No comments about Music in Theory and Practice, Volume 2 with Audio CD.

5 comments about Edly's Music Theory for Practical People.

1. An interesting, logical, and understandable approach to Music Theory. Filled with enough examples, insights, and relationships to round out your unterstanding.



2. This takes most of the information in the "much thicker and formal" Music Theory books and condenses to something manageable, easy to understand, easy to read AND easy to learn. A good book for any musician to own !



3. Ed Roseman has written a charming book, but has provided the reader with an inadequate explanation of its subject matter. I had to ask my trumpet instructor more than once to explain what Mr. Roseman failed to provide in the way of information about the concepts presented here. The student either has to guess or find the information elsewhere in order to avoid getting lost. I definitely do not recommend this book for anyone new to the subject of music theory unless they have access to someone well versed on the subject, such as a music teacher.



4. Studied music theory over the years and am finding this book very helpful in pulling it all together for me.



5. Like many a piano player, I learned to play by imitation, that is, imitating what my piano teacher taught me to do as a 9-year old. Ten years later, in my first `college band', I finally learned how to improvise and actually create music by taking a Jazz improvisation class. If you have time to take a class, do it...if not, buy this book. Perhaps this would be a bit complex for the complete novice, but if you're like me, (a person `classically trained' with little knowledge of how music is actually made) then this book is great.
   
   If you're a pop composer and always wondering why you go from C to A-minor, to F, to G, then back to C, this ACTUALLY explains it! Even better, it explains what other chords you can play to make your progressions more interesting. Heck, you may even write a Jazz tune while you're at it.
   
   A definite thumbs up.
   
   Not 5 Star...
   -A CD would be nice to accompany the various voicings of scales,etc
   -Should have more variety of example songs besides `old susana'
   -Could have gone deeper into music history, other than simply stating "most music is composed of the I, IV, and V chords."

5 comments about Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: A Complete Self-Study Course for All Musicians (Book & 2 CDs) (Essentials of Music Theory).

1. I think this book is amazing! It has the correct answers in the back of the book, in case you are unsure, and it teaches you step by step. The two CDs that are included are for the "ear training" parts inside the book. I've learned more with this book than I did in College, but in all fairness, I did not finish college :-) I would definitely recommend this book!



2. Book is basic but if your looking to learn musical notation, or a musical instrument on your own, this is a great starting point. it's all here in a easy to understand presentation.



3. This book is the best way to learn theory no matter if you are 6 or 60. You can learn at your own pace doing one or several of the exercises at a time. It covers the basics clear up to stuff you probably don't even want to know. I am a music teacher and I learned things that I had forgotten and other things that I never knew. I would recommend this course of study to anyone interested in learning about music theory.



4. This is very good theory book with a lot of exercises to practice and very concise concept in each unit. You will understand in any lesson very quickly and can step forward everyday. Recommened.



5. Music theory is very practical and useful for beginners, I'm very happy to study music theory with this book, the lessons are very clear and the enclosed CD help too much in understanding the theory concepts. Good choice.

5 comments about Study of Counterpoint.

1. The absolute best book for learning 16th century counterpoint. Nothing better!



2. Clearly I'm in the minority in giving it only three stars, so perhaps I'm way off, but these were my thoughts going through it:
   
   The good aspects: This book is informative and cleverly written and through reading it I had lots of notes written in the margins. I appreciate the format and lessons, and I felt that I could almost use this as a workbook and text book in one due to the excellent arrangement of lessons. The master is helpful and kind, and for me, it was nice having a student asking all the questions so I didn't feel like the only one there that didn't understand every point!
   
   The bad aspects: It seemed so antiquated and I can't imagine memorizing all those arcane rules and applying them when writing. Like, "Oops, I can't proceed in this direction because the masters frowned upon that sound?" Not that all those rules should be thrown out the window, but the exceptionally strict "you must never do this" seems so robotic and programmatic and strange for composing today, even for someone who isn't composing in an atonal or post-modern style. Perhaps if you want to make music that sounds medieval, then yes, this is your book, but if you're looking for something more broad, I don't think this really addresses it. Also, one reviewer said that you didn't need to have much of a background in music to understand it, but I totally disagree (although I can't imagine anyone without a music background picking this book up!). I would not recommend this book for someone who doesn't have a decent background because I think they would get very lost in all the terminology.
   
   Overall: I did feel like it gave a great idea about how many people composed, but again, I can't imagine writing music today based on all of those "right and wrong" rules.



