Best music techniques books according to redditors
We found 52 Reddit comments discussing the best music techniques books. We ranked the 24 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 52 Reddit comments discussing the best music techniques books. We ranked the 24 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Without question, the best way to learn how to arrange is to put in the work transcribing some of your favorite arrangers and dissecting the way they approach things.
Study the chord progressions they use and analyze their voicing. Break down how they use counterpoint vs. countermelody. Pay attention to how they use every single voice, common articulations, and where in the range do they have each part "live" (1st vs. 2nd vs 3rd).
Write down what you observe about how they do things, try to put it into words. Compare/contrast between arrangers. This will help you better internalize what they are doing and help you to find your own style.
But...
Before doing any of this, however, I suggest to read, read, read. Here are a few books to get your started:
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The Study of Counterpoint - Johann Joseph Fux
https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/
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Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory & Application - Beth Denisch
https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Counterpoint-Theory-Application-Music/dp/0876391838
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Guide to the Practical Study of Harmony - Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Practical-Study-Harmony-Dover-ebook/dp/B00DGBMH06
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Principles of Orchestration - Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Orchestration-Dover-Books-Music-ebook/dp/B00DGBMDNM
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Essential Dictionary of Orchestration - Dave Black & Tom Gerou
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Dictionary-Orchestration-Comprehensive-Orchestrators-ebook/dp/B00EUMY7LC
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Treatise on Instrumentation - Hector Berlioz & Richard Strauss
https://www.amazon.com/Treatise-Instrumentation-Dover-Books-Music-ebook/dp/B00DGBMN8C
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Arranging for Horns - Jerry Gates
https://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Horns-Jerry-Gates/dp/0876391455/
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Another excellent resource is Bandestration - https://bandestration.com/
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BONUS:
Another great read that is HIGHLY applicable to writing for marching music is:
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Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Musical-Acoustics-Second-Revised/dp/048626484X
​
If you are interested to explore interplay between wind/percussion arranging and electronics:
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Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer - Andrea Pejrolo
https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-MIDI-Orchestration-Contemporary-Composer/dp/113880150X/
​
As far as learning to read music, Master Theory is a good place to start.
Specifically for the snare drum, I've heard good things about Podemski's Standard Snare Drum Method.
Chart Topping Drum Beats might also be a good way to learn how to read drum-specific music.
There are probably good free resources online too.
My son got this book for songs and stuff
But it's also a pretty good book for a beginner. I took pics of first pages, check it out here http://imgur.com/a/pKonB
It's trivial to mix multiple audio streams in real-time with Max. You can just feed all your outputs into a single input of a DAC with inline *~ objects whose right input accepts a multiplier to control gain. There are lots of more sophisticated way to do it.
These books have a lot of info on this topic as you get more advanced.
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Music-Sound-Design-Practice/dp/8890548452/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422140884&sr=8-1&keywords=electronic+music+max+msp
It is probably true that everyone who has aspirations to become a composer should read Fux at some point, but there are other books on the subject that might be more accessible to someone who's just starting out. Schoenberg's book is excellent. There's also Harold Owen, for a less rigorous, more inclusive approach.
In my opinion we are doing our students a disservice in not teaching them that clefs are movable objects. With three clefs and five lines, one can represent every pitch on every line or space in several different ways, which is more important than it seems. If you can imagine a change of clef (and key signature, if necessary) at the far left side of the page, you can transpose anything to any key at sight.
I might define Counterpoint more broadly: Voices that both maintain their horizontal individuality and work in concert with each other to form vertical sonorities.
>The rules of counterpoint have us resolve certain intervals and chords to consonance, that usually being a major/minor triad. Is there anyway to break out of that while keeping the principle intact?
Yes, redefine consonance. I caution though you're focusing on this and even said it at the beginning but that's not true. Counterpoint is very often formed with consonances and no resolution of dissonance at all. The resolution of dissonance to consonance is not a "contrapuntal principle". It's just something that's used in counterpoint. But it's not what makes counterpoint counterpoint as you seem to think.
>Maybe if we open it up to more notes, 4,5, and 6 note chords, we can have alternative consonant chords?
Consonance is context-based. Modern composers treat things like C-E-G-A or C-E-G-B as consonances. They treat C-F-Bb as consonances. They treat C-D-E as consonances.
