Music Theory For Dummies

Michael Pilhofer, Holly Day

John Wiley & Sons, Jul 11, 2019 - Music - 336 pages

Tune in to how music really works

Whether you’re a student, a performer, or simply a fan, this book makes music theory easy, providing you with a friendly guide to the concepts, artistry, and technical mastery that underlie the production of great music. You’ll quickly become fluent in the fundamentals of knocking out beats, reading scores, and anticipating where a piece should go, giving you a deeper perspective on the works of others — and bringing an extra dimension to your own.

Tracking to a typical college-level course, Music Theory For Dummies breaks difficult concepts down to manageable chunks and takes into account every aspect of musical production and appreciation — from the fundamentals of notes and scales to the complexities of expression and instrument tone color. It also examines the latest teaching techniques — all the more important as the study of music, now shown to provide cognitive and learning benefits for both children and adults, becomes more prevalent at all levels.

• Master major and minor scales, intervals, pitches, and clefs
• Understand basic notation, time signals, tempo, dynamics, and navigation
• Employ melodies, chords, progressions, and phrases to form music
• Compose harmonies and accompanying melodies for voice and instruments

Wherever you want to go musically — as a writer or performer, or just as someone who wants to enjoy music to its fullest — this approachable guide gives you everything you need to hear!

Contents

• Introduction: 3
• Determining What Notes Are Worth: 13
• Giving it a Rest: 27
• Introducing Time Signatures: 35
• Playing with Beat: 51
• Putting Notes Together: 59
• Mastering the Major and Minor Scales: 77
• Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths: 91
• Intervals The Distance between Pitches: 103
• Chord Building: 127
• Chord Progressions: 159
• Musical Expression through Tempo: 179
• Instrument Tone Color and Acoustics: 191
• Musical Expression through Form: 197
• Relying on Classical Forms: 211
• Tapping into Popular Genres and Forms: 221
• The Part of Tens: 231
• of Music?: 238
• Ten Keys to Reading a Musical Score: 239
• Ten Musical Movements That Changed History: 251
• Appendixes: 261
• Glossary: 305
• Music Theory For Dummies: 310

About the author

Michael Pilhofer, MM, holds a Master's in Music Education with a Jazz Emphasis from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Miami.

Holly Day's work has appeared in Guitar One Magazine, Music Alive!, culturefront Magazine, and Brutarian Magazine.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Music Theory For Dummies
• Authors: Michael Pilhofer, Holly Day
• Edition: 4, illustrated
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2019
• ISBN: 1119575524, 9781119575528
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: Music / General; Music / Instruction & Study / Composition; Music / Instruction & Study / General; Music / Instruction & Study / Theory