The Complete Idiot's Guide
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$19.95 US |
Order The
Complete Idiot's Guide Ear Training Course CD separately
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by Dr. Frank Felice and Harry Miedema
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Finally, an easy-to-understand guide to music theory for all beginning musicians!
Do you sing or play an instrument? Can you read music? Have you ever wanted to compose your own music? Have you ever tried arranging a song for a group of musicians? Do you know how to put three notes together to make a chord—or three chords together to make a chord progression?
Everything there is about music can be explained by music theory. Music theory presents the building blocks you use to play and write music, and details the rules you use to put all those notes and rhythms to good use. When you have a knowledge of basic theory, you're the master of all things musical; without a solid grounding in theory, you'll forever be on the outside, like in illiterate person in a library, all the wonders of music just out of reach.
Fortunately, music theory doesn't have to be hard—or boring. It's really all about tones and rhythms, and how you put them together to create chords and melodies and complete songs. If you think that something like a Dm7/G chord is hard, you need to learn your theory; music theory helps you deconstruct complex chord structures, or build sophisticated harmonies from the most simple of melodies.
The question is how you go about learning music theory. One approach is to take a music theory class. Another is to enlist the aid of a theory teacher. (Both good ideas, by the way.)
But there's another way to learn more about the music you love—and it's called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory. This book takes you from the most basic basics all the way through leading a choir or orchestra through the music you've arranged -- in simple steps, using easy-to-understand language and examples. You don't even need to know how to read music to get started; this book will teach you how to read and write music and even how to transcribe songs you hear on the radio.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory is designed to be a self-teaching tool for anyone wishing to learn music theory. The book starts with basic notes and rhythms; advances through scales, melodies, chords, and harmony; and ends with valuable information about accompanying, arranging, and conducting your own music. In short, it presents pretty much everything you'll need to know about music theory—for musicians of any level.
Each chapter presents a basic concept of music theory, and progresses through that concept using a combination of text and musical examples. In some chapters you'll find pages of reference material—scale listings, chord charts, and the like -- that you can turn back to whenever necessary. At the end of each chapter are exercises based on the theory presented in that chapter. Work through these exercises to test your newfound knowledge—and find out what areas you need to work on a little more!
Here's some of what you'll find in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory:
- Sound strategies for understanding key signatures and scales -- including all major and minor scales
- An idiot-proof introduction to time signatures—from 4/4 to 9/8
- A comprehensive chord reference that shows how to build virtually any type of chord, in any key
- Tuneful techniques for adding chords to your melodies and writing melodies to your chords
When you read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, you'll learn how to:
- Read and write music notation
- Master major and minor scales
- Count out different rhythms
- Use common chord progressions
- Put tones and rhythms together to create melodies
- Add a bass line to an existing melody or chord progression
- Jazz up a song with different chords
- Construct an orchestral or vocal score
- Develop a "lead sheet" that can be used by other musicians
- Transcribe music you hear on the radio or CDs
- Interpret traditional Italian musical terms
NEW FOR THE SECOND EDITION!
The new second edition of this best-selling
book includes a bonus audio CD which contains The Complete Idiot's Guide Ear
Training Course. This easy-to-use CD teaches you how to:
- Identify specific pitches and intervals
- Recognize major and minor scales
- Hear complex rhythms
- Transcribe complete melodies
- Determine different types of chords
If you're daunted by boring old traditional music theory books, then it's time to make music theory fun and easy—with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory!
How to Buy This Book
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The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition, is
available at bookstores everywhere, or you can order the book online by clicking
the button to the left.
