Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

This Is Your Brain On Music, 20 Aug 2008
'This Is Your Brain On Music' looks at the neuroscience behind listening to and performing music. Although I've read many popular science books and am familiar with the style of writing, I found this to be quite a hard going book at first. The first couple of chapters look at the structure of music and are quite dry to plow though. If you know music theory this will cover familiar ground and if you don't I'm sorry to say that this is a laboured way of gaining that understanding. However after you get through these chapters this books really comes into it's own, with lots of fascinating experiments and facts it starts to pique your interest and you become more engrossed in the points being made. The chapter linking our auditory system to the cerebellum and the associated emotional linkages made for especially interesting reading. Overall this is a interesting read and if you can get past the first hundred pages you are in for some interesting ideas, presented in an engaging and informative way. 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

This is Your Brain Losing Consciousness, 16 Jun 2008
The first section of this book is a rough guide to the structure of music. If you know music, you won't need to read it. If you don't know music, I think it'll bore you. Then we get the brain stuff: here's a flat writer trying to be entertaining, dropping in references to Sting, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and other, er, contemporary artists. There are some dull arguments - eg how are we able to categorise music so easily when pop bands like the Carpenters use distorted guitars and rock groups, like the Rolling Stones, employ a string section. Who cares?

It's also interesting who he doesn't mention: nothing on Kraftwerk, Stockhausen, very little on techno, dance music, electronica, DJ culture, blip-hop; nothing much on Indian music, next to nothing from Africa. In short he concentrates on rock dinosaurs of the seventies: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and, of course, Sting.

Some of the writing verges on the banal, such as this: "It is also important to distinguish celebrity from expertise. The factors that contribute to celebrity could be different from, maybe wholly unrelated to, those that contribute to expertise."

There is very little in this book that opens up new vistas, or shines a light on a dark and dusty corner of music - it's all pretty obvious stuff.

Towards the end of the book we get a quick run through arguments for the importance of music in mate selection. Here's just one: "Far more women want to sleep with rock stars and athletes than marry them." Aside from being asinine (do more women want to sleep with Britney Spears than marry her?) hasn't Levitin been arguing he's talking about music, and not celebrity?

I read a great many pop science books. This has to be one of the worst. Levitin makes a fascinating subject achingly dull. His writing is trite, long-winded, dreary, boring and fatuous. And every time he mentioned Sting I wanted to throw the book across the room. I kept at it hoping it would get better. It doesn't.

I hated this book. I hated it it because it took two weeks of my life away. Finally, to the blurbs: "Endlessly stimulating" writes Oliver Sacks - he should know better; "You'll never hear music in the same way again" says Classic FM magazine.

"Music seems to have a wilful, almost evasive quality, defying simple explanation, so that the more we find out, the more there is to know. Daniel Levitin's book is an eloquent and poetic exploration of this paradox." And guess which pretentious old rock arse gave Levitin's book this high praise?

With a song in our heads, 03 Dec 2007
When a rock musician, a sound engineer and a neuroscientist combine their talents to explain how we think about music, it promises to be interesting. When those three individuals are present in one man who also writes well, the result is compelling. With a strong scientific foundation - no little of that from his own work - from which to build, coupled with his production experience, Levitin has launched a new phase in the understanding of how the mind deals with the outside world. In the manner of colours we think we see, sounds are simply vibrations of air until our brain identifies and translates them for us. Without descending into arcane terms for either the brain or music, he skilfully guides us through the process of "music appreciation" - and why we do.

Musicians enter our lives more intimately than almost anybody else. They can inspire us, influence our lives in innumerable ways, and they are available at any time - virtually at our command. We welcome their presence even when we haven't consciously sought them out. Music is always a personal relationship, sometimes very intense, generating emotions perhaps hidden or suppressed. How can the movement of air molecules generate such reactions in us?

In answering that question, Levitin takes the reader on describes the path sound takes from its entry into the ear. Nerve impulses from sound have a number of paths open to them. Widely dispersed areas of the brain process the signals, further triggering a variety of reactions. Much new information about sounds and the brain's reaction to them has come to light in recent years. When the sound is music, the brain actually goes through mathematical calculations to register timbre, pitch and other musical elements. Familiar music activates responses in the brain's temporal lobes, working with the hippocampus to retrieve memories and formulate new, integrated ones. Areas in the brain, particularly the cerebellum, display increased activity when listening to music, far less so when hearing simple or incoherent noise. Recent studies also point out the influence of the cerebellum in emotional response, a find challenging long-held views of that part of the brain's role. Music's generation of feelings is non-specific - we don't necessarily associate it with those around us. When we do take neighbours into account, it generally enhances the feelings - so long as those folks aren't interrupting our listening.

Lest the reader think all this neuroscience is lofty, obscure and "soul destroying" analysis, take heart. Levitin introduces his book with a discussion of "what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music - and what both can teach us about ourselves". The range of music he uses as examples is clear indication of the breadth of his interests and research. At one point, he visits John Pierce, the founder of "psycho-acoustics" who sought the six tunes best exemplifying rock and roll. The choices are illustrative, but Pierce proved more interested in how sound was manipulated by the performers than in the songs. Although the limits of the research preclude detailed analysis of classical pieces, Levitin examines Bach's flute cantatas to explain how variations in sounds stimulate emotional reactions. Mahler's music brought innovation to the symphonic format in ways that made his compositions particularly effective in evoking listener response.

Providing a wealth of information, this book is a treasure. You needn't be a musician or a critic to gain from it. Any listener, and all of us are that irrespective of our "taste" in music, will be impressed by what is going on in our minds when hearing music we adore or which repels us. In fact, even "new" music which may not attract us on first hearing it, can become another trigger for positive emotional response. Read this book and listen to it again. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Music to my eyes..., 10 Nov 2007
A very interesting explanation on what makes music sooo attractive to the vast majority of us... the first two chapters are in my opinion, heavy to read (I had to go back several times to try and get the idea); actually, in this regard I found the first statements of the author a little bit contradictory, since as he somehow explains, science (technical facts) should be explained "easily"... well, it wasn't in my opinion for the most of the beginning. After that, the book gets much lighter, much friendlier and "simple" to understand.

