Best Music Conducting
Through two highly successful editions, The Study of Orchestration has set the standard for orchestration texts, providing the most comprehensive treatment of both orchestration and instrumentation. Samuel Adler is Professor Emeritus at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School of Music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a textbook, so it's hard to get too excited, but it is informational for the serious student."
"Great book and great audio examples, but the video software is not updated."
"Use Windows Media Player and ripp the audio examples, and then convert the wave-files to mp3s."
"You have to buy the workbook so you can get a better understanding of what you are reading."
"Dear Publisher, Please update the software as soon as possible so that I can use it on my Mac."
"The audio samples are *not* visible on a windows computer - the way this works is pop in the CD in any CD player or computer DVD drive that can play CDs, and play them back. Initial review: "Whoever developed the user interface should be killed - it forces you to listen to the opening tune which after a couple of times gets really annoying, it keeps asking for different CDs (insert disk 1, insert disk 6, insert disk 1, etc) for anything you want to do, and the audio samples are nowhere to be found ('cannot find composer')."
"Doesn't work with OS X 10.11."
This book, therefore, which differs from most other texts on the subject because of its tremendous wealth of musical examples and its systematic arrangement of material according to each constituent of the orchestra, will undoubtedly be of value to any music student. Chapter IV, Composition of the Orchestra, covers different ways of orchestrating the same music; effects that can be achieved with full tutti; tutti in winds, tutti pizzicato, soli in the strings, etc. Immediately following this text are some 330 pages of musical examples drawn from "Sheherazade," the "Antar Symphony," "Capriccio Espagnol," "Sadko," "Ivan the Terrible," "Le Coq d'Or," "Mlada," "The Tsar's Bride," and others of Rimsky-Korsakov's works.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I don't have any background in music and never studied it but what the author writes here is clear an understandable."
"Just started reading it, but was just what I was looking for."
"Awesome sauce."
"Awesome Book, 100% recommended."
"Everything I was looking for in orchestration."
"Very bad quality print, looks like it was just printed from the internet."
Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Director of Wind Studies, College of Music University of North Texas Click here for a YouTube video on On Becoming a Conductor. "The book is packed with useful charts and diagrams, and Battisti intersperses his expertise with thoughts and suggestions from other experts in the field. "...Its lessons apply equally well to conductors of all levels of experience, and its meditations will bring new insight to this wonderfully complex art.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His was one of the early voices calling for quality new repertoire to be written for the wind band in the 1950s, and his subsequent career as a high school and university conductor and teacher of conducting is a model for all who have come after."
"This book contains outstanding points of reflection for the aspiring conductor coupled with great readings from some of the most famous conductors and musicians ever, coupled with fantastic selections from some writers I had never heard of."
"I withhold a star from this book solely because it could benefit from tighter editing and organization."
"Shipped quickly, exactly as advertised."
"I bought this as a textbook for a class, but I enjoyed reading it, and I think it's worth the purchase just as a resource to anyone who wants to learn more about being a conductor."
"It's a great book."
Best Chamber Music
(Essential Elements for Strings and Essential Elements Interactive are fully compatible with Essential Elements 2000 for Strings) Essential Elements for Strings offers beginning students sound pedagogy and engaging music, all carefully paced to successfully start young players on their musical journey.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She does use the CD that came along with the book and it is nice for her to be able to follow along."
"Essential Elements is what I used to learn music in band as a kid."
"Bought Book 1, 2, and 3."
"Still a classic and useful method for learning."
"Exactly what was needed and quickly shipped."
"Great books to learn any instrument.I used them when I was younger and now my daughter will."
"I wanted to learn to play violin and cant afford lessons so I bought both these books."
"Book came very quickly and was exactly as described."
Best Music Composition
We are proud to publish titles of interest to all musicians as well as music lovers, from songbooks and instructional titles to artist biographies and instrument price guides to books about the music industry and all the performing arts. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Non standard format."
"These are good, but two things: 1) A few of the cover's holes have already torn on the bottom."
"I haven't had to buy manuscript paper in a long time, and these notebooks are just as I remember them."
"I got it for myself, but I've been forced to share it with my 5 year and 7 year old, who are both now writing their own songs on piano."
"Good quality manuscript paper."
"This is a great product to buy if you like to write lyrics or music all together."
"If you write music, and I do, then you need this product.....and the price is right!"
"the pages are front and back with staff lines, and the pages are easy to turn."
Best Music Theory
Includes all notes, symbols, and terms needed for the first two years of study on any musical instrument.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Much of the problem with assigning students note reading homework is that there is no one at home to help bc no one but the student is learning music."
"Very useful teaching tool."
"Love these!"
"Work great and very comprehensive."
"Good quality, recommend it."
"My daughter has an easier time recognizing the notes in her music already after a week of using these flash cards."
"These were bought for grand daughters who are taking piano lessons."
Best Music Exercises
Teacher accompaniments are available in a separate book - Teaching Little Fingers to Play Ensemble (412228).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"this was my first piano book oh so many years ago - now I have purchased it for my granddaughter who is learning piano."
"Good book."
