Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: A music teacher friend recommended this book for my son, and before wrapping it I checked it out. I don't know music, but this book seems like a great way to learn. I've bought most other theory books out there and this one seems the friendliest and easiest to understand.

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Summary: Why I wrote this book
Review: As a teacher for the last 11 years, I've always required my students to learn to read music. Reading music is a tool that can allow you to play styles of music that you never knew existed. For many years I searched for a book that did what I thought a music theory book should do: teach with a sense of fun and incorporate humor, interesting facts, and a sense of WHY. I never found a method that fit the bill, so I wrote this book. Learning is so much more interesting when the source is friendly and funny. Thousands of people have bought and used this book. I hope you'll like it, too.

Rating:
Summary: This is Very Basic Stuff
Review: As someone who studied an instrument through high school but had no formal training in music theory, this book didn't tell me much that I didn't already know. It's for people with no performance OR theory background. It doesn't cover anything that you'd expect to learn in a college level class. But, it would be a great for someone who's never learned an instrument or for a kid at the elementary or middle school level. It's very clearly written and easy to understand.

Rating:
Summary: This is Very Basic Stuff
Review: As someone who studied an instrument through high school but had no formal training in music theory, this book didn't tell me much that I didn't already know. It's for people with no performance OR theory background. It doesn't cover anything that you'd expect to learn in a college level class. But, it would be a great for someone who's never learned an instrument or for a kid at the elementary or middle school level. It's very clearly written and easy to understand.

Rating:
Summary: I was disappointed
Review: Based on the reviews I read here, I bought the book. I was disappointed. The "humor" and "fun" are overshadowed by the fact that book is shallow in its coverage of music theory. I was especially irritated that it teaches the names Tonic and Dominant, but leaves out the other degrees of the scale. I hope there's something better out there.

Rating:
Summary: I was disappointed
Review: Based on the reviews I read here, I bought the book. I was disappointed. The "humor" and "fun" are overshadowed by the fact that book is shallow in its coverage of music theory. I was especially irritated that it teaches the names Tonic and Dominant, but leaves out the other degrees of the scale. I hope there's something better out there.

Rating:
Summary: Easy and Completely Understandable!
Review: Basic Music Theory by Jonathan Harnum, is an excellent book for people of all levels. Whether you are a beginner, or learned musician, this book is a very comprehensive source of material, that is both accessible,easy to read & understand, and very enjoyable. I have played various instruments over 24 years.And because of Harnum's matter of fact, conversational tone, this book has lent more to my understanding of basic music theory than all my private insturctors combined.

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Summary: Best How-To Music Book I've Ever Read....
Review: Entertaining. Sometimes funny. Great quotes. Very clearly explained. If you want to read music, or if you teach music, do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Rating:
Summary: What I forgot
Review: I took band in junior high and am now rediscovering my instrument in college on my own. I forgot a lot of stuff since junior high and got this book as a present. Its great! Funny and simple, even when it explains tough ideas, like key signatures. The tricks he uses to get information across are great and have helped me a lot. This is a great book for anyone from junior high to adult!

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Summary: The Ultimate Do it Yourself for Music Theory
Review: Learning music theory on your own is not something to be tried by the faint of heart, simply because it seems like that for every rule there are fifty million execptions. Sorta like the English language. hmmmm... Anywho, Jonathan Harnum has taken an overly complicated subject matter and made it learable for anyone. And I do mean anyone!! As he explains early in the book, previous music theory books really lack in completely explaining WHY things are the way they are. Harnum de-cryptifies all that is involved with music theory for the non-musician. But this book is not just for the non-musician! I have been a student of music for over 13 years and a teacher for 3 and I found myself finding new and interesting (and humorous) facts about music theory. This book can teach anyone music theory and keep a smile on their face the entire time.