Essential Dictionary of Music Notation: Pocket Size Book

The book arrived on schedule and as advertised. Exactly what I wanted. Very satisfactory purchase.

I use this constantly in my piano teaching studio. It is basic, easy to understand, and has large enough print to be read in a hurry. Good for adults and children from age 10 or so.

The 'Essential Dictionary of Music Notation' is in pocket-dictionary style allowing cross-referencing and easy-to-find explanations alphabetically. The range of topics covered is large and the amount of detail useful. It allows the book to be useful both to beginners and to professionals. It forgets that most computers can automatically layout pages correctly, for example, and that some of the theory is nowadays irrelevant. But this is good, and often useful to know when writing by hand and when editing. Illustrations depicts the meaning often. For an example, under 'Articulation' it lists the 5 main types of articulation and then divides them into Durational and Forceful. It then tells you in detail what they all do and how they should be written. Although dynamics are obviously listed in this way, the range and detail of the dynamic, I feel, is inadequate.The book covers traditional notation as well as TAB, and specialist requirements for certain instruments. 351 pages - for the price the dictionary is excellent. Portable and full of information, which can be easily and quickly understood. However, the authors don't try to make out that this guide is all you need to know. A larger book would be more detailed. This is well worth it!

About 95% of everything you need to know about the mechanics of score writing are in this book. If you score on computer, much of this is taken care of for you, but as you create final versions you want 'correct', this book is essential for the many manual placement items as well as stylistically being clear to the modern musician. I wish I'd had this 10 years ago. I read this book from cover to cover and learned a lot. It is brief, to-the-point, and doesn't get distracted by addressing theory or orchestration. It's about the notation, pure and simple.The book is small -- fits into your pocket easily. My single complaint is that the binding is rather cheap. I expect sooner or later pages will begin to come loose - an annoyance for a reference text. On the other hand, at under $10, I guess I can afford to just buy another copy.

This is a handy little book, including many specifics on music notation, well worth the price. While it may not include everything on notation, its convenient format allows quick answers to many questions regarding formal music notation. I am using it in post-grad composition studies as a quick reference. I'd advise it for all music majors, and anyone with an interest in music writing.