Can you recommend some theory books?...

[DrEvil-]

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!

[cysoto]

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/

[Saturn]

See this thread:

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

[Mandy]

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!

[DrEvil-]

Thank you very much!

[Rach3]

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

[bernhard]

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.

[DrEvil-]

Thanks Bernhard!

[pies]

­

[Rach3]

The WTC analysis page is really cool - I'm bookmarking it.