Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

by Jonathan Harnum

What do all those lines and squiggles and dots mean? Basic Music Theory takes you through the sometimes confusing world of written music with a clear, concise style that is at times funny and always friendly. The book is written by an experienced music teacher using methods refined over more than twenty years in schools and in his private teaching studio. Lessons are fun, well-paced, and enjoyable. Whether you're a beginner of any age, whether you're an experienced player who wants to bone up on your theory, or whether you teach music and need a fun way to do it, you'll find this book valuable and will refer to it again and again.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Audiobook

226 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2001

About the author

I'm a author, musician, educator, and proud Alaskan. I play trumpet, guitar, and anything else that makes a cool noise.

Reviews

[Cass · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned this about a quarter of the way through.

The book is immature. Too many fonts on a page, silly titles that give no indication as to the contents of the chapter. The book overuses quirky icons to let the reader know something important is being said -- somewhat akin to the "dummies" books. I read it as an ebook, but I am wondering if it may be intended as a high school textbook.

The music theory is dumbed down spectacularly. Explaining in great detail whether the stem of the note goes above or below the head. Lots of words are used when an illustration would often serve better. When the staff is introduced the hand is displayed as a good pneumonic, but I never understood for what.. So I could remember that a staff had five lines and four spaces.. Seems overkill.

The book begins with a long (boring) history lesson which would probably have been more interesting if I had wanted to read history. I didn't. I wanted basic theory.

I feel like this is a junior high textbook... But if so, why was it sold as a cheap ebook?

[Denisse Garza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book, more than I expected.. I have seen some reviews saying that this book is "immature", because of its comical style, but I think that it's its strongest feature, since studying music doesn't have to be a pain in the ass, specially for a newbie like myself :) who at 24 years old just started studying piano.

This is a great reference book, and I see myself coming back to review some information. I am also planning to buy the book "Practice of practice" by the same author :)

[Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

totally friendly

[Nicholas Galinaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brushing up on my Music theory. useful! Was actually great as an audio book.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading this as it came across as extremely basic, and almost childish, but as you get into the later chapters it feels like the author decided to abandoned his "dummies guide to..." info graphics and began actually focusing on the material.

The first 3/4 of the book is all the basic stuff you learned in 3rd grade about the various notes and symbols, but once you get passed that it is a nice meaty crash course in the structures of music.

Considering after reading it I now know anything about music theory I would recommend this book.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book combined easy stuff I learned in band starting in 4th grade with stuff not covered even after I majored in music.
As an instrumental person, I learned notes and scales before we focused on rhythms. It was interesting forcing us to see and read both the major clefs: treble and bass. Some rather odd mnemonics to learn the lines and spaces. As a flute player, I didn't even know there was a rhythm clef. I did learn somewhere along the way about the C clefs: soprano, alto & tenor, but I never had a use for them myself.
Major and minor keys of course, even modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian, okay. Just don't ask me to explain or play the modes. And then be really loses me when he gets to blues scales, bebop, Persian, Insen and Super Locrian. I can cope with whole tone scales: there are only 2 and I use them to warm up. Seeing the pentatonic scale is cool though.
He gets into chords and chord extensions, which are apparently of use in jazz. I play a melodic instrument and not much jazz, and don't get much into chords.
He gets back into my ballpark with double flats, even double sharps (more of use in orchestra than band, for flute at least). The weird time signatures are familiar from much of the music I've played: 5/8, 7/8, even 11/8 and 13/8. They're sometimes fun and it's always entertaining watching the conductor for these.
I do like that in the quizzes for each section, he gives the answer and page number to go back to if you're stuck or just fuzzy on some concept.
Each chapter has a quote at the beginning. I really like a quote from harpist Wanda Landowska: "I never practice. I always play." In other words, even in the practice room, always make music. Even with scales. Even with rhythm practice.
Other quotes come from Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Benjamin Franklin, Rumi, James Galway, Thoreau, Nietzsche, Stravinsky, and many others.

[Stefano Zanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the odd, maybe outdated, e-book format I found this book as, I found it a very digestible introduction to music theory. The chapters are focused and short, things are repeated multiple times and kept simple. Obviously the book is targeting children studying music at school, so the communication style is tailored to that age.
From my point of view, the only thing I missed is some sort of explanation tying the concepts of key signatures, scales, chords and chord progressions together. I finished the book with the feeling I still don’t understand what are the rules of making music, what works and what not.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

All music theory books take slightly different approaches to the material presented, and the order and method of presentation. The bulk of this book is devoted (as the title would suggest) to a basic understanding of how to read written music. From there, the book moves on to chord progressions, and even touches briefly on figured bass, a skill which (thankfully) isn’t called for very often these days unless you want to specialize in Baroque music. My favorite thing in this book is a silly thing, and iot comes near the end. It is this section heading: “A Werd on Spelling Kords.”

