The Twelve Notes Of Music: Ear Training And Interval Study Course [Paperback] Review

I purchased this book in the hopes of finding a method to use with some of my students. As a professional teacher and performer, I am terribly dissapointed. In its 20 pages, the book does little more than define what intervals are, and offers little practical advice and no useful exercises on how to sucessfully learn intervals or recognize pitch. Further, the title 'Music Theory: Ear Training and Interval Study Course' is quite misleading. Sternal attempts to teach the student intervals by having the student play all intervals from the minor second up to the octave on the guitar. Thus, If you are not a guitar player, and/or do not read his non-standard guitar tablature this method will be completely useless for you. The back cover claims that this is a method for guitar, piano, or voice of which only guitar is really feasible because there are no notes or diagrams that can be read by vocalists or pianists or any other instrument for that matter (It only uses fretboard diagrams). Also, the front cover fails to mention that this is only intended for guitar, piano, and voice. If you are not a guitarist, this method will be unintelligible for you. If you are a guitarist, I would strongly suggest you find a different method as this is hardly a method, but more a very poor definition of intervals. This method is also problematic for guitar players in that Sternal does not address the tuning issues of the guitar. If you do not understand the problems of tuning a guitar, you will be learing these intervals incorrectly since you are using an improperly tuned guitar as a pitch reference. I hardly ever write reviews, but I was so turned off by this that I felt obligated to prevent others from making the same mistake.

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Product Description:
Music Theory Simplified - There are only 12 notes in the musical alphabet, when you have mastered them you have mastered music. Take an in depth look at each individual note and learn how it associates with other notes, giving you a full understanding of the tonal structure of melodies, harmonies, and chords. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced musician you will gain a world of insight by learning our twelve musical tones! *24 Page Study Course *US Patent Applied For *Improve pitch recognition, and note relativity *Music theory simplified *Start with one note and build at your own pace *Written with charts and thoroughly explained instructions *No sheet music or sight reading necessary *Each chapter is built on what you have previously learned *Learn to easily build any scale or chord structure.

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Jagged Little Pill (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook) [Paperback] Review

The person who says this is sheet music is wrong.If you look in the upper left corner you will see the Guitar Recorded Verison this is what this is.If that person bought this item he should have retured it.I think he just messed up because their is a sheet music version.As always Hal's books are the best most correct of all tab books!

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Product Description:
Matching folio to her runaway hit, including: You Oughta Know
* All I Really Want
* Hand in My Pocket
* Ironic and more.

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David Gray - Life in Slow Motion (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook) [Paperback] Review

David Gray isn't like Jack Johnson with more of a band. He's more unique than that, with much more depth of sound and much more depth of content to his lyrics. He's a poet and a musician.

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Product Description:
Matching folio to Gray's 2005 release with 10 tracks: Ain't No Love * Alibi * Disappearing World * From Here You Can Almost See the Sea * Hospital Food * Lately * Nos Da Cariad * Now and Always * The One I Love * Slow Motion * and more.

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Joe Pass Chord Solos: For Guitar, Vibes & All Keyboard Instruments [Paperback] Review

These are not "Chord Melodies". Rather they are chord improvisations over the changes of six tunes: Misty, Billie Joe, a Blues in Bb, Watch What Happens, Sunny and The Days of Wine and Roses.
Very dense chord arrangements showing different harmonic possibilities with the basic changes. I recorded these as I learnedthem, so I could listen to them to really absorb the material.
Joe gives no harmonic analysis at all, so it is up to the reader to figure out the theory, and boy, there's lots of it.
I'm a professional jazz guitarist and teacher....playing nearly forty years, and I still review these and pick chord licks that I like, transpose them to other keys, positions and strings, analyze the voice leading, chord substitutions, etc. I've had this book for years, and lots of it has slowly seeped into my playing. I'll play a piece, pick a chord lick that I like (like any one of them), and then try to apply it to my improvisations in other tunes.
In my opinion, for advanced players, this is one of the best books out there to dig into some really lush and melodic chord playing. I found it tough reading....and I'm a pretty advanced player. But I have worked through most of the major guitar books out there and this one is one of my mainstays.
While I'm here, I'll also recommend:
Fusion - Joe Diorio
Joe Pass on Guitar
Howard Roberts Guitar Manual Chord Melody
For players new to jazz and not so advanced, a standard book is
Mickey Baker Jazz Guitar Volume 1.

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Product Description:
The art of improvising chord-style solos is an important part of any musician's resources. This book has been written to improve that art for guitar, vibes and all keyboard instruments. A careful study of these solos will give you a thorough understanding of chordal playing and substitutions. It is great for voicing as well as improvisation.

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How to Play from a Fake Book [Paperback] Review

I took classical piano lessons growing up, which is a very rote way to learn.I didn't particularly like it and I didn't particularly get good at understanding music -- I got good at fingering specific pieces.

I would have, in retrospect, preferred the method of learning and understanding the chords so I could pick up pieces on my own.The idea of "fake" books is to improvise the harmony based on the chords and play the to melody line along with it.By learning the chords and some ways of stringing them together, you can master just about anything.

