The Everything Music Theory Book: A Complete Guide to Taking Your Understanding of Music to the Next Level (Everything Series) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Are you a musician who longs to take music to the next levelÑbut arenÕt sure how to go about it? You need to unlock the ÒsecretÓ to understanding music on a deeper levelÑto help you grasp what it is that makes music music. In The Everything Music Theory Book with CD, musician and music educator Marc Schonbrun takes you step by step through the underpinnings of music theoryÑthe very glue that holds music together.

YouÕll learn about:

• Chord and scale construction
• Harmony and harmonic analysis from Baroque through jazz
• Musical form and development
• Counterpoint and voice ;eading

Perfect for everyone from the intermediate musician to the pre-collegiate music major, The Everything Music Theory Book with CD is your one-stop guide to mastering one of the most important tools for every musician: musical understanding. Complete with a helpful audio CD, practice concepts, and exercises, this clear and easy-to-follow book-plus package takes you from music enthusiast to true musician in no time, regardless of what instrument you play!

About the Author

Marc Schonbrun is a noted educator, musician, and author. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the Crane School of Music where he studied classical guitar, theory and composition. He is also the author of The Everything Guitar Chords Book with CD, The Everything Reading Music Book with CD, The Everything Home Recording Book, and The Everything Rock and Blues Guitar Book with CD. Marc divides his time between conducting clinics around the world for music instrument manufacturers, writing books, and performing music in New York. He lives in Great Neck, NY.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (December 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593376529
• ISBN-13: 978-1593376529
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #96,023 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for anyone interested in (or intimidated by) music theory, July 13, 2007

By	Brian A. Slickis (Canton, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been playing music since elementary school band and have played guitar since I was 20 years old (I am now 32), so music theory is not new to me. I have long had a cursory understanding of basic theory, but there were a lot of things I knew but did not understand, and a lot more that I just plain didn't know.

For example, I knew about the different minor scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic), but had no idea why there were three of them and how they were used. I knew that a "root" chord usually follows a V7 chord, but did not understand why the V7 chord has such a strong pull back to the tonic. I knew what a "tritone" was, but not why it is musically important or when and how to use one. I had seen the circle of keys (aka circle of fifths) but did not understand its purpose or how to apply it to the music I read and play. I had only the most basic understanding of things like harmonization, chord progressions, inversions, and augmented/diminished chords, and I found many explanations of these things to be intimidating at best and confounding more often than not.

This book explains all of those and a good deal more, as well as when and how to apply the concepts, in a way that is very easy to follow and comprehend. The author goes into why things are the way they are with bits of historical information and examples that help you understand where different musical concepts came from, but he does not get bogged down in the "how and why" like a lot of theory books do, and he never loses focus on the topic at hand.

The Everything Music Theory Book is fantastically written, easy reading, and informative, and I do not hesitate to recommend it to anyone I meet that is interested in music, regardless of their current level of understanding or which instrument they currently play or want to learn. The material presented in the book is invaluable to anyone that wants to learn about music or improve their ability to play, comprehend, and analyze it, and you would be hard pressed to find it presented in a manner that is plainer, friendlier, or easier to understand.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great refresher book, missing one thing, May 28, 2007

By	pranaearth (Niantic, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Having studied music performance as a child, I wanted to freshen up on my theory skills. I like the book because it didn't talk "down" to you, like you were a six year old. The author covers a range of topics that will get you up to speed quickly. The only gripe I have: In certain areas in the book he gives you "Etudes"--tests to see how your comprehension is. However, there are no answers provided in a book, or no online link give to where the answers are. So you could be self-teaching your way through the book and you would have no clue on if you were right or not. Other than that, I really do enjoy this book. If you don't play piano or guitar, a CD of audio examples is included, which I think is a nice touch.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book..., March 16, 2007

By	Randy Vanhosen (Iowa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have bought 3 books by this author on Amazon and think they are all great books...
I have learned alot from this book and like the style in which the author writes...
Thanks,
Randy