(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best music theory & composition books

I'd start from reading Economics Help blog. I find it fairly objective and Tevjan writes very clearly. Econlib has very useful library of articles, but overall that website is fairly libertarian in its views. (Not that I'm saying it's bad, but it's useful to know where they are coming from).

As for books, I'd recommend firstly some basic textbooks - you can buy them for cheap used. As for pop science books, I find Naked Economics the best one I've read. It covers the orthodox economics fairly well. As for heterodox Economics and criticism of neoclassical economics, I'd read first Economyths and then How Rich Countries Got Rich and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. Of course you can read the classical literature of Economics, such as Keynes, Hayek and Friedman, but I wouldn't dwell on them too much as the research has progressed a lot since them. Nobel Prize website has all the nobel prize of economics lectures on their webpage and all of them are worth reading (though some of them are more about finance, than economics) - here are couple of them worth reading.

There are several academic articles (usually working papers) that you can find online easily as well. Best one I can think of currently is Behavioral Economics: Past, Present and Future which summarises the field of Behavioral Economics very well. Joseph Stiglitz keeps a lot of his academic papers on his website for free download as well, so they are worth reading. There is a free e-book online too, that's more so about politics than economics, but still a great read; Dean Baker's Conservative Nanny State.

I'll try add some more resources when I have time.

Edit: P.S. If you are interested, I have a bunch of papers and articles on my computer as well that I can send.
Edit2: IDEAS keeps a list of academic articles on their site, but that will require some effort from your part because you essentially have to use search.

Edit3: If you are into something more specific there are good books about Evolutionary Economics and Complexity Theory, Economics of Knowledge, Economics of Strategy, Economics of Information Age and Economic and Technological History. All of these are excellent books that I recommend and quite beginner-friendly.

> Say if I can't find a teacher right away, how would you say I should try striking that "balance" you talked about? Any resources you'd suggest for each element (technical/musical/theoretical)?

Technical and musical elements are quite difficult to advise on because they are quite individual. Some people are very expressive but aren't necessarily brilliantly technical players and some are brilliantly technical but make music that sounds like robots, and all shades in-between.

If you pushed me I would say that something like Yousician's free lessons will get you off the ground as far as basic technique is concerned. Their free service is perfectly adequate for a complete beginner.

As far as musicality goes that's more difficult to teach. Really you're looking to try and "feel" something while you're playing and it's not quite the same as feeling an emotion - you're trying to feel the flow of the music. I found it helpful when I was first learning to play along to a track and not worry too much about getting it right - just noodle around trying to get into the feel of the thing. Playing with other people helps here too.

As far as theory goes that's easier.

Standard theory (you can call it 'classical' theory if you like but it applies to pretty much any form of music except really early music and more modern experimental stuff):
The AB Guide to Music Theory Part I
Music Theory in Practice Book I

(As you'll see from the Amazon listings there are more books in the Music Theory in Practice series, and there's an AB Guide to Music Theory Part II as well).
Get someone who knows what they're talking about to check your answers!

Jazz theory:
The Jazz Theory Book

Songwriting:

Chord Progressions for Songwriters

Bear in mind that music theory is a bit like art theory in that it's largely descriptive rather than prescriptive - it describes common practice and therefore gives you some guidelines but it's quite possible to follow all the rules and still come up with something that's fucking dreadful. So when you're writing try not to get bogged down with "is it correct?" - just ask yourself "do I like it? does it sound good?".


> What would an ideal (or even okay) progress would look like according to you?

I would say classical guitar grade 1 within 1-2 years is normal progress. If you're ambitious then 6 months to 1 year.

I do NOT want to discourage you - but I don't think there is a quick way to learn music thory. It takes time and practice and experience. But it is definitely possible! Just think of it as a language : the written dot on the staff corresponds to a pitch - just like an a corresponds to the sound a. It must become natural. So I guess my advice is to read a LOT of music. Every day, if possible, and of different styles (classical, modern etc.) If you want your pieces to really sound original, you have to know what others have written before you - and learn from their craft.
That being said, I think there is a good deal of great books about harmony that you can read to guide your development, I will list a few here :

• Arnold Schoenberg : Theory of Harmony (A bit tedious to read, but with great many examples)
  
• Arnold Schoenberg : Fundamentals of Musical Composition This one is great but a bit advanced; I suggest you read it when you master the harmony basics.
  
• Carl Schroeder & Keith Wyatt : Harmony and Theory: A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians This one is recommended, but I didn't read it myself.
  
• Barbara Wharram : Elementary Rudiments of Music. This one I grew up with. Very straightforward and clear.
  
  Might I suggest that you play all the examples and excercies at the piano so that you train your ear to hear what you see.
  
  Also, you might want to contact a piano teacher and take lessons for a year... or two. Technique is a great part of playing, and is very difficult to learn on his own.
  
  Sorry for the long post, but I love music and want to help a fellow player. Also, sorry for potentialy awkward sentences, english is not my first language.
  
  Hope this helps!

Ahh, that makes sense, sorry \^\^;

There are books on a huge variety of subjects in music, so it does depend a little bit on what you are interested in specifically. For a broad overview, I liked A History of Western Music - the current edition is the 8th, but much of the materials from the 7th edition are available online. Another book I recommend is Harold C. Schonberg's The Lives of the Great Composers. It is less in-depth, but is written in a more narrative style while still hitting on a lot of the "who's who" in classical music from the Baroque to the 20th century (although it's maybe a tad outdated in the later 20th and 21st century).

Besides those two, I actually don't have any others on the top of my head that are good overviews. /u/m3g0wnz does have a guide to music theory textbooks on the sidebar that details out some of the main texts in that area. And, of course, there are books that specialize on a variety of subjects within music theory and history - Ebenezer Prout's book on fugues is one such example that I've looked at, as well as both the Kennan and Adler on the subject of orchestration. (Actually, Kennan also wrote a book on Counterpoint.)

On the subject of sight-singing, I've used both Rhythm and Pitch and A New Approach to Sight Singing in my aural skills classes - I like the Berkowitz a little better in the way it's organized, but both offer plenty of examples for practice. Alternatively, picking up a hymnal is possibly an easier alternative to sightsinging that gives you lots of tonal material for practice.

With most of my other suggestions, though, you don't really need a book. Print out some scores on IMSLP or pick up a cheap study edition (like this one of Mozart piano sonatas) and work through a harmonic/formal analysis.

