Click Here To Purchase From Amazon The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory

Author: Michael Miller

ISBN: 1-59257-437-8

One might postulate that any study of theory is only as meaningful as the action it precedes. A basic knowledge of notes, clefs and rhythm, for instance, usually enables the beginning piano student to play simple songs. The music theory provided in Michael Miller’s "The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory" is pointed in a decidedly compositional direction. It is an immensely readable introduction to music composition (and it is not at all surprising that Miller has also written a book called "The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Musical Composition," of which this book is the obvious prelude) and includes everything from basic rhythms, clefs and scales to chords, harmonies and lead sheets.

This may seem like a lot of material for a complete novice to digest, but Miller’s extremely knowledgeable and completely readable, friendly style – plus all of the little informative boxes that one has come to expect from "The Complete Idiot’s Guides" series – makes this book absolutely and thoroughly digestible, even for the complete beginner.

Not that every concept in the book is initially uncomplicated: his inclusion of "modes" was a bit surprising, especially since this fairly esoteric concept appears early on in the book. Presenting the complete beginner with every single scale in chapter three also seemed a little too much too soon -- along with all the regularly utilized scales, he includes those that nobody really ever uses, like C-sharp, D-flat, C-flat, etc. Just occasionally, one can sense that a little bit of musical background would assist in determining what knowledge is immediately necessary for a beginning music theory student and what is simply reference material.

But Miller is nothing if not thorough and he doesn’t assume his readers are, well, idiots. He wants to present them with all related material on a particular aspect of his topic and in this he is completely successful.  And while Miller never implies that reading his book will automatically transform one into a Mozart or a Lennon, he does imply – with good reason – that the complete novice who takes his book seriously will be enabled to begin composing some kind of music (and this would be especially true if that novice continued their compositional studies by obtaining his next book).

I would also highly recommend this book for musicians who have not studied music in an organized, exhaustive fashion; it is a very understandable and thorough music theory course (complete with exercises/quizzes at the end of every chapter), and so would be very helpful for filling any gaps in a spotty musical education.

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory

The above review was contributed by:  Kathryn Atwood:  Kathryn's poetry, reviews and essays have appeared in numerous online and print journals, including "The Aurora Review,", "Afterimage," "Void Magazine," "Wild Violet," and "PopMatters."  When she's not writing or driving her three kids around somewhere, Kathryn is usually teaching at a local music studio or givng vocal performances with her husband on the subject of American song. Click Here To View More Of Kathryn's   Reviews.

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