The follow-up to Intro to Polyrhythms, a method for learning advanced rhythm, polyrhythm, and metric/harmonic superimposition, looks at rhythm through a magnifying glass and enables the student to see, sing and hear varioussubdivisions and groupings of subdivisions. This book can be used by any and allinstrumentalists. Metric Modulation will greatly improve the student'simprovisational ability to create and respond to rhythmic musicaldialogue. The book is complete with general exercises for all instrumentalists as well as specific exercises for pianists, bassists and drummers. The included online video demonstrates of all the material from the book, including improvised examples byAri Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller in duo as well as trio with Aaron Goldberg. Transcriptions on how to harmonically navigate through polyrhythminside standard jazz forms are included. The video musical examples can be watched, and played along to. Standard notation. Includes access to onlinevideo

The Portraits in Rhythm Study Guide contains a detailed analysis of the fifty snare drum etudes from Portraits in Rhythm. The observations and interpretations represent many years of performing and teaching. This comprehensive study guide gives you the author's insight on how to maximize the exercises, and it inspires skills which will carry over to other compositions and performances.

"Composing with constraints proposes an innovative approach to the instruction of the craft of music composition based on tailored exercises to help students develop their creativity. The fundamental premise of Composing with constraints is based on my previous book on algorithmic composition, which-in a few words-states that all compositional approaches are algorithmic and can be reduced to a formal process that involves a series of logical steps. When composition gets condensed to a series of logical steps, it can then be taught and learned more efficiently. With this approach in mind, Composing with constraints proposes a variety of exercises in the form of algorithms to help the student composer and the instructor create tangible work plans, with high expectations and successful outcomes. The book is structured around the parameters of melody, rhythm, harmony, texture and pre-compositional approaches. All chapters start with a brief note on terminology and general recommendations for the instructor. The first five chapters offer a variety of exercises that range from analysis and style imitation, to the use of probabilities. The chapter about pre-compositional approaches offers original techniques that a student composer can implement in order to start a new work. Based on lateral thinking, this last section of the book fosters creative connections with other disciplines such as math, visual arts, and architectural acoustics. Each of the 100 exercises contained in the book proposes a unique set of guidelines and constraints intended to place the student in a specific compositional framework. Through those compositional boundaries the student is encouraged to produce creative work within a given structure. Using the methodologies in this book, students will be able to create their own outlines for their compositions, making intelligent and educated compositional choices that balance reasoning with intuition. Depending on the class in which it is adopted, Composing with constraints can be a priceless aid for the instructor. When used to complement a music theory class, the exercises can be used as compositional projects, to provide creative frameworks to the theoretical concepts studied in class and even to trigger group discussions. In a class on analysis, the book can be an invaluable tool for stylistic understanding, appropriation and imitation. Finally, when used in individual and group composition lessons, the book can provide an enormous palette of concrete assignments that the instructor can use to guide the students' compositional development and practice. The grading rubric provided in the book is an invaluable tool for both the instructor and the student. Divided in four categories (i.e. followed guidelines, orchestration, idiomatic use of the instruments and "open spaces"), the grading rules clarify in detail the grade awarded to the student, showing the aspects of the work that can be improved. Through the quantization of "open spaces", the rubric also helps the instructor ponder the students' creative use of the aspects of the exercises not constrained or left "free" in the guidelines. In sum, Composing with constraints is an excellent tool for the instruction of music composition offering clear organization, a helpful grading rubric, and a versatility that makes it applicable for a myriad of courses and levels"--

A world-renowned conductor and composer who has lead most of the major orchestras in North America and Europe, a talented musician who has played under the batons of such luminaries as Toscanini and Walter, and an esteemed arranger, scholar, author, and educator, Gunther Schuller is without doubt a major figure in the music world. Now, in The Compleat Conductor, Schuller has penned a highly provocative critique of modern conducting, one that is certain to stir controversy. Indeed, in these pages he castigates many of this century's most venerated conductors for using the podium to indulge their own interpretive idiosyncrasies rather than devote themselves to reproducing the composer's stated and often painstakingly detailed intentions. Contrary to the average concert-goer's notion (all too often shared by the musicians as well) that conducting is an easily learned skill, Schuller argues here that conducting is "the most demanding, musically all embracing, and complex" task in the field of music performance. Conducting demands profound musical sense, agonizing hours of study, and unbending integrity. Most important, a conductor's overriding concern must be to present a composer's work faithfully and accurately, scrupulously following the score including especially dynamics and tempo markings with utmost respect and care. Alas, Schuller finds, rare is the conductor who faithfully adheres to a composer's wishes. To document this, Schuller painstakingly compares hundreds of performances and recordings with the original scores of eight major compositions: Beethoven's fifth and seventh symphonies, Schumann's second (last movement only), Brahms's first and fourth, Tchaikovsky's sixth, Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel" and Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe, Second Suite." Illustrating his points with numerous musical examples, Schuller reveals exactly where conductors have done well and where they have mangled the composer's work. As he does so, he also illuminates the interpretive styles of many of our most celebrated conductors, offering pithy observations that range from blistering criticism of Leonard Bernstein ("one of the world's most histrionic and exhibitionist conductors") to effusive praise of Carlos Kleiber (who "is so unique, so remarkable, so outstanding that one can only describe him as a phenomenon"). Along the way, he debunks many of the music world's most enduring myths (such as the notion that most of Beethoven's metronome markings were "wrong" or "unplayable," or that Schumann was a poor orchestrator) and takes on the "cultish clan" of period instrument performers, observing that many of their claims are "totally spurious and chimeric." In his epilogue, Schuller sets forth clear guidelines for conductors that he believes will help steer them away from self indulgence towards the correct realization of great art. Courageous, eloquent, and brilliantly insightful, The Compleat Conductor throws down the gauntlet to conductors worldwide. It is a controversial book that the music world will be debating for many years to come.