With transposition, I think probably just working through some scores on IMSLP would be a good start, as well - I can't think of any other better way to get exercises for that. It's one of those topics that's pretty easy to quiz yourself with as long as you keep yourself honest. :)

Edit to add: As far as specifics of literature, that is obviously pretty instrument-dependent. I am a vocalist, and I usually choose language first and then begin exploring pieces that might work with my current technical goals. I know a lot of instrumentalists treat genre/time period the same way. So depending on your instrument, you may have a different approach, but it helps to narrow things down to a few composers you might like to explore for your instrument, and then seeing if anything works for you. Although be wary - for me I end up getting so involved in lit studies that I have a list a mile long of pieces I want to study in the future. It's a double-edged sword for sure.

I highly recommend this book "The Addiction Formula" for song progression (arrangement).


https://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Formula-Captivating-Commercial-Songwriting/dp/9082391309


The author also has a Youtube channel called Holistic songwriting that I'd suggest you subscribe to! He's very articulate in the way he explains his concepts and he's got a bunch of videos on different artists' styles regarding composition and melody writing, and just overall arrangement, chord progressions, etc. In the book he conceptualizes song "progression" as the combination of hype (intensity) and flow between sections ( i cant remember the exact word he called it now but essentially the type of transition between 2 sections). I've found this approach to be really intuitive and easy to understand.


As far as layering theres definitely some things to take into consideration to strategically layer sounds. First off, why are you layering? Is it to beef up a sound, add a new texture to it, emphasize a part of the ADSR, etc. For example, if I'm "layering" two sounds that sound really similar, it might be better to hard pan them so you get a really wide sound. If I'm using a really soft lead sound and it's lacking some intensity I might look for a layer thats grittier, or maybe a pluckier kind of layer to bring out the attack more, etc. Maybe I've already established my main sound but in a different section of the song I want to give it more depth so I'll find 2 sounds to tuck back into the mix and hard pan them so the main sound gets just a lil "pick me up" later on. Maybe the same line played in multiple octaves so I'll use a sound that sounds good an octave down and one an octave up and have them compliment my main lead. The possibilities are really endless.


It's hard to articulate exactly how to layer, and I'm sure someone could explain it better than me but my advice is to think about what you're trying to achieve with the layering and then flip through lots of different patches and find which compliment each other best for your intended purpose. Layering is a great way to progress your song and keep an idea fresh throughout.


Underbelly runs an awesome and very entertaining channel which I'd recommend checking out as well. Check out his video on layering:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgXB2t0tNHU


Hope that helps!

> I'd much rather write and have a professional singer with professional studio equipment sing it.

A lot of guys do that. And I probably will too, least that's my goal when my skills are up to it. But I'm glad you told me that, if that's your goal then you should want to get better. A hobbyist isn't going to be willing to put in the work.

Anyway, after listening to em all I would give yourself more credit as a singer. A few vocal lessons with the right teacher could get you singing so good you'd surprise yourself.

Of the 3 originals you posted, all 3 have some pretty common issues that can be addressed. I'm not going to go line by line because really the lines can be arbitrary.

• Word rhythm - believe it not, the accentation(or lack thereof) in a syllable creates a rhythm that you can use to make more powerful lyrics. I just read about this a couple weeks ago in my rhyming dictionary but basic prosody rules apply. If you need a line to feel stable with the other lines, match the rhythm. If you need to create instability, change the rhythm (shorter or longer). Stability in word rhythm is how you get the sing-along effect.
  
  
• Rhyme - You can tell you wrote these as a teenager because you must have been coming up with the rhymes off the top of your head. A better approach I've found is to brainstorm some words that have to do with your hook. Then go to your rhyming dictionary (not a bullshit online one, no matter what anyone else says), and pick all the rhymes that seem to fit your theme. A good rhyming dictionary will also teach about the other types of rhyme other than perfect rhyme. You can also use this to create stability/instability, perfect rhymes are stable, the more dissonant sound the less stable the rhyme.
  
  
• Rhyme scheme - Setting up more a pattern to your rhyming will make it easier for the listener. See the above about rhymes but try out these rhyme schemes as there about the most popular in music today: ABAC, ABCA, ABCB
  
  
• Song structure - You did a better job than most posters here of having a chorus that sticks out. However, the songs on the radio these days almost always have a pre-chorus. Back in the day it was more optional but these days a pre-chorus build that has a hook in it is the way most hits seem to work
  
  
• Verse development - Here all the rules of story telling apply. You want each line to move your story along with a definite beginning, middle, and end (especially with country which it sounds like you're most close to). This is something else you can determine before you write the lyrics. I use a box method and a typical development could be I-You-We. Or even Aristotle's Pain-Fear-Catharsis. The way you were doing it, it didn't seem to be moving very far.
  
  
• Detail, detail, detail - Ralph Murphy says that our job as story tellers is to get the listener engaged in a story that never happened, with characters that don't exist, in a place that never was, and make em believe it because it relates to their own story. A lot of us make the mistake especially when we start out as using music as a diary, that's fine but that doesnt' make people want to listen to your song over and over. The trick is to use lots of details that can relatable to other people. So details are objects or typically nouns that help paint a picture in the eye of the listener. Use them liberally in your verses, sparingly in your choruses. The chorus is where you talk about how you (or the narrator) feel(s)
  
  I'll use one of the songs as an example of some of this stuff:
  
• hook/title: Just Another Broken Heart
  
• When I read that I see another non-unique way of singing a sad bastard song. One of the hardest things about our job is saying the same old thing in a fresh way
  
  
• rhyme schemes
  
• Your first verse sets a AABAA (counting assonance as rhyme), the next verse is ABBAA. And you go to ABAB in the chorus to mix it up, good job on mixing it up there but you want to keep the verse rhyme patterns the same. Also, try to stay away from couplets when you want to be taken seriously. AABB can sound corny.
  
  
• structure
  
• You have a Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Verse structure. Not one of the standard structure. Again, pre-choruses are the thing these days. And your first verse is the 3rd verse. I don't know if your first verse is strong enough for that. Additionally, is there a counterpoint idea that could balance the sadness of the rest of the song? Remember, contrast is the name of the game in songwriting.
  
