Reddit mentions of Music in the Galant Style

It sounds like you are talking about Schemas. This is actually a growing subfield in Music Theory. It most often is used to refer to Galant music, but it makes a ton of sense to apply the thinking to other musical styles as well!

Some examples:

A post I made a few days ago detailing a Schema I've been finding a lot in the music of the 1730s: https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/2qjx2c/the_amoroso_update_to_a_schema_in_pergolesi/

A summary of Galant Schemata from Open Music Theory: http://openmusictheory.com/schemataSummary.html

And of course, the text that started it all, Gjerdingen's Music in the Galant Style: http://www.amazon.com/Music-Galant-Style-Robert-Gjerdingen/dp/0195313712

Anyway, I just thought that if you were going to do any more of this research, these might be good inspirations!

Music composition in medieval and early renaissance, and classical period can be analysed as pattern based.

Some good books - https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Problems-Practices-Renaissance/dp/0816669481

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Galant-Style-Robert-Gjerdingen/dp/0195313712

https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Western-Music-Theory/dp/0521686989

The same can be said for many traditional/ethnic music styles. (Get any good book on X folk/pop/ethnic style depending on your interests,)

>I’m looking for a book (not a textbook) that covers the history of western music...

The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory.

>...for the non-expert,

On the other hand, maybe not.

>...but with plenty of theory.

Now I don't know what you're asking for.

Joel Lester's Compositional Theory in the Eighteenth Century is very good and is written in prose, but as the title suggests it only covers the eighteenth century and some peripheral styles. Same with Robert Gjerdingen's Music in the Galant Style.

>I have about one year of piano experience and very little music theory understanding.

Why do you think a prose book on music theory that is somehow meant for 'non-experts' is going to help you?

>I want something that I can carry around with me to read and then come back to the piano to experiment with the concepts I’ve read.

If you're willing to put up with reading that takes a good deal of effort to understand, I can recommend all day.

Gotta say I think this is a great way to get a handle on smooth voice leading. These stepwise movements are the most common way that such chords actually show up in context, and much more "musical" than just drilling root position triads through the circle of fifths.

If you're interested in some similar methods that blend harmony and counterpoint, check out the 18th-century tradition of partimento. It was how Mozart and Vivaldi actually learned to compose, and there's an excellent book about it by Robert Gjerdingen called "Music in the Galant Style". It contains dozens of voice-leading patterns like the ones you have figured out, which he calls "schema", and his book is full of examples from actual compositions.

Also on the topic of improvisation in the classical tradition is John Mortenson's Improv Planet page on Patreon. He specializes in 18th century Italian improvisational practices. He also has a YouTube channel. Mortenson mentions the book Music in the Galant Style by Robert Gjerdingan quite often, but I have yet to read it.

Music in the Galant Style is good on the 18th century.