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy-to-read basic music theory book. It starts all the way at the beginning (this is sound! this is a note!) and works up to basic chord progressions and analysis. I bought this book as a refresher and to fill a couple of holes in my own knowledge of theory, and was very pleased.

[Jason Comely · Rating 3 out of 5]

A basic but thorough overview of music theory. I wish the information was presented in a more novel or memorable way, but it's worth the read, and Jonathan seems like a congenial guy you could talk to and be inspired by.

[Stephanie JNote · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved being able to learn more about music and gaining a better understanding of some of the things I’ve been doing while playing the keyboard. Some stuff I still may need to study more but everyday is a learning experience

[Becky L Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook. Surprisingly good. The first half felt super elementary to me but by the guitar chapter a lot of the info was new and I'll be revisiting at some point in the future as I become ready to absorb the information.

[Tome Addiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a guitar player for over 30 years a great book to brush up on my theory.

[Tim Noonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good explanation of music theory. Chapters in intervals, modes, scales and inversions particularly good. Author wrote a.book on how to practice a musical instrument which was also very good.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taught me all the music theory I know

[Rod Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very in depth, easy to read.

[Ariel Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start, where to start?

Let's start with the positive:

Basic Music Theory has lots of humorous parts and it starts off very easy. The book provides mnemonic devices and other tricks to remember the facts of music theory. Additionally, at the end of each chapter there are practical activities that drive home the previous reading.

At the back of the book, there are also a keyboard and guitar fret to use as a study aid during the reading and afterwards.

Now, onto the negatives:

I'm a big stickler for proper English, grammar, and, especially in a book that purports to teach on a subject like music theory and includes examples, properly depicted examples showing that which the introduction says. I think that, in the 3rd Edition of a book, it's not a huge request. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to those simple requests. In fact, it would appear that a typographical error in one of the follow-up quizzes at the end of an early chapter was purposely crafted to spell out a swear.

After I realized that there were errors in the examples intended to teach novices how to read and craft music, all other examples became suspect. If I didn't understand the concept, and I looked to an example for more information, how could I trust that the example would be correct?

Whoever was the editor on this book deserved to have been fired.

Toward the middle to the end of this book, I found myself reading anything other than Basic Music Theory. I even read the instruction manual for my new scale as a way to complete my before-bed-reading ritual, without reading this book. If I wasn't also a stickler for finishing the books I start, I would have put this book down.

[Hrishikesh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avoid.

Even if you ignore the cheesy humour, the typos and the weird grammar, there is much to be said in favour of why this book is bad for a basic music theory course. It lacks proper structure - e.g. the sections on identifying minor/major keys do not follow the same format and the content is haphazard. The links in the ebook version point to an old website which the author keeps updating with advertisements for his latest book on practicing - which is also avoidable and is targeted at folks who want "no pain, all gain".

There are far better books. If you are new to music theory this book will give you an incomplete picture and likely give you some bad habits.

[Rosebud]

Only completed the first two chapters before I had to return to the library. May buy this to use in teaching piano to my niece. I never had a music theory class. So far, the author seems to use a straightforward approach, touched with humor, that might be more pleasant than music theory's reputation.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes back to basics and teaches the simple things from a point of view that is easy to understand.

I can understand that some would be annoyed by the incredibly simplistic writing and somewhat childish format, but I think it makes it easier to read and.. well, it doesn't hurt to learn the basics again, now does it?

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, easy to follow, basic music theory primer with a breezy air to it. If you're new to theory, this should help. If you needed a refresher like I did, likewise. Again, it's BASIC. Don't expect much more difficult than disjunct chord movement and plagal progressions. But well put together for sure.

[Lucas Bomfim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is only a "basics" book, but I'm already dissappointed at traditional music theory. Too focused on scales and harmonics, not so much on the philosophy of sounds and timbres. This book is good, but I would like it more if it focused on matters of pitch before it went on rhythm; the opposite way feels harder to grasp.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, but only finished part one and two. I'll need to get this again so I can finish. There is so much to understand, you have to take it slow.

[Ibraheem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's a good book for beginners but for someones who know even a little about music it will be boring .

[Shannon Sorensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

wanted to brush up on my music theory on a long plane ride. good read for that purpose.

[Arvydas Sidorenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beware - the theory is with an emphasis in piano.

[Hriday · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy reference guide ideal to keep handy for a quick brush up.