Who knows Ebenezer Prout's books?
I got this one: Harmony, its Theory and Practice plus a supplement with exercises. It seems to be a good book, at the end of each chapter there are exercises.
I got it for free so I haven't read it yet.
Is it too advanced for a newbie in harmony like me? I don't want to start reading it to quit later.
With a name like that I asume it is an old book. Don't let that throw you. This book on melody http://books.google.com/books?id=Hty...page&q&f=false was written in 1900 and the light came on when I read it.
Take your book a few pages at a time and I'm sure you will get something from it.
Harmony - in a nut shell - the melody line and the chord line should share like notes. When they do you harmonize. Just keep that in mind as you read.
Last edited by Malcolm; 02-08-2011 at 01:13 PM.
There's a free download here, from open library. These are book that the copyrights have expired so I gues it's no problem to post the link here (in this site there are a lot of digitized books from the Library of the University of Toronto).
The book I'm asking about is, more or less, from the same time as this one, i.e., end of 19th century. It has a lot of reeditions, mine is the second one.
This is the link to the one I've got, here, and the additional exercises here.
Last edited by rbarata; 02-08-2011 at 01:29 PM.
A good music theory book for learning to compose, at basic/beginner level is "All-In-One to Grade 5" by Rachel Billings, which covers beginner music theory to Grade 5 music theory . One thing I like about it is that it starts with "words and rhythms" and there are fun challenges! You have to match up rhythms with words (it is a natural relationship since poetry already has inbuilt rhythms of its own) - plenty of exercises. You are then taught ways of setting the rhythm to music and things to look out for such has cadential points (which effects the notes you choose), key, mood, the relationship between descriptive words and the written notes etc. etc. This is a great book to get you on your way. At more advanced level (re. harmonizing music/composing), try "Harmony for beginners" by John Stott (though it may be out of print now). The title is a bit misleading since it is actually covers info between Grade 6-8 level.
Hello Cantabile
Thanks for the sugestion. I saw the sample pages and it seems very "graphic". The chapter that treats lyrics and rhythm it's something I had never seen in a theory book (although I haven't read many).
I'm not familiar with the grades "scale"...I realy don't know what grade I'm in.
Where can I see that?
It's a UK and Canadian thing. Their music "schools" have a testing/grading system. Cantabile or Jon can go into detail.
I see you can read the book for free online here:
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL70651...y_and_practice.
Even if you don't make it throught the whole book, getting a good handle on the basics presented in the first few chapters certainly isn't going to hurt anything.
Walter, in that page, left side, there are multiple possibilities to download it.
This book has three more that must be used together with this. One contains additional exercises. The other two contain the answers to the exercises in the main book (this one) and to the additional ones. But the exercises change between editions so, when downloaded, you must choose the correct ones.
Well, my intention is to read it all, if possible,Even if you don't make it throught the whole book, getting a good handle on the basics presented in the first few chapters certainly isn't going to hurt anything.
Grade 5 is an important exam here in the UK and infact in many countries world wide (which country are you from?). The ABRSM exam board do not allow instrumental students to progress onto higher grade practical exams (i.e. exams in performance upon their chosen instrument) unless they have first taken Grade 5 music theory. If you wish to read about the topics included in Grades 1-5 go to...
http://aaronpublications.co.uk/ModulesandCourses.aspx
Regards, Cantabile
Originally Posted by rbarata
Hello Cantabile
Thanks for the sugestion. I saw the sample pages and it seems very "graphic". The chapter that treats lyrics and rhythm it's something I had never seen in a theory book (although I haven't read many
I'm not familiar with the grades "scale"...I realy don't know what grade I'm in.
Where can I see that?
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