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 enlarge | Authors: Michael Pilhofer, Holly Day
Publisher: For Dummies
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $13.67
You Save: $11.32 (45%)
New (34) Used (11) from $13.54
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 13831
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0764578383
Dewey Decimal Number: 781
EAN: 9780764578380
ASIN: 0764578383
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 11-14 of 14 | | « PREV | | |
 An Excellent Reference May 11, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Music Theory for Dummies is the best of both worlds for those of us interested in learning music theory for the first time or refreshing our musical memories. As a child music student I was inundated with music terms which meant little or nothing to me. I faked my way along, despite my ignorance of proper theory or terminology, never thinking it might pertain to me. Only as an adult, who has now written a few songs with the desire to share them, has it occurred to me that I need to know how to write music others can read rather than trying to express myself by humming my songs out. Music Theory for Dummies is a necessity for anyone who wants to truly understand the basics of music, or anyone who already does but needs an excellent reference for refresher or support in learning or comprehending the more difficult aspects of music theory. Music Theory for Dummies is essential for all students, be they beginners, or the more advanced, in need of a simplified backup source for more difficult concepts. Additionally, the drawings and CD are simply a delightful topping on a very solid foundation.
Back in the saddle again April 30, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Man, this book is exactly what I needed to get back into learning music. I took piano lessons as a kid and again in college, and didn't retain much from the experience except how to count off four-four time. That, and an incredible dislike of structured music lessons. This book starts way at the beginning of note-reading and counting off beats and takes you through to the basics of improvisation and composing your own music. The process is easy and gentle and the information delivered sticks. I remember everything I've read in this, and at no point did I feel like an idiot trying to figure any of the topics out.
The CD is almost worth the price of the book itself, especially if you are a complete beginner. Every major and minor music scale is played out on guitar and piano, and make a great practice aid to play along with. All the chords discussed in the book are played on the piano for you to listen to--which is great, because I didn't know the difference between one 7th chord to the next just by ear, but now I'm learning to.
Also, how cool is it that the book has a short interview with Steve Reich on the composition process in it? I think it's cool, anyway, I'm assuming it's an original interview--had to check and make sure Reich was still alive when I saw that, and voila, he is! There's also a fairly recent interview with the late Robert Moog in it on keyboard design (saw another interview with Moog on-line by one of the authors, so I'm thinking that's original, too). It was a pretty cool way to break up the fairly heavy-duty chapters on chord construction and chord progressions. Overall, this book left me feeling like all my previous experiences with formal music teachers were mostly wasted ones, and that I could have saved myself a lot of time and agony if I had just had this book.
 Save Time, money..... April 29, 2007
43 out of 57 found this review helpful
If you are interested in learning Music Theory, and you can already read Music from a Lead Sheet (or better), and you also know how to deal with both 1 /4 and 1/8 notes -- look elsewhere.
Save yourself time, effort & money by clicking on the Amazon "Search" Box above and entering Books (then) Music Theory. Among those available from Amazon, I bought, have used, and highly recommend:
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"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory" by Michael Miller; or (for a slimmer & lighter touch) "Edley's Music Theory for Practical People" by Ed Roseman. Miller's Book is also cheaper, and either one will take you many miles farther on your Musical Theory journey.
Release of this Book "Music Theory For Dummies" was delayed several months (at least on Amazon), and IMHO (and my case) I wish its 336? Pages hadn't made it at all. Why?
If you can use a Lead Sheet you won't even need to touch pages 1-104. Also, if you know how to read/use a Key Signature you can keep skipping to Page 147 where you will be introduced to -- Major and Minor Scales in 13 Pages (and listening to 60 of them from the CD's 93 Tracks).
Chapter 13 (pg. 160) starts "Building Chords" (Triads and Sevenths) using 32 Pages with lots of white space on them (for both Piano and Guitar), including blank Page 192. The Book has lots of white space.
In truth, the educational aspects start to improve markedly (for this Book) beginning on Page 193 (Chapter 14: Chord Progressions) and goes for another 53 Pages. Then it falls off a Cliff.
Two "highlights" of the final 70 pages for me included 1. Appendix B (37 Pages): the oversized, graphic "Chord Chart" in one continuous "Stream" for 13 of 14 Keys showing both Piano and Guitar "sets" separately (I already own better ones for Piano though); and 2. (next "best") was an 8 page detailed Table of the contents for all 93 CD Tracks, but .... I did not use the Index.
I continue to (periodically) study in Miller's Book, and wonder if I'll ever be through with it. It also contains "Lessons", "Exercises" to test you, and a CD. I really hope you will be as lucky to find Music materials that will make you feel similarly. Making Music is different from Playing it, IMO, so finding the right "Teachers" to learn that -- are worth the effort.
Takes You From Basic to Advanced April 4, 2007
28 out of 31 found this review helpful
I ordered this book with some skepticism. I could read music before I go this book but I guess at a very rudimentary level. I have looked through other music theory books and have been left a little bewildered about musical keys, cord construction and such. This book demystifies these and many other musical concepts. I now understand musical keys and many other things that had always seemed very mysterious to me. The book starts off very basically and slowly advances as it introduces you to more advanced concepts by adding more information about how music is constructed. Someone with a firmer background in music may be board by the pace but for others of us it is just right. I recommend it if, like me, you always wanted to understand music but never found someone who could describe it in an understandable way.
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