It's not that simple -- it's a lot of practice to be able to turn chords on the sheet into realtime music.But it's a lot of fun, and I actually "get it" now on how music is put together.

This book in particular is well written, bringing you quickly to understand how to do this.It assumes basic ability to read music.And it is slightly corny in parts.But aside from that, its a nice self-paced tutorial into playing from "fake" books or other sheet music that includes chord information.

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Product Description:
For musicians of all levels, this book teaches how to use bass lines, countermelodies, introductions and endings, rhythmic patterns, embellish a melody and how to accompany. All the techniques needed to 'fake' a great-sounding accompaniment from just melody, lyrics and chord symbols.

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The Library of Children's Song Classics [Paperback] Review

This collection is a mainstay of my collection of teaching materials.There are many classic tunes as well as some lesser known gems.The collection is organized into songs by category. Some of the tunes are different, but it is a great resource for lyrics alone.My children love this book as well!!!

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Product Description:
An illustrated volume of storybook, and holiday songs, lullabies, marches, and rounds. Easy-to-read lyrics, piano arrangements, and guitar chords. Includes Simple Simon, This Old Man, and Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

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MARIAH CAREY ANTHOLOGY (Piano/Vocal/Guitar) [Paperback] Review

Clearly written and great selection of songs. The addition of Vocal and Guitar to the Piano is well-appreciated. Definitely worth the buy for Mariah fans!

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Product Description:
40 of the pop diva's biggest smash hits, including: Always Be My Baby * Can't Let Go * Dreamlover * Emotions * Hero * Love Takes Time * Loverboy * One Sweet Day * Vision of Love * Whenever You Call * and more!

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FastTrack Keyboard Songbook 1 - Level 1 (Fasttrack Series) [Paperback] Review

This book is great.Just remember to shift your hands as indicated by the finger numbers and be sure to master those notes as they teach you before moving on too fast.But you'll be surprised how fast you learn.But everything in this book is on playing notes and scales on Treble Clef.There is no bass clef in this book or the second (Keyboard Chords & Scales)... I just bought it 3 weeks ago and am loving it.The book does teach you music notes.It just gets confusing when it renumbers the notes (not explaining that your hand is moving over a key for a while and then back again.They make it sound like you just reach your finger while keeping your hand in place.This is not true after the first page of learning A and B notes in Middle C.)But I am wonderfully surprised at how fast you pick up and start playing.I never read music before and now I am.That in itself is amazing.

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Product Description:
A supplement to the FastTrack instruction books, this great songbook/CD pack features 8 great songs in rock score format: Brown Eyed Girl * Great Balls of Fire * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Oh, Pretty Woman * Wild Thing * Wonderful Tonight * You Really Got Me * Your Song.

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How to Play from a Fake Book (Keyboard Edition) [Paperback] Review

I am an adult who used fake books extensively as a teenager when I played an accordion in a small combo.Now, (much, much later), I am trying to learn how to play an electronic keyboard competently - with both hands, and Blake Neely's book has become a very valuable addition to my library.I knew how to use a fake book and play melodies with my right hand, but how to play a tune and have it sound nice on a piano (or in my case, a Yamaha PSR540 keyboard)??? In this book, I found the answer.It starts out with a very simple left hand accompaniment - just play the root of the chord. It then continues to build up competence, step-by-step: add a fifth to the root; next learn the composition of a major chord and play the whole chord; learn about chord inversions and how to play them; learn minor chords and their inversions; learn how to easily switch from one chord to another without having to jump all over the keyboard; learn left-hand options that extend beyond simply playing the full block chord, that is, use a two-part chord, alternate the root and fifth in playing the two-part chord, play the chord as an arpeggio.
Throughout all these lessons, songs are provided to try things out and the chosen songs do, indeed, sound great using the technique explained in the lessons.While learning to play from a single line of music, the songs will show both the treble and bass clef so you can see what your left-hand should be doing. It then will provide some songs with just the treble clef to see if you can do it yourself.
Of course, you, the student, have to take the time to learn these chords.The book shows you what they are, but you have to do your homework -- it will take a great deal of practice for most players to see a chord and instantly be able to finger that chord on the keyboard.
I haven't completed this book yet -- I am still in the process of mastering all the major and minor chords so I can play them instantly.But all of the above was covered in the first 27 pages of this 88-page book (including 20 songs to illustrate the lessons). Coming up are seventh chords, augmented and diminshed chords, variations on the seventh chord, ninths and elevenths -- and 40 more songs to illustrate the chords and techniques discussed in each of the lessons.I am looking forward to devouring each lesson and loving every minute of it.After all, with a fake book, one has hundreds of pieces with which to practice the techniques being taught in this book. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to play well from the many fake books available in today's market.

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Product Description:
Ever wondered how to create better accompaniments for the melodies in your favorite fake books? This "teach yourself" book introduces you to chord building, various rhythmic styles, and much more, so that you play the songs you like just the way you want them. Keyboard players with a basic understanding of notation and sight-reading will be on their way to more fun with fake books. The relaxed tone of the text and selection of fun songs keep How to Play from a Fake Book entertaining throughout - perfect for amateur musicians, or as a supplement for keyboard teachers and their students.

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