3. Fux's masterful use of his counterpoint will leave you wanting more. Best know for his masterful thrust with a foreceful tempo, contemporary pianists have emulated his approach to great success. J. Holmes is reported to have read Fux's work daily prior to his strenuous orchestrations of thrust and release. Do yourself and your entire choir a favor and buy this book.



4. This book has been the basis of strict counterpoint instruction for over 200 years. In that period of time music has changed considerably. As a composer of a strange variety of music I have to say that these exercises are among the most useful things I've ever done. I dont think that the rules in the book were ever meant to be followed exactly in real composition, look at Handel Bach or Telemann( they were all in the middle of their careers when this was published:1721) but learning to do the exercises strictly to the rules influences the way you think about composing. Of course the main area that this book is concerned with is VOCAL polyphony, most of the rules of writing the individual parts are based on the general limitations of the human voice. I cant accurately explain how much this book has helped my music the exercises are realy helpful in making you think about certain details. Every composer should be force their way through the entire thing before they graduate from the conservatory.



5. Would you study Western religion without reading the Bible first? Nor should one study counterpoint without reading this book first. I'm glad I was able to purchase it from Amazon.com at a good price.

5 comments about Music in Theory and Practice Vol 1 w/ Anthology CD.

1. My class worked with Dr. Benward on this book--we were his test class. Although this may not be the best book for everyone, it is a very comprehensive text that requires the instructor's input. As Benward told us, if we were to teach theory we must work towards the student's understanding of the concepts and not allow the text to work magic. Hence, we must illustrate and re-inforce the principles with our examples and experiences.
   
   I hope I am lucid enough to help.
   
   Good book.
   
   Ian



2. Not a hardcore music analyst or anything. Just taking a music theory course with this text and it's not too shabby considering that other theory texts can be really vague. I wish in some ways there were more examples and actually that it was more clear in some areas but that's why we have a teacher to teach it to us.



3. I wouldn't recommend this book for self-study unless you are well acquainted with music theory and are using this as a review. Some of the concepts are not that well explained. However, it is designed as a classroom text, and for that and with a good teacher, it is excellent. Well organized and logical in it's progression. An intro to music notiation would be very helpful before taking a class using this book. It progresses very quickly. The accompanying workbook is highly recommended for reinforcement.



4. I have used this text successfully for several years with first-year college theory students, both in the classroom and in directed study. It offers many clear examples and a variety of exercises for students to complete. I intend to continue using it and would recommend it not only as a classroom text but as a vehicle for independent study for practicing musicians without an extensive knowledge of music theory.



5. This is a very helpful book for anyone looking at taking music theory class. It's simply a good reference point whether you have a good professor for the class or not.

5 comments about Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals.

1. This book contains some clear and self explanatory audio exercises. I hate to acknowledge that most of the exercises could have already been performed by using a 'free' (computer) tone generator to explore the different frequency ranges. Beware, it will require time to learn to listen properly. I was very wrong to believe that by listening to the contents once, I was set. I would suggest to make copies of use a separate sheet of paper to answers the exercises. This way you can repeat it, over and over. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in improving his/her audio listening skills.
   
   *PROS:
   -Good and helpful exercises
   -Nice correlation between the audio exercises and the freq. graphs on the book.
   -If you have no patience to play with a tone generator, this book is well suited for you.
   
   *CONS
   -The CD without the book or the book without the CD become useless.
   -You need to read the book while you listen to the CD.
   -The CD is in fact an MP3-CD, so you may not play it anywhere you want.
   -I have the impression that the book is kind of expensive. Many of the exercises can already be performed by anyone using a (free) tone generator.
   - The book is kind of bulky to take it anywhere.



2. This book is acutally a compilation of two of Alton Everests ear training books. The first, Critical listening skills, plays different frequencies, amplitudes, bands, filters, amount of total harmonic distorion, and revervbs. Then you are forced to recognize changes within these different areas. These are crucial ear training skills for anyone trying to break into the world of audio. It's not somehting you can go through once and leave. The book should become part of a routine of ear training.
   
   The second book, Auditory perception, discusses issues relating to the differences between how sound occurs and how we actually perceive it. Another valuable tool for understanding how sound works.
   
   Aparantly this book has been around for a long time but was, until this edition, only available in very expensive editions that were catering toward institutions. This is done by puting the 6 cd's onto 1 mp3 cd. This is my one complaint about this book, that people trying to become audio pros shouldn't use compromised quality files when training there ears. That is why I use the cd's as a guide and for the projects that require more acurate listening I use a tone generator in my DAW to recreate the sounds at a higher quality.
   