  
• verse development
  
• the first verse deals with not wanting to wake up to the reality and face the pain. I like that. The 2nd verse deals with the fear of what you'll find. That's okay but you've already indicated that somewhat in your first verse. You're just restating it. And then the 3rd verse is a repeat of the first. And I don't know if your first verse is strong enough for that.
  
  ..k so I'm getting to have a wall of text here so I'll stop there. I think you get the point. The biggest hurdle an aspiring pro songwriter has to make is the realization that listener's don't give a shit about you. They care about how your song makes them feel. If you can elicit emotion in the right way you may been on to something.
  
  I would recommend, if this is something you're legitimately considering pursuing, that you consider joining Taxi.com. They're a company you can join (for a fee) that will pitch your songs to the majors. They can also give you advice on finding a studio to produce your songs. But more importantly, they'll give you reviews of your submissions for actual industry pros. At the very least you could learn a ton from their forums (http://forums.taxi.com) and watching some Taxi TV.
  
  Here are the books that I've probably learned the most from all most of my critique is based on:
  
  Writing Better Lyrics
  
  Murphy's Laws of Songwriting
  
  The Craft of Lyric Writing
  
  But that's just my 2 cents as a random guy on the internet.

I posted this in our still-being-created FAQ, hope it helps!

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I always recommend Robert Gauldin's books on 16th- and 18th-century counterpoint, mostly because they're just what I used as an undergrad. I realize there are others out there that are just as good, but I do think Gauldin is extremely smart and knows what he's talking about.

I've also used Evan Jones's book on modal counterpoint. It's newer so not as time-tested, but it seems like a nice book. It quotes some passages directly from Fux's Gradus where they are relevant, which is nice.

Speaking of which, I don't recommend learning straight from Fux's Gradus. It was written nearly 300 years ago (in 1725) and you are not its target audience! It's an extremely important treatise in relation to the history of music theory and music in general, but it is not flawless and there are other books written with a more updated style of pedagogy that will be easier to learn from. Feel free to read Fux to supplement your work, but I would not make it my primary text.

Turning now to species counterpoint, I'd like to plug what I think is a fascinating book for academics and beginners alike: Counterpoint in Composition by Carl Schachter and Felix Salzer, two brilliant minds in music theory. The book does teach some counterpoint, but what I think the interesting part is is where they relate counterpoint to "free composition"—i.e., pieces by Beethoven, Brahms, and others who were not literally writing species counterpoint, but composing freely. Every student I've assigned readings to from this text has loved the readings and it encouraged them to keep working at counterpoint since the relationship to "real music" became that much more tangible after reading this book.

> It is cumbersome to setup an interac or paypal when you want to help.

Those are your words. The words that I am replying to. Paypal is not irrelevant, which you very well know, because it is the competition to changetip.

> Says you.

No, says the entire field of economic history, not to mention lean startup methodology and user experience design.

Innovation (defined as the wide-scale adoption of new technologies) is not an easy or simple process. The "if you build it, they will come" mantra almost always works out poorly for the builders.

Invention is, by comparison, rather easy. Large businesses project manage invention all the time. We know about when and how well new inventions will be established if we just crank away at them.

Driving user adoption, on the other hand, is a very difficult process. You have to not just build an invention that solves problems for individuals and opens up new avenues of economic efficiency for society, but you also have to convince individuals en masse to change their behavior.

This takes marketing, politics, sales, and more. It takes understanding the human factors that go into technological adoption. At the end of the day, no technology succeeds without humans. These are creative fields which see some degree of process but which are ever-changing. Solutions have to fit the specific technology, consumer market, legal framework, etc..

A good example of innovation vs. invention is Edison vs. Tesla. We all know the popular geek narrative, that Tesla was a lone genius whose work was suppressed by the evil, profit-hungry Edison. But really, the difference was one of innovation. Both men were greatly inventive, but only one of them cared to focus on marketing, user adoption, working with governments, and building a business. It's telling that the one major "success" that Tesla did have was the one where he engaged with Edison on his own turf, taking the AC/DC battle to local governments and the courts.

But at the end of the day, Tesla the inventors legacy is a yet-to-be-built museum crowdfunded by a webcomic author, while Edison's legacy is one of the oldest, largest, and most inventive consumer companies in the US.

If you'd like to learn more, I'd highly recommend The Lever of Riches by Joel Mokyr. He uses historical examples from Europe, the Americas, and China to develop a historical narrative and theory of technological and economic progress (aka, innovation) that helps explain why certain technologies see adoption, as well as why certain societies see more technological innovation than others. And if you're interested in the latter question, Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu and Robinson is a very enjoyable read.

My pleasure! Ralph Murphy is a boss, met him for the first time my last trip down to Nashville. I would highly recommend a few cheap/free resources. Ralph Murphy's Laws Of Songwriting, Writing Better Lyrics - Pat Pattison (You can't really tell but both of these are hyperlinks, so go feel free to click on them), and www.coursera.com offers a free online lyric class. SAC memberships are like $35 for students, and then you can attend workshops free.

I think you can totally write downer characters, but again, give him a redeeming quality. Give us a reason to root for him.

As far as playing. You don't need to be a John Mayer or Elton John. A lot of the most successful writers I know are mediocre at best guitar players. If you can play acoustic guitar in time you have all you need as far as guitar skills. I mean the more you know the better, but you can get by with the basics. A bigger factor for the artist thing is having the "it" factor. It's impossible for me to tell from a recording if you have it or not. I know I don't have the frontman "it" factor. But when you see it you know. It's the confidence, the charisma, the ability to connect with an audience whether it be 3 drunk dudes in a bar or thousands at the ACC. I wouldn't concern yourself with the guitar stuff.

All the best!

By "understand music" I'm assuming you mean like music theory?
www.musictheory.net is a wonderful resource to start you off, some of it may seem too easy at first but stick to it and it'll get challenging. Past that, I would honestly recommend picking up a textbook. Music in Theory and Practice is the best damn textbook you can get that takes you from "what are notes" to late romantic era macro analysis of chord relationships. It's pricey but it's good. Tonal Harmony is another good one, and is a much better deal I linked to one on Amazon for $50. I know spending a lot of money on a textbook seems like a waste when we have the Internet, but they are both textbooks that you will keep and continue to use and reference for years. I own both of those because I needed them for music theory classes at different universities, but even without a professor to lecture, the material in there is pretty self explanatory. Let me know if you have any questions / want a better explanation, I hope I understood your question correctly!

