Music Theory Made Easy New Edition (Reference)

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




Mediocre introduction to music theory, December 23, 2008
By JP
I bought this as a short and sweet introduction to music theory. Often, because of the K.I.S.S. principle, shorter books can be less confusing than much longer ones. Not so in this case. A clearer book could have been written in the same number of pages.

Although this did help me learn some of the basics, it left me with far too many unanswered questions. I still don't understand what it means to play a song in a particular key. There are so many notes in a song, how do I know which one(s) determines the key of the song? Although David Harp discusses playing in different keys, he never actually explains how you tell what key the song is being played in.

I haven't read either of them yet, but based on the ratings you may be better off with "Edly's Music Theory for Practical People" or "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory".



Good, basic information, September 8, 2008
By MJS (CA USA)
If you want to learn more about music, but are worried about jumping right in over your head, this is a good place to start. He covers all the basic things that many other books just assume that everyone already knows. Things like 12 notes in a chromatic scale, how sharps and flats fit in, etc. I could read music a little and play piano a little when I was a kid and wondered if I could pick up music again as an adult. This got me going without throwing me in the deep end.



A very efficient book with a handy NoteFinder tool, August 16, 2008
By Greg A. Tirevold (Atlanta, GA USA)
The size of the book really makes you expect less but the information contained in it is "dense". The author uses a conversational style, and occasionally advertises his other titles, but the topics are presented very efficiently. I read it over the course of two days and when I got done I knew I was going to be referring back to it for some time.

Some things are very important and only take up half a page but they need to be read about 4-5 times to really "get it". This makes it easy to read too fast and gloss over the details. As you gain understanding you'll appreciate how the author cuts to the chase when explaining things and doesn't ramble on like so many other books.

The Note Finder tool it contains is very handy when learning about chords and scales. Yes you have to make your own and assemble it but it is easy and very worthwhile.

The book will provide the reader a great foundation and some advanced details, such as the complex theories with Jazz, without requiring a daunting 200 pages like some other "introductory" books. This is what an proper introduction to music theory should be like, it would keep many from being scared away and missing out on the fun of understanding and playing music. It is not the end-all-be-all book on the subject, nor does it claim to be. It is just what it claims, an easy reading book that gets you actively using music theory quickly. You will move on to more complete books after this but I can't really think of a better way to be introduced to the subject.

It is worth every penny of its cover price, and then some actually. It is 80 pages but because of the shape of the book, think two paperbacks stacked vertically, it probably contains closer to what a 120-140 page paperback book typically does.



Great book!, August 3, 2008
By Y. Sebbag (NY, USA)
This book helped me understand music theory, thereby improving my music playing and appreciation. The factor that I enjoyed the most about this book is how it can appeal to beginners as well as advanced musicians. He explains everything very clearly. I enjoyed reading this book.



not very good, December 6, 2007
By T. Dugan (Texas)
Wow, too many people have rated this highly and there is sooo much better out there! Save your money and get "Edly's Music Theory for Practical People". It's a great read and really put the pieces together for me.