The way -Daniel Levitin explains- how our brain rather than "concentrate" certain functions or types of information in particular parts of our brains (as it was thought), rather "distributes" them in several to be first accumulated and then processed between all of those (and others) I found new and fascinating. Also, the property that our brains have to adapt and learn new things (tricks!) is overwhelming too... (There's hope then!), contrary to the ancient believe that as we grow old, new knowledges are difficult to learn (assimilate). Then he explains how these and other characteristics add to make music sooo enjoyable... (it is possible to live without TV, but not without a radio!).

Good book. I'm glad I ordered it!

It's in the language, 17 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book for many reasons but what, I feel, may interest the lay reader is the following:

(1) All subjects evolve jargon to enable practitioners to communicate quickly
(2) Levitin, in writing about the science of music, is bringing together two jargon-filled fields - one very precise and the other abstract
(3) This book can be understood and enjoyed by people with almost no knowledge of either subject - and enjoyment of both will be significantly enhanced
(4) Now that's what I call writing

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

This Is Your Brain On Music, 20 Aug 2008
'This Is Your Brain On Music' looks at the neuroscience behind listening to and performing music. Although I've read many popular science books and am familiar with the style of writing, I found this to be quite a hard going book at first. The first couple of chapters look at the structure of music and are quite dry to plow though. If you know music theory this will cover familiar ground and if you don't I'm sorry to say that this is a laboured way of gaining that understanding. However after you get through these chapters this books really comes into it's own, with lots of fascinating experiments and facts it starts to pique your interest and you become more engrossed in the points being made. The chapter linking our auditory system to the cerebellum and the associated emotional linkages made for especially interesting reading. Overall this is a interesting read and if you can get past the first hundred pages you are in for some interesting ideas, presented in an engaging and informative way. 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

This is Your Brain Losing Consciousness, 16 Jun 2008
The first section of this book is a rough guide to the structure of music. If you know music, you won't need to read it. If you don't know music, I think it'll bore you. Then we get the brain stuff: here's a flat writer trying to be entertaining, dropping in references to Sting, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and other, er, contemporary artists. There are some dull arguments - eg how are we able to categorise music so easily when pop bands like the Carpenters use distorted guitars and rock groups, like the Rolling Stones, employ a string section. Who cares?

It's also interesting who he doesn't mention: nothing on Kraftwerk, Stockhausen, very little on techno, dance music, electronica, DJ culture, blip-hop; nothing much on Indian music, next to nothing from Africa. In short he concentrates on rock dinosaurs of the seventies: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and, of course, Sting.

Some of the writing verges on the banal, such as this: "It is also important to distinguish celebrity from expertise. The factors that contribute to celebrity could be different from, maybe wholly unrelated to, those that contribute to expertise."

There is very little in this book that opens up new vistas, or shines a light on a dark and dusty corner of music - it's all pretty obvious stuff.

Towards the end of the book we get a quick run through arguments for the importance of music in mate selection. Here's just one: "Far more women want to sleep with rock stars and athletes than marry them." Aside from being asinine (do more women want to sleep with Britney Spears than marry her?) hasn't Levitin been arguing he's talking about music, and not celebrity?

I read a great many pop science books. This has to be one of the worst. Levitin makes a fascinating subject achingly dull. His writing is trite, long-winded, dreary, boring and fatuous. And every time he mentioned Sting I wanted to throw the book across the room. I kept at it hoping it would get better. It doesn't.

I hated this book. I hated it it because it took two weeks of my life away. Finally, to the blurbs: "Endlessly stimulating" writes Oliver Sacks - he should know better; "You'll never hear music in the same way again" says Classic FM magazine.

"Music seems to have a wilful, almost evasive quality, defying simple explanation, so that the more we find out, the more there is to know. Daniel Levitin's book is an eloquent and poetic exploration of this paradox." And guess which pretentious old rock arse gave Levitin's book this high praise?

With a song in our heads, 03 Dec 2007
When a rock musician, a sound engineer and a neuroscientist combine their talents to explain how we think about music, it promises to be interesting. When those three individuals are present in one man who also writes well, the result is compelling. With a strong scientific foundation - no little of that from his own work - from which to build, coupled with his production experience, Levitin has launched a new phase in the understanding of how the mind deals with the outside world. In the manner of colours we think we see, sounds are simply vibrations of air until our brain identifies and translates them for us. Without descending into arcane terms for either the brain or music, he skilfully guides us through the process of "music appreciation" - and why we do.

Musicians enter our lives more intimately than almost anybody else. They can inspire us, influence our lives in innumerable ways, and they are available at any time - virtually at our command. We welcome their presence even when we haven't consciously sought them out. Music is always a personal relationship, sometimes very intense, generating emotions perhaps hidden or suppressed. How can the movement of air molecules generate such reactions in us?

In answering that question, Levitin takes the reader on describes the path sound takes from its entry into the ear. Nerve impulses from sound have a number of paths open to them. Widely dispersed areas of the brain process the signals, further triggering a variety of reactions. Much new information about sounds and the brain's reaction to them has come to light in recent years. When the sound is music, the brain actually goes through mathematical calculations to register timbre, pitch and other musical elements. Familiar music activates responses in the brain's temporal lobes, working with the hippocampus to retrieve memories and formulate new, integrated ones. Areas in the brain, particularly the cerebellum, display increased activity when listening to music, far less so when hearing simple or incoherent noise. Recent studies also point out the influence of the cerebellum in emotional response, a find challenging long-held views of that part of the brain's role. Music's generation of feelings is non-specific - we don't necessarily associate it with those around us. When we do take neighbours into account, it generally enhances the feelings - so long as those folks aren't interrupting our listening.

Lest the reader think all this neuroscience is lofty, obscure and "soul destroying" analysis, take heart. Levitin introduces his book with a discussion of "what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music - and what both can teach us about ourselves". The range of music he uses as examples is clear indication of the breadth of his interests and research. At one point, he visits John Pierce, the founder of "psycho-acoustics" who sought the six tunes best exemplifying rock and roll. The choices are illustrative, but Pierce proved more interested in how sound was manipulated by the performers than in the songs. Although the limits of the research preclude detailed analysis of classical pieces, Levitin examines Bach's flute cantatas to explain how variations in sounds stimulate emotional reactions. Mahler's music brought innovation to the symphonic format in ways that made his compositions particularly effective in evoking listener response.