Edit: I forgot to add /r/musictheory is available too, but a lot of posts there assume the reader already knows quite a bit about theory, it isn't exactly a resource for someone wanting to begin learning. The sidebar there might have some useful stuff though.

I might define Counterpoint more broadly: Voices that both maintain their horizontal individuality and work in concert with each other to form vertical sonorities.

1. There are plenty of 2-part counterpoint examples. And I might also qualify this that counterpoint does not rely on chords. It relies on the horizontal aspect - line, the "simultaneities" are largely "resultant" of the interaction of the lines. Obviously, the more parts there are, the more difficult it becomes to maintain independence of lines, but that also depends on how one defines counterpoint or if one is interested in preserving that aspect of counterpoint or not. But yes, on the whole, 3 and 4 part counterpoint are probably the most common number of voices historically.
   
2. It has.
   
   >The rules of counterpoint have us resolve certain intervals and chords to consonance, that usually being a major/minor triad. Is there anyway to break out of that while keeping the principle intact?
   
   Yes, redefine consonance. I caution though you're focusing on this and even said it at the beginning but that's not true. Counterpoint is very often formed with consonances and no resolution of dissonance at all. The resolution of dissonance to consonance is not a "contrapuntal principle". It's just something that's used in counterpoint. But it's not what makes counterpoint counterpoint as you seem to think.
   
   >Maybe if we open it up to more notes, 4,5, and 6 note chords, we can have alternative consonant chords?
   
   Consonance is context-based. Modern composers treat things like C-E-G-A or C-E-G-B as consonances. They treat C-F-Bb as consonances. They treat C-D-E as consonances.
   
   >But perhaps counterpoint stops working with so many notes because the notes can't really move around because all the spaces are occupied? Does that make any sense?
   
   This is a number of parts issue though, not a consonance/dissonance issue. Yes, as I said above, the more voices you have, the harder it is to maintain linear independence. But that has nothing to do with consonance or dissonance, just sheer number of voices (because you can have 4 part counterpoint and just double a note, right?).
   
   >it seems like counterpoint is one of the greatest techniques in western music and it seems to be drifting out of fashion,
   
   supposition that it's great, and that it's drifting out of fashion. It may be neither. And you may just not be familiar with that many examples of it, or, you're defining it in a way that means some things that are contrapuntal might not meet your criteria.
   
   >and I want to bring it back in a novel way!
   
   You're not the first.
   
   For a simple overview, try:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Modal-Tonal-Counterpoint-Josquin-Stravinsky/dp/0028721454
   
   (if you can find one for less than redonkulous textbook prices!).
   
   

I'm in the same position as you. I've pretty much only played acoustic rhythm because I just wanted to hear myself play songs that I know. 90% of my playing has just been looking up the chords to songs I know and playing the crap out of them, which is fun, but eventually you want to move on.

I got an electric not even a week ago and figured now was a good time to actually learn about what I'm doing as opposed to just playing it blindly. I bought this book last night and went through the first couple chapters this morning. All I can say is WOW. Whenever I tried to learn scales and shit my eyes glazed over 5 minutes into it, but something about the way this book presents it just clicks with me.

Like I said I'm still pretty much at the very beginning of the book but it seems like a winner. I think it has like 150+ reviews on amazon so check those out if you want.

Just 2 main comments:

1. Pay much more attention to your orchestration. It was too blurry to see the finer details, but there are many things that can be done better. For starters: there is no need for there to be 6 key changes in the first 30 or so measures. Aurally it works, but just add in accidentals for sections that modulate successively, otherwise it looks sloppy. In a similar vein, never show people a non-transposing score. It's great for a composer's purposes, but it actually makes reading it more difficult for others (especially conductors). Little mistakes like random dynamics in resting instruments and unnecessary subdivided rests can add up; and there are places where you obviously want it slurred, so be sure to add them. Also, I don't know if you are a singer, but generally in instrumental scores crescendos are notated below the single-staff instruments and in-between instruments on a grand staff. These are a just a few of the problems I saw, but just know to always go through your piece with a fine tooth comb. I very much recommend this book and looking at other scores as much as possible. It pretty much will answer any orchestrational and notational question you may have (that is, aside from many contemporary techniques)
   
   
   
   
2. Aurally, the piece is interesting, and although I understand that you meant to not repeat any of the themes, I disagree with the final outcome because of it. It needs to have some sort of form or unifying factor for the listener, especially in a piece this filmscore-like. The piece is so harmonically and melodically standard that the lack of form just seems odd and causes the ending to be abrupt. Hell, the unifying factor could be something as simple as a single triangle attack or snare drum role, just something that makes if feel less like a random assortment of themes that for some reason ends in the middle.
   
   
   
   That all being said, the themes are very intriguing and I would love to hear them expanded and varied a bit. You plant many seeds for a large scale work, but it ultimately ends before it come to fruition. Of course, you can disagree and disregard any or all of these comments if you want, that's your right as the composer. However, I do think you should take my first comment to heart. I reiterate this mainly because you are using this as an audition piece, and the very first thing they will do is read through the score without the music (so you want your first impression to be a good one). People really do appreciate a clean score, though it is the most tedious and time consuming part of the compositional process (and the part I personally hate the most). Good luck in your endeavors and never stop composing.

PX780 is an awesome digital, I love the Privia series.

https://www.amazon.com/Play-Again-Piano-Perfect-Rediscover/dp/1847614590

I would recommend this book as well as the second book, it's compiled by Melanie Spanswick a fantastic pedagogue it is specifically marketed for people that are returning to piano, it has a wide range of pieces within different styles beginning from grade 1 - grade 8 I believe the last piece of the second book is Rachmaninoff's famous prelude op 3 no 2 in C sharp minor. There are also practice tips along the way on how to practice the pieces, since you said you played for a while when you were younger I think these two books would be a great approach to get you back into shape instead of having to start from scratch via some adult beginner books.

​

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Good luck my friend!

>There are cases where it is not practical to have an extra 3rd staff, or to put 3 parts in one staff, or to have so many ledger lines.

What on earth are you writing then? This would be a lot easier if you provided an example.

>VisuallyI think it looks better to have 8va over the whole staff, to retain the standard SATP two parts per staff look, with specific 'loco' or the at pitch lower part, compared to changing the system layout, or excessive ledger lines.

