Techniques and Materials of Music: From the Common Practice Period Through the Twentieth Century (with eWorkbook Printed Access Card) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Michael Horvit (Author), Robert Nelson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Benjamin, Horvit, and Nelson have succeeded in creating a concise and easy-to-use text that any music student will find very useful."

"I think a strength of the book is the proportion of text to examples; in other words, there is less prose and more musical examples."

Product Description

Designed to serve as a primary text for the first two years of college music theory, TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS OF MUSIC covers all the basics of composition-including harmony, melody, and musical form. The authors present essential materials of common-practice music and an overview of 20th century techniques. Numerous hands-on exercises promote students' memorization and retention of key concepts. And the text's concise outline format, which has been enhanced for this edition, allows instructors maximum flexibility in choosing which materials, concepts, and techniques to emphasize in their course. An e-Workbook in PDF format provides more than 200 pages of exercises to complement TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS OF MUSIC, 7th Edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer; 7 edition (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495189774
• ISBN-13: 978-0495189770
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #606,975 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a clear theory book, April 27, 2006

By	Allen H. Davis "community college music guy" (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Techniques and Materials of Music: From the Common Practice Period through the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

This is a perfect textbook for college students in their first two years. Part of the beauty of the book is that instructors have a great deal of flexibility in how to organize their beginning music theory classes. One can add more composition projects or less depending on the class. In my opinion, which differs from the first reviewer, music theory is intrinsically not a subject for people to study independently. Music is too complicated with too many chances for misunderstanding. Most people know that they need an instructor to study piano. Why would theory be different? The examples provided in the book are clear, very clear, and can easily be expanded with more complex musical examples and assignments.

This textbook adds other musical textures apart from the often mistaught four part chorale textures with the parallel fifth and octave rules. No one in Bach's day (Bach is the model for this afterall) ever wrote chorales as vertical chord structures despite Walter Piston's strange misportrayal of this texture. Four part chorales are countrapuntal and that's how they're written.

We now have generations of music students teaching who continue this myth to the detriment of their students who pass the nonsense along when they start teaching. Benjamin, Horvit, and Nelson along with Leo Kraft and his excellent books have helped correct this.

This textbook is understandable, putting it far ahead of most of the others. I read Ottman and Piston and they are certainly pedantic and confusing. Both wax on with such lofty nonsense in their efforts to explain some of the most simple things. Why not just be clear?

The students finally have a chance to understand the real stuff with Benjamin, Horvit, and Nelson. I urge you to get a desk copy and decide for yourself.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Basic Music theory Text, August 8, 2003

By	W. Harwood "willyl" (Burlington, VT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Techniques and Materials of Music: From the Common Practice Period through the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

After years of buying and perusing basic music theory texts, I was discouraged with the main ones for their denseness and tedious nature, such as Piston and Hindemith. For the amatuer wanting a well-designed guide to develop an understanding of how classical music works, this is by far the best. The steps are clear and logical, the exercises just what the learner needs, and the accompanying book of music examples a highly advisable purchase. You could do this on your own without a guide, given the fact that the materials have been tested in the classroom. The bibliography is also useful, if for nothing else than to show you why this vademecum is the most user-friendly and helpful.

2.0 out of 5 stars Overpriced pistol target, October 16, 2009

By	W. Brown "person" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Know that old saying, "you get what you pay for"? It's not always so.
Copies of this book sell for $150 in places. That is ridiculous, seeing as it's less than an inch thick. It's supposed to cover centuries of music theory, yet each principle is explained vaguely and with few examples. If you want to get a really good step-by-step on Western music theory, take a look at Clough and Conley's "Basic Harmonic Progressions," which will give the reader a solid working knowledge of basic music theory ("basic" meaning the core of functional harmony). Unless you have a music class where this thin little book is required, stay far away from it. If I'm not able to sell this book back at the end of this year, I intend to take it to a target range and dispose of it properly. It will be the most expensive target I've ever bought.