Providing a wealth of information, this book is a treasure. You needn't be a musician or a critic to gain from it. Any listener, and all of us are that irrespective of our "taste" in music, will be impressed by what is going on in our minds when hearing music we adore or which repels us. In fact, even "new" music which may not attract us on first hearing it, can become another trigger for positive emotional response. Read this book and listen to it again. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Music to my eyes..., 10 Nov 2007
A very interesting explanation on what makes music sooo attractive to the vast majority of us... the first two chapters are in my opinion, heavy to read (I had to go back several times to try and get the idea); actually, in this regard I found the first statements of the author a little bit contradictory, since as he somehow explains, science (technical facts) should be explained "easily"... well, it wasn't in my opinion for the most of the beginning. After that, the book gets much lighter, much friendlier and "simple" to understand.

The way -Daniel Levitin explains- how our brain rather than "concentrate" certain functions or types of information in particular parts of our brains (as it was thought), rather "distributes" them in several to be first accumulated and then processed between all of those (and others) I found new and fascinating. Also, the property that our brains have to adapt and learn new things (tricks!) is overwhelming too... (There's hope then!), contrary to the ancient believe that as we grow old, new knowledges are difficult to learn (assimilate). Then he explains how these and other characteristics add to make music sooo enjoyable... (it is possible to live without TV, but not without a radio!).

Good book. I'm glad I ordered it!

It's in the language, 17 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book for many reasons but what, I feel, may interest the lay reader is the following:

(1) All subjects evolve jargon to enable practitioners to communicate quickly
(2) Levitin, in writing about the science of music, is bringing together two jargon-filled fields - one very precise and the other abstract
(3) This book can be understood and enjoyed by people with almost no knowledge of either subject - and enjoyment of both will be significantly enhanced
(4) Now that's what I call writing

First Steps in Music Theory: Grades 1 to 5, 20 Mar 2006
This little book is a brilliant guide for the beginner in music theory, or for the student who just needs to brush up on basic knowledge. It is suitable for children and adults and explains such matters as rhythm, key signatures, time signatures and virtually all the details of basic music theory in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way.
There are very few really "easy" guides around on music theory, but this must be one of the best.

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

This Is Your Brain On Music, 20 Aug 2008
'This Is Your Brain On Music' looks at the neuroscience behind listening to and performing music. Although I've read many popular science books and am familiar with the style of writing, I found this to be quite a hard going book at first. The first couple of chapters look at the structure of music and are quite dry to plow though. If you know music theory this will cover familiar ground and if you don't I'm sorry to say that this is a laboured way of gaining that understanding. However after you get through these chapters this books really comes into it's own, with lots of fascinating experiments and facts it starts to pique your interest and you become more engrossed in the points being made. The chapter linking our auditory system to the cerebellum and the associated emotional linkages made for especially interesting reading. Overall this is a interesting read and if you can get past the first hundred pages you are in for some interesting ideas, presented in an engaging and informative way. 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

This is Your Brain Losing Consciousness, 16 Jun 2008
The first section of this book is a rough guide to the structure of music. If you know music, you won't need to read it. If you don't know music, I think it'll bore you. Then we get the brain stuff: here's a flat writer trying to be entertaining, dropping in references to Sting, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and other, er, contemporary artists. There are some dull arguments - eg how are we able to categorise music so easily when pop bands like the Carpenters use distorted guitars and rock groups, like the Rolling Stones, employ a string section. Who cares?

It's also interesting who he doesn't mention: nothing on Kraftwerk, Stockhausen, very little on techno, dance music, electronica, DJ culture, blip-hop; nothing much on Indian music, next to nothing from Africa. In short he concentrates on rock dinosaurs of the seventies: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and, of course, Sting.

Some of the writing verges on the banal, such as this: "It is also important to distinguish celebrity from expertise. The factors that contribute to celebrity could be different from, maybe wholly unrelated to, those that contribute to expertise."

There is very little in this book that opens up new vistas, or shines a light on a dark and dusty corner of music - it's all pretty obvious stuff.

Towards the end of the book we get a quick run through arguments for the importance of music in mate selection. Here's just one: "Far more women want to sleep with rock stars and athletes than marry them." Aside from being asinine (do more women want to sleep with Britney Spears than marry her?) hasn't Levitin been arguing he's talking about music, and not celebrity?

I read a great many pop science books. This has to be one of the worst. Levitin makes a fascinating subject achingly dull. His writing is trite, long-winded, dreary, boring and fatuous. And every time he mentioned Sting I wanted to throw the book across the room. I kept at it hoping it would get better. It doesn't.

I hated this book. I hated it it because it took two weeks of my life away. Finally, to the blurbs: "Endlessly stimulating" writes Oliver Sacks - he should know better; "You'll never hear music in the same way again" says Classic FM magazine.

"Music seems to have a wilful, almost evasive quality, defying simple explanation, so that the more we find out, the more there is to know. Daniel Levitin's book is an eloquent and poetic exploration of this paradox." And guess which pretentious old rock arse gave Levitin's book this high praise?

With a song in our heads, 03 Dec 2007
When a rock musician, a sound engineer and a neuroscientist combine their talents to explain how we think about music, it promises to be interesting. When those three individuals are present in one man who also writes well, the result is compelling. With a strong scientific foundation - no little of that from his own work - from which to build, coupled with his production experience, Levitin has launched a new phase in the understanding of how the mind deals with the outside world. In the manner of colours we think we see, sounds are simply vibrations of air until our brain identifies and translates them for us. Without descending into arcane terms for either the brain or music, he skilfully guides us through the process of "music appreciation" - and why we do.

Musicians enter our lives more intimately than almost anybody else. They can inspire us, influence our lives in innumerable ways, and they are available at any time - virtually at our command. We welcome their presence even when we haven't consciously sought them out. Music is always a personal relationship, sometimes very intense, generating emotions perhaps hidden or suppressed. How can the movement of air molecules generate such reactions in us?

