Music Theory for the Music Professional [Hardcover]

Richard Sorce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

Written as a music theory text that not only addresses the important fundamental syntax of music in the classical sense but also relates this syntax to current practices and styles, this book should be particularly well-suited to musicians focusing on aspects of the music business and of popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Sorce was a faculty member in the Department of Music and Performing Arts at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 548 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880157209
• ISBN-13: 978-1880157206
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,083,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Commercial music textbook primarily for classroom use, January 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Music Theory for the Music Professional (Hardcover)

With this 1995 title, Ardsley House continues its bid to introduce a complete quality line of university-level music industry textbooks. Unlike texts or popular books which subtly suggest that songwriters and media-oriented music makers might be able to get by with a little less traditional theory, author Richard Sorce, from New York University, where leading programs in both musical theater and commercial music can now be found, heads in the other direction, saying, "There is no quick method of becoming a competent composer, songwriter, arranger, orchestrator, harmonist, improvisor, or theorist." This book, then, is a map of the high road, for commercial musicians who want to make every theory stop along the way. The author's philosophy is that the music of the common practice period (1650-1875?) guides not only classically-oriented musicians, but all music practitioners. "Whether a performer, writer, arranger, recording engineer, or publishing agent, the professional musician must know the componenets of music if he or she expects to sustain a successful career." Sorce has thus taken the stand of a purist, and many competent commercial practitioners may disagree. But on the other hand, so many young musicians begin careers, knowing how to do a few things well, but then, when their careers take the inevitable turn toward film scoring or other larger works, they find themselves relatively clueless. That's where this book can help. Take pages 180 and 181, for example: I get all excited seeing Bach's "Chorale No.15" from "St. John Passion," side by side with Paul Simon's "Stranded in a Limousine," with both of them harmonized using popular music chord symbols. I'm hoping that teachers of commercial music will gradually adopt this rather rigorous text, which sets a new benchmark in the field of theory for the commercial musician. Ron Simpson, School of Music, Brigham Young University. Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESS

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't be happier, July 19, 2009

By 

Sean Montemurro - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music Theory for the Music Professional (Hardcover)

I'm very pleased with the content of this book. It is definately a university level book. I'm not a university level music student, but my aim is to gain the best understanding of my chosen profession as possible by teaching myself. I do not go to school for this. I do not have a teacher. I needed a reliable source of information, and this is about as in depth as I'd like to go right now. The first few chapters are a refresher course, however, I found that I gained a wealth of information just from studying those chapters. I see this as a book that will take me years to finish with. After I've read the book, I will definately come back to this to reinforce what I've learned. My only gripe is that the self test is outstanding, challenging, and interesting, but the book does not contain an answer key.