   All in all an excellent tool that has, in a short time, already proven very helpfull.



3. i just tried to listen to the track lessons on my very expensive and revealing audio system, and to my surprise the tracks on the cd lessons are on MP3!!! WHAT??? a book made for critical listeners can't hear it on a high end cd player! i dont believe this. they have the nerve to say this in page 4: "if you cannot hear these extreme tones, it may be either the fault of your ears or the fault of you equipment" ....so my $20,000 cd player is responsible for not hearing you crappy mp3 files?



4. Great book for begginers looking to understant the basics of sound. Clear and easy to understand.



5. Another review mentioned that the CD was corrupt. I hoped to get lucky and ordered it anyway but, alas, the CD delivered to me was corrupt, too. The book looks good but it is pointless without a CD. Has anyone figured out how to get a working CD?

5 comments about The Ultimate Scale Book.

1. A lot of interesting, and useful info in a small booklet, well worth the price !.



2. This book is better than a guitar teacher. It shows you the scales, but more importantly it illustrates how they fit together. If you're a guitar player wondering how some players can shred up and down the neck, its because they understand how scales work, exactly what this book teaches you. This book has made it possible for me to improvise solos. If you don't understand how the positions of scales fit together, and major and minor relativity, this book is for you. I have a scale and arpeggio book, the Yngwie Malmsteen DVD, Rock Discipline with (John Petrucci), and this book has been most beneficial to my playing.



3. This book is a must have for novice guitarists like me. It contains all the scales and modes you need to know in order to improve knowledge of the fretboard but also helps you build the scales for any note in any mode. This book definitely worth every cent.



4. This is a decent booklet on scales. I believe that it is worth the money. Its concise, though for a rank beginner, it may be a bit confusing.



5. When I started playing, I couldn't be any more confused. But I've since learned so much from this book. Everything's so clearly outlined and explained and not to mention that it's travel case sized. This book is almost too convenient!!

3 comments about Gentlemen (33 1/3).

1. What can you say about Gentleman that Bob didn't say? All I know is that it made for a phenomenal Sunday hungover read. This album got me through the hardest, darkest days of my life. Thank you for fleshing it out in this book.



2. Gendron's Gentlemen book encompasses the best aspects of the 33 1/3 series. It's readable in one sitting and is fast-paced, smart and accurate. The author takes great care with the source material and interviews to treat the album with the respect and love that it deserves. Through the historical detail, oral histories and criticism, this book illuminates even more to appreciate about the music, people and circumstances involved with this touchstone album.
   
   This book is a thought-provoking, proper and thorough investigation of Gentlemen which was long overdue, but worth the wait.



3. Gentlemen has been one of my favorite albums for a long, long while and, as Bob Gendron states in the book, it's a truly unique masterpiece, unlike anything that's come along before or since.
   
   Through interviews with many of the people involved in making both the album Gentlemen and The Afghan Whigs what they were, Bob vividly details the influences that provoked Greg Dulli to bare his soul so unabashedly. Among other interesting facts, we're finally given the true story behind the meeting of Greg, John, and Rick, as well as just the right amount of detail about the relationships that inspired the CD.
   
   This is a quick, insightful read that any fan of Greg Dulli's work (with the Afghan Whigs and other projects) will appreciate. Now I'll just wait for Bob to write the story behind my favorite album of all time, the follow up to Gentlemen, Black Love. But I won't hold my breath.

4 comments about Workbook Music in Theory and Practice Vol 1 plus Finale software.

1. Very fast service, but faulty product. The workbook had missing pages, and this was not described anywhere in the product description. This caused me to earn a grade of zero for my first two assignments, as the workbook pages weren't in my book. Sure, the seller offered me my money back, but what good does that do me now?



2. The book had a lot of writing in it and it was said be "be like new." It was nothing like new, the pages were very beat up and much of the comb bounding was broken or broke soon after getting it. The book was in horrible condition to be like new.



3. The exercises in this book are extremely helpful for reinforcing the text. Highly recommended for self-students, and commonly used as a college Music Theory text book.



4. Considering that my Materials of Theory I course has been a bomb with out professor this year, I'm pretty happy to have this book as a guide post. I would really be lost in the class without it. The writing is concise, to the point, and there are plenty of clear examples of the concepts that are being outlined. I would definitely reccommend it if you are looking at taking music theory course.

1 comments about Understanding Music.

1. This book does not come with the CD's that most college students will need. I returned the book because it did not have the disks with it and was able to find a book locally thru my college book store that came with the 3CD student disk set for less money than I paid for it with out the disks thru Amazon.com