"If you've never had any experience with music, then this is a good start - but that's all it is."
"My daughter is also very excited about the new books written to go along with it, Teaching Little Fingers to Play Disney Songs, and TLFTP Hymns, Christmas Carols, and there are so many more. About the numbers...if you actually take time to READ the beginning pages of the book, it gives you a very specific method to ensure that your children begin by playing the proper keys using finger numbers. Basically, just play the song once with the numbers, then play the song from then on SAYING the NOTES while playing the keys."
"The progression just makes no sense, and the beginner young kids I teach (all 6 years old) just can't grasp the concepts they throw at you on the first pages."
"Ordered: November 19, 2017. Delivered: January 26, 2018."
Best Music Appreciation
Titles: Alexander's Ragtime Band * Arkansas Traveler * Ballin' the Jack * The Battle Hymn of the Republic * Black Forest Polka * Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair * Bourlesq * Brahms Lullaby * Bridal Chorus from "Lohengrin" * Calypso Carnival * Canon in D (Pachelbel) * Chorale * Circus March * Danny Boy * Dark Eyes * Deep River * Divertimento in D * Down in the Valley * Etude (Chopin) * Farewell to Thee (Aloha Oe) * Fascination * Festive Dance * For He's a Jolly Good Fellow * Frankie and Johnnie * Guantanamera * Hava Nagila * He's Got the Whole World in His Hands * The Hokey-Pokey * The House of the Rising Sun * Hungarian Rhapsody No.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It took me about 1 1/2 months to work through the book and I rate it as excellent instruction for anyone wanting to learn or re-learn the piano."
"A little background before I get into the real review: My 14 y/o trumpet player daughter has been wanting to learn the piano for years. Her trumpet teacher disagreed and recommended she start with the Suzuki method as she has and incredibly good ear and quite a bit of natural musical talent. I bought this book to help rectify that, knowing that I'll be sitting in on her weekly lessons and absorbing a lot of information there. It's pretty exciting to go from not knowing where middle C is located to playing Jingle Bells with a bit of harmony in 2 days! I do plan on adding scales and such to my practice sessions, as these are truly the things that will help you progress and give you a more fundamental understanding of how music is put together. I feel like I'm able to grasp the concepts that are introduced and will be able to help my daughter along once her lessons start in a couple of weeks."
"No CD, but Youtube is better than the CD anyway."
"I would definitely recommend Alfred's series, but make sure to get some additional piano literature to go along with it."
"I have been glad that I going through it with a piano teacher however as there are definitely things she clarified better than the book did. That said, I think this would be a good book were someone to choose it to teach themselves and I often move ahead in it to teach myself a bit of what is coming next in the lessons."
"So I got this book."
Best Music Techniques
(Guitar Method).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is actually a pretty good book for a beginner."
"I bought this for a friend who is learning to read music."
"It teaches me not only to start out with simple tunes and chords, but it also encourages me to learn how to read music. I want to learn how to read music, not so much tabs and chord charts, and this book helps me do that."
"This "complete" edition incorporatesthe three previously stand alone editions and CD's for a great cost savings."
"First one that I've seen that offers a comprehensive approach to guitar and reading sheet music for guitar."
"I had toreturn this item there was no DVD to accompany it."
"I purchased this for my husband to use with his new guitar, and he has been practicing and doing great with it!"
"I like this book because it bundles all 3 of their books into one package, and the CD/DVDs are great to help you know just where you really are."
Best Music Instruction & Study
Titles: Alouette * Alpine Melody * Amazing Grace * Au Claire de la Lune * Aunt Rhody * Auld Lang Syne * Aura Lee * The Bandleader * Beautiful Brown Eyes * Blow the Man Down! * Largo (Dvorak) * Lavender's Blue * Lightly Row * Little Brown Jug * Liza Jane * London Bridge * Lone Star Waltz * Love Somebody * Lullaby * The Marine's Hymn * Mary Ann * Merrily We Roll Along * Mexican Hat Dance * Michael, Row the Boat Ashore * Money Can't Buy Everything * My Fifth * Ode to Joy * On Top of Old Smoky * O Sole Mio * Raisins and Almonds * Rock Along * Rockets * Rockin' Intervals * Rock It Away!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It took me about 1 1/2 months to work through the book and I rate it as excellent instruction for anyone wanting to learn or re-learn the piano."
"A little background before I get into the real review: My 14 y/o trumpet player daughter has been wanting to learn the piano for years. Her trumpet teacher disagreed and recommended she start with the Suzuki method as she has and incredibly good ear and quite a bit of natural musical talent. I bought this book to help rectify that, knowing that I'll be sitting in on her weekly lessons and absorbing a lot of information there. It's pretty exciting to go from not knowing where middle C is located to playing Jingle Bells with a bit of harmony in 2 days! I do plan on adding scales and such to my practice sessions, as these are truly the things that will help you progress and give you a more fundamental understanding of how music is put together. I feel like I'm able to grasp the concepts that are introduced and will be able to help my daughter along once her lessons start in a couple of weeks."
"No CD, but Youtube is better than the CD anyway."
