Good music theory books?

[Daniel_piano]

I wonder if someone can suggest a good theory book that cover anything from tima signature, to rhythm and irregular groups
And also a good but simple (since I've already a lot of complex and prolix ones) harony book

Now, I've look through old posts but the only book I've seen mentioned is
Understanding Harmony by Robert L. Jacobs

Since I when I order a book I've to pay for shipping fee I'd like to get more than just on book at a time

First problem: any other book on theory other than Robert one and ABRSM books?
Second problem: where to buy Robert Jacobs book? I couldn't find any shop that had it for sale

Thanks
Daniel

[bernhard]

Paul Sturman – Harmony, melody and composition. (Cambridge). These two slim volumes cover all of harmony in a very systematic way. Lots of exercises and the emphasis is in putting the material in each chapter to immediate use by encouraging the student to compose.

Paul Hindemith – The elementary training of musicians – This is a theory book again with emphasis on using the material as soon as possible in composition. There is a huge emphasis on rhythm and meter and lots of challenging and very interesting exercises. Hindemith also wrote two volumes on harmony on the same lines.

These books (Sturman and Hindemith) are not really reference books. It takes forever to find specific information on them and they are very incomplete (for instance neither of them deasl with ornaments). However, they come on their own if you simply trust the authors and systematically cover all of the material and exercises in them. At the end you will have a thorough grounding in the fundamentals.

As reference books for theory, I like the ABRSM already mentioned, and

Michael Miller – The complete Idiot’s guide to music theory. (Alpha).

This covers more ground than Taylor (melody, harmony, composition and arrangement) and is written in a light, enjoyable way. It does not really cover anything in much depth but it is excellent as an introduction to the subject, and as preparation for more solid stuff (e.g. Walter Piston’s “Harmony”)

Besides Jacobs, another book that deals with “what odes it all mean” is:

W. A. Mathieu – Harmonic experience: Tonal harmony from its natural origins to its modern expression (Inner Traditions).

This is an amazing book. Everyone should read it. Read some more gushing reviews of it here:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0892815604/002-7643341-8252845?v=glance

Then two good references for musical notation are:

Gardner Read “Music notation” (Taplinger) – with almost 500 pages, this book covers pretty much everything from meaning to history of notation. Excellent reference.

George Heussenstamm – “The Norton manual of music notation”  (Norton) – much shorter than Read’s, this is a more practical book, telling you stuff like when to do notes’s stems up or down and how to draw notes. This really a “rules” book. Good to have around when you are in doubt.

Finally on the matter of ornamentation:

Valery Lloyd Watts & Carole Bigler – Ornamentation: a Question and answer manual (Alfred) This is a short introduction to the subject, but well researched and should answer 80% of all questions you may find in “normal” pieces.

However, if you want to improvise your own ornametnation or really understand what was going on in pre-Classical ornamentation then you need to dig further:

The most complete reference is:

Fredrick Neumann – Ornamentation in Baroque and post-baroque music (Princeton)

For Renaissance an Baroque music, Robert Donnington has written several excellent books the most complete being "The interpretation of Early music" (Faber)

As usual, just the tip of the iceberg.

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[Daniel_piano]

Thanks for this list Bernhard
Other than harmony, notation and ornamentation, I was wondering if you know of a book dealing "only" with rhythm, tempo and time signature
Usually these important topics are very overlooked in harmony and counterpoint book and I'd like to have a book only about these

Thanks
Daniel

[Mycroft]

"Second problem: where to buy Robert Jacobs book? I couldn't find any shop that had it for sale"

It's long out of print (1969) but there was a reprint run in 1986.  You might find it at eCampus.com
https://www.ecampus.com/bk_detail.asp?ISBN=0313250928

Otherwise, check used book sellers - especially those who are members of a group that can search each others books.

I found "Understanding Harmony" at Overstock.com for $29.00 (a bargain!)
https://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=171663

[bernhard]

Thanks for this list Bernhard
Other than harmony, notation and ornamentation, I was wondering if you know of a book dealing "only" with rhythm, tempo and time signature
Usually these important topics are very overlooked in harmony and counterpoint book and I'd like to have a book only about these

Thanks
Daniel

Hindemith's quoted above is excellent in this area. If you want to go really deep, try the fabulous

G. Cooper & L. Meyer - The rhythmic structure of music (University of Chicago Press).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.