Cart before the horse much? Ledger lines are preferable to octave signs most of the time. And if you have more than an octave between two adjacent parts, you're not following SATB rules anyway.

>Doesn't 65wint have actual engraving experience?!:)

Seems like a moot point. I do too. ;) Where does that leave you?

No notation manual talks about this because it's bonkers. I'm looking at Gould (2011) (the current standard), Stone (1980) and Nicholl/Grudzinski (2007). The only reference to this practice I can find is in Clinton Roemer - The Art of Music Copying (1973), and only in relation to a conductor part, "a highly condenser and compressed version of the score... made for arrangements to be used in night clubs, concerts and book shows, for stage band publications, and so on." (195) It's important to note that nobody actually plays off this part; it's there so that the conductor doesn't have to turn as many pages as they would with a full score. Conductor parts usually don't have all the notes, might have unconventional shorthands (like this 8va/loco thing... maybe; read on), and are used mostly to highlight entrances. Roemer doesn't even use the notation like you're talking about. Here it is. In that image, he even says "instruments should be written where they sound." And these are some of the guidelines to those parts:

-

>>1. Conductor parts for simple instrumental arrangements can most often be written on a single line.

>>2. For more complex arrangements, it is better to use a braced part utilizing both treble and bass clefs. In this type of part, it becomes possible to write all Instruments where they sound.

>>3. Occasionally a vocal arrangement will require a three system part because of a duet that cannot be written on one vocal line, or because of a complicated orchestral part that requires two lines. Also, instrumental conductor parts for symphonic size orchestras often demand that a three, or even four system part be written. In all of these cases, 12-stave paper should be used.

-

>That's what I was looking for, that centuries-old experience of engraving notation.

It sounds to me like you would be better off looking for sensible solutions to your easily fixable notation problems. Having edited manuscripts and engraved scores dating back to the 1500s, I can tell you that there's a lot of shitty, nonstandardized notation out there. But you do you, boo. A good rule to go by (although not always the best rule) is that if you see it in an engraved score from the 19th century, you can do it too. Good luck on that one.

>I took a masterclass recently in medieval/Renaissance organ music, and she mentioned the transition from movable type, to copper engraving, in the 16th century scores:) Interesting topic....she showed a score (the new at the time copper engraving) where beaming occurred, which wasn't possible (shwith movable type music notation. The 8th notes had a combination of flags and beams. Really nice looking

Huh?

Here's some other stuff for people interested:

Joe Straus' Introduction to Post Tonal Theory

• For solid post tonal and heavily set theory based stuff
  
  Introduction to Electro-Acoustic Music by Barry Schrader
  
  
• this book is old but has some cool stuff in it about earlier electronic music and it's cheap
  
  Samuel Solomon's How to Write for Percussion
  
  
• The best percussion book
  
  Rothenberg and Ulvaeus' Book of Music and Nature
  
  
• If you're in to, well music and nature this is a great anthology of writings by people like Cage, Takemitsu, Oliveros, etc. on the subject.
  
  Cope's Techniques of the Contemporary Composer is okay.
  
  
• for composery stuff
  
  My favorite orchestration book is actually the Blatter
  
  Composing Electronic Music by Curtis Roads is a very good new electronic book
  
  The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
  
  
• Practically a must read
  
  On Sonic Art by Trevor Wishart
  
  
• is a must read also

Common fitness-related concepts of discipline and progressive overload are ones that I think can be applied to any skill, including music. And the idea of having a set routine allows you to track progress and raise difficulty in a manageable and controlled way.

I think ear training fits this model very well. There is a book by Bruce Arnold called "Fanatic's Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing" that has a routine you could apply to this. The basic idea is to progressively memorize the relationship between a tonality (i.e. a major or minor key) and each of the 12 pitch classes (relative to the key).

For example, you start off with the relative "do", the tonic. You are given a major chord in a random key and your job is to sing "do". With each chord you're given, you repeat by singing "do" in that chord. For example, if you're given a D major triad, you sing a D, then you might be given an G# major triad, and you sing G#. You keep doing this until singing "do" from hearing the chord requires no thought, no mental shortcut or mnemonic. Once you master that, you move on to "sol". Again, it has to be automatic. No relying on mnemonics like singing the Star Wars theme in your head. With time, it becomes second nature. As you continue on, it gets harder, especially when you start singing scale degrees that aren't the chord, like "re" or "la". Then it gets a lot harder when you start singing notes that aren't in that key, like "di" or "fi".

You can also do it the opposite way - hearing a note against a chord and identifying the scale degree.

This whole progression of ear training is quite difficult and requires a lot of time and discipline, but the benefits are huge. It helps in so many other aspects of musicianship. Being able to identify scale degrees will improve your ability to analyze and understand music as you're listening to it. For example, for much of contemporary or pop music, you'll be able to analyze the harmony just by identifying the scale degrees of the bass-line. It will make it easier to compose if you have music in your head. And of course, if you're a singer, it'll make it much easier to sight sing.

EDIT: here's a link to the book in case any one is interested: https://amzn.com/189094419X

Thanks for the reply- Those were super helpful answers already, though they were only illustrative examples of many more questions I have.

The best resource like this I've found so far is in the book "The Addiction Formula" https://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Formula-Captivating-Commercial-Songwriting/dp/9082391309/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525713259&sr=8-1

It has one section on rhythm which touches on the "why" of drums. Though the basic concept of the book is kind of cringey with the whole "get rich writing pop songs" vibe, it actually does have practical information in it- Just curious what other similar resources people are aware of that get deeper into drumming.

I realize simply listening to a lot of good drumming and focusing on the drum work is probably the best way to figure this out, but since I'm an American I was hoping there would be some kind of easy shortcut :)

I highly recommend 'Play It Again Piano' by Melanie Spanswick. She has two books - Book 1 (from beginner to intermediate) and then Book 2 (from late intermediate to advanced and beyond). I got Book 2 and have found it great for many reasons. It's a self contained course in many ways - progressively more difficult pieces, practice tips, interpretation ideas, very varied repertoire etc. Slightly more 'user friendly' than trying to just learn from choosing your own pieces (which is all I used to do). Also, it's specifically aimed at returning pianists as opposed to complete newbies. I ended up creating a set of videos reviewing the book (going piece by piece sometimes) that I've linked here for you. I also recommend you check them out on Amazon - you can decide whether Book 1 or Book 2 would be best for you.

Beautiful violin!

