(Part 3) Best music theory according to redditors
We found 398 Reddit comments discussing the best music theory. We ranked the 109 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
If the video interested you, then you should look into learning music theory. And a much better way to do it than watching some guy jump all over a piano while text strobes up on the screen faster than you can read would be to buy a book on the subject.
My recommendations would be this one or this one.
Here some more references if need be:
https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmic-Composition-Gerhard-Nierhaus-ebook/dp/B00DZ11AIC
https://www.amazon.com/Geometry-Musical-Rhythm-What-Makes-ebook/dp/B00CLZSUN6
https://magenta.tensorflow.org/music-transformer and https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.04281
EDIT: actually randomness in music was by no way invented by Cage but already applied e.g. by Ockegehem, Bach or Mozart.
Go and read This is Your Brain on Music by a chap called Daniel Levitin. He used to be a sound engineer and is now a psychologist, and it explains everything you would ever want to know. Some of it can be qutie dry and I had to read some parts twice, but it's a very helpful book.
I think every theory book I've ever read has opened up my mind in some way - while always being unsatisfactory in other ways (incomplete, too dense, too little on some forms of music, etc). My experience and interest is largely in popular music of all kinds, less in classical, so that has biased my reading somewhat; but I can recommend all the following (not 100%, but worth reading):
Eric Taylor: The AB Guide to Music Theory, pts I and II - good review of the basics, aimed at pupils studying for grades. Not deep in any way but good if you're just starting out. Solidly classical, which could be a downside for some. The concepts up to grade 5 are shrunk to useful pocket size in [this] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Steps-Music-Theory-Grades/dp/1860960901/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466150641&sr=1-1&keywords=theory+of+music+grades+1-5) - 100% recommended for any absolute beginner.
George Heussenstamm : [Harmony and Theory, pts 1 & 2 (Hal Leonard)] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hal-Leonard-Harmony-Theory-Diatonic/dp/1423498879/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466150878&sr=1-2&keywords=Hal+Leonard+Harmony+%26+Theory) Usefully split into Diatonic and Chromatic. I've read a few texts on standard classical theory, and this is the most approachable, IMO.
William Russo: [Jazz Composition and Orchestration] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jazz-Composition-Orchestration-William-Russo/dp/0226732150/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466151290&sr=1-1&keywords=russo+jazz+composition) Taught me more than I thought I wanted to know about counterpoint. Most of which I've now forgotten (not much call for it in the bands I played in...). But if you're not into big band jazz (at all), maybe not worth it.
William Russo: [Composing for the Jazz Orchestra] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Composing-Jazz-Orchestra-William-Russo-ebook/dp/B01EZ8OKQW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466149432&sr=1-1&keywords=william+russo) Neat little guide book on jazz arranging (NOT composition).
Mark Levine: [The Jazz Theory Book] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466151006&sr=1-1&keywords=levine+jazz+theory) 50% recommended. Well written and presented, eye-opening in many ways, but beware - chord-scale theory! (controversial stuff, in ways he doesn't admit.)
Robert Rawlins and Nor Eddine Bahha: [Jazzology] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jazzology-Encyclopedia-Jazz-Theory-Musicians/dp/0634086782/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=41YkvVcCfEL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR120%2C160_&refRID=ZR730GKYPSZYA2THNXGT) The somewhat dry antidote to the above. 50% recommended. Should have been good, but somehow hard to read, easy to put down. Unlike Levine, no quotes from jazz standards or recordings - all music examples are written by the authors.
Dominic Pedler: [The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Songwriting-Secrets-%2522Beatles%2522-Dominic-Pedler/dp/0711981671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466151087&sr=1-1&keywords=pedler+beatles) Outlines the vast number of theoretical concepts that the fab four would be astonished to learn they employed. Includes a useful appendix on basic concepts of tonal harmony. If you like pop and rock (and theory) but don't like the Beatles, still worth reading.
But then if you like the Beatles AND theory... [Alan Pollack's site] (http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/awp-alphabet.shtml) is essential reading. (Pedler is deep, but doesn't examine EVERY song. Pollack is briefer, but does.
Allan F Moore: [Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Popular Song] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Means-Analysing-Interpreting-Recorded/dp/1409438023/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466151140&sr=1-1&keywords=allan+moore+song+means) Does what it says in the title - and goes deep! (way beyond the plain old superficial harmony concepts peddled - sorry - by Pedler :-))
Walter Everett: [Rock's Tonal Systems] (http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.04.10.4/mto.04.10.4.w_everett.html) More stuff to raise the eyebrows of any rock musician. "Wow - we really do all that?"