In answering that question, Levitin takes the reader on describes the path sound takes from its entry into the ear. Nerve impulses from sound have a number of paths open to them. Widely dispersed areas of the brain process the signals, further triggering a variety of reactions. Much new information about sounds and the brain's reaction to them has come to light in recent years. When the sound is music, the brain actually goes through mathematical calculations to register timbre, pitch and other musical elements. Familiar music activates responses in the brain's temporal lobes, working with the hippocampus to retrieve memories and formulate new, integrated ones. Areas in the brain, particularly the cerebellum, display increased activity when listening to music, far less so when hearing simple or incoherent noise. Recent studies also point out the influence of the cerebellum in emotional response, a find challenging long-held views of that part of the brain's role. Music's generation of feelings is non-specific - we don't necessarily associate it with those around us. When we do take neighbours into account, it generally enhances the feelings - so long as those folks aren't interrupting our listening.

Lest the reader think all this neuroscience is lofty, obscure and "soul destroying" analysis, take heart. Levitin introduces his book with a discussion of "what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music - and what both can teach us about ourselves". The range of music he uses as examples is clear indication of the breadth of his interests and research. At one point, he visits John Pierce, the founder of "psycho-acoustics" who sought the six tunes best exemplifying rock and roll. The choices are illustrative, but Pierce proved more interested in how sound was manipulated by the performers than in the songs. Although the limits of the research preclude detailed analysis of classical pieces, Levitin examines Bach's flute cantatas to explain how variations in sounds stimulate emotional reactions. Mahler's music brought innovation to the symphonic format in ways that made his compositions particularly effective in evoking listener response.

Providing a wealth of information, this book is a treasure. You needn't be a musician or a critic to gain from it. Any listener, and all of us are that irrespective of our "taste" in music, will be impressed by what is going on in our minds when hearing music we adore or which repels us. In fact, even "new" music which may not attract us on first hearing it, can become another trigger for positive emotional response. Read this book and listen to it again. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Music to my eyes..., 10 Nov 2007
A very interesting explanation on what makes music sooo attractive to the vast majority of us... the first two chapters are in my opinion, heavy to read (I had to go back several times to try and get the idea); actually, in this regard I found the first statements of the author a little bit contradictory, since as he somehow explains, science (technical facts) should be explained "easily"... well, it wasn't in my opinion for the most of the beginning. After that, the book gets much lighter, much friendlier and "simple" to understand.

The way -Daniel Levitin explains- how our brain rather than "concentrate" certain functions or types of information in particular parts of our brains (as it was thought), rather "distributes" them in several to be first accumulated and then processed between all of those (and others) I found new and fascinating. Also, the property that our brains have to adapt and learn new things (tricks!) is overwhelming too... (There's hope then!), contrary to the ancient believe that as we grow old, new knowledges are difficult to learn (assimilate). Then he explains how these and other characteristics add to make music sooo enjoyable... (it is possible to live without TV, but not without a radio!).

Good book. I'm glad I ordered it!

It's in the language, 17 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book for many reasons but what, I feel, may interest the lay reader is the following:

(1) All subjects evolve jargon to enable practitioners to communicate quickly
(2) Levitin, in writing about the science of music, is bringing together two jargon-filled fields - one very precise and the other abstract
(3) This book can be understood and enjoyed by people with almost no knowledge of either subject - and enjoyment of both will be significantly enhanced
(4) Now that's what I call writing

First Steps in Music Theory: Grades 1 to 5, 20 Mar 2006
This little book is a brilliant guide for the beginner in music theory, or for the student who just needs to brush up on basic knowledge. It is suitable for children and adults and explains such matters as rhythm, key signatures, time signatures and virtually all the details of basic music theory in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way.
There are very few really "easy" guides around on music theory, but this must be one of the best.

Lack of model answers is the problem, 01 Jul 2008
I agree. The lack of model answers means that these books are really only useful to those studying with a qualified tutor as there is no real way of knowing you are anwering correctly otherwise, especially when progressing onto the Grade 4 and 5 and above level.

Please give us the answers, 30 Jan 2008
As an adult studying music theory I find the lack of a model answer section a major drawback. OK I know kids do these, but that doesn't stop my 11 year old's DK maths and science workbooks having model answer sections and it would be great to be able to check the answers after you've pencilled them in. As there are only 32 pages I don't think that's alot to ask.
A good book otherwise.

Music Theory in Practise - Grade 2, 11 May 2004
This grade 2 theory book is good practise for those eager to progress in music studies. It continues on from Music Theory in Practise Grade 1, with more and harder exercises. This book extends some of the topics already covered in Grade 1 and also introduces some more complex theory. It contains exercises in:
· Ledger lines
· Time Signatures
· The Major Keys of A, B flat and E flat
· Triplets
· The minor keys of A, E and D
· Grouping of notes and rests
· Intervals
· Composing simple four-bar rhythms
There is also a list of performance directions required for the Grade 2 Music Theory exam, and some exercises, which are good revision of everything covered in the book. Most sections contain brief instructions. For a full understanding The AB Guide to Music Theory should be bought. There are references throughout the Grade 2 Music Theory Book to the AB Guide. The Grade 2 book covers everything required for the Grade 2 Exam. I would definitely recommend this book.

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

This Is Your Brain On Music, 20 Aug 2008
'This Is Your Brain On Music' looks at the neuroscience behind listening to and performing music. Although I've read many popular science books and am familiar with the style of writing, I found this to be quite a hard going book at first. The first couple of chapters look at the structure of music and are quite dry to plow though. If you know music theory this will cover familiar ground and if you don't I'm sorry to say that this is a laboured way of gaining that understanding. However after you get through these chapters this books really comes into it's own, with lots of fascinating experiments and facts it starts to pique your interest and you become more engrossed in the points being made. The chapter linking our auditory system to the cerebellum and the associated emotional linkages made for especially interesting reading. Overall this is a interesting read and if you can get past the first hundred pages you are in for some interesting ideas, presented in an engaging and informative way. 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

This is Your Brain Losing Consciousness, 16 Jun 2008
The first section of this book is a rough guide to the structure of music. If you know music, you won't need to read it. If you don't know music, I think it'll bore you. Then we get the brain stuff: here's a flat writer trying to be entertaining, dropping in references to Sting, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and other, er, contemporary artists. There are some dull arguments - eg how are we able to categorise music so easily when pop bands like the Carpenters use distorted guitars and rock groups, like the Rolling Stones, employ a string section. Who cares?

It's also interesting who he doesn't mention: nothing on Kraftwerk, Stockhausen, very little on techno, dance music, electronica, DJ culture, blip-hop; nothing much on Indian music, next to nothing from Africa. In short he concentrates on rock dinosaurs of the seventies: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and, of course, Sting.

