An accessible exploration of an important and understudied music theory topic, Swain's book examines the dimensional technique of analyzing harmonic rhythm. Simply defined, harmonic rhythm is the relationship between changes in harmony and perceived changes in rhythm. This phenomenon plays a large role in shaping the texture and style of much of Western music, from Renaissance polyphonic pieces to the works of Debussy. Swain provides a clear and thorough discussion of how harmonic theory works, using a small core of repeated musical examples.

An accessible exploration of an important and understudied music theory topic, Swain's book examines the dimensional technique of analyzing harmonic rhythm. Simply defined, harmonic rhythm is the relationship between changes in harmony and perceived changes in rhythm. This phenomenon plays a large role in shaping the texture and style of much of Western music, from Renaissance polyphonic pieces to the works of Debussy. Swain provides a clear and thorough discussion of how harmonic theory works, using a small core of repeated musical examples.

The "Second Quintet" -- the Miles Davis Quintet of the mid-1960s -- was one of the most innovative and influential groups in the history of the genre. Each of the musicians who performed with Davis--saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams--went on to a successful career as a top player. The studio recordings released by this group made profound contributions to improvisational strategies, jazz composition, and mediation between mainstream and avant-garde jazz, yet most critical attention has focused instead on live performances or the socio-cultural context of the work. Keith Waters' The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68 concentrates instead on the music itself, as written, performed, and recorded. Treating six different studio recordings in depth--ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, and Filles de Kilimanjaro--Waters has tracked down a host of references to and explications of Davis' work. His analysis takes into account contemporary reviews of the recordings, interviews with the five musicians, and relevant larger-scale cultural studies of the era, as well as two previously unexplored sources: the studio outtakes and Wayne Shorter's Library of Congress composition deposits. Only recently made available, the outtakes throw the master takes into relief, revealing how the musicians and producer organized and edited the material to craft a unified artistic statement for each of these albums. The author's research into the Shorter archives proves to be of even broader significance and interest, as Waters is able now to demonstrate the composer's original conception of a given piece. Waters also points out errors in the notated versions of the canonical songs as they often appear in the main sources available to musicians and scholars. An indispensible resource, The Miles Davis Quintet Studio Recordings: 1965-1968 is suited for the jazz scholar as well as for jazz musicians and aficionados of all levels.

Write the songs that make the whole world sing. A step-by-step guide to writing music, this book shows musicians how to compose simple chord progressions and melodies, and leads them through more advanced compositional techniques and musical forms. Designed for composers of all types of music, it includes instruction on composing stand-alone melodies, using different scales and modes, themes and variations, orchestration, and composing for film, theater, and videogames. -Perfect complement to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Songwriting -Includes a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, as well as an appendix of various computer-based composition tools -Easy-to-use oversize trim

How does music manifest through time and, simultaneously, how does time manifest through music?

Playing Solo Jazz Piano is an essential new book for creative jazz pianists. The second edition adds two new chapters and audiovisual content to the original. Readers will learn essential solo jazz piano concepts like stride piano, one-handed shell voicings, comping, using basslines, shared-hand voicings, leaving out the bass, and playing ballads. Plus, the book explores modern approaches to solo jazz piano including perpetual motion, counterpoint, and borrowing from classical music. With over 200 musical examples, references to over 100 jazz pianists, and numerous hands-on exercises, Playing Solo Jazz Piano is the perfect how-to for passionate, innovative pianists. " Jeremy has done a remarkable job of organizing the whole history of jazz piano in the book you now hold. It is concise and yet open-ended simultaneously. All of the important concepts and historical styles are here, and presented in a way that is thorough and that will also stimulate you to investigate, listen, experiment and have fun with the world of solo jazz piano." - Fred Hersch, jazz pianist, fifteen-time Grammy nominee "Jeremy Siskind’s book takes solo pianistson a journey from basic concepts to a real musical conversation: between both hands, across jazz tradition, with textures and rhythms, counterpoint and new harmonies. There’s a wealth of musical ideas here: how to efficiently practice, creatively delveinto a song, and musically tell a story." - Tamir Hendelman, pianist (Jeff Hamilton Trio, UCLA lecturer, recording artist) “ I’ve been waiting for this book! Jeremy Siskind presents a cogent and stimulating series of techniques and approaches to creative solo piano playing, rooted in the tradition while inviting both students and professionals to find their own voice and musical personality. The material is historically informed, well-organized, and specific, yet quite open-ended and fun to read and practice. Early and often, the book provides excellent guidance on how to develop the oft-neglected left hand. Finally, the lists of recommended recorded examples from the music’s solo piano masters are an invaluable asset.” - Jason Yeager, Assistant Professor of Piano, Berklee College of Music “ Playing Solo Jazz Piano is an extraordinarily comprehensive text on a complex subject. Jeremy expertly covers a breadth of techniques and styles while introducing fresh concepts drawn from his own unique artistic experience. This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and advanced student alike." - David Meder, Assistant Professor of Piano, University of North Texas Author Jeremy Siskind is the student of Fred Hersch and the teacher of widely-hailed prodigy Justin-Lee Schultz. A top finisher in several national and international jazz piano competitions, Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition. Besides a performance career in which he has been praised as “a genuine visionary” (Indianapolis Star) who “seems to defy all boundaries” (JazzInk), Siskind is an active teacher, including as a faculty member at Western Michigan University and Fullerton College. The author of over fifteen pedagogical books, Siskind chairs the Creative Track for the National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy and serves as a regular clinician for Yamaha Music Education. He regularly travels too spread peace through music in places like Lebanon, Cyprus, Thailand, China, India, Colombia, and Tunisia with the organization Jazz Education Abroad.

(Berklee Guide). Learn jazz harmony, as taught at Berklee College of Music. This text provides a strong foundation in harmonic principles, supporting further study in jazz composition, arranging, and improvisation. It covers basic chord types and their tensions, with practical demonstrations of how they are used in characteristic jazz contexts and an accompanying recording that lets you hear how they can be applied.

Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice contains the basics of music theory with the vocabulary used in harmonic and formal analysis. The book assumes few music reading skills, and progresses to include the basic materials of music from J. S. Bach to the twentieth century. Based on Blatter’s own three decades of teaching music theory, this book is aimed at a one or two year introductory course in music theory, can serve for individual study, or as a review for graduate students returning to school. Drawing examples from well-known classical works, as well as folk and popular music, the book shows how theory is applied to practice. The book is divided into five parts. The first part introduces music notation, reviewing the basics of pitch, time, and dynamics as represented in written music. Part 2 introduces the concept of melody, covering modes, scales, scale degrees, and melodic form. Part 3 introduces harmony, dealing with harmonic progression, rhythm, and chord types. Part 4 addresses part writing and harmonic analysis. Finally, Part 5 addresses musical form, and how form is used to structure a composition. Revisiting Music Theory will be a valuable textbook for students, professors, and professionals.

(Berklee Guide). Take your songwriting to the next level! This book breaks down the processes used by hit songwriters and dives deeply into the craft of songwriting. Discover the tools and techniques for melody, harmony, lyrics, and form behind so many great songs. You will access the magic and come out more connected to your heart and craft. Online audio tracks illustrate these techniques in context, showing how they affect your song's overall impact.

The primary focus of this book is accent which Lester argues is one of the major aspects of rhythm. The central question is not whether a note or event (rest point in time) is accented but how it is accented. This change of focus allows for the first time a thorough investigation into the factors that give rise to accent the relative importance of these factors in creating accentuation the way accents are perceived the way meter arises and the limits of metric organization on higher levels of structure.