Paul F Berliner: [Thinking in Jazz] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Jazz-Infinite-Improvisation-Ethnomusicology/dp/0226043819/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466151218&sr=1-1&keywords=thinking+in+jazz) Not a music theory book in the usual sense, but discusses how jazz musicians think about improvisation.
I recently came about this book "Music Through Fourier Space", it talks about fourier analysis (mostly DFT) and it raltes it to music theory, scales, rhytmic patters and other stuff. I havent really read much of it, but it seems interesting. I think some very basic abstract algebra knowledge is needed as it performs fourier transofrms on cyclic groups. If you are interested you can probably reasearch more about the author and the field he works in.
Sean explains things I've read about and makes it click. There's lots of good simple theory in weekly Q&A videos. He'll answer 5 or 6 questions in ten minutes and there's usually one or two theory questions. Easy way to pick a lot of low hanging fruit.
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This is best book I've found about music theory. Get the print one instead of kindle because you'll want to mark the pages and make notes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1986061833/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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These site are pretty good.
https://www.musictheory.net/lessons
https://www.basicmusictheory.com/
I just came across this which might be a good place to start. (I haven't read it but judging by the title it looks like what you're asking for.)
Gordon also wrote a short and inexpensive pamphlet called Quick & Easy Introductions which I also think would fit what you're looking for. (Full disclosure: I haven't read this one completely, either.)
One that I have read is entitled Learning Sequences In Music: A Music Learning Theory. This is a pricey volume that is much more comprehensive than the other two links. Be forewarned, Gordon's writing style is dense. But most of his MLT ideas are there and it's good to get the ideas straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
Find a used version of Studying Rhythm by Anne Carothers Hall. It's obscenely overpriced because it's a university text, but it is SO good. It's what I used as an undergrad.
The beauty of this book is the progression of musical exercises that have more than one part, intended to be sung/spoken, tapped & clapped simultaneously. It starts with simple quarter and eighth note passages and ends with complex rhythms, changing meters, and polyrhythms.
Everyone talked about practicing with a metronome but didn't explain HOW to do so.
I would first spend some time with just the metronome itself, practicing clapping different subdivisions at different tempos. Clap four bars each of whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and 16th notes. Count the subdivisions out loud as you do so. Then add quarter note triplets and eighth note triplets. Then practice different rhythmic cells made up of combinations of those subdivisions, mixing up your patterns randomly. When you can comfortably switch between subdivisions or patterns without getting ahead of or behind the beat, you can try the same exercise using guitar scales or singing simple patterns, again mixing up subdivisions and patterns at different tempos. But only move on to something more difficult when you are 100% sure you've Got It, physically and mentally. This might mean just clapping quarter notes and eighth notes for months.
Once you're used to hearing and playing those small skills along with a metronome, you can introduce it to your more regular practice routine. Work out small sections of guitar strumming patterns with the metronome, and then work out small sections of lyrics, paying attention to how they match up and relate to the metronome. Take note of what beat subdivision all of your vocal phrases begin on, and whether it's before, on, or after beat 1.
You want your theoretical understanding of music and physical technique to match up with the complexity of what you're trying to create, so you have the framework to determine if you're succeeding or not. You should be able to know, even if you need to think about it for a second, what beat a phrase is supposed to start on etc.
I am really digging https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-You-Can-Use/dp/1684016290/ for guitar based theory built from the ground up. All these years I was practicing box shapes but not caring about what I should: where the 1,b3, 4, 5.. etc are within those shapes.
Avoid evil amazon by buying direct https://theoryforguitar.com/
Music theory is not different on a guitar than on any other instrument. And it gets very hard to get music theory correct when it is taught by largely self-taught guitarists, because they have a tendency to think every shape they play requires a name (a trait shared by musicians on most chromatic instruments).
Go get a basic music theory book like Music Theory for Dummies or Music Theory: From Begginer to Expert. After youv'e gone through and really understood what's in those texts, you'll be ready for more advanced stuff like Mark Levine's Jazz Theory or Walter Piston's books such as Harmony or Counterpoint.
Alternately you could look at texts on arranging and orchestration at that point as well.
Stay away from instrument specific texts, particularly those related to chromatic instruments (of which the guitar is one) because you'll almost find something that is a well-intended, but mistaken, concept. Also avoid texts aimed at Berkelee school of music. While they are a great school in terms of their performance degrees, they have an odd fascination with modes that is shared by virtually no other music school in the world.
There are a few books by an author named Jonathan E Peters on Amazon that have been very, very beneficial to me (the first time I learned about tonic, sub-dominant, and dominant chord substitution, for example). I haven't read all of these, but the ones I have read are amazing:
If you're looking for more advanced theory, Rick Beato's YouTube channel has a ton of videos on really intense theory. He also has a book, The Beato Book, but I just started reading it so I can't vouch for how good it is yet.