Some of the writing verges on the banal, such as this: "It is also important to distinguish celebrity from expertise. The factors that contribute to celebrity could be different from, maybe wholly unrelated to, those that contribute to expertise."

There is very little in this book that opens up new vistas, or shines a light on a dark and dusty corner of music - it's all pretty obvious stuff.

Towards the end of the book we get a quick run through arguments for the importance of music in mate selection. Here's just one: "Far more women want to sleep with rock stars and athletes than marry them." Aside from being asinine (do more women want to sleep with Britney Spears than marry her?) hasn't Levitin been arguing he's talking about music, and not celebrity?

I read a great many pop science books. This has to be one of the worst. Levitin makes a fascinating subject achingly dull. His writing is trite, long-winded, dreary, boring and fatuous. And every time he mentioned Sting I wanted to throw the book across the room. I kept at it hoping it would get better. It doesn't.

I hated this book. I hated it it because it took two weeks of my life away. Finally, to the blurbs: "Endlessly stimulating" writes Oliver Sacks - he should know better; "You'll never hear music in the same way again" says Classic FM magazine.

"Music seems to have a wilful, almost evasive quality, defying simple explanation, so that the more we find out, the more there is to know. Daniel Levitin's book is an eloquent and poetic exploration of this paradox." And guess which pretentious old rock arse gave Levitin's book this high praise?

With a song in our heads, 03 Dec 2007
When a rock musician, a sound engineer and a neuroscientist combine their talents to explain how we think about music, it promises to be interesting. When those three individuals are present in one man who also writes well, the result is compelling. With a strong scientific foundation - no little of that from his own work - from which to build, coupled with his production experience, Levitin has launched a new phase in the understanding of how the mind deals with the outside world. In the manner of colours we think we see, sounds are simply vibrations of air until our brain identifies and translates them for us. Without descending into arcane terms for either the brain or music, he skilfully guides us through the process of "music appreciation" - and why we do.

Musicians enter our lives more intimately than almost anybody else. They can inspire us, influence our lives in innumerable ways, and they are available at any time - virtually at our command. We welcome their presence even when we haven't consciously sought them out. Music is always a personal relationship, sometimes very intense, generating emotions perhaps hidden or suppressed. How can the movement of air molecules generate such reactions in us?

In answering that question, Levitin takes the reader on describes the path sound takes from its entry into the ear. Nerve impulses from sound have a number of paths open to them. Widely dispersed areas of the brain process the signals, further triggering a variety of reactions. Much new information about sounds and the brain's reaction to them has come to light in recent years. When the sound is music, the brain actually goes through mathematical calculations to register timbre, pitch and other musical elements. Familiar music activates responses in the brain's temporal lobes, working with the hippocampus to retrieve memories and formulate new, integrated ones. Areas in the brain, particularly the cerebellum, display increased activity when listening to music, far less so when hearing simple or incoherent noise. Recent studies also point out the influence of the cerebellum in emotional response, a find challenging long-held views of that part of the brain's role. Music's generation of feelings is non-specific - we don't necessarily associate it with those around us. When we do take neighbours into account, it generally enhances the feelings - so long as those folks aren't interrupting our listening.

Lest the reader think all this neuroscience is lofty, obscure and "soul destroying" analysis, take heart. Levitin introduces his book with a discussion of "what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music - and what both can teach us about ourselves". The range of music he uses as examples is clear indication of the breadth of his interests and research. At one point, he visits John Pierce, the founder of "psycho-acoustics" who sought the six tunes best exemplifying rock and roll. The choices are illustrative, but Pierce proved more interested in how sound was manipulated by the performers than in the songs. Although the limits of the research preclude detailed analysis of classical pieces, Levitin examines Bach's flute cantatas to explain how variations in sounds stimulate emotional reactions. Mahler's music brought innovation to the symphonic format in ways that made his compositions particularly effective in evoking listener response.

Providing a wealth of information, this book is a treasure. You needn't be a musician or a critic to gain from it. Any listener, and all of us are that irrespective of our "taste" in music, will be impressed by what is going on in our minds when hearing music we adore or which repels us. In fact, even "new" music which may not attract us on first hearing it, can become another trigger for positive emotional response. Read this book and listen to it again. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Music to my eyes..., 10 Nov 2007
A very interesting explanation on what makes music sooo attractive to the vast majority of us... the first two chapters are in my opinion, heavy to read (I had to go back several times to try and get the idea); actually, in this regard I found the first statements of the author a little bit contradictory, since as he somehow explains, science (technical facts) should be explained "easily"... well, it wasn't in my opinion for the most of the beginning. After that, the book gets much lighter, much friendlier and "simple" to understand.

The way -Daniel Levitin explains- how our brain rather than "concentrate" certain functions or types of information in particular parts of our brains (as it was thought), rather "distributes" them in several to be first accumulated and then processed between all of those (and others) I found new and fascinating. Also, the property that our brains have to adapt and learn new things (tricks!) is overwhelming too... (There's hope then!), contrary to the ancient believe that as we grow old, new knowledges are difficult to learn (assimilate). Then he explains how these and other characteristics add to make music sooo enjoyable... (it is possible to live without TV, but not without a radio!).

Good book. I'm glad I ordered it!

It's in the language, 17 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book for many reasons but what, I feel, may interest the lay reader is the following:

(1) All subjects evolve jargon to enable practitioners to communicate quickly
(2) Levitin, in writing about the science of music, is bringing together two jargon-filled fields - one very precise and the other abstract
(3) This book can be understood and enjoyed by people with almost no knowledge of either subject - and enjoyment of both will be significantly enhanced
(4) Now that's what I call writing

First Steps in Music Theory: Grades 1 to 5, 20 Mar 2006
This little book is a brilliant guide for the beginner in music theory, or for the student who just needs to brush up on basic knowledge. It is suitable for children and adults and explains such matters as rhythm, key signatures, time signatures and virtually all the details of basic music theory in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way.
There are very few really "easy" guides around on music theory, but this must be one of the best.

Lack of model answers is the problem, 01 Jul 2008
I agree. The lack of model answers means that these books are really only useful to those studying with a qualified tutor as there is no real way of knowing you are anwering correctly otherwise, especially when progressing onto the Grade 4 and 5 and above level.

