Customer Reviews

Composing Digital Music For Dummies

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you intend to buy this book to learn how to use Sibelius software as an aid to composing any kind of music, this is your book. The use of Sibelius software is what 90 percent of the book is devoted to. Sibelius software is expensive and its manuals are superior to Composing Digital Music For Dummies but the Dummies book does simplify the use of Sibelius software.

If your intention is to learn how to use digital instruments or software programs to lay down a drum track, to get a bedrock of bass accompaniment, to layer background music, to use your digital instrument to generate arpeggios, to learn which timbres work together, and finally how to compose melody and harmony, this is the wrong book for you. I can't point you to an alternative but Backbeat and Berklee songwriting titles cover some of this turf.

This book was really not what I expected at all after reading the description. I was expecting it to be a book about creating digital music. You know... starting from scratch or with loops or samples or whatnot and creating something that your friends and family can appreciate. Something along those lines. But that's not what this book is at all. I guess "composing" should be taken in the classical sense, since the book focuses mainly on using a particular piece of software to produce sheet music. There are sections on understanding and writing sheet music, and then a lot of discussion on using that particular piece of software to accomplish it.

Quite frankly, it seems a little unlikely to me that someone would be a novice to music and want to pick up a book like this to suddenly learn how to compose sheet music (without being able to play it), but whatever floats your boat. If that's what you are looking for, this might be a good book for ya. But if you are looking for more of a hands-on guide to actually creating digital music (composing, as in creating or putting together the actual music) then this is sure to disappoint.

I bought this thinking it was going to provide some shortcuts for my DAW and software. I own a lot of the software recommended in this book, but more than half of it is dedicated to Sibelius, a music notation software, mainly for orchestra or large bands, or vocal ensembles. I read this book in one sitting. I'm wondering how much in kickbacks the author receives for sucking up to Sibelius...

I found this book very helpful -- from explaining the background of the digital music revolution, to getting started from scratch, to advanced tricks and techniques. The samples, templates, and demo version of Sibelius 5 on the CD got me up and running quick.

A fine introduction to digital composing. Straight forward and fun to read. Not too technical, but will also keep techies happy. Lots of helpful resources beyond the book. Vines lets you know what you need to start out so you don't spend a fortune on fancy equipment. The book also talks about the business of music, putting your music out there and getting in touch with other musicians. The accompanying CD has templates for composing for various instruments in a variety of musical styles. Don't forget to check out Vines' bio. It's funny. He's a real musician. The guy's been around, and he knows what he's talking about.

This book is great for people who are just starting out composing their own music. Vines goes through the entire process in a detailed and coherent manner. He provides overviews on the music industry andthe history of digital music. He is careful to explain the history and reasoning behind digital music which gives the book great depth. He even explains some of the more basic information about music. If you have an interest making your own music this book is a great place to start.

I'm pretty musically challenged but I found myself actually composing with this book, it's so easy to understand and just walked me on through the steps. Wonderful software and it was really some fun to use too. It was a gift to me and I think I'll probably buy another as a gift for a friend like me. Who knew that music could be such fun.

Like the techie friend you call to set up your TiVo, Vines keeps it conversational but focused. The best way to familiarize yourself with something new to is read something that covers a lot of bases, and this book touches on a big variety of subjects. If you are a musician already, but not technically savvy (my Dad) the first half is for you. If you are more of a DJ at heart (me) there's some theory in the second part can go a long way with minimal application. A good read standalone, but also a friendly companion to the dozens of dry manuals and articles you'll inevitably read along the way.

Author Russ Vines has provided a wonderful over view on understanding the basics of the digital music revolution and provides a snapshot of many of the different software programs available. I have recommended this book to my students from high school through the college level. It will help you jump start your learning of composing music with the aid of software programs and various hardware (midi keyboards etc.).
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the desire to create music with the aid of digital tools.

I got this book thinking it would help me compose digital music. The problem is that it is based mainly off of the software that comes with the book, which isn't very good or up to date. I did recieve some useful information about electronic (made with computer) music and the history of it, but I'm officially still a dummy when it comes to composing it myself, therefore I would say the book did not achieve it's objective, or maybe it did depending on how you argue. Either way, I ended up ordering Dance Music Manual 2nd edition after reading this book because from what research I've done, it seems to be the most comprehensive book on actually producing something. I would also suggest buying a book for the specific software that you plan on using because the software that comes with "For Dummies" is shite and you won't use it anyways.