>But perhaps counterpoint stops working with so many notes because the notes can't really move around because all the spaces are occupied? Does that make any sense?
This is a number of parts issue though, not a consonance/dissonance issue. Yes, as I said above, the more voices you have, the harder it is to maintain linear independence. But that has nothing to do with consonance or dissonance, just sheer number of voices (because you can have 4 part counterpoint and just double a note, right?).
>it seems like counterpoint is one of the greatest techniques in western music and it seems to be drifting out of fashion,
supposition that it's great, and that it's drifting out of fashion. It may be neither. And you may just not be familiar with that many examples of it, or, you're defining it in a way that means some things that are contrapuntal might not meet your criteria.
>and I want to bring it back in a novel way!
You're not the first.
For a simple overview, try:
https://www.amazon.com/Modal-Tonal-Counterpoint-Josquin-Stravinsky/dp/0028721454
(if you can find one for less than redonkulous textbook prices!).
I found developing a stronger connection with what I was playing helped and using that connection to really put everything you have into what you are playing.
That way in those situations you can concentrate more on connecting with that music rather than having your attention diverted.
I think there are some mind games that can help as well.
The two books I would recommend reading are:
The art of practicing is more of an all round book about approach to practicing, approach to live, connecting with the instrument and some of the physiological things that go on.
The inner game is based off of pioneering sprots psychology and takes those mental aspects alot further.
One part simply put is this equation:
Performance = Potential - Interference
So here you have the potential side / your skill, when you play with other people your interferance in your mind is low, so you achieve good performance representative of how good your potential performance could be.
However, when you play with people there, there your mental interference goes way up which subtracts greatly from your potential and leaves you with a poor performance.
Most sports people and musicians / anybody doing something with skill has this issue. The usual thing when trying to learn something / get better is always to concentrate on learning how to play more / beter, i.e. learn this technique, this scale etc.
Doing that is all about increasing potential, however, you can get equal benefit by reducing interference. I.e, you can perform better sorting your mind out. And its what alot of professional sports players (musicians etc) have done / concentrated on since the 70's
So that inner game is all about trying to define + understand these things and then some exercises and things to try and help reduce interferance.
Also, I'd always recommed Victor Wootens book The music lesson. Its all about connecting to music in general.
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Guide to the Practical Study of Harmony
Arnold Schoenberg, Fundamentals of Musical Composition
Music Composition For Dummies
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition
Music Composition 1: Learn how to compose well-written rhythms and melodies (Volume 1)
More at Amazon.com
https://www.reddit.com/r/Composition/
I'd take a look at more modern textbooks that are founded in Fux rather than studying the Fux itself (although there's nothing wrong with looking at it for its historical value. The same could be said of Mozart's figured bass text). Owen's "Modal and Tonal Counterpoint" is pretty good for species counterpoint, if you can get a copy. http://www.amazon.com/Modal-Tonal-Counterpoint-Josquin-Stravinsky/dp/0028721454
> Carl fisher the exercise book
I'm not familiar with that Guitar Grimore book.
If you want an exercise book "supplemental", you could look into these books:
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cp_0_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1423414357&pd_rd_r=ASP24YKJ6PF4T0ZBPQ14&pd_rd_w=YFFcO&pd_rd_wg=ghssC&psc=1&refRID=ASP24YKJ6PF4T0ZBPQ14
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Finger-Gym-Stamina-Coordination-Dexterity/dp/1910403717/ref=pd_sbs_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1910403717&pd_rd_r=RP5P3ED9YD4FNXQA9MG1&pd_rd_w=K0uvq&pd_rd_wg=Epzrf&psc=1&refRID=RP5P3ED9YD4FNXQA9MG1
Temperament describes the intervals an octave is divided into. Equal temperament takes an octave and divides it into
712 equal segments. Works well for melodic music, good for changing key signatures, but the math is a hot mess, full of irrational numbers. Pythagorean tuning derives these values via fractional math, aka the circle of 5ths. Start with C, multiply by 3/2 to get G, multiply that by 3/2 to get D, etc. (Handy chart.) The math is beautiful, glorious, astonishingly perfect -- and, many would say, it helps tune our bodies to work more efficiently. (You've heard of plants growing better when classical music is played; same deal for humans.)Note that it's nearly impossible to use Pythagorean tuning on most modern instruments; equal temperament is built-in via frets, valves, or keys. Most software, which should make this trivial, even locks this out -- I'm looking at you, Ableton Live.
