Basic Music Theory, 4th Edition
How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music
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Basic Music Theory, 4th Edition
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Harnum
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By:
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Jonathan Harnum
About this listen
What do all those lines and squiggles and dots mean? Basic Music Theory takes you through the sometimes confusing world of written music with a clear, concise style that is at times funny and always friendly. The book is written by an experienced music teacher using methods refined over more than 30 years in schools and in his private teaching studio. Lessons are fun, well-paced, and enjoyable. Whether you're a beginner of any age, whether you're an experienced player who wants to bone up on your theory, or whether you teach music and need a fun way to do it, you'll find this book valuable and will refer to it again and again.
©2013 Jonathan D. Harnum (P)2017 Jonathan D. HarnumListeners also enjoyed...
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Read the Book Instead
- By Jazz Doc on 11-24-16
By: Jonathan Harnum
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How Music and Mathematics Relate
- By: David Kung, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David Kung
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 125
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
Great minds have long sought to understand the relationship between music and mathematics. Both involve patterns, structures, and relationships. Both generate ideas of great beauty and elegance. Music is a fertile testing ground for mathematical principles, while mathematics explains the sounds instruments make and how composers put those sounds together. Understanding the connections between music and mathematics helps you appreciate both, even if you have no special ability in either field....
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1 out of 5 stars
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No visuals provided! Very hard to follow without.
- By Anonymous User on 03-23-20
By: David Kung, and others
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Every Guitarist's Guide to Beginning in Music Theory
- Master Your Instrument with a Solid Foundation in Music Theory (Music Theory and Guitar, Book 1)
- By: Arthur Macshankle
- Narrated by: Helpful Matthew
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 49
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Story5 out of 5 stars 49
If you thought music theory was dull, think again! With the right guidance, it can be woven into every practice – and you'll see astounding results straight away. Playing by ear will get you a long way – it certainly worked for Jimi Hendrix. But the world will only ever know one Hendrix… and for every inspirational story you’ve heard about a famous guitarist who knows nothing of music theory, there’s a whole host of other stories about musicians who do – they’re just not the ones who make the headlines.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not useful without illustrations
- By Luis Navarrete on 11-17-24
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Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion
- By: Bill Messenger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bill Messenger
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 714
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 622
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 617
Jazz is a uniquely American art form, one of America's great contributions to not only musical culture, but world culture, with each generation of musicians applying new levels of creativity that take the music in unexpected directions that defy definition, category, and stagnation. Now you can learn the basics and history of this intoxicating genre in an eight-lecture series that is as free-flowing and original as the art form itself.
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2 out of 5 stars
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A Disappointingly Distorted, Myopic View Of Jazz
- By Parallax View on 08-18-13
By: Bill Messenger, and others
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Guitar & Music Theory
- The Complete Guide On How To Play The Guitar. Includes Lessons, Chords, Tabs, Songwriting & Everything You Need To Fast Track & Master Your Skills
- By: Tommy Swindali
- Narrated by: Darcey Kobs, Brian Cohen
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Everything you need to know about how to play the guitar in one place!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Soup to nuts guide for the beginner
- By James Shea on 06-18-23
By: Tommy Swindali
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Music Production 2024+ Edition
- Everything You Need to Know About Producing, Studio Recording, Mixing, Mastering and Songwriting in 2024 & Beyond: (2 Book Bundle)
- By: Tommy Swindali
- Narrated by: Nathan Ashcroft
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Whether you want to build a studio, work in one, start a label or just make better music. If you are a beginner, this book will lead you in the right direction in the least amount of time. Or if you have some experience you will definitely find new insights.
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2 out of 5 stars
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For the total newb to sound in general, no value for the experienced
- By J. Mueller on 01-28-25
By: Tommy Swindali
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Music Theory
- By: Brian McCann
- Narrated by: Amie Lyn Hornick
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1
Basie Wenger, a 24-year-old trained percussionist from Philadelphia, impulsively takes on a sudden posting as choir director for a church in Kansas City. Trying to adjust to small town life is difficult enough.
By: Brian McCann
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Guitar Fretboard Memory Magic
- Painlessly Memorize All the Notes on Your Neck Forever for Instant Recall
- By: Nick Morrison
- Narrated by: Nick Morrison
- Length: 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 46
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Story5 out of 5 stars 44
Why would I want to learn all the notes of my fretboard? Over my 25+ year career as a musician and guitar teacher, I have come across many guitarists who cannot name all the frets on the fretboard. Learning the guitar or music theory for that matter, with no knowledge of the basic fundamental organization of the fretboard is a bit like trying to learn to swim without getting into the water.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best book on guitar note memorization I've found
- By Anonymous User on 03-16-21
By: Nick Morrison
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Practice Like This!: 35 Effective Ways to Get Better Faster
- By: Jonathan Harnum PhD
- Narrated by: Jonathan Harnum
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 121
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 118
If you're alive, you're trying to get better at something. It could be your golf swing or guitar, parenting or painting, gaming, cooking, or any other skill. The strategies in this book are top-shelf, pulled from neuroscience, research on excellence, and world-class masters in many fields, presented in an easy-to-understand style that is sometimes funny and always friendly. Hundreds of helpful images and graphics. Six sections, 42 hacks.
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4 out of 5 stars
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meat and potatoes
- By Alphanso on 01-24-17
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Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers
- The producer's guide to harmony, chord progressions, and song structure in the MIDI grid.
