Customer Reviews

An ABC of Music (Oxford Paperback Reference)

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This is a gloss that moves very quickly from elementary notation to dodecaphony. It is moderately pleasant to read and fairly clear for the novice. But beware: It is British, so it speaks of crotchets and quavers, rather than of quarter notes and eighth notes. It discusses dissonance in terms of Helmholtz's discredited beat theory. Also recommended (very much): PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.

I came across Holst's ABC's 35 years ago as a teen and it gave me endless delight, fascination, inspiration and motivation. The explanations are clear and direct, classic in their simplicity. I rate this book as one of the keys to my becoming a professional musician.

It's very sad to find so many people systematically brainwashed into believing everything a few decades old is "outdated"--this belief is pure superstition. It's very sad to feel constrained to point out the bleedingly obvious (as comedian John Cleese would put it): 1) the fundamentals of music HAVE NOT CHANGED since this book was first published. 2) What is good is what ENDURES.

First off, if youre from England, ignore this review, this book may help. But being from the US, it uses different terms for the notes, which can drive you nuts. Not only are you trying to learn music but also trying to learn the different language for the notes. So its very frustrating.
A big problem is, this book is many decades old. When starting to learn music, its best to practice on songs you know, so that when you see the stems and flags you can tell how they are to be played. Chances are, you will not know a single example song in this entire book. And then comes the real problem mentioned above. It doesnt use terms like whole note, half, quarter, eighth, etc. It uses terms like semibreve, crotchet, quaver, etc. Meaning i had to constantly keep referring to some early pages to see what they are talking about. I read half the book, learned almost nothing because of this aggravation, and tossed it on the shelf for my dust collection. If you're from the US, you need a US written book. I would highly reccomend "YOU CAN Read Music" by Amy Appleby. It even includes a CD. Very recognizable songs to practice on and everything is explained in very easy to understand terms. Another OK one is simply called "Learn to Read Music" by Howard Shanet.
Im sure a few decades ago this ABC book did wonders for students in England, but this doesnt work today in the US. At least not for me.

If your intent is to study a comprehensive introduction to the theory of music - this is not the book you're looking for. Although it is adequately thorough, the book's explanations are poorly organized and consistently cluttered with unnecessary & outdated commentary. For example, the book goes so far as to chide electronic instruments as "gloomy" and "hollow," insisting they have nothing to offer a serious musician. ABC of Music was published in 1963 and repeatedly shows its age. I've yet to see an adequate music theory companion, however, if you are strictly intent on being snooty about your compositions, Music Fundamentals: Through Pitch Structures and Rhythmic Design by Elvo S. D'Amante is worth the extra expense.

Ahem. In case you're wondering, the author of this wonderful introduction to music is Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst and a brilliant musician in her own right--as well as a supurb writer of lucid prose. The introduction is by Benjamen Britten. Who are Gustav Holst and Benjamen Britten? Along with Ralph Vaughn Williams, the most famous and highly regarded British composers of the twentieth century, that's who. (If you're one of the few people on this one who haven't heard Holst's THE PLANETS, you're in for a treat.) So forget Elmo what's-his-name, and learn music from someone who really, really knows what she's talking about.

(Also check out Gustav Holst's favorite piece, EGDON HEATH.)

With this guide, the rudiments of music become accessible to the busiest lover of music.