Piano Forum
Piano Board => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: josh93248 on July 06, 2016, 03:49:33 PM
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I've managed to get digital copies of a huge number of books on music and composition, The list is quite extensive and I don't at all expect people to tell me everything about each one but I would appreciate any information on what books are most helpful with regards to learning composition especially for someone who's more or less a beginner. At any rate, please feel free to browse the list and make whatever comments you like about whatever books you're familiar with. Are they boring? Interesting? Esoteric? Practical? Etc.
Thanks, here's the list:
Aldwell, Schachter_Harmony and Voice Leading 3rd Edtion.pdf
Berlioz_A treatise upon modern instrumentation (1858).pdf
Cope David_Techniques of the Contemporary Composer.pdf
Hindemith Paul_Elementary Training for Musicians.pdf
Hindemith Paul_The Craft of Musical Composition.pdf
Horwood Frederick_Elementary Counterpoint.pdf
Kennan Kent_Counterpoint, 4th ed.pdf
Kitson C H_Counterpoint for Beginners.pdf
Kwon Songtaik_Mahler and Bach - Counterpoint and Polarities in Form.pdf
Messiaen Olivier_Technique of my Musical Language_Examples.pdf
Messiaen Olivier_Technique of my Musical Language_Text.pdf
Norden Hugo_Foundation studies in Fugue.pdf
Norden Hugo_Fundamental Counterpoint.pdf
Piston Walter_Counterpoint (1970).pdf
Piston Walter_Harmony (1959).pdf
Piston Walter_Orchestration (1969).pdf
Riemann Hugo_Harmony Simplified.pdf
Salzer Felix_Structural Hearing 1.pdf
Salzer Felix_Structural Hearing 2.pdf
Schenker Heinrich_Harmony.pdf
Schoenberg Arnold_Fundamentals of Musical Composition.pdf
Schoenberg Arnold_Preliminary Exersises in Counterpoint.pdf
Schoenberg Arnold_Structural Functions of Harmony.pdf
Schoenberg Arnold_Theory of Harmony.pdf
Smith-Brindle Reginald_Serial Composition.pdf
_unknown_Two-voice counterpoint.pdf
Davis Richard_Complete Guide To Film Scoring (1999).pdf
Digital Recording, Mixing And Mastering Volume 1.pdf
Dobbins Bill_A Creative Approach To Jazz Piano Harmony.pdf
Dobbins Bill_Jazz Arranging And Composing.pdf
Feldstein Sandy_Practical Theory Complete; A Self-Instruction Music Theory Course (1982).pdf
Gerou Tom, Lusk Linda_Essential Dictionary of Music Notation.pdf
Jamey Aebershold_How To Play Jazz and Improvise.pdf
Jerry Bergonzi - Vol 4 - Melodic Rhythms.pdf
Liebman Dave_Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody.pdf
Microphone Techniques for Music Sound Reinforcement.pdf
Miller Ron_Modal Jazz, Composition and Harmony.pdf
Music Theory in Concept and Practice.chm
Russo William_Composing for the jazz orchestra.pdf
Walden David E_How to Listen to Modern Music Without Earplugs.chm
_elementary_Zeitlin P, Goldberger D - Understanding Music Theory (1981).pdf
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It's not on the list, but Westergaard's Introduction to Tonality is one of the best books that can be used to learn how to breakdown existing compositions in terms of how a listener could perceive the music at all structural levels. It more formalizes how you think about music, and can be used to understand any following text afterwards. It's out of print, but a digital copy can be found out there.
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I've always liked the Aldwell & Schachter Harmony book. I have found the organization and presentation of material very easy to relate to. It is also well set up to use as a reference book.
The Messiaen Technique of my Musical Language is the composer explaining his own composition techniques and processes. There is a lot of Messiaen specific terminology utilized. It is useful if you are interested in Messiaen's music, or borrowing elements from his style. However, probably not the best intro to composition books.
One that is not on your list is the Goetschius Counterpoint Applied. I have enjoyed the chapter on fugues in this one. It is public domain and can be found here
https://archive.org/details/counterpointappl00goetuoft
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Those books I assume are too academic. In my own personal experience Composition methods found in books are nothing but cookie cutter methods that will only make you a half-baked composer. I believe composition is not taught in music schools, if they do, they're usually crappy.
What I am doing right now when it comes to composing is to hear music in my head. That's what I am up to right now.