Inside the Music - Guide to Composition (Softcover) [Paperback]

Dave Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999

For those who want to learn the inner workings of music without, as author Dave Stewart notes, "getting bogged down in a lot of fearsome technicalities," this is an enlightening exploration of the theory and practice of music. Picking up where The MusicianÕs Guide to Reading & Writing Music leaves off, Stewart uses the same amusing style, clear examples, and practical advice to encourage readers not just to read music, but to write some of their own. The book sheds light on tonality, chord sequences, scales and modes, tempo, rhythm, improvisation and composition, chords and chord voicings, MIDI, and more. 128 pages, 6 1/8 inch. x 9 1/4 inch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine, basic guide to composition, improvisation, and the foundations of making music...provides musicians with fine keys for fine-tuning achievements." --Bookwatch, July 1999

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879305711
• ISBN-13: 978-0879305710
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars On Inside the Music, June 27, 2000

By 

Greg Turner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Music - Guide to Composition (Softcover) (Paperback)

This is a very readable and accessible book for anyone. It covers the basics in an unintimidating way and has a chapter on composition and improvisation. It doesn't assume the reader has a Masters degree in music. It's very good and I highly recommend it to anyone.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the topic., January 29, 2010

By 

Ben (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside the Music - Guide to Composition (Softcover) (Paperback)

For those of you who haven't heard of Dave Stewart, the author of this book, he was the keyboard player for Egg, Hatfield and the North, National Health, and Bruford, all seminal British progressive rock bands. There are few people with better credentials to write a book like this. Want to write music that's harmonically and melodically interesting? Get this book.

This book is similar to Mick Goodrick's "Advancing Guitarist" in some ways. The tone is generally humorous and easy to understand, and Stewart treats music as something to be explored. The written examples are great, but they're given to provide a starting point for your own explorations. There are plenty of books that give exhaustive listings of scales and voicings. This isn't one of them. Stewart distills the material down to what he finds useful and what sounds good to his ear, and focuses on giving you a good understanding of the concepts.

The five sections on chord voicings are pure gold.

Highly recommended!

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary., October 26, 1999

By 

Carl Edwards (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Music - Guide to Composition (Softcover) (Paperback)

After many attempts at "understanding" written music or music theory I can actually say that this book has brought it alive for me.