- By: J. Anthony Allen
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall2.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4 out of 5 stars 5
The producer's guide to harmony, chord progressions, and song structure in the MIDI grid. As an online and university class, Dr. Allen has had over 50,000 students use this ground-breaking curriculum to learn music theory. Students and Producers who have wanted to learn music theory to improve their own music, but have been intimidated by traditional approaches, music notation, and abstract concepts will find this book to be the answer they have been looking for. From the Author: “How music theory is usually taught is unfair. It starts with the assumption that you can read music and ...
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4 out of 5 stars
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“It can be called B Hash”
- By Austin Pierce on 02-19-24
By: J. Anthony Allen
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Mastering Melody Writing
- A Songwriter’s Guide to Hookier Songs with Pattern, Repetition, and Arc
- By: Clay Mills, Bill O'Hanlon
- Narrated by: Ray Weaver
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story5 out of 5 stars 18
Multi-hit songwriter Clay Mills breaks down the mystery of melody writing to give your songs an edge with the PRA method. Learn how to write inspiring songs without waiting for inspiration.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great exercises for songwriters
- By Andy Robinson on 04-10-25
By: Clay Mills, and others
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Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 146
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 121
The 20th century was a hotbed of musical exploration, innovation, and transformation unlike any other epoch in history. Ranging across the century in its entirety, these 24 lectures present a musical cornucopia of astounding dimensions - a major presentation and exploration of the incredible brilliance and diversity of musical art across a turbulent century. Far more than simply a series of lectures, the program comprises a huge and many-sided resource for discovering the endless riches of 20th-century concert music across the globe.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointment
- By MAdison on 03-11-18
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How Music Works
- By: David Byrne
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman, David Byrne
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
Utilizing his incomparable career and inspired collaborations with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and many others, David Byrne taps deeply into his lifetime of knowledge to explore the panoptic elements of music, how it shapes the human experience, and reveals the impetus behind how we create, consume, distribute, and enjoy the songs, symphonies, and rhythms that provide the backbeat of life. Byrne’s magnum opus uncovers thrilling realizations about the redemptive liberation that music brings us all.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Kind of all over the place
- By Amazon Customer on 02-17-23
By: David Byrne
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How Music Works
- The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond
- By: John Powell
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 511
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 427
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Story4 out of 5 stars 419
Have you ever wondered how off-key you are while singing in the shower? Or if your Bob Dylan albums really sound better on vinyl? Or why certain songs make you cry? Now, scientist and musician John Powell invites you on an entertaining journey through the world of music. Discover what distinguishes music from plain old noise, how scales help you memorize songs, what the humble recorder teaches you about timbre (assuming your suffering listeners don’t break it first), and more.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Nearly everyone will get something out of this!
- By Tim on 02-18-11
By: John Powell
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How to Write One Song
- Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back
- By: Jeff Tweedy
- Narrated by: Jeff Tweedy
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 991
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 824
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Story5 out of 5 stars 815
There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after listening to Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song. Why one song? The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Practical and actionable recipes for songwriting
- By Dry Toast Fan on 11-20-20
By: Jeff Tweedy
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What to Listen for in Music
- By: Aaron Copland
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
In this fascinating analysis of how to listen to both contemporary and classical music analytically, eminent American composer Aaron Copland offers provocative suggestions that will bring listeners a deeper appreciation of the most viscerally rewarding of all art forms.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Started common, ended uncommon
- By Sher from Provo on 06-05-24
By: Aaron Copland
What listeners say about Basic Music Theory, 4th Edition
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cduarte
- 01-12-20
A great introduction!!
loads of information very well presented and with a great focus on how to make it practical!!!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- D. E. Grisham
- 02-10-24
Not particularly useful as just an audio book
No music was used in the making of this AUDIO book about MUSIC. Constantly referring to supplemental printed material but never uses any examples of actual music. Seems kinda silly.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carlos A.
- 02-20-18
A good intruduction and academic book.
Thanks God I finded this book. It is very helpful, undestandable, practical and simple. Thanks.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jon buys from Amazon
- 03-22-18
Great intro and review of music theory
Even as an audio book, this is a great intro to many theory concepts for most amateurs like me. I knew just a little theory before reading this, but am confident enough to research more complex concepts.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- einars
- 07-24-20
Missing PDF
It is regrettable, that PDF with visual references is not included with the book. Author repeatedly sends listener to his website for necessary visual information, but that website is truly unusable and just persistently tries to lure you in more subscriptions. Poor job!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-21-17
painless theory
he seems like a nice guy, gives lots of resources. The book seemed well researched.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremias
- 05-23-17
Amazing
For someone who is an intermediary guitar player , I have some familiarity with reading music , so this book will help me reframe , and remember stuff I forgot
Is amazing how the author was able to make a subject that is completely visual , and transcribe to audio
I really appreciate , thanks for the author , and audible making this available in audio format ,
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- JF2013
- 01-10-19
ok reference, hardcopy probably better
the book continually references illustrations in the hardcopy version as well as material on the website, which makes it challenging if you are listening without access to those materials (walking along or driving in your car). i found it somewhat helpful. his other book, The Practice of Practice, is much better.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- G Gentry
- 04-20-20
Really well thought out
I throughly enjoyed this audiobook. It gives an excellent intro to music theory and is presented in easy consumable blocks. There is not a lot of fluff here and the author is straight to the point. I also enjoyed the quizzes at the end of each section.
I also purchased the Kindle version for $7 which is a great way to read the concepts and practice them after being introduced the concepts from the audio version.
Highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- musicboy
- 02-21-21
Helpful to build your library of concepts
If you don’t know what a dominant 7 is, might be worth your time. If you do, you might not need this book.
Author very nice guy and informative. But you’ll need more if you’re serious about theory. He spent too much time on easy stuff, and only scratches the surface of the difficult stuff.
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