Learning Music Theory - Book / CD/ CD ROM Recommendations??
- KVRist
- 261 posts since 1 Sep, 2003 from Studio Telex
I'm wanting to learn music theory after years of scrabbling around with the basic knowledge I have cobbled together over the last 12 years. However, as I only know bits and bobs I want to start at the beginning and learn. SO - does anyone have recommendations on media with which to learn - preferebly in a non-complicated manner and not too based around either notation or a specific instrument.
Cheers!
Cheers!
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- KVRian
- 756 posts since 18 Oct, 2002 from HelgeG
You could do worse than checking out Raven's Spiral guide to Music Theory. It is a very nice, informal and free introduction to music theory.gunark wrote:SO - does anyone have recommendations on media with which to learn - preferebly in a non-complicated manner and not too based around either notation or a specific instrument.
helge
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- addled muppet weed
- 111289 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
if you can still find it
the idiots guide to music theory
so damn easy to read and you actually start to understand what all the lines and dots mean
the idiots guide to music theory
so damn easy to read and you actually start to understand what all the lines and dots mean
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- KVRian
- 508 posts since 6 Jun, 2004
To be honest even though it may be a sour pill to swallow the best way is just to learn an instrument. If it's a small knowledge that you want then you will be ok just reading various guides, but if you want a decent knowledge you don't have a choice but to learn an instrument, it's the only way.
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- KVRist
- 178 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from Washington DC
Nice recommendation. I own The Idiot's Guide to Music Theory but it hasn't done it for me yet (I don't know what that says about my idiot statusHelgeG wrote:You could do worse than checking out Raven's Spiral guide to Music Theory.
- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
http://www.chordwizard.com/theory.asp
you can download the trial version but you only get 3 uses and for each use the cost of purchase goes up (or the amount of discount goes down) but the intro 3.0 is only around 20 bux and plays examples through midi so you can hear it.
I bought the top of the line too because it's aimed at guitar players like me who use many tunings. You can put in a tuning and it will show thousands of chords, scales and relations for the tuning. It comes with many tunings but you can customize your own as well as orientate the virtual guitar neck, including woods and finish..it's cool.
you can download the trial version but you only get 3 uses and for each use the cost of purchase goes up (or the amount of discount goes down) but the intro 3.0 is only around 20 bux and plays examples through midi so you can hear it.
I bought the top of the line too because it's aimed at guitar players like me who use many tunings. You can put in a tuning and it will show thousands of chords, scales and relations for the tuning. It comes with many tunings but you can customize your own as well as orientate the virtual guitar neck, including woods and finish..it's cool.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
- KVRAF
- 7872 posts since 21 Dec, 2002 from MD USA
Thank you this looks really good!HelgeG wrote:You could do worse than checking out Raven's Spiral guide to Music Theory. It is a very nice, informal and free introduction to music theory.gunark wrote:SO - does anyone have recommendations on media with which to learn - preferebly in a non-complicated manner and not too based around either notation or a specific instrument.
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- KVRist
- 289 posts since 8 Jul, 2004 from UK
I think its gonna be tough to learn any music theory without getting into the notation, music is a language after all and the only way to describe it is through notation. I did a music theory course a few years ago and the book we used was "The AB Guide to Music Theory (Part 1)" by Eric Taylor. Its a good intro and doesn't get too complicated. You should be able to check it out at any decent music shop (if you're in the UK).