Please give us the answers, 30 Jan 2008
As an adult studying music theory I find the lack of a model answer section a major drawback. OK I know kids do these, but that doesn't stop my 11 year old's DK maths and science workbooks having model answer sections and it would be great to be able to check the answers after you've pencilled them in. As there are only 32 pages I don't think that's alot to ask.
A good book otherwise.

Music Theory in Practise - Grade 2, 11 May 2004
This grade 2 theory book is good practise for those eager to progress in music studies. It continues on from Music Theory in Practise Grade 1, with more and harder exercises. This book extends some of the topics already covered in Grade 1 and also introduces some more complex theory. It contains exercises in:
· Ledger lines
· Time Signatures
· The Major Keys of A, B flat and E flat
· Triplets
· The minor keys of A, E and D
· Grouping of notes and rests
· Intervals
· Composing simple four-bar rhythms
There is also a list of performance directions required for the Grade 2 Music Theory exam, and some exercises, which are good revision of everything covered in the book. Most sections contain brief instructions. For a full understanding The AB Guide to Music Theory should be bought. There are references throughout the Grade 2 Music Theory Book to the AB Guide. The Grade 2 book covers everything required for the Grade 2 Exam. I would definitely recommend this book.

BEWARE! Mistakes are plentiful, 04 Nov 2008
I recently decided to revisit music theory after many years of just playing music as an amateur. I thought it best to start by brushing up on the basics, so I bought this book. It's a good job I learned basic theory at an earlier point and using a different textbook because this is littered with confusing errors. It's okay up to the part that deals with chord progresseions. At this point the author seems to have rushed things a little and the publisher obviously didn't bother to get it proof read. These mistakes are so numerous that you begin to wonder if it isn't deliberate! This isn't the first "dummies" book I've found seriously lacking. If you're hoping to learn basic music theory then I wouldn't recommend a dummies book - Jack of all trades master of none

Music Theory, 15 May 2008
This is an impressive book making a normally dry subject amusing and entertaining. It is fun to read and understand, explaining everything for the beginner and going into real detail for the more experienced.
The only word of criticism is that it is American and as a result doesn't consider that terminology such as semibreve, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver even exist. Minim is mentioned but the others are not. Having said that the terms note, half-note, quarter-note etc. are more easily understood - however a little addendum would have helped even if in part of the history section.
It also comes with a CD that has a fantastic array of examples and concepts to listen to.
I have yet to work my way through the more complex parts of the book but I'm sure that it will provide me with the answers to questions that have puzzled me for years. I fully recommend buying it to anyone.

Just enough of everthing you need to know about Music Theory, 01 Jan 2008
It's harder than it should be to find a good, readable book on Music Theory. In my experience many turn out to be classroom references or music notation only books, but Music Theory for Dummies covers the gamut of subjects, including on the way, music notation, a brief history, and forms of music and it does it all logically and informally with clearly laid out sections and diagrams.

So if you want to know the difference between an imperfect and plagal cadence; between a Rondo and a Sonata or the contribution to music of Pythagoras, this 336 page book has it all and for these reasons, I can recommend it to anybody that wants to study music theory from beginners to intermediate level.


Crash course in music theory, 06 May 2007
When my son started taking piano lessons a couple of months ago, I was terrified of the day that he needed my help with his studies. Thanks to this book, though, I can now look over his shoulder while he's playing and know exactly what it is he's doing--and supposed to be doing--while working through his music lessons.

Not only does this book cover the basics, but I'm confident that I'll be able to help my son with his piano and music lessons for years to come, all the way through to the point where he starts writing his own music. And who knows? Maybe by then I'll be playing music as much as he is now--even thought I've only had the book for a few days, I've been really inspired to try to figure my way through some piano pieces myself, or just sit and play around with chord progressions and some of the other more interesting parts of improvisation covered in this book.

Worth a read, 10 Nov 2008
This is a pretty good book, of interest to anyone who feels themselves somewhat musicophiliac and wants to know more about how music has the effect it does. Musicophilia isn't particularly focused and doesn't really go too deep into how music works on the brain, it's mostly just a string of case studies, most of which are pretty interesting. It's well-written and accessible, and worth a read, though it doesn't offer any major insights.

"Musicophilia" is preferable to "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin, which was released around the same time and deals with somewhat similar themes, though Levitin's book includes much more technical info on music and neurology. This info is presented in a style that is dry, unengaging and lacking in clarity. Sacks on the other hand is an effortlessly good writer. For that reason, this book is worth reading, though, I repeat, it's basically a string of case studies

Wonderful!, 28 Mar 2008
This book explains music theory so clearly that even a complete beginner like me can grasp it easily and quickly. He does not overwhelm you with too much at once, just one tiny simple step built upon another. This is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher, that he can put himself in the shoes of a total novice and 'forget' everything that he knows so well that it is second nature and see it once again through the eyes of a newcomer to the subject.

I've been struggling with the Idiot's Guide To Music theory and found it really hard going. You are given too much too quickly and it's brain clanging. I'm glad I only got it from the library and did not actually buy it. As for this book it was bought from Waterstones and worth every penny.

Handy reference - that's it though..., 31 May 2005
I believe this book is intended as a companion to a series of ABRSM workbooks. It can be very confusing at times, with not enough examples. I couldn't help feeling slightly suspicous that it was deliberately vague at times so that the student would need to go out and purchase each of the workbooks aswell.
I'd advise against purchasing this if you are starting from scratch, with no prior knowledge of music theory. Buy the workbooks instead.

An absolutely outstanding book, 22 May 2003
Without a doubt, the best possible guide to Grade 5 theory. This guide provided clear and concise explanations for grade 5 theory exam. However, it can be a bit confusing at time, and it is therefore better used as a reference book to complement classes from someone that's already done the exam. Of course, it is also imperative to have some practise papers to understand the kind of things you need in the exam!

Great Reference for Music Theory, 06 Dec 2002
Rudiments of theory have never been so well explained since the first volume of the AB guide to music theory. The Second volume of this guide builds on the first as well as introducing new concepts such as 'Modern Developments in Music', 'Instruments in Combination' and many aspects of melody and harmonies.

