A good review, medeocre if you're new at music theoryAugust 9, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reading the views of other Amazon users shows me that my feelings are similar to others. This is certainly not the worst book out there, but it is also not the best (or even nearly so). The assumption is that the student is also taking private lessons, music history, piano proficiency readiness (if piano is not the primary instrument), and playing in ensembles at the same time. Maybe there are additional classes intended in such areas as ear-training, sight-singing, counterpoint and form and analysis. And Jazz is an entirely different subject in itself.
I picked it up (as I do many of my books) at a used bookstore near the local university, in order to keep up with my music education over the summer before transferring from a 2-year school to a 4-year university. For that purpose, the book has been helpful.
However, it does make very rapid progress, without much explanation of variations and concepts. It's almost as if the author is expecting that the student simply needs to refresh. So why is this used as a standard textbook for new music students? I cannot tell you!
A better bet, in my opinion, is the Benward set of books (Music in Theory and Practice, Volume 1 with Audio CD Music in Theory and Practice, Volume 2 with Audio CD) and the workbooks that are sold with. I have not gone through this most recent edition, but assume that it is similar to the previous. Benward makes some errors, and it is important that an instructor helps to explain the more difficult areas, but it is clear, and thorough.
Okay?February 28, 2008 I was kind of surprised by all the bad reviews. I think this book is very helpful to music theory students for the basic essentials of music. Of course there is more to music than tonal harmony and that's where one's own creative mind comes in, not an author's.
I've been affiliated with several other theory books and this one by far is the most organized, understandable, and useful. The book is divided into sections based on broad categories, new terms are described in detail, several visual and audio examples are given, and there are several self-tests to test out the new knowledge.
I definitely recommend this book to any music major or to anybody who just loves music. :)
Tonal HaramonyNovember 10, 2006 3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Recommended by my piano teacher, I have found this book very helpful for the theory I never studied when I began piano lessons over 20 years ago. I wish I had read this book when I began playing the piano. My practice time would be much more efficient if I had.
Excellent Harmony TextMarch 30, 2006 16 out of 16 found this review helpful
This is an excellent introduction, covering most aspects of theory thoroughly. It is also MUCH easier to read than Walter Piston's Harmony. The problem is that this book is much more abstract than piston's book, breezes over inversions of chords much too quickly and is a tad lax in the rules of voice leading. I do suggest you consider that text as well.
It's still a good introduction that you will ACTUALLY READ. It covers all triads, seventh chords, chord functions, chromatically altered chords like Neapolitan and Augmented sixth chords, covers non-harmonic tones, and even goes off onto other (more abstract) topics.
As to the reviewer below who pointed out that it neglects counterpoint and focuses too much on the vertical aspect of music (for example, in the exercises EVER note is a different chord and almost no non-harmonic tones are employed): this is an ELEMENTARY HARMONY text. Counterpoint is generally approached after the student has mastered all that is contained in this book. The exercises are meant to teach voice leading and chord functions. Fux's treatise on Counterpoint from Gradus Ad Parnassum clearly states that what is learned in the "first part" on Harmony still applies in writing counterpoint. The horizontal aspect of music can be taught better if the the vertical aspect is understood first. Multiple times Fux also says that exercises, whether those in the book on counterpoint or those in this text, are designed to instruct and make future writing of music easier, but aren't the same as writing music.
good bookJanuary 3, 2006 0 out of 10 found this review helpful
I thought this was a very good text. I have also had a wonderful theory professor who made great use of the book.
