The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Music Theory
2nd Edition

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Foreword to the Second Edition

Frank Felice, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Music Theory, Composition, and Electronic Music
Butler University
www.frank-felice.com

This is the book I wished I had in high school.

Then, along with choir and concert band, my primary outlet for music was a rock band, and each of us would gather nightly in my garage, rehearsing, scheming and dreaming, trying to knock out our own music, but without a solid grasp of the language and technical know-how.  This book would have been such a big help back then.  It’s still a big help now!  Music is a communicative art, and the first persons the composer, arranger or players must communicate with are other musicians.  To a beginner, or to the uninitiated, written music may seem like an American trying to read Mandarin!  If you wish to read and write music, this book could be more than your first Primer – it could be your Rosetta Stone.

In my own teaching, I often use the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory as a means to jump-start the learning process for my students.  Too often young musicians and teachers alike approach music theory as a Very Hard Subject That Must Be Learned, instead of a set of liberating tools that makes one’s music making easier and better.  However, this book makes learning theory fun!!!  Michael’s diagrams, language and wit will often contain the bit of information that allows the student to finally grasp the material at hand, often times with an accompanying smile at the author’s language and antics.  Consequently, I’ve often found that theory teachers at all levels will employ it for its numerous strategies, often at a time when nothing else has conveyed the concept.

Beginning with the basic terminology and concepts, Michael invites the reader to work through a course that eventually leads them to a point where they can use the elements and concepts of music theory to improvise or compose whatever kind of music that they’ve heard in their heads, and now present it to the rest of, so we can perform it, too.  Each chapter contains several individual nuggets of information: clear explanations about notation, rhythm, melody, harmony, along with further chapters on counterpoint, form, score layout, and even rehearsal technique.  Each chapter is filled with little Tips, often with just the right kind of language or explanation to simply illuminate the trickiest of concepts.  Each bit of technical language that is presented is done so in a logical and straightforward fashion, often humorously, helping the reader remember the concept more easily. 

This edition has added more aural skills/ear training materials – probably the single most important skill musicians learn and continue to hone their entire lives.  Indeed the chart that provides examples of all of the melodic intervals based on a number of famous melodies, is superb – invaluable to any musician!  Additionally, the accompanying compact disc provides a number of exercises: pitch recognition (often incorporating your instrument!), interval and chord identification, rhythmic and melodic dictation as well as some others.  All these skills are valuable assets, and Michael ably sets you on the road to acquire them.

Making music seems to be a drive that’s is inherent in all of us – the amount of garage bands and the numbers of children and adults who participate in bands, choirs, church and basement studios continues to illustrate this.  Increasingly, the need to express one’s self via music composition and songwriting is becoming more and more necessary.  We must have all of the tools and knowledge of their use to be able to communicate with the world around us, to communicate with as many people around us, to musically reach out and express ourselves. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory is one of the first and best tools in your musical toolbox.  And you know what the song says:  “If I had a hammer……”

Foreword to the First Edition

Harry Miedema
Assistant Professor
Director, Jazz Studies
University of Indianapolis

During the summer of 2001, I taught a class at the University of Indianapolis for our School for Adult Learning. The class was Introduction to Music Theory for Non-musicians. The students would be 24 years old or older and have no experience with music or performance other than their pleasure listening. As time for the class to begin neared, I felt uneasy about how I would approach teaching and selecting a text. When the class began, I tried to cover the basics of pitch and rhythm. But I soon realized that what I really needed to do was start where the students were and with music with which they were familiar.

I also realized that everyone has music inside themselves. Music is in time. It is regular. It occurred to me that humans all walk in time. We all speak in time. Our bodies have a natural rhythm. We only need to find out how to take advantage of these abilities we all share.

We have all had the experience of playing something back on our internal tape recorder. Everyone has a memory of some piece of music. I can close my eyes and internally hear 'Take Five', a song that Michael mentions in Chapter 6. I first listened to it as a youngster. I still have it locked in my head. Everyone can hear 'Happy Birthday' internally. Mike will show how this trait will help you to understand the theory of music.

Music theory is part of the written language of music. It is the written word of this aural art, music. It is not something only intended for music students. We don't have to use it only to analyze a Bach fugue. It is a living part of all music. I wish Michael's book had been available for my class.

Music is a language. It has its own vocabulary. I teach several classes in jazz theory each year. One point I like to make to my students is that they need to have the ability to communicate with the rest of the free world. This means using the same nomenclature all musicians use. Michael has done an outstanding job of teaching you to speak music as musicians speak it. He also has used several styles of music to teach the language. This stuff is not just for academe.

I was excited to read Chapter 12, "Transcribing What You Hear." Musicians would agree that listening and practice are of equal importance. Step by step, Michael leads you through all the basics you need to realize the music inside you. It doesn't matter if you like Classical, Jazz, Rock, or any other genre of music. This book will allow you to understand the principles by which music is organized.

This book is not just another music theory text. This is a book about the nuts and bolts of the music language. The presentation of material in 'learnable' chunks, allow you to understand everything about the language. He is right on with the 'Least You Need To Know' section of each chapter. The exercises at the end of each chapter serve as meaningful and helpful ways to understanding by doing.

I am convinced this book will lead you to new abilities, understanding, and enjoyment of music.