The book consists of eleven chapters, divided into subsections, and four appendices. It is very easy to use and contains a lot of hard to find information and many useful examples. Most of the Italian, German and French performance directions that you may ever need are listed in the back of the first volume, but the second volume offers more technical guide lines for performance such as various clefs and Roman Numerals for chord inversions.

As a student of music myself I have found this book useful on several occasions and it has saved me hours of research and learning through trial and error!

This book is a must for anyone with a genuine interest in music, any avid composers or anyone taking The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations; theory or practical.

I would highly recommend this book and other books by Eric Taylor as they are competitively priced and invaluable for serious musicians.

From Theory to Reality, 07 Jan 2001
In this book Eric Taylor sets about translating the language of musical theory into one that the whole world can understand. By the use of simple comparisons and memorable analagies he explores the basics of music theory up to the level which allows a progressing musician to deepen their comprehension of musical understanding. Before I began to read this book it was on the purely technical basis that if I could pass the exam I could sit exams higher than grade five, but once I had started reading I found that it was surprisingly interesting and easy to understand, qualities that I would accredit mainly to the simpistic language and the relaxed style of explaining something that I thought I would never be able to understand. The book is very clearly set out, broken down into small sections progressing in difficulty but keeping still a strong feeling of continuity which I think can be one of the difficulties with such a topic. Illustraing almost each topic with at least one simple and well annotated diagram breaks up the reading into smaller more digestible parts like choruses acting each as interludes between the verses of a song. Eric taylor has certainly made a huge difference to my life as having passed the grade five theory with no teacher and no previous knowledge of the subject I am now going on to study for my grade eight in singing and hope to sing ad teach one day. I would reccomend this book for reading by anyone at all studying music theory. It should always be at hand whenever you are doing anything musical and should act as your bible - well, musically speaking of course!

This Is Your Brain On Music, 20 Aug 2008
'This Is Your Brain On Music' looks at the neuroscience behind listening to and performing music. Although I've read many popular science books and am familiar with the style of writing, I found this to be quite a hard going book at first. The first couple of chapters look at the structure of music and are quite dry to plow though. If you know music theory this will cover familiar ground and if you don't I'm sorry to say that this is a laboured way of gaining that understanding. However after you get through these chapters this books really comes into it's own, with lots of fascinating experiments and facts it starts to pique your interest and you become more engrossed in the points being made. The chapter linking our auditory system to the cerebellum and the associated emotional linkages made for especially interesting reading. Overall this is a interesting read and if you can get past the first hundred pages you are in for some interesting ideas, presented in an engaging and informative way. 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

This is Your Brain Losing Consciousness, 16 Jun 2008
The first section of this book is a rough guide to the structure of music. If you know music, you won't need to read it. If you don't know music, I think it'll bore you. Then we get the brain stuff: here's a flat writer trying to be entertaining, dropping in references to Sting, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and other, er, contemporary artists. There are some dull arguments - eg how are we able to categorise music so easily when pop bands like the Carpenters use distorted guitars and rock groups, like the Rolling Stones, employ a string section. Who cares?

It's also interesting who he doesn't mention: nothing on Kraftwerk, Stockhausen, very little on techno, dance music, electronica, DJ culture, blip-hop; nothing much on Indian music, next to nothing from Africa. In short he concentrates on rock dinosaurs of the seventies: Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and, of course, Sting.

Some of the writing verges on the banal, such as this: "It is also important to distinguish celebrity from expertise. The factors that contribute to celebrity could be different from, maybe wholly unrelated to, those that contribute to expertise."

There is very little in this book that opens up new vistas, or shines a light on a dark and dusty corner of music - it's all pretty obvious stuff.

Towards the end of the book we get a quick run through arguments for the importance of music in mate selection. Here's just one: "Far more women want to sleep with rock stars and athletes than marry them." Aside from being asinine (do more women want to sleep with Britney Spears than marry her?) hasn't Levitin been arguing he's talking about music, and not celebrity?

I read a great many pop science books. This has to be one of the worst. Levitin makes a fascinating subject achingly dull. His writing is trite, long-winded, dreary, boring and fatuous. And every time he mentioned Sting I wanted to throw the book across the room. I kept at it hoping it would get better. It doesn't.

I hated this book. I hated it it because it took two weeks of my life away. Finally, to the blurbs: "Endlessly stimulating" writes Oliver Sacks - he should know better; "You'll never hear music in the same way again" says Classic FM magazine.

"Music seems to have a wilful, almost evasive quality, defying simple explanation, so that the more we find out, the more there is to know. Daniel Levitin's book is an eloquent and poetic exploration of this paradox." And guess which pretentious old rock arse gave Levitin's book this high praise?

With a song in our heads, 03 Dec 2007
When a rock musician, a sound engineer and a neuroscientist combine their talents to explain how we think about music, it promises to be interesting. When those three individuals are present in one man who also writes well, the result is compelling. With a strong scientific foundation - no little of that from his own work - from which to build, coupled with his production experience, Levitin has launched a new phase in the understanding of how the mind deals with the outside world. In the manner of colours we think we see, sounds are simply vibrations of air until our brain identifies and translates them for us. Without descending into arcane terms for either the brain or music, he skilfully guides us through the process of "music appreciation" - and why we do.

Musicians enter our lives more intimately than almost anybody else. They can inspire us, influence our lives in innumerable ways, and they are available at any time - virtually at our command. We welcome their presence even when we haven't consciously sought them out. Music is always a personal relationship, sometimes very intense, generating emotions perhaps hidden or suppressed. How can the movement of air molecules generate such reactions in us?

In answering that question, Levitin takes the reader on describes the path sound takes from its entry into the ear. Nerve impulses from sound have a number of paths open to them. Widely dispersed areas of the brain process the signals, further triggering a variety of reactions. Much new information about sounds and the brain's reaction to them has come to light in recent years. When the sound is music, the brain actually goes through mathematical calculations to register timbre, pitch and other musical elements. Familiar music activates responses in the brain's temporal lobes, working with the hippocampus to retrieve memories and formulate new, integrated ones. Areas in the brain, particularly the cerebellum, display increased activity when listening to music, far less so when hearing simple or incoherent noise. Recent studies also point out the influence of the cerebellum in emotional response, a find challenging long-held views of that part of the brain's role. Music's generation of feelings is non-specific - we don't necessarily associate it with those around us. When we do take neighbours into account, it generally enhances the feelings - so long as those folks aren't interrupting our listening.