More info here:
https://www.amazon.com/Mathemagical-Music-Production-Derrick-Heerden-ebook/dp/B00I0YQ4OE
3 note voicings and beyond, by Randy Vincent. Great book
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Note-Voicings-Beyond-Randy-Vincent/dp/1883217660
Sorry, that was needlessly ambiguous. https://mplus-mnpals-net.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/vufind/Record/002659216
EDIT: Just realized it might be behind my school's proxy. http://www.amazon.com/Tuning-Containing-Eighteenth-Century-Temperament-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0870132903/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374157573&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Tuning+%3A+containing+the+perfection+of+eighteenth-century+temperament%2C+the+lost+art+of+nineteenth-century+temperament%2C+and+the+science+of+equal+temperament%2C+complete+with+instructions+for+aural+and+electronic+tuning
They are both brilliant and will last a lifetime, I've had them for around 5 years and they still blow my mind, and keep me learning.
Some others I own and think a great are:
[Creative Guitar 1 and 2 by Guthrie Govan] ( http://www.amazon.com/Guthrie-Govan/e/B0034Q44JU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1) In my opinion the best guitarist around. He has a mastery over the guitar at a level I have never seen! These books are excellent a written in a ways that enjoyable and easy to understand
[Single Note Soloing, Volume 1] (http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Guitar-Single-Soloing-Volume/dp/0769209726/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MRB4A99W8P09SX6GMQG) and [Volume 2] (http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Guitar-Single-Soloing-Volume/dp/0739053841/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GGV91GVW1H6MM5AQ6C0) by Ted Greene. Excellent for jazz soloing.
[The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine] ( http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040/ref=pd_sim_b_17?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FP5R211R7V7ZDP5Q4GT) THE book on jazz, this is without a doubt a must own!
If you want to get really deep and crazy take a look at the Scott McGill books:
[Scott McGill] (http://www.amazon.com/Scott-McGill/e/B00J36EZ58/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1)
And lastly for an insane look at rhythms [Advance Rhythmic Concepts for Guitars by Jan Rivera] (http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Rhythmic-Concepts-Foreword-Machacek/dp/0615979831/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0J05GGH3PGDQRWPRB298) Metric Modulations, Polyrhythms and Polymeters galore! I feel with most guitarists rhythm is often overlooked and getting your rhythmic playing down separates the men from the boys. It's amazing how good rhythm can make the simplest of solos mind melting.
I completely understand where your coming from.
A tip that I found really useful is to play at 90%. You know the music inside out, by trying REALLY hard you will actually make things harder for yourself, not easier, both in stamina and by from tensing up.
This mindset helps me relax into performances, which leads to the process of enjoying and being swept up in the music - hereby taking the edge off playing to an audience.
Another thing my old man always says to me before any exam, competition or recital is to take a good deep breath, exhale slowly. Taking that short time focusing on your breath really can work wonders.
A book I would highly recommend (for long term) to help with nerves but also helps in productivity of practise is The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green. Its not heavy reading and doesn't have to be done all in one go.
He discusses the mental 'battle' that occurs during performances or high intensity situations. Identifying not only common problems that occur but finding ways to deal with them, part of which is during the practising process. There are a few exercises inside as well but they are not desperately to improve technical ability but rather aid in a way of thinking.
Hope this was helpful.
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I just bought Electronic Music and Sound Design and am making my way through it now. I have a background in math and systems engineering, so I'm hoping I'll have something of a good foundation to explore ideas with. Definitely cool so far.
I think most of the Norris plugins are in audio unit format, he also has a bunch of interesting looking max devices which I still have to dive into :)
>Yes, I remember reading the same thing. Perhaps what he meant was just to turn off the grid in ableton?
Thats probably how he did it, I doubt he writes the entire track with the grid off - probably either sketches it out with it on, and then adds elements with it off, or keeps a few audio tracks on grid throughout and writes the rest around it. But then again Burial supposedly didn't use a grid at all for a lot of Untrue.
The most helpful thing I've come across for learning max (after doing the built in tutorials to learn the basics), is this book by Alessandro Cipriani Electronic Music and Sound Design. I bought the max 7 version on iBooks, its about the same price and has video examples built into it. Also the dude837 tutorials are fantastic, but he often doesn't explain what he's doing properly which is a bit annoying if you're starting out. John Jannone's tutorials are also pretty great.