I don't know how well-received this book is, but it's what my university uses for it's music major Theory courses. I've enjoyed it so far. I also really enjoyed this book when I used it in high school. The Suzuki volumes are a decent place to start repertoire-wise - especially if your teacher doesn't use the Suzuki method. Depending on whether you're interested in pop/classical/etc. different books can be recommended as well.

Check out The Time of Music by Jonathan Kramer. I'm working my way through it right now and I'm almost done - it's a fantastic book. There are parts I agree with more than others, but Kramer is pretty clear that he intends the book as a way to prompt discussion/thought/debate rather than as the word of god descended from the heavens, and it's definitely done that for me.

EDIT: Here's a couple other related books that have ended up on my reading list but I haven't gotten to yet.

Justin London - Hearing in Time

Christopher Hasty - Meter as Rhythm

Well anything that falls under "cross-cultural" usually winds up with the ethnomusicologists.

You sound like you'd be more interested in the music cognition side of music theory (not my area at all). Again, Music Perception is going to be your best bet here. You might also check out David Huron's book, Sweet Anticipation, which deals with anticipation in music from a psychological perspective. Juslin and Sloboda's Handbook of Music and Emotion has a lot of the cognitive side of things as well, if you're interested in that aspect. Finally, David Temperley's Cognition of Basic Musical Structures or Justin London's Hearing in Time might be worth a look.

Absolutely! Start by learning about solfege or functional ear training. There's an app for Android or iPhone called functional ear trainer that's very useful for learning about it.

Also, I recommend working on solfege one note at a time. Play a I, IV, V progression and just try to sing "do" or "one". When you can consistently do it every time, then start trying to sing "sol" or "five" until you can do that consistently as well. Then go on to "mi" or "three", and then just go on with the rest of the major scale, one note at a time.

Another couple of products that really helped me are A Fanatic's Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing and Voice Lessons To Go V.2- Do Re Mi ear/pitch training

Best of luck!

The library.


Seriously, if you have a University nearby go to that library. They will have tons of great books on basic theory, harmony and other such things.

For actual books I recommend Paul Hindemith's Elementary Training for Musicians or Arnold Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony, there is also a workbook for the harmony book, but I can't find the link.


Both of these composers were seen as avant garde at the time and some of schoenberg's stuff is difficult to listen to (12 tone), but they both were incredibly influencial writers and educators and their books are pretty much the standard for learning theory that encompasses all of classical music history.

Go to your library, if they have it great! Otherwise interlibrary loan both books and read them. Play your instrument with them and write out some of the things on music manuscript paper for you to remember.

When I was in school, we were required to use Kurt Stone's notation guide as a source of first resort for non-standard notation. It's a bit dated by now, but it is very thorough. I recommend it. If you or your library has a copy, take a look. There may some pertinent examples that you can adapt to your purposes.

I'm thinking that you don't need an ossia staff since you are not offering concurrent optional lines. You can just change the staff style for the moments of extended technique. I'd be especially precise about the effect you're looking for. If you care about pitch, even if approximate, you'll need some way to convey that. If you want indiscriminate slapping at whatever string happens to get in the way, you can probably just use an 'x' notehead and treat it more or less like a percussion element.

Lots of things to think about!

The Barron's Guide is actually pretty good. There are a few inaccuracies and oversimplifications, but it is written specifically for the AP exam. Exercises and recordings for all topics, practice exams with answers, and probably most importantly, strategies for the Free Response questions. With the way the exam is scored, if you don't do well on the FR questions you probably won't pass.

All of these other suggestions are good, too, especially the one about trying to get a teacher.

Intelligent Music Teaching: Essays on the Core Principles of Effective Instruction https://www.amazon.com/dp/0977113906/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5DuwDbRFE2F4B

Great thoughts of the fundamental concepts of successful teaching.

Best $20 you'll ever spend.

And here's a one page "cheat sheet" I made for practice. Prints out nicely on standard 8.5 x 11.

The most basic explanation of chords is that they're made up of a root (1st), a 3rd and a 5th. Minor chords have a flatted (half step down) 3rd.

A good exercise is to harmonize a scale. That means you play the scale, not one note at a time, but by playing chords (constructed by using a note from the scale as the root). So, instead of simply playing the individual notes of the scale C,D,E,F,G,A,B, you play the chords C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim. Note the 7 chord is diminished (flat 3rd and flat 5th).

That's also what is meant by "singing in harmony". The melody line is triple voiced, with a 3rd and a 5th, accompanying the root. To start, for purposes of exercise, your melody will be simply an ascending/descending scale.

Follow the major/minor pattern for chord progressions (see "cheat sheet", where lower case = minor, upper = major). Note that arpeggios are just the roots, 3rds and 5ths of the scale. So, if you know your arpeggios, creating chords from any root is super simple.

Hi there,

I would start with learning an instrument and music theory.

I started by learning the piano with really basic books - perhaps this could be of use to you: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Play-Piano-Complete-Beginners/dp/190870716X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484745976&sr=8-1&keywords=beginners+piano+book

I then started my understanding of Music Theory a short while after that, with the ABSRM Music Theory in Practice Grade 1 book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Practice-Grade-ABRSM/dp/1860969429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484746064&sr=8-1&keywords=music+theory+in+practice+grade+1

After doing some beginners' piano books, I progressed to the ABSRM Grade 1 exam. There are 8 Grades in total, by the way. I just did mine when I was told I could by my teacher, but if you practice for 30 minutes per day you could probably learn all the stuff from nothing to Grade 1 in a term.

There are other requirements, such as knowing how to play scales and arpeggios, sing, and sight read (so you get to look at a piece for 30 seconds and then just have to play it - my most hated part of the exam!) - you may need books for them, too.


I would say when you have done the exam for Grade 5 Piano AND Grade 5 Theory, you will be ready to start composing. The best way to do that would be to take the exams themselves, as they are a very professional exam board.

Hope this helps! =)

P.S. The reason you've probably been downvoted is because it's quite insulting when someone just says "I have no knowledge and want to make music for video games". People understand you want to, but they put 10, 20, 30 years into the craft, and you come in looking for a quick and easy result. :P

P.P.S. If you look in the FAQ section of this subreddit located on the right-hand side, it should send you to the relevant places. Also check out the Game Audio and Game Dev subreddits eventually, but not now.

If you have questions about anything, let me know.

