

   * For ease of navigation as you're singing, the verses are in Roman type while the refrains are in italics.

   * For reasons that are not clear, they have chosen to include the text in the original language in some cases, but not all. The foreign language texts are immediately under the English translations, so you can sing in either language.

   * At the very end of the book is the order of service for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, with instructions on the appropriate rank of each person to read, from chorister to bishop.

   If you are only going to buy one carol book, this and the Oxford Book of Carols are the best ones to consider. The Oxford has more in it, and is hugely more expensive, so I recommend this one! it'll take you several Christmasses to sing your way through it.




3. I had to buy this book for a concert with my local music association. I was impressed with the wide variety of carols in it, despite the fact that it lacks the "Carol of the Bells," one of my favorites. I was kind of hoping that some of the arrangements could be used for informal singing, but most of them are arranged for performance.



4. This is a must have for anyone conducting a choir at highschool level and beyond. I sang many of these songs in my choir in highschool, and now that I'm starting my own carreer as a music teacher I've purchased my own copy. If you're looking for some great arrangements of classic pieces, this is the book you want. Perfect for the classroom and more.
   
   Some of the gems of this book that I'd recommend are Lord of the Dance, and In Dulci Jubilo.
   
   Buy this, you're missing some great music if this isn't in your collection.



5. Absolutely marvelous collection with wonderful descants and interesting arrangements. I have given copies to many people because I love this book so MUCH!!! If you've ever lived in England, or ever loved CDs of King's College Choir or St. John's College Choir from Cambridge, England, you will discover the arrangements in this great book!

2 comments about The Hal Leonard Pocket Music Dictionary.

1. Every student should have a suitable music dictionary at their disposal during ensemble rehearsals. This book fits the bill perfectly for junior high, middle school and high school students. A must have for any kid in band or orchestra.



2. For a little pocket dictionary, it's got a lot in it. I like the way it is organized. It fits easily into my bag and on my nightstand. I am very happy with it. I still may shop around for a larger music dictionary but in the meantime this one is great and I will use it even when I get a bigger one.

5 comments about Harmony and Theory: A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians (Essential Concepts (Musicians Institute).).

1. If you want to improve, you should be going through this book. It's a great way to completely solidify your foundation in music theory.



2. When I was young, I went to music school but I quit after 3 or 4 years. Now I wanted to learn everything back again, cause I forgot the most of it. This excellent book teaches everything you need to know about music. No matter what instrument you play, you can apply the theory to it (but I guess guitar and piano are the easiest). The first few hours I read this book, everything I ever forgot about music theory was clear again. If you wanna know music theory, then you should definitely buy this one! It's cheap and very helpful.



3. This book is excellent, well organized and with very clear explanations. In addition, there are plenty of exercises that are crucial to actually learn the theory discussed. It gave me a solid background to learn more advanced material. The reason why I am not giving it five stars is that it lacks a CD and a subject index at the end. Mention is made to Ear Training, another book by the same authors that comes with two CDs. However, Harmony & Theory should come with a CD of its own so that one could listen to what is explained. Anyway, I highly recommend this book.



4. Well, it looked good when I ordered it, but don't try to actually learn anything from it.
   
   I'm returning to music after many years away, and I really need some good material to refresh my memory and sweep out the cobwebs. This book couldn't teach a humming bird to hum, and in fact, when finished, the bird would be a completely confused and dysfunctional musician.
   
   Example: Chapter 17, exercise 1. Gmi6/9 chord. The "answer" is G - D - Bb - E - A. Now, depending on the scale used, this might or might not be correct. Yes, if you are using the melodic minor scale, then E natural would be correct as the 6th. (And perhaps this is simple stuff for some, but for someone trying to re-learn this stuff, a bit of clarity goes a long way). Nowhere, that I could find, is it explained what scale is used to construct these chords.
   
   In exercises like this, they often ask for the chord to be written in
   "root" position. The answers are always confusing, and never match what my idea of "root" position is, which is fine, but again, NOWHERE in the book does it really explain what is expected when "root" position is requested. In the example above, for example, what would be wrong with G - Bb - D - E - A ? There is nothing wrong with moving the third above the fifth, but is having the third in between the first and fifth a wrong answer, or is it a matter of the desired voicing that determines where you put the third? (as I think it should be). Again, no explanation.
   
   This is just a couple of examples, but there are many more. The whole presentation of the information is very often confusing and anything but straight-forward. Music is just not this difficult, and perhaps if the book included a live-in professor to explain it (and even then I'm sure the professor would replace this book), I would walk away from it.
   
   It's about as clear as mud - and especially if you want to study by yourself.
   
   I can't yet recommend an alternative becuase I'm still looking, but when I find one, I'll let ya'll know.
   
   Don't bother!



5. This was a very useful book for teaching theory and harmony to adult students. It is clearly explained and contains vast amounts of information. Not for use with children under 12...too complicated for them.