harmony, music theory

Hello may someone suggest me a book or a website where i can learn musical theory like harmony using chords the linking of chords trough intervals and stuff that would help me make a better intresting and original composition?

Elie Siegmeisters: Harmony and Melody Volume I: the diatonic style

a suggestion would to also learn the keyboard helps with diatonic scales. also just knowing harmony will not get you an good composition (i find it best to be well versed in melody first or have a very good understanding, modes etc., before deep harmony study) knowing rhythm, melody and harmony together will.

and while i have not gone through Elie Siegmeisters: Harmony and Melody Volume I: the diatonic style. i have heard it is one of the best (along with the second volume) from many sources. and i would like to hear a summary of the book from you baud if you don't mind (you don't have to i will understand i am quite a lazy bastard)

well, i found this huge, heavy, ancient looking TOME in the school library, and started reading it... this was my introduction to music theory. they refused to sell it to me, so i just stole it... a book that could help someone has no right gathering dust - they even told me it hadn't been checked out in 4 years.

it is a very, very good book of basic theory. it is wonderfully written, and goes in depth with it's subjects. it has examples of EVERYTHING in the book, so having a keyboard to play the examples to get at what it's demonstrating is really important. if you read a chapter, apply it, write a few practice pieces with it, re-read it, and make sure you are applying all the previous knowledge, you WILL gain a grasp of theory. it is no longer in print, but you can probably find a copy of it on amazon.

this volume has the following chapters, all with four or five subchapters involving the constituent subjects:

musical motion
intervals
the tonic triad
more about intervals
the dominant triad
melodic curves
four part harmony
melody writing
the subdominant triad
the modes
embellishing tones
melodic rhythm
harmonization and voice leading
the motive
secondary triads
motive variation
root movemements
more motive variations
the first inversion
the inner structure of the phrase
the second inversion
the outer structure of the phrase
harmony in minor
melody in minor
more about minor harmony
more about minor melody
the dominant seventh
musical analysis
piano style harmony
piano style melody
suspension and pedal point
words, melody, and harmony
seventh chords
melodic styles

thanks that is what i was looking for and it being out of print explains a lot and sucks it was one of my next choices for books (i was under the impression it wasn't basic or is it only in the beginning one of those steep learning curve type things), i have a shit load of books i like getting many different views on theory my only problem is a suck at sight reading.

i too also re-read chapters over and over to get all out of it

check amazon and ebay, i've seen it there before.

The only thing I ever find of her's is "The Music Lover's Handbook" Baudelaire, if you've checked that out, what's it like? There's no description saying what it's about anywhere.

mmh, it says here on the first page of my book that Wadsworth Music Series contains only

Volume I: the diatonic style
Volume II: modulation, chromatic, and modern styles (most likely matrices and atonal and dodecatonic stuff)

and workbooks for each.

...

...


http://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Melody-Diatonic-Elie-Siegmeister/dp/0534002455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222965743&sr=1-1

that was easy... 12 used and new hardcover from 9.17 .

that took me 10 seconds...

haha, shh you. I didn't bother checking amazon. Thanks though, I'll buy that in a moment. Do you still find it helpful?

I also just came across The Jazz Theory book on there... I hate finding things cheaper than I bought them for... ¬.¬

yeah, especially things like books that will be just fine...

Of course :P Very educational.

Also forgot to mention to morgred that site which everyone goes on about, including myself... www.musictheory.net that should help you understand a few things

checked that already. i seek something like the magical tome of musical wonders that boudelaire found, and i have a problem i dont have the funds necessary and thy wouldnt ship it to me either so do you have some more accessible suggestions?

I had to dig up this old thread to give kudos to Baudelaire.



What a great book recommendation. I'd been thumbing through my old copy of Walter Piston's "Harmony" and thinking what a dull read it was. I saw this recommendation and ordered both volume I and volume II from two different used booksellers listed at abebooks.com (you can also try biblio.com, although their databases are very similar).

I received Vol.I just the other day and have been really enjoying it. It's very clear and well organized. Too bad Piston dominates the undergrad music curriculum in the US - or at least it did in the late 70's when I was at a conservatory.

I only paid $9 for my Vol.I and $8 for Vol.II, which hasn't arrived yet. Well worth the price.

Thanks, Baudelaire!

old

They're selling it for $1.50 now. I bought it for £12 and the person left the price tag on it... I was fairly annoyed, but I do agree, the book is amazing. Though you should know Baudelaire no longer goes to this site.

@BodomBeachTerror: Yes, the thread is old. Hence my first line explaining why I dug it up. Yes, the book is old - printed in 1965. Thanks for your insight, though! ;)

@JazzMaverick: Have an URL where it's $1.50 so other folks can get it? The lowest price I see at abebooks.com for US booksellers is a little over US$6. I paid a bit more than minimum for an unmarked copy in Very Good condition & would have gladly paid 2x that.

Here's an abebooks.com reference.

No, the actual book I got was £12, and in the book I bought it had that price tag.

i think you should start off with a book thats easy to understand. i've never read it, but try music thoery for dummies or something relative to that. then move on to a book like harmony and melody part 1 (diatonic) which covers a lot more. because you wanna be familiar with some terms before you read a more complex book.