Also, look into some theory texts to expand your horizons.

This book written by Bruce Benward is a good place to start. It covers basic things like notation and properly writing music on paper, and then goes into scales, modes, intervals and chords, and all the way up to leading tones and song structure.

But the best thing it does is train you on how to analyze music and do what I did in the above comment. It also starts you on the path to counterpoint, which is kind of like a jigsaw puzzle method of writing short (like five measures) pieces.

How well can you play by ear though? Can you play back a solo phrase effortlessly and correctly, immediately, and with zero mistakes? If not I'd be focusing on ear training. Movable 'do' major/'la' minor solfege is the best way to improve your ear to fretboard link (not interval training!). It'll take work, but once you have this skill, improvisation is only limited by your imagination.

You could start with something like this (it doesn't have all the answers but it'll definitely put you on the right track): https://www.amazon.com/Fanatics-Guide-Training-Sight-Singing/dp/189094419X

Once you've started serious ear training, continue learning your favourite guitar parts by ear.

Oh and as Subman said, learn to read simple sheet music. Many beginner guitar methods will get you going in this regard.

https://www.amazon.ca/Elementary-Rudiments-Music-Barbara-Wharram/dp/1554402832/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536923603&sr=8-1&keywords=elementary+rudiments+of+music

I'm currently working through the rest of this book that I've had forever but have not finished for whatever reason. Honestly amazing book. Challenges you but builds up to the hard parts. Inverting augmented 2nds to diminished 7ths, chords and cadence knowledge. This book has a lot to work on and digest.

I was thinking advanced jazz. I'm a theory and jazz keys major at unt and I'm trying to surpass my curriculum. Like I've already read this book and made sense and put it into practice. But i want not obscure scales to play with the super funky chords I'm using

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0873959922/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uaNkDbY7SWESB

I have my students use the books by Mark Sarnecki, my only issue with them is that they don't include quite enough exercises to practice on. For that I use the Barbara Wharram book, there's tons to do in there. Once you get past theory, you need to go into harmony (Sarnecki also has books for that), and possibly counterpoint, particularly if you want to understand more about classical music. You can also go into jazz harmony, which branches out somewhat into its own thing.

I'll tell you what I tell all of my students: theory doesn't actually work without application. It quickly moves into nearly abstract concepts if you have nothing to apply it to. Since you're a guitarist, I'll recommend Fretboard Harmony by Jeffrey McFadden. It's geared toward classical players but the rules of harmony aren't going to apply to any other style of playing quite as readily. Don't get into it (or really anything about harmony/counterpoint) until you've learned your theory rudiments.

I'd take a look at more modern textbooks that are founded in Fux rather than studying the Fux itself (although there's nothing wrong with looking at it for its historical value. The same could be said of Mozart's figured bass text). Owen's "Modal and Tonal Counterpoint" is pretty good for species counterpoint, if you can get a copy. http://www.amazon.com/Modal-Tonal-Counterpoint-Josquin-Stravinsky/dp/0028721454

A couple of standard texts in the UK are these two:
[AB Guide to Music Theory pt.1] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/AB-Guide-Music-Theory-Vol/dp/1854724460)
[First Steps in Music Theory] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Steps-Music-Theory-Grades/dp/1860960901/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KJ0AYXKZW43PBX65Q6P2)

They are closely connected, in that the former explains stuff in more detail, while the second is a kind of abridged revision text, listing all the things you need to know, with minimal explanation. Both start with the absolute basics and go up to grade 5.

A companion books of exercises (for testing yourself) is [this] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Practice-Grade-ABRSM/dp/1860969429/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CXWDMNP8955NNC8DN0QE) (Grade 1 only)

Music theory won't necessarily help you make "beautiful melodies". It will give you some basic formulas to get you started, such as scales and simple chords: raw material to begin working with. But to understand melody, you have to learn some melodies. (Many composers write beautiful melodies with no theory knowledge - other than what they've gained from learning songs.)

It is probably true that everyone who has aspirations to become a composer should read Fux at some point, but there are other books on the subject that might be more accessible to someone who's just starting out. Schoenberg's book is excellent. There's also Harold Owen, for a less rigorous, more inclusive approach.
In my opinion we are doing our students a disservice in not teaching them that clefs are movable objects. With three clefs and five lines, one can represent every pitch on every line or space in several different ways, which is more important than it seems. If you can imagine a change of clef (and key signature, if necessary) at the far left side of the page, you can transpose anything to any key at sight.

Personally, I've always thought of music and mathematics as being interrelated. Of course, the two can be completely distinct, but if you're looking to teach, you'll need to be somewhat oracular - and that will cover the more arcane aspects of music theory (which can be quite mathematical; similar to set/group theory and combinatorics).

It's worth looking into some advanced music theory to ensure that you don't balk away from it as you have done CS.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Harmony-SUNY-Cultural-Perspectives/dp/0873959922/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FF5ZKSDSY5A7N7210870

Have a 'Look Inside' this.

Tell her to watch these videos. The first is a concerto with the clarinet professor, the second has an amazing clarinet solo by a current student in the second movement.

If she is interested in the education program tell her to read Intelligent Music Teaching written by the head of Music Education.

Can't speak on the exercises you seek, but best composition book I've ever come across is David Cope's Techniques of the Contemporary Composer.

Might have to dig around the web for an affordable copy, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Approach-Eighteenth-Century-Counterpoint/dp/0881338532

Wonderful introduction to the subject and much more.

Read through every fugue you can get ahold of by J.S. Bach (almost a cliche response, I know). Obviously, studying the Art of the Fugue and the WTC thoroughly will teach you more about practical application than any book. But, it is always useful to view the subject from differing viewpoints.

If you really want "general chord relationships," the circle of fifths is basically what you're talking about. In fact, if you look at it, you'll see that the reason that the E minor chord is so close to CM7 is because E minor is the relative minor of G major, C major's dominant key.

I have a feeling that you don't really want a chart that's quite this general, though. What you seem to be talking about is voice leading, a skill that you can learn from any good book on music theory. Maybe try something like Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony and just crib some ideas from the keyboard exercises.

This book is what I used for Theory I and II in college. You can probably find older editions too. They never change too much. It covers a lot and you can also learn how to write. Almost all of the examples are from classical music though. Try and get the CD that comes with it for the examples. Also, /r/musictheory might be a good resource for advice along the way. Also also, free printable sheet music is available here.

