thedood52 asked:


I was searching around for great music theory books, and I found this series of books by Eric Taylor called “music theory in practice” but I don’t know which book to get, because they’re organized into grades, probably meant for the use of a music theory student studying for exams, and since I’m not a student and can’t afford a class I don’t know which one I should get. Here’s what I know:
I have a basic understanding of the diatonic modes and how they are used both in jazz and other music
I can read the neutral clef (for drums), the treble clef, bass clef, and the grand staff
I understand how major triads, minor triads, augmented, diminished, sixths, major sevenths, sevenths, minor sevenths, dominant sevenths, ninths, add9s, add11s, suspended2s, and suspended4 chords are all created from scales.
I have used the following time signatures before:
14/16
7/8
9/8
8/8
4/4
2/4
3/4
6/4
5/4
7/4
6/8
13/16
12/16
9/3
10/3
6/3
9/6
12/6
And I’ve experimented with using 5 and 7 as the bottom number, I’m not sure if that’s an original idea or not but if you have a way to count it its actually pretty easy. I can’t actually remember all of the time signatures I’ve used but those I’ve listed are off the top of my head and probably the ones I use most frequently.
I know all about keys (both major and minor), but suck at figuring out key signatures, if that makes sense
I know the pentatonic scales and blues scale
I’ve read about very exotic scales but don’t use them very well
I’m not a great sight reader on any instrument except for the drums, but I do know how I am supposed to read the other clefs.
I play guitar, bass, drums, and although I’m very inexperienced at piano I’ve tried it. I also sing but I have a horrible voice.
Okay so with that information of what I know so far, can you suggest which book I should start with? Sorry about the large wall of text.

how to sight read music

xamyrulzx asked:


Ive already pretty much learned “Smother Me” by The Used, pretty simple,
I dont have much patince, but an easy melody i can pick up quickly on
i like more rock and alternative, but im willing to learn pop songs too
im looking more for sheet music to help me with my sight reading, since im not taking lessons any more (have taken lessons for a little over a year, about 2 or 3 years ago)
if you can get me a link to a printable version of the sheet music id love it alot!

Learn How to Read Music

weee asked:


I played guiatr for about 2 years. i really got somewhere on it. I play scales and everything and learning theory on it. so i was liek whoa i love this im gonna go leanr more in school.
I sign up and boom its gay as hell. i have to take 18 credit hours a semester and have like 9 classes 2 are normal and the rest are music.To Take Music Theroy 1 u have to take keybord harmony with it. and sight singing. Ok wtf? i wanted to major in guitar now i have to leanr piano? and voice? WTF? Ok i leanr some piano and i go to tackle this. start taking lessons at school and stuff.sign up for guitar and boom theres no such thing as electric guitar in college its all classical.now im stuck trying to learn how to read msuic on guitar. [[ITS USESS}} theres no point to it the same not is in like 5 other places on the guitar.Same pitch everything. Ok now i get a call from the music head at school. I cant be a music major unless im in a the band and go to a meeting at the school also.WTF theres
1. No guitars in the band,2. the only piano thing they have is stuff for people who have been playing piano there whole life.3.wtf
now i have to learn all this stuff just to major in one instrument? and forced into stuff when well i havent played piano my whole life or read music on guitar. i just want to compose not go thru all this shit. i feel like killing myself..
i mean come on. what if i played violin for 50 years? that wouldnt magicaly make me learn paino.
and again. TO BE IN TEH BAND YOU NEED TO PLAY IDK VIOLIN and all that stuff liek you been playing it for oever 12 years…
and i have to take all this at the same time. i cant take one of the other i have to take them side by side with my toher classes. about 18-22 credit hours and work and pratcie..
im still in teh AA stage i havnt even gone to the 4 year yet. im into harmonic and melodic death metal.like stratavious and children of bodom and stuff liek that.
i was interrested in composing for video games.

How to Read Music for Beginners

Ben asked:


I am in my 3rd year at uni. I am doing composition, and I am doing well. Yet I am not exactly the best pianist on earth (I can read music, but I am a slow sight reader), and it takes me ages to get a piece right, unfortunately sometimes I lack motivation to learn a piece, so I just improvise. However, my lecturer says I am developing as a composer, and even he admits that he’s not the best viola player. My friend, who also composes, plays a few instruments, but admits she doesn’t play any of them really well. So, do you have to be a virtuoso musician in order to compose?

How to Sight Read Music

Seth asked:


So , I’ve been thinking about what a good musician is. I play upright bass for a school orchestra and in classical music it seems that a musician gets more respect if they have outstanding technique and can read music extremely well to the point where they can sight read and play a piece perfectly. No where is the idea of expression through music as an art form even taken into consideration. In my opinion I see an accomplished jazz musician who can improvise his/her way through a song with complex chord changes more impressive then someone being able to play a Paganini violin piece . Sure it’s difficult to play, but where is the expression , a robot can replicate the notes but can they actually use an instrument as an emotional extension of their mind?
I don’t understand why classical musicians gets more credit than jazz musicians, when the composer is usually the only “artistically expressive” musician in the bunch, in an orchestra at least… Am I comparing apples to oranges? Because it irritates me that other orchestra kids continue to discredit Jazz music and really anything other than classical as inferior ..

Learn How to Read Music