Having said that though, there are some music theory kindle books on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Music-Theory-Understand-Written-ebook/dp/B001KW08ZY?ie=UTF8&me=&ref_=mt_kindle
I know nothing about this book - just did a search and this came up.
The one theory book that I remember the most was Elementary Harmony by Robert Ottman. It's a college theory book, so it's stupid expensive (like $170 USD).
The Ottman books we used in the jazz organ at UNT have always been my favorite.
https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Harmony-Theory-Practice-5th/dp/0137755031
For recording/producing/signal flow/engineering, I recommend Modern Recording Techniques.
For music theory, if you are truly at stage 1, I can imagine that these kind of books will be of tremendous help. Good luck!
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Justin Guitar has some good intro material for theory:https://www.justinguitar.com/categories/practical-music-theory
Then there's Tom Kolb's book .
I'd suggest getting in touch with composition students (postgrads) at Manchester Uni - plenty of them are starting to do teaching at an undergraduate level, are likely to welcome a bit of extra cash, and could well be in the Chorlton area.
In the meantime, this book (plus the answer book) would be a good way to pick things up again, as you're able to play through examples at the piano.
> Wait, what free drink? I totally missed this.
If you're in London hmu on reddit. I buy first drink for anyone whose name I recognise from reddit, as a general rule.
>(I'm sure there is more theory out there, of course, I just don't know what it is or how to find it.)
Once you've got the basics, you're starting to get into specialist areas. It's a bit like saying "I want to learn some science". Music theory becomes musicology, and that's literally a degree topic.
You could look for the following books:
On the topic of analysing music, try Nicolas Cook. A Guide to Musical Analysis, 1994. I'm not a fan of a lot of what Nicolas Cook writes and says but I can't deny that as an entry level for people that haven't read deeply, he has some of the seminal texts.
On the topic of harmony and form, you could try either Aldwell and Schachter or the much cheaper, but much less thorough [Pratt](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dynamics-Harmony-Principles-Practice.
On the topic of music history, you probably want to start with a general overview of classical music. Nicolas Cook wrote A Very Short Introduction. A textbook like Burkholder, Grout and Palisca covers most of the areas first year undergrads are expected to learn in the UK. Alternately, something like that Taruskin is also very thorough.
When you then want to focus down, you can use bibliographies from any of those books to find your favourite area.
Ethnomusicology might be worth considering. Look at the Very Short Introductions to Ethnomusicology, World Music and Folk Music.
If you have an interest in film music and how that functions, then you could start by looking at a book like Music and Mythmaking which is quite a nice introduction. There's another Very Short Introduction which is also useful. Kalinak is someone I find generally on target. There's also the Mervyn Cooke introduction to the history of film music which I found slightly inaccurate as it got more modern, but that's often the case in these books written contemporarily.
A subsection of this is ludomusicology (my field!) which you probably want to get into by reading either Collins or Summers depending on whether you want to read an established author, or read something written by one of my potential supervisors. You might struggle to find either of these depending on where you are. You could also try Ludomusicology.
There's also composition, but this might be a good start?
Jazz I'm not as sure about off the top of my head, alas.
E: It's worth noting that a lot of this steps away from purely mathematical relationships though. The mathematical relationships just get weird as you push further and as mentioned elsewhere in this AMA, the people that study them are the kind of people that nerds avoid at parties because they might want to talk about mathemusic.
Rhythm is a skill in it's own, if you can read the notes fine but just not play in time, I would suggest practicing just rhythm exercises via clapping/tapping initially. Tuning your internal clock to learn how certain time signatures and how various rhythmic patterns feel takes practice. I was in your same spot, but I took great care and time to correct it. I would first look at your piece and clap/tap the rhythm while speaking it out loud (i.e. 1 , 2 and, 3 e - and - ah, 4). Try to make a habit of keeping a constant pulse (try tapping your foot to what ever is keeping the beat). Once you clap it out, add solfege (don't worry about pitch, your just learning the notes). Now, pick up the guitar and speak the rhythm/solfege out loud while playing it. Take your time, practice 2-3 measures only at a time. Once you have those, add two more. Once you get your ear and rhythmic phrasing down, you can start to isolate phrases and practice those. In time, you will learn patterns, shapes and have a library of common structures to pull from.
Edit: In school we use Hall's Studying Rhythm. You may think it's expensive, but this book is really invaluable and a great tool.
An idiot's guide to music theory
and I prefer Sibelius to Finale for software