If you are interested in Max/MSP, this book is pretty good for hands on learning using Max's synth tools.
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Music-Sound-Design-Practice/dp/8890548452#
I know Max is more expensive than what you said you were looking for originally, but with Max you can make your own instruments and plugins.
This book and the second volume are pretty great: https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Music-Sound-Design-Practice/dp/8890548452/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483643697&sr=8-3&keywords=Electronic+Music+And+Sound+Design
They flip flop back and forth between a chapter explaining the theory behind a particular aspect of synthesis or music production and then a chapter explaining how to apply that knowledge using Max/MSP. Max isn't for everyone, but the theory bits alone in here are great, and IMO max is a good environment to learn this stuff at a lower level.
> Bert Ligon also touches on that ear method in his "Jazz Theory Resources" which is a great book, but a little less general and definitely not specifically an ear text and really not even remotely for anyone who isn't already pretty knowledgeable.
> It was very validating for me reading some of his stuff about ear training because he has the same irritation with the wide spread approach of interval training that I have and for the same reasons. It's just out of touch with how we actually use ear training. But he's absolutely in the listening for tensions camp.
Are you familiar with this book and have any comments about it? After researching on Amazon, it appears to teach the "key center" approach to ear training you mentioned in your earlier post.
BTW, I researched a bit more about the book I had bought and its author, Steve Prosser was a jazz musician who was the head of the ear training department at Berklee. So although it's all about the intervallic ear training you criticized in your prior post, Prosser did intend for it to be used by Jazz musicians and musicians of other contemporary styles. That said, I am loath to commit the time to working through the program if it is going to be a waste of time. It's a textbook and working through it will take the equivalent of a semester's worth of time, I expect.
I would suggest checking out 'Three Chord Voicings and Beyond'
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Note-Voicings-Beyond-Randy-Vincent/dp/1883217660
Voice leading, parallel harmony, etc is what you're looking to get after. It's the middle ground between single note soloing and chord comping.
If you enjoy buying books, there's an updated version of the book on Amazon, too.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Art-Ragtime-Guitar-compositions/dp/0983290903/ref=sr_1_3
Are you familiar with this book? http://www.amazon.com/Nashville-Number-System-Chas-Williams/dp/0963090674
Okay two quick things.
You actually would benefit greatly from a teacher, but if you don't want one, then I suggest reading Ivan Galamian's book, Principles of violin playing and teaching. You'll get a lot of good advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Violin-Playing-Teaching-Galamian/dp/096214164X
This book is awesome.
https://www.amazon.com/Jan-LaRue-Guidelines-Style-Analysis/dp/0899901565
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-Recurrence (repeat the theme, you can do this at any moment)
-Developement (variations are a quite good example of how to do this)
-Response (piano after forte, tutti after solo... Similar or same phrasing, play with other elements to make a "conversation")
-Contrast (just do anything else)
Advanced Rhythmic Concepts for Guitar by Jan Rivera covers metric modulation, polyrhythms and polymeters.
the reviews aren't really wrong... it does have its flaws, but there isn't really another book that does it better. i've read quite a few harmony books and it is the most comprehensive basic harmony book that i've found. it's also pretty much the standard for college courses.
Tchaikovsky also wrote a book on harmony. It is good and very inexpensive, but very short. he writes extremely efficiently though, so there is really a lot of info in such a small book, but obviously not as much as Tonal Harmony. It's also older than Tonal Harmony, so some more modern ideas are not included. That said, it's a great way to quickly learn a lot, and at the price it's really a no-brainer. It doesn't have exercises or lots of examples... just good info.
Also, I should mention that all these harmony books teach using the classical tradition of placing heavy emphasis on voice leading. If you are, for example a guitarist writing pop and rock songs, you may not see how the information will be relevant to what you do, but I would encourage you to go ahead and read through it, as it will make your writing better, and give you a more complete understanding of music. Also, there isn't really a good basic harmony book that doesn't teach this way.
Also, if you are interested in Jazz Harmony there is absolutely no better book than this one.
This might help:
Aprende a tocar la guitarra
^Sorry, ^I'll ^see ^myself ^out.....