Oh. I have never used it, but there are some general tips for notating non-standard or extended techniques:

1. Try to get your hands on a book about twentieth century or contemporary notation/composition, and see if there is any codified way to notate the specific technique. Or,
   
   
2. Give the note some sort of articulation, like an accent or marcato (housetop), and then write what you want to happen above the note. (In English, if no other language is the standard.)
   
   For your example, I would just give the note a marcato accent and write "Scratch-tone" above it. Just try to be as clear as possible. Down the road, if a string player or someone knows of a better way for the notation, be receptive of their advice and change it.

Get yourself a copy of Fretboard Theory and blast through it, not worrying too much about absorbing everything. On the first pass you just want to acquaint yourself with the concepts. Because everything is so interconnected it's helpful to have even a fuzzy snapshot of the big picture before really diving in. Then re-read it a second time, taking care to fully absorb everything.

Once you know your scales, how chords are constructed, what progressions work for what situations, etc. revisit some of those songs you already know how to play and deconstruct them. What key is the song in? What progression is being used? Which scales?

It's bad advice to tell you to practice X first, then Y second. You should be practicing everything consistently and focusing on improvement in areas where you're struggling. Only you will know what that is, once you get going. But as far as where to start, page one of whatever theory book you choose.

Many ITT are recommending private instruction, which is fine, but I'd suggest getting what you can out of a book that costs less than a half hour lesson before you start working with a teacher. Any teacher will only be taking you through the exact same material for the first six months, anyway, and for a lot more money.

I like Cope's - Techniques of the Contemporary Composer.

Some of it is a little outdated. I think score study of works you really like is what will be the most fruitful.

I wanted to share this, it looks to be one of the most interesting books I've seen:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0977113906/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=IGCT7922IL9V&coliid=I2GKHSI90AYUUP

This was a great read
http://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Formula-Captivating-Commercial-Songwriting/dp/9082391309/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464899118&sr=8-2&keywords=addiction+formula

This workbook that really helped me get theory down. Almost everyone I know who's versed in theory used it, including myself. I'd recommend getting the answer key too. It's cost can put people off, but you gotta look at it like an investment in your music, and it's far cheaper than any school textbook.

I used an android app called note reacher and these books

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0882847309

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800854535

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554400112


I see no advantage at this point to reading music after working on it for 5 months and becoming fairly competent. I'm glad I learned but it has not added to my ability to make music. Maybe in the future it will pay off.

See this is a myth though. Economic productivity growth throughout Europe during the middle ages was steady and substantial. Check out this book if you want to know more.

Get yourself a copy of Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting. I had a songwriter in Nashville recommend it to me, as well as other NSAI members. They call it the Nashville Bible and it breaks down all the elements that make a hit song.

yep, exactly. if anyone is interested, read this book. the technology we all enjoy today is the result of a mixture of uniquely european things.

take your cultural appropriation and shove it up your ass, lady.

I found Robert Gauldin's books on 16th & 18th-Century Counterpoint very easy to read and fairly inexpensive.

I know you asked for free, but...


Buy this book


Or download it from a torrent site, whatever.

Kurt Stone's Music Notation in the Twentieth Century is still pretty reliable.

Elementary Rudiments of Music. If you truly want to get an understanding of theory, stay away from any book that claims to be "theory for guitar players".
http://www.amazon.ca/Elementary-Rudiments-Music-Barbara-Wharram/dp/1554400112

The Elementary Rudiments of Music. Been around forever. Proven effective. Own a well-worn copy myself.


Link (Canadian amazon) http://www.amazon.ca/Elementary-Rudiments-Music-Barbara-Wharram/dp/1554400112

This is a good, basic book, which covers just about everything. Techniques of the Contemporary Composer-

http://www.amazon.com/Techniques-Contemporary-Composer-David-Cope/dp/0028647378

start small and work your way up. Elementary Rudiments of Music. Learning theory is about learning music, not just guitar. http://www.amazon.ca/Elementary-Rudiments-Music-Barbara-Wharram/dp/1554400112

For learning guitar, I like fretboard logic.

And as a reference guide and rut breaker the Guitar Grimoire

http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Music-Theory-MP3-Edition/dp/1438073895/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

This is the one recommendation I have from his teacher. I think his age is causing a bit of problem with finding something to comfortably recommend as this one came with "may be to advanced". She's been rolling in theory with his lesson as the pieces he works on provide pathway to it and always has. My son just wants more study thus my quest for recommendations.

I recommend reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/Fretboard-Theory-Desi-Serna-ebook/dp/B004ASNACS

I would recommend reading this if you haven't already.

these two books in this order: Rudiments of Music (boring but worth it) and fretboard workbook

with this one as a supplement: theory for guitarists

and this one wouldn't hurt: Fretboard roadmap but may be a bit repetitive if you already got it all figured out

Technical piano: https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Scales-Broken-Chords-Arpeggios/dp/1860969135/ref=la_B00379YOX0_1_5/144-5373002-8499729?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510343524&sr=1-5

Sight reading: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1860969054/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NF8SPTEJJ57E9AK2VPQE&dpPl=1&dpID=51QBt59rXbL

Pieces: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/184849873X/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5DK53J404H4BTE8PG5HT&dpPl=1&dpID=51f2xHcSANL

Music theory: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1860969429/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510343695&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=abrsm+theory+grade+1&dpPl=1&dpID=51IALOXmX%2BL&ref=plSrch

Mokyr's The lever of riches link

Intelligent Music Teaching by Robert Duke

On Teaching Band by Mary Ellen Cavitt

I used these:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Music-Theory-Part-Pt/dp/1854724460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623651&sr=8-1&keywords=ab+guide+to+music+theory

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Practice-Grade-Abrsm/dp/1860969429/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623560&sr=8-3&keywords=abrsm+music+theory

But note that I didn't shop around - don't really have anything to compare it against.

Melanie Spanswick has a series of two books for classical piano returners.

Read this book:

Intelligent Music Teaching: Principles of Instruction
http://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Music-Teaching-Principles-Instruction/dp/0977113906

This is the book we used for Theory I when I was getting my B.M.

Read 'Elementary Rudiments Of Music' by Barbara Wharram

amazon link

If you get more serious -

Kent Kennan's The Technique of Orchestration was the de-facto standard on orchestration when I was in school. Not sure if a newer one has claimed the throne.