Basic Music Theory, 4th Edition

How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

By: Jonathan Harnum

Narrated by: Jonathan Harnum

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

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. Harnum

A very good portable and study anywhere book

I am always skeptical about audible books for practical, hands on skills review. This book is different. It is a very effective way to review key concepts when holding and reading a book is just not feasible - driving, running, doing errands. With the support of the website resources, one can actually study and apply the material when in front of an instrument. Well done.

Music Man

I greatly enjoyed this book. Music Theory has always been my weak point and I have been teaching music for years. I decided that I was going to commit to learning more about music theory and saw this book on audible. At first I thought there was no way to teach music theory through an audio book, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book not only helped me but will help my students for years to come.

Great book, wonderful performance, endepth knowledge, and a fantastic resource for years to come. Thank you!

Incredibly informational but also misleading.

An audio book should be able to be used via listening but this one requires you to read along on your phone or laptop. While it's very informative, it defeats it's own purpose and should be truly revised for audio. If I have to hold a phone or computer, I'm better off with a book.

Not good as an audiobook

A big point of audiobooks is that you don’t use you hands. I often do something while listening to books (games, work, whatever).
But this book requires that you constantly look at pictures and examples. I’m sure it works great in printed form, but it makes listening to the audiobook difficult. There are still sections that are good and interesting. But not enough. This shouldn’t have been made in to an audiobook at all.

Why is there no PDF?

It would be so simple for the author to attach a downloadable PDF file with the diagrams and images that the author refers the reader to view on his website CONSTANTLY. I've attempted to access the website a few times and found that the referenced information is usually no longer available. The information is good and well enough laid out. Without an accompanying PDF for reference, the value is greatly diminished. I regret that I did not return this audio book soon after I purchased it.

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 ,

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.

Amazed at how much I learned!

I only listened to this audio book while driving and I’m amazed at how much I learned. I am just restarting to learn the guitar and for the first time in my many tries I think I’ll make some decent progress this time in large part to getting a better foundation.

I know I’ll be going the website soon for more info the author has prepared.

There is no music audio in this audiobook

A couple other reviewers have mentioned variations of this also. The book is well narrated, but misleading. Other people may have different listening habits, but I am listening to an audiobook specifically because I'm not in a position to read along or follow along with other printed material. If I could be reading along (or playing along on a keyboard) then I would just use a printed book.

That said, it would have been VERY helpful (especially because the author repeats that these elements need to be heard to be understood) If he would give audio examples of the elements he's explaining. Give us 5 seconds of a metronome at an Allegro tempo. Play a C chord. Major v. minor.Something we can compare to the next time we actually are at a keyboard. The lack of that was so frustrating that I just stopped listening at the chapter on chord progressions. What was the point of making this book in audio form?

A Practical Efficient Tool to Understand Music

While growing up I took years of piano lessons (ending my junior year in high school). I also played the clarinet in the school band for five years. I sang in choirs, and as an adult I performed with a barbershop quartet. Therefore, I came to the this book with a reasonable base of knowledge of music.

But in all my musical experience, I felt that I had somehow missed building the solid foundation of music theory that allows for greater musicianship.

Recently retired from a profession that regularly exacted 60-hour work weeks, I bought a classic guitar and started lessons. I bought this book not only (a) to review things I had learned, but also (b) to strengthen my musical foundation.
Sounds like serious work, doesn't it?
Well it is (I can't deny that).

But the author does a fantastic job of making the learning more like a personal one-on-one conversation.

Jonathan Barnum understands musuc deeply, and doesn't cheat the discipline by artificiality. But the journey doesn't feel like an onerous slog.

I highly recommend this book to anyone serious about music. It gets the job done, and has fun alone the road.

A note to those who (like me) purchase the audio book version : I am very glad I got the audio book. And I appreciate the author's extensive effort to provide (via the internet) the visual material essential to the depth of coverage to which this work aspires. But having finished the audio version I intend to also buy the physical book (to use as a reference and review going forward.

To the author I say: "Thanks for the well crafted sharing of so much!"

To the serious student I say:" I highly recommend this valuable resource."

It’s supposed to be an audiobook. Make it one

The book contentwise is pretty good. Examples, explanations and so forth.

But it seriously misses out on every opportunity to make it an audiobook.

The examples are all on the website and the narrator reads them out aloud “c d# followed by g” you get the picture.

This is an audiobook. I’m sure I’m not the only one listening to it during commute.
PLAY the examples. Read the notes and play them. Read the chords and play them!

What is the point of making an audiobook on a topic like this if you leave the most important part in print format?
As a book this would be a 4 or 5 star from me. As an audiobook 🤷‍♂️

As Perfect as a Music Theory Book Can Get

To learn music, one must play, experiment, be inquisitive and explore. This is a book, so it was hard to imagine how useful it could be and how much could be learned.

The great thing about this book, is that it encourages you to put it down. This is not a book one picks up and reads systematically from cover to cover in order to take in all the golden nuggets of information. This book, is more like having a teacher waiting, prompting and guiding you, as you play, comprehend & internalise concepts that are first felt and then understood (or sometimes vice versa).

Granted, musical examples within an audiobook would have been a bonus. However, the supporting PDF is comprehensive and the links to videos, sounds and pictures are rich. I was also glad that the Kindle version of this book was free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription meaning that I could read along and see the diagrams whenever I wanted.

All in all, this book does exactly what it’s supposed to do… it fills in the gaps of one’s musical knowledge while dropping pearls of wisdom.

Every player will be at their own level, so more experienced musicians will skip certain parts. However, there is something for everyone. A book that should be part of every musicians collection, as part of their passion-for-music journey as well as a reference.

Knowledge is worth more than silver and gold!