The Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music [Paperback]

Dave Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1993

A pioneer in the progressive rock movement of the 1970s, and winner of KEYBOARD magazine's Best New Talent Award in 1979, escorts readers through the often intimidating world of music, introducing them to rhythm, key signatures, chords, and intervals, and telling how to write it all down. Clear and practical throughout, generously sprinkled with examples, this book leads readers to the point where they can take off on their own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An amusing, chatty style that sets it apart from text books and keeps you believing that the writer is really on your side." -- Breakthrough

"An excellent guide providing user-friendly instructions...accessible." -- Bookwatch, July 1999

"Clear, concise, thorough, funny -- and only $9.95. Stewart's entertaining prose makes for a painless read, and this book is a valuable reference when you're done." -- Bass Player

"Here, in this wittily written book, is a beginner's guide to reading and writing music...Essential reading for hitherto lazy rock musicians!" --Keyboard --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 103 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (March 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879302739
• ISBN-13: 978-0879302733
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,124,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid attempt at explaining a complex topic..., August 16, 2002

By 

Carlos N. Velez "carlos_n_velez" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music - Revised 2nd Edition (Softcover) (Paperback)

Of the music notation guides I've seen, this one is hands down the best. By carefully reading and studying the first three chapters alone, you'll be able to read a lot of basic music in standard notation.

However, in trying to keep the book brief & witty, a lot of helpful detail is left out. For example, in the chapter on intervals, there is no explanation of the nomenclature. Why is a Perfect Fifth called a Perfect Fifth, for example? I think a little more detail would help in some areas without detracting from the intention of the book. In other areas, a few more examples (e.g., explaining the intervals with a key other that C major) may help.

In order to get the most out of this book, readers will have to come up with their own exercises & study methods. I'm a guitarist, so I've been taking simple tunes & hymns and converting them (on paper) from standard notation to tablature, thus helping me learn where the various notes are located on the fretboard. The author does not make any suggestions for how to actually learn this material, so readers will have to be somewhat creative. It's not a book to be read and put down...think of it more as an outline or study guide.

Overall, I like the book very much. A little more detail, coupled with suggestions for exercises, would have made for a 5 star rating. Be prepared for a lot of memorization, and taking a lot of things for granted.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for beginners in music theory, June 14, 2010

By 

Jonas Aras "Audio Pro" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music - Revised 2nd Edition (Softcover) (Paperback)

I often recommend this book for those who want to build a good foundation for basic music theory. It's concise and easy to grasp.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great price for priceless knowledge, October 31, 2000

By 

Ryan Johnson (Guyton, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music - Revised 2nd Edition (Softcover) (Paperback)

I am a self taught musician, who wants to learn as much as possible about music. This book is an awesome, affordable way to gain the knowledge. Dave Stewart uses a some what humurous approach, without messing up the integrety of the book. I enjoyed every second and I learned so much from reading. I recommend this book to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of music.