The Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music

This book explains the basics in plain English for non- musicians. I bought it for my high school aged daughter who has had almost no musical training.

Of the music notation guides I've seen, this one is hands down the best. By carefully reading and studying the first three chapters alone, you'll be able to read a lot of basic music in standard notation. However, in trying to keep the book brief & witty, a lot of helpful detail is left out. For example, in the chapter on intervals, there is no explanation of the nomenclature. Why is a Perfect Fifth called a Perfect Fifth, for example? I think a little more detail would help in some areas without detracting from the intention of the book. In other areas, a few more examples (e.g., explaining the intervals with a key other that C major) may help. In order to get the most out of this book, readers will have to come up with their own exercises & study methods. I'm a guitarist, so I've been taking simple tunes & hymns and converting them (on paper) from standard notation to tablature, thus helping me learn where the various notes are located on the fretboard. The author does not make any suggestions for how to actually learn this material, so readers will have to be somewhat creative. It's not a book to be read and put down...think of it more as an outline or study guide. Overall, I like the book very much. A little more detail, coupled with suggestions for exercises, would have made for a 5 star rating. Be prepared for a lot of memorization, and taking a lot of things for granted.

I am a self taught musician, who wants to learn as much as possible about music. This book is an awesome, affordable way to gain the knowledge. Dave Stewart uses a some what humurous approach, without messing up the integrety of the book. I enjoyed every second and I learned so much from reading. I recommend this book to anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of music.