From the second half of the 20th century into the new millenium, some bands have stretched the limits of rock. The great progressive rock artists of the world such as Yes, Kim Crimson, Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Symphony X have expanded the possibilities, exploring elements of classical, jazz and other styles while maintaining the excitement and edge of rock. This book provides a look at the inner workings of this music, providing the tools and inspiration you need to create your own progressive rock sound. You'll learn fascinating chords, odd time signatures, metric and harmonic modulations, exotic scales and advanced guitar soloing concepts. Finally, here is guidance for the guitarist who's ready to rise above and beyond the confines of simple rock 'n' roll and push the boundaries where few dare to go. The CD demonstrates the examples in the book. 96 pages.

One of the best methods for learning advanced rhythm, polyrhythm, and metric / harmonic superimposition. Looks at rhythm through a magnifying glass and enables the student to see, sing and hear various subdivisions and groupings of subdivisions. Can be used by any and all instrumentalists. Will greatly improve the student's improvisational ability to create and respond to rhythmic musicaldialogue. The book is complete with general exercises for all instrumentalists as well as specific exercises for pianists, bassists and drummers; an online video with demonstrations of all the material from the book; improvised examples by Ari Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller in duo as well as trio with Aaron Goldberg; transcriptions on how to harmonically navigate through polyrhythm inside standard jazz forms; musical examples which can be watched, and used as a play along. The #1 method for learning advanced rhythm, polyrhythm, andmetric/harmonic superimposition Will greatly improve the student's improvisational ability to create and respond to rhythmic musical dialogue Students will learn to look at rhythm through a magnifying glass in order to hearvarious subdivisions and groupings of subdivisionsStudents will learn how to make core rhythms into core grooves and use beat displacement to alter these core grooves

This compact introduction to the life and works of composer Elliott Carter provides a fresh perspective on one of the most significant American composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A leading voice of the American classical music tradition and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Carter was initially encouraged to become a composer by Charles Ives, and he went on to learn from Walter Piston at Harvard University and Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Drawing on Carter's voluminous writings and compositions, James Wierzbicki provides a clear discussion of Carter's evolving understanding of musical time and the influence of film on his work. Celebrating his 100th birthday in 2008 by premiering a number of new compositions, Carter has been a powerful presence on the American new music scene, an important connection to American music's foundational figures, and a dynamic force in its continuing evolution.

Learning Music Theory with Logic, Max, and Finale is a groundbreaking resource that bridges the gap between music theory teaching and the world of music software programs. Focusing on three key programs—the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Logic, the Audio Programming Language (APL) Max, and the music-printing program Finale—this book shows how they can be used together to learn music theory. It provides an introduction to core music theory concepts and shows how to develop programming skills alongside music theory skills. Software tools form an essential part of the modern musical environment; laptop musicians today can harness incredibly powerful tools to create, record, and manipulate sounds. Yet these programs on their own don’t provide musicians with an understanding of music notation and structures, while traditional music theory teaching doesn’t fully engage with technological capabilities. With clear and practical applications, this book demonstrates how to use DAWs, APLs, and music-printing programs to create interactive resources for learning the mechanics behind how music works. Offering an innovative approach to the learning and teaching of music theory in the context of diverse musical genres, this volume provides game-changing ideas for educators, practicing musicians, and students of music. The author's website at http://www.geoffreykidde.com includes downloadable apps that support this book.

Advanced Rhythmic Concepts for Guitar will guide you step by step through the process of identifying, dissecting, constructing, practicing and applying: Metric Modulations, Polyrhythms, "Ratio" Polyrhythms, Polyrhythm Divisions/Polyrhythms within Polyrhythms, Intrinsic Polymeters, Extrinsic Polymeters, Polymetric Accompaniment, and Polymetric Improvisation.

This book introduces polytempic polymicrotonality as a new musical aesthetic. It proposes music with more than one microtonal tuning system and discusses examples from the literature to give an historic framework showing that this tendency has been present throughout human musical history. Polytempo is a tool for which polymicrotonal structures can function in relief from its background, and it acts as a frame, or ground structure, that is multidimensional, akin to the advancement of perspective in Renaissance art. The book has historic significance as it is the only book of its category, or genre, in music that features polymicrotonality in music composition or production. It displays examples of music literature for musical precedence in this area, focusing on Charles Ives’s Universe Symphony, unfinished since 1925.