Customer Reviews

Essential Dictionary of Music: Pocket Size Book (Essential Dictionary Series)

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

 

 

This is a very useful and helpful book containing practically everything you'll ever need to look up when it comes to basic information about musical instruments, music theory, composers etc.
Amongst other things, this book presents and illustrates:
- the average ranges for musical instruments and vocalists (basses, tenors, altos, sopranos)
- definitions of common English, French, German, Italian, Polish (et al) musical terms and abbreviations.
- basic musical theory starting with an introduction to how notes and rests work, how sharps and flats work within different key signatures, and proceeds to things like intervals, scale types, chord types, chord charts, the cycle of fifths, ornaments, dynamic marks, tempo marks, music symbols, repeat signs etc.
- basic information about a large amount of composers, such as when and where they were born and musically active and what historical periods they belong to. Over 120 pages of the book presents composers of early music, like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, but also modern composers like Edgard Var'èse, Frank Zappa and Charles Mingus.

The book does not include information about any musical groups, it doesn't illustrate musical examples from any composed music, it doesn't give you tips on what and how to practice on certain instruments, nor does it touch upon topics like instrumental and vocal technique, but everything basic that you should know if you're teaching or studying within the field of music you will find here (for a very low price.)
As it reads on the cover of the book: "The most practical and useful dictionary for students and professionals - over 330 pages of comprehensive music information."
Add "basic" to the last sentence and the statement is 100% accurate.
...the fact that the book is small, and therefore easy to carry with you anywhere, makes it great.

Wasn't sure what I expected in a pocket sized book, but really the book tries to cram too much info in its pages. Consequently, the information on composers is barely useful, even though the number of composers is volumnious, which leaves too few pages for the other topics it tries to cover. The weak section on composers is larger than the section on musical terms.

Nice idea, but ho-hum result.

A comprehensive and well laid out reference book. A quick and concise aid for writing and teaching music.

Every student should have one of these handy. Everything you could ever need to look up in a compact, yet amazingly well laid out format. Easy to find stuff quick without missing a beat :)

....I'm a Music Major in college, and I will soon be a band director....this product is very useful because is helps me further understand the terms I've known and have never seen before....it also has instrument and vocal ranges for whenever I compose a piece for Band or Choir....the only thing I wish it had was a fingering chart for all instruments

I give copies of this brief dictionary to my graduating (high school) Band seniors. It is quite comprehensive in terms of subject matter covered, even if most stuff is covered superficially. A nice basic reference for high school sudents.

This pocket dictionary is exactly what I wanted in a music dictionary. It is everything it says it is in the title. It is the perfect pocket music dictionary to carry with you wherever you go and comes in very handy when you need to look up something really fast when you are teaching or studying music.

We've had this book for many years & have referred to it often. So we bought it for daughter's piano teacher who could use the great resource as well.

Under "Composers," we find Michael Jackson and Mick Jaeger alongside Bach and Tchaikovsky, while other notable composers go missing. Other than that spot of comic relief, there is nothing of value cover to cover; thus, the title: Worthless & In The Garbage.