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Topic: Can you recommend some theory books?... (Read 2822 times)

DrEvil-

PS Silver Member
Newbie
Posts: 20

Can you recommend some theory books?...

on: August 11, 2004, 10:28:44 PM

or websites?

I'd like to be able to look at a score and analyse it. I'm very comfortable with scales, but not very familiar with more complicated chords.

Also, what exactly should I be doing when I look at a score? (hehe, big question)

Thanks!

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cysoto

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Posts: 54

www.musictheory.net/

Reply #1 on: August 12, 2004, 03:03:42 AM

I can't recommend any books but I can tell you about a website that has been very helpful for me: https://www.musictheory.net/

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Saturn

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Posts: 271

Re: Can you recommend some theory books?...

Reply #2 on: August 12, 2004, 04:10:37 AM

See this thread:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=misc;action=display;num=1084415231;start=0

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Mandy

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Posts: 44

Re: Can you recommend some theory books?...

Reply #3 on: August 12, 2004, 05:57:26 AM

Mark Sarnecki has some very good theory books which can be purchased from the www.frederickharrismusic.com website. He has rudiments and harmony publications. The rudiments books will give you a good foundation in theory and the harmony books are an extension of the rudiments books using more complicated chords and chord progressions.

Hope that helps!

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DrEvil-

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Posts: 20

Re: Can you recommend some theory books?...

Reply #4 on: August 12, 2004, 07:18:44 AM

Thank you very much!

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Rach3

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Posts: 664

Re: Can you recommend some theory books?...

Reply #5 on: August 12, 2004, 12:00:32 PM

Kostka & Payne is good, it communicates well and has really good examples/excerpts. I think it's called "Foundations of Tonal Harmony" (?).

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"Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them."
--Richard Wagner

bernhard

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Posts: 5078

Re: Can you recommend some theory books?...

Reply #6 on: August 12, 2004, 06:23:49 PM

There is no single way to analyse a score. Different methods highlight different aspects. You can analyse a score using harmonic reduction, Schenkerian analysis, motif analysis, and so on. Also different methods of analysis are better suited to certain kinds/styles of music.

An excellent introduction to musical analysis, with many worked out examples is:

Nicholas Cook – A guide to musical analysis – Oxford University Press.

If you want to see how people analyse J.S Bach fugues, have a look at this site; it is truly amazing. You can listen to the fugue and read the analysis highlights while the analysis itself is done through animation. Amazing!

https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/wtc.html

Also have a look at these threads where a similar question to yours has been answered:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1090467312;start=7

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=misc;action=display;num=1084415231;start=0

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

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