Lest the reader think all this neuroscience is lofty, obscure and "soul destroying" analysis, take heart. Levitin introduces his book with a discussion of "what music can teach us about the brain, what the brain can teach us about music - and what both can teach us about ourselves". The range of music he uses as examples is clear indication of the breadth of his interests and research. At one point, he visits John Pierce, the founder of "psycho-acoustics" who sought the six tunes best exemplifying rock and roll. The choices are illustrative, but Pierce proved more interested in how sound was manipulated by the performers than in the songs. Although the limits of the research preclude detailed analysis of classical pieces, Levitin examines Bach's flute cantatas to explain how variations in sounds stimulate emotional reactions. Mahler's music brought innovation to the symphonic format in ways that made his compositions particularly effective in evoking listener response.

Providing a wealth of information, this book is a treasure. You needn't be a musician or a critic to gain from it. Any listener, and all of us are that irrespective of our "taste" in music, will be impressed by what is going on in our minds when hearing music we adore or which repels us. In fact, even "new" music which may not attract us on first hearing it, can become another trigger for positive emotional response. Read this book and listen to it again. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Music to my eyes..., 10 Nov 2007
A very interesting explanation on what makes music sooo attractive to the vast majority of us... the first two chapters are in my opinion, heavy to read (I had to go back several times to try and get the idea); actually, in this regard I found the first statements of the author a little bit contradictory, since as he somehow explains, science (technical facts) should be explained "easily"... well, it wasn't in my opinion for the most of the beginning. After that, the book gets much lighter, much friendlier and "simple" to understand.

The way -Daniel Levitin explains- how our brain rather than "concentrate" certain functions or types of information in particular parts of our brains (as it was thought), rather "distributes" them in several to be first accumulated and then processed between all of those (and others) I found new and fascinating. Also, the property that our brains have to adapt and learn new things (tricks!) is overwhelming too... (There's hope then!), contrary to the ancient believe that as we grow old, new knowledges are difficult to learn (assimilate). Then he explains how these and other characteristics add to make music sooo enjoyable... (it is possible to live without TV, but not without a radio!).

Good book. I'm glad I ordered it!

It's in the language, 17 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book for many reasons but what, I feel, may interest the lay reader is the following:

(1) All subjects evolve jargon to enable practitioners to communicate quickly
(2) Levitin, in writing about the science of music, is bringing together two jargon-filled fields - one very precise and the other abstract
(3) This book can be understood and enjoyed by people with almost no knowledge of either subject - and enjoyment of both will be significantly enhanced
(4) Now that's what I call writing

First Steps in Music Theory: Grades 1 to 5, 20 Mar 2006
This little book is a brilliant guide for the beginner in music theory, or for the student who just needs to brush up on basic knowledge. It is suitable for children and adults and explains such matters as rhythm, key signatures, time signatures and virtually all the details of basic music theory in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way.
There are very few really "easy" guides around on music theory, but this must be one of the best.

Lack of model answers is the problem, 01 Jul 2008
I agree. The lack of model answers means that these books are really only useful to those studying with a qualified tutor as there is no real way of knowing you are anwering correctly otherwise, especially when progressing onto the Grade 4 and 5 and above level.

Please give us the answers, 30 Jan 2008
As an adult studying music theory I find the lack of a model answer section a major drawback. OK I know kids do these, but that doesn't stop my 11 year old's DK maths and science workbooks having model answer sections and it would be great to be able to check the answers after you've pencilled them in. As there are only 32 pages I don't think that's alot to ask.
A good book otherwise.

Music Theory in Practise - Grade 2, 11 May 2004
This grade 2 theory book is good practise for those eager to progress in music studies. It continues on from Music Theory in Practise Grade 1, with more and harder exercises. This book extends some of the topics already covered in Grade 1 and also introduces some more complex theory. It contains exercises in:
· Ledger lines
· Time Signatures
· The Major Keys of A, B flat and E flat
· Triplets
· The minor keys of A, E and D
· Grouping of notes and rests
· Intervals
· Composing simple four-bar rhythms
There is also a list of performance directions required for the Grade 2 Music Theory exam, and some exercises, which are good revision of everything covered in the book. Most sections contain brief instructions. For a full understanding The AB Guide to Music Theory should be bought. There are references throughout the Grade 2 Music Theory Book to the AB Guide. The Grade 2 book covers everything required for the Grade 2 Exam. I would definitely recommend this book.

BEWARE! Mistakes are plentiful, 04 Nov 2008
I recently decided to revisit music theory after many years of just playing music as an amateur. I thought it best to start by brushing up on the basics, so I bought this book. It's a good job I learned basic theory at an earlier point and using a different textbook because this is littered with confusing errors. It's okay up to the part that deals with chord progresseions. At this point the author seems to have rushed things a little and the publisher obviously didn't bother to get it proof read. These mistakes are so numerous that you begin to wonder if it isn't deliberate! This isn't the first "dummies" book I've found seriously lacking. If you're hoping to learn basic music theory then I wouldn't recommend a dummies book - Jack of all trades master of none

Music Theory, 15 May 2008
This is an impressive book making a normally dry subject amusing and entertaining. It is fun to read and understand, explaining everything for the beginner and going into real detail for the more experienced.
The only word of criticism is that it is American and as a result doesn't consider that terminology such as semibreve, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver even exist. Minim is mentioned but the others are not. Having said that the terms note, half-note, quarter-note etc. are more easily understood - however a little addendum would have helped even if in part of the history section.
It also comes with a CD that has a fantastic array of examples and concepts to listen to.
I have yet to work my way through the more complex parts of the book but I'm sure that it will provide me with the answers to questions that have puzzled me for years. I fully recommend buying it to anyone.

Just enough of everthing you need to know about Music Theory, 01 Jan 2008
It's harder than it should be to find a good, readable book on Music Theory. In my experience many turn out to be classroom references or music notation only books, but Music Theory for Dummies covers the gamut of subjects, including on the way, music notation, a brief history, and forms of music and it does it all logically and informally with clearly laid out sections and diagrams.

So if you want to know the difference between an imperfect and plagal cadence; between a Rondo and a Sonata or the contribution to music of Pythagoras, this 336 page book has it all and for these reasons, I c