THE BEST MUSIC THEORY BOOKS
The Best Music Theory Books.
Music theory can be daunting to learn at any level from someone only starting out as a musician, all the way up to a fully working professional. Music theory has such a vast range of topics starting with basic concepts such as notation, key signatures, time signatures and chords. Then moving onto more intermediate level theory such a modulation and chord extensions and eventually working up to more advanced concepts such as chromaticism, borrowed chords, musical modes and even contemporary music topics such as the twelve-tone technique and serialism. In this article we will take a look at some of my favourite music theory books which I think are the best to give you a broad understanding and to get you started in the world of music theory.
The AB Guide To Music Theory Part I
By Eric Taylor
The AB Guides to Music Theory are music theory books based around the educational syllabus of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music(ABRSM) examination board. The ABRSM is one of the leading music examination boards in the world which is one of the main reason why I recommend these books as some of the best music theory books for all musicians at any level from beginners all the way to professionals. The part one book in particular provides an introduction to the basic elements of music theory such as harmony and musical structure. It also covers the basics of rhythm and tempo, an introduction to pitch, intervals and transposition. It also has sections on smaller topics though they are still important when starting out with music theory such as articulation, ornaments, and reiterations. This part one book covers examination levels from grade 1 up to grade 5 and will get any musician or aspiring composer started when beginning to learning music theory.
The AB Guide To Music Theory Part II
By Eric Taylor
The AB Guide to Music Theory Part II follows on from Part I and it covers all theory material for the final grades 6-8 on the ABRSM syllabus. Part II still provides an introduction to the basic elements in harmony and musical structure. Though this part also includes separate chapters on voices, string instruments, woodwind and brass instruments, percussions and keyboard instruments, and instruments in combination. It also covers non-harmony notes, tonal harmony including modulation and chord extensions like 7ths, 9ths etc, chromatic chords and musical structure. There is also a more in-depth look at aspects of melody in this part compared to the first book along with talking about some modern developments in the final chapter looking at modern scales/modes, notation and even talking contemporary twelve-note theory method. Overall both of these books are terrific for any musician looking to learn music theory or a musician who is quite established.
The Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory
By Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder
Following in the footsteps of the popular Hal Leonard Pocket Music Dictionary, this handy pocket-sized book is a great book to carry around with you or while travelling. A step-by-step guide to harmony and theory for every musician, it includes thorough, yet easy-to-understand analysis of: intervals, rhythms, scales, chords, key signatures, transposition, chord inversion, key centers, harmonizing the major and minor scales, extended chords, modulation and much more. Packed with information from the Harmony & Theory course at Musicians Institute. The one small possible con to this book would be that it does not go into great detail on many of the topics as it is only as the title describes pocket size, but even still it is a very useful book to own with a lot of pros. As you can see it covers a broad wide range of topics and one of the main upsides to this book is its small size, which makes it perfect for any studio musicians looking for a quick answer or idea, or general musicians on the go as you can easily carry it around and brush up on any music theory topic you might be interested in or answer any question you might have.
Music Theory For Dummies
By Wiley Brand
Music Theory For Dummies makes music theory easy to understand, with a friendly, unintimidating overview of everything you need to know to become fluent at knocking out beats, reading musical scores, and learning to anticipate where a song should go—whether you're reading someone else's music or writing your own. Whether you're a music student or a music lover, you'll learn to read, write, and understand music with this informative guide. You will put it all together as you compose, arrange, and create original melodies, harmonies, and chords along with the guidance of this book. The title of this book might discourage people from buying it but don’t be alarmed it is not to degrade people it is simply there to catch your attention. Music Theory for Dummies is actually a very insightful book full of great in-depth information on all the main topics of music theory while providing very descriptive side notes for each topic and also provides effective visual examples from scores to help guide your understanding.
Now there is my list of some of my favourite music theory books. Of course there are plenty more music theory books out there and many that specialise on particular topics or genres of music, but value for money I think this list is a good guide to check out with the cheapest book on this list only costing $7. So whether you intend to pursue a degree or career in music, or just enjoy listening to it, understanding the theory behind it gives you a whole new appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship behind the pieces that give you goose bumps. It's a mix of technical skill, inborn talent, and plenty of practice – and now you can try your hand at it, with some of my favourites and what I consider some of the best music theory books on the market.