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

by Jonathan Harnum

Book Overview

What do all those lines and squiggles and dots mean? Basic Music Theory takes you through the sometimes confusing world of written music with a clear, concise style that is at times funny and always... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970751281
• ISBN13: 9780970751287
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Questions Ink. Publishing
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.1" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

What I forgot

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!

Great Book

Most of my best teachers have been books, and this one is certainly added to my list. In high school what theory I did get was confusing and boring. Not so with this book. It's clear, concise, and maybe what I liked the best was it's style. It reminded me of sitting down and playing with a friend who knows more than I do and is willing to teach me what he knows. It's so much easier to learn that way. Great book. I highly recommend it!

Easy and Completely Understandable!

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.

The Ultimate Do it Yourself for Music Theory

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.

For anyone of any background wanting to become proficient

In Basic Music Theory: How To Read, Write, And Understand Written Music, Jonathan Harnum draws upon more than ten years of experience and expertise as a music teacher to present the non-specialist general reader with a definitive and accessible introduction to music theory. At the end of each short chapter a review has been placed to insure that the reader has understood and assimilated the informative provided. Also provided at the conclusion of each chapter is a "practical use" exercise. At the the end of each major section or "Part" is a comprehensive review (complete with cross-referencing to the page number on which the information first appears). After every few chapters and covering other topics are "interludes" ranging from ultra-brief history of musical notation, how to practice, conducting, and a lesson in Italian musical terms. Basic Music Theory is an ideal and highly recommended text for anyone of any background wanting to become proficient in the reading, composing, and performance of written and notated music.