Your favourite books about music....????

[mbenigni]

For anyone who's ever lost their way, I recommend, Practicing: A Musicians Return to Music. This book was a life saver for me last year, when I was completely tripped up in why I was playing, how I should proceed, what potential I'd wasted, and all that baggage.

http://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Musici ... 205&sr=8-7

Wooten's Music Lesson is cool. Occasionally goofy writing style, etc. but pretty heavy - and fun - if you can get past that.

Probably the most enjoyable light read for musicians (esp. you techie studio types), is Mixerman, the daily journal of an L.A. engineer mixing the world's worst rock band. A total laugh riot.

http://www.mixerman.net/buy.php

[swett]

Really digging this book I found on the library:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Music+Pro+G ... 8087014442

[ikeaboy]

"Brighter than the Sun" by Kodwo Eshun. Intelligent writing and theorising about techno, house and their close cousins. Out of print, mine cost me 60 bucks on Amazon, well worth it, inspiring.

[8O]

For anyone who's ever lost their way, I recommend, Practicing: A Musicians Return to Music. This book was a life saver for me last year, when I was completely tripped up in why I was playing, how I should proceed, what potential I'd wasted, and all that baggage.

http://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Musici ... 205&sr=8-7

That looks really good - straight on my amazon wish list - cheers!

[idioteque]

zeitgeist wrote:
Finally, Dan Sicko's Techno Rebels is the best book I've found on the history and development of Detroit techno.

+1

I spent a fortune getting a copy of this as it was oop. Was well worth the money as Detroit is a passion of mine and like you say it's the best book when it comes to Detroit Techno. And also Sicko has decided to re-release and update it. Due on the 15th April:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Techno-Rebels-R ... 614&sr=8-1

[derzai]

Gradus ad Parnassum.

[idioteque]

Anyone ever read "Under-Currents. The Hidden Wiring of Modern Music"?

Wondered if it was worth picking up or not? Amazon says it's a collection or essays from The Wire Magazine which adds weight to it I think.

[Angstrom]

I greatly recommend
Musical Instrument Design: Practical Information for Instrument Making , by Bart Hopkin.

It's not about making perfect guitars and violins, it;s about the underlying principles of instruments, and how to make weird ones.
Even if you never break out some plastic pipe or make your own weird harmonic guitar it's very useful as a gateway to thinking about synthesis methodologies, simulating resonances, material impedences, etc.
I found it fascinating

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musical-Instrum ... 510&sr=8-7

[subunit23]

@Angstrom : thanks for the recommendation. Already in my amazon basket!

[rasputin]

Anyone ever read "Under-Currents. The Hidden Wiring of Modern Music"?

Wondered if it was worth picking up or not? Amazon says it's a collection or essays from The Wire Magazine which adds weight to it I think.

I pick up the Wire occasionally and have to roll my eyes at many of the acts/artists in there. But they also have incredibly good pieces about the likes of Sun Ra, Conlon Nancarrow and Harry Partch. So it's a grab bag.

That said, the book is pretty good. They don't concentrate on individual artists who might end up as just footnotes to music. I do enjoy reading it. In fact I enjoy reading it a lot more than listening to most of the music it discusses. I probably agree mostly with the Amazon reviews; it is a pretty wide ranging bunch of essays about avant-garde music and even some historical perspective.

If I had a long attention span, I wouldn't be using Live to write music.

[chaibuka]

How To Write Songs On Guitar - Revised (Book) (Paperback)
~ Rikky Rooksby

Is a good book on chord progressions in pop music.


http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Songs-G ... 089&sr=8-3

[ReasonliveUSER]

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory

yup. I learned so much in mere chapters about things I could not understand my during my whole life of studying music

[Sphinx]

"Harmony" ~ Walter Piston. I've revisited it many times in the past 38 years since I had it as a Theory I textbook in my first year of college.

[unworthy vessel]

I like these -
The Singing Neanderthals by Steven Mithen (subtitle The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body)
This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin (subtitle The Science of a Human Obsession)

They both touch on the neuroscience of music and the evolution of music in humans and society. Since I became a biologist first and a musician (of a sort) later, these work both of my interests.

[drumguy1234]

Older dude here

I thought the question was directed to the subject of music itself, not peripherals to it?
I saw too many references to things related to music, particularly electronic aspect.

Guys and Ladies, one must pay homage to the colossal amount of music and musicians prior to 1965, or whenever electronic music is considered in your mind to be directly relevant to you.

The overwhelmingly vast majority of music is not electronic; though to listen to a radio, one would assume that was all there was. I say to hell with the media. Media has dictated our tastes and therefore our ideas about music. What if we went "back to the earth" ( meaning , more green, less AC in our lives ) , as some here would have it? I like Ableton, but there WAS music prior to it!

The suggestion here for a counterpoint book ( Gradus something or other ) was an excellent choice. The suggestion to study Bach is another perfect idea. I would add.. study the blues, or study Indian music, or choose a music from a country less affected by modern life. THEN apply this new insight to your electronic creations... you understand? Think expansively.

If you think these things are not relevant to 2010, you are simply mistaken.

So I suggest, you take a backward step from your sacred cows... and look at music ITSELF, divested of AC current and the gargantuan media influence.

Knowing something about the nature of the music of Bach, of Coltrane, of BB King re the blues, of Bartok, of Indian classical music, of folk music... etc will be of great value to you.

Try composing or playing in these styles, and you will have a rude awakening. I know I have.
STAND next to BB King, or Bach or an Indian master, and find out about yourself.

In my youth... guys used to stand together and harmonize... this created some of the early Motown ( Smokey Robinson, Young Rascals ) . Harmonizing like that is great for your musical development, or singing in a choir!!

Quick edit
A matter of a balanced perspective between the past ( when more music was created ) and the present. Also a matter of respect for past masters.. much to be learned from them even now.
Peace to you