"I would definitely recommend Alfred's series, but make sure to get some additional piano literature to go along with it."
"I have been glad that I going through it with a piano teacher however as there are definitely things she clarified better than the book did. That said, I think this would be a good book were someone to choose it to teach themselves and I often move ahead in it to teach myself a bit of what is coming next in the lessons."
"So I got this book."
Best Lyrics in Music
These are some of the best-loved songs in the modern American songbook. A gorgeous keepsake edition of the Dead’s official annotated lyrics, The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics is an absolute must-have for the fiftieth anniversary—you won’t think of this cultural icon the same way again. Why are the obscure tales of their characters' (Jack Straw, Black Peter, August West, et al) trials and tribulations on the psychedelic Americana landscape so intriguing? What is the deal with the reoccurring imagery that popped in and out of their songs for decades (the crows, light and darkness, rolling rivers, gambling, playing cards, space, and, of course, roses)? It is clear the Grateful Dead's lyricists Robert Hunter and John Barlow tapped into the well of the collective subconscious for material, but rarely were any explanations provided. The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics began as a research project for David Dodd while he was working at the University of Colorado.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Can't say enough good things about this book ; stories & additional info about inspirational content are VERY interesting !!!"
"Great collector's item for any Dead Head."
"I’m enjoying this book!!!"
"Wow."
"Lots of great tunes for any Deadhead who doesn't have the entire catalogue memorized."
"Bought this for my hubby for Christmas."
"Nice to look at this when listening to the many versions of the songs in this book that I have in iTunes."
"It's a long strange trip for those of us who follow the band...and it's a nice walk down memory lane.."
Best Songwriting
Featuring updated and expanded chapters, 50 fun songwriting exercises, and examples from more than 20 chart-toppings songs, Writing Better Lyrics gives you all of the professional and creative insight you need to write powerful lyrics and put your songs in the spotlight where they belong. Pat Pattison is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book includes my favorite exercises for getting my creative juices flowing."
"Then he gets into the nuts and bolts of writing, using made-up and real songs and a combination of both, to show you step by step (and verse by verse) how to build (and not to build) a song. Even when he gets into meter (which as a non-songwriter I've always thought of in terms of poems) he explains how because of the nursery songs we grew up with we expect certain things and when to put them into a song and when not to."
"I found this book when I decided to use song lyrics to teach poetry concepts to my eighth-grade English class."
"Changed the way I view lyrics and I approach songwriting differently, in a good way."
"This book is a good step-by-step overview of things to keep in mind when writing song lyrics."
"I've written songs for years."
"As a songwriter, I've always been wary of over-analyzing the magic that delivers songs to me. Mostly, I don't set out to write songs, but rather, songs find me. Songwriters, if you've never read a book that actually gets into the action steps that happen when you write a song, do yourselves a favor and get this book."
"Songwriting son very happy with this book."
Best Musical Philosophy & Social Aspects
Through the lens of seven opera premieres in seven cities across the past 400 years, the authors look at snapshots in time where politics, art, and social history intersected, providing an immersive account of the society from which these pieces and performances evolved. 'lavish' Financial Times, Books of the Year 2017: Music; '...a gem.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Nice coffee table book of opera exhibit at the V & A Museum."
Best MIDI & Mixers
Titles: * The Legend of Zelda(tm) Title Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm) Main Theme * Zelda II(tm) - The Adventure of Link(tm) Title Theme * Zelda II(tm) - The Adventure of Link(tm) Palace Music * The Legend of Zelda(tm): A Link to the Past(tm) Title Screen * The Legend of Zelda(tm): A Link to the Past(tm) Hyrule Castle Music * The Legend of Zelda(tm): A Link to the Past(tm) Main Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm): A Link to the Past(tm) The Dark World * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Link's Awakening(tm) Main Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Title Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Princess Zelda's Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Hyrule Field * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Lost Woods (Saria's Song) * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Gerudo Valley * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Ocarina of Time(tm) Song of Storms * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Majora's Mask(tm) Prelude of Majora's Mask * The Legend of Zelda(tm): Majora's Mask(tm)Termina Field * The Legend of Zelda(tm): The Wind Waker(tm) Main Theme * The Legend of Zelda(tm): The Wind Waker(tm) Dragon Roost Island * The Legend of Zelda(tm): The Wind Waker.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"this is a fantastic sampling of music from the zelda series; midna's lament is an especially beautiful piano piece. my only gripe (worth less than half a star) is that the book is bound in such a way that makes it impossible to lay open without something holding the pages back."
"My daughter was told by her band teacher that she could use piano music as sheet music for her flute."
"Many songs in the book are from the OoT game, however, most of the songs from prior games were updated or arranged to be songs in latter games so you're still getting all the tunes you liked from just about every game."
"Bought this as a gift for a friend who plays piano professionally and games casually."
"This book has a lot of the more recognizable songs from the series, and they are fun to play. Key signatures: I bought the guitar version also, so my wife and I could play together."
"Great mix of songs."
"The pages are all good quality, don't tear easily turning pages, and overall the book looks good and has everything you would expect."
"I am a big fan of The Legend of Zelda and wanted to play them on the piano."