Must-read books

[Cedric]

If you had to recommend a few must-read music books, which would they be?

I'm presently reading "What to listen for in music" from Aaron Copland and enjoy it immensely.

Cedric

[DallasComposer]

These books helped me in musical thought.

The Way of the White Clouds - Lama Anagarika Govinda
http://www.amazon.com/White-Clouds-Lama-Anagarika-Govinda/dp/1585674656

The Snow Leopard - Peter Matthiessen
http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Leopard-Penguin-Nature-Classics/dp/0140255087

Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design - Bill Buxton
http://www.amazon.com/Sketching-User-Experiences-Interactive-Technologies/dp/0123740371

[peter5992]

Well, it depends on what you are looking for ---

For general books about the music business and the way it works (anything from publishing to copyright to film music), I can recommend these:

- Music Money and Success / The Insider's Guide to Making Money in the Music Business by Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec
- All you need to know about the music business by Donald Passman
- Writer / Producer / Engineer / A Handbook for Creating Contemporary Commercial Music by Michael Farquharson

For midi orchestration:

- The Guide to MIDI Orchestration by Paul Gilreath
- Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the contemporary composer by Andrea Pejrolo and Richard DeRosa

For the film music business and film scoring:

- Complete guide to film scoring by Richard Davis
- The emerging film composer by Richard Bellis
- How to get your music in film & TV by Richard Jay

For songwriting:

- The craft and business of songwriting by John Braheney
- Songwriters on songwriting by Paul Zollo
- Writing better lyrics, Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics, and Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics, all by Pat Pattison

So, pick your choice ...

[OneThrow]

Okay, this is probably not what you are looking for. It won't help you much to orchestrate, do midi arrangements or compose anything, but I have found it to be an inspiration. Although I must confess I haven't looked at it for a while.

The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn. ;)

[mattf73]

I'll have to back up peter5992's opinion. The guide to midi Orchestration: Paul Gilreath. Fantastic book. It's all in there. I've also been reading Effortless Mastery:Kenny Werner, more about performance than production. A really good read, found myself saying "thats me" a lot.

[A.Leung]

LOL. I was going to mentions Gilreaths book as well. Nice selection of recommendations Peter!

[geah]

what would be the best book for classical composing? I studied jazz in school and the whole classical thing is like another language to me.

[Cedric]

Thanks for the lists!

I left the question very open, basically it's about which books influenced you the most and it can be technical, business-related, music theory, composer's biography, ....

Peter, is the Gilreath a must even if I have the Pejrolo & DeRosa? It's quite difficult to find.

[peter5992]

Peter, is the Gilreath a must even if I have the Pejrolo & DeRosa? It's quite difficult to find.

Well, it is highly recommended by almost everyone - I purchased it last year per the advice of someone at Sibelius when I attended a training session. Aside from beautiful book with nice glossy paper and colored pictures, it gives a much more indepth explanation of all the different instruments in a symphonic orchestra and their specific 'color', plus suggestions as to how you can achieve certain effects. Also, it has a nice comparison of the various sequencing programs as well virtual libraries (not just by Eastwest but also other manufacturers). Even if you already have purchased sequencing programs and libraries and have worked for them for a while and have become comfortable with them and like them, it is good to "step back" and look at what is out there, and compare things, et cetera.

I liked the book by Andrea Pejrolo and Richard DeRosa for the detailed explanation of how MIDI works - a strange a slightly scary world to me, which I still do not fully understand (even though there is a very clear explanation in my Sibelius manual and I have other books specifically on MIDI, including one of the early books from 1996 - almost prehistoric by today's standards).

Personally like to get information from as many sources as possibles - when I though that that book by Donald Passman must be pretty much anything and everything there is to say about the music business, I found that the book by the Brabecs has additional information, and then I really learned a lot about how films are actually made and who does what in the book about Film scoring, et cetera. Of course, it's up to you, but I would say go for it.

You'll have to get it from Paul Gilreath himself, he is self published, this is his website: http://www.paulgilreath.com/

Good luck!

[nickysnd]

Must read music books? You mean something that will help to understand the music and how to write it? Here are two books that provide help in that direction: J.S. Bach — The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 and Book 2.

[peter5992]

Must read music books? You mean something that will help to understand the music and how to write it? Here are two books that provide help in that direction: J.S. Bach — The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 and Book 2.

Well, Nicky, das Wohltemperiertes Klavier is indeed excellent study material - they are included in the samples included with Sibelius (which is widely used for music education) and I can recall having had to analyse one fugue back in conservatory of music days. It's also wonderful music to listen to, btw, the 1974 recording with Glenn Gould are firmly stuck in my CD changer in my car.

But if someone asks out of the blue about what are must read books about music in general, I think he's asking more about how the music business works, or what goes on in film music making, or perhaps midi orchestration. Just looking at Bach scores won't make you understand what's going on - you'll still have to know what to look for, what counterpoint is, how Bach interweaves the theme in different voices, if you are not trained in classical music education you'll only be staring a page full of notes.

[nickysnd]

But if someone asks out of the blue about what are must read books about music in general, I think he's asking more about how the music business works, or what goes on in film music making, or perhaps midi orchestration.
The OP didn't mention anything about midi, business, or filmmusic. When someone asks about must-read music books, those two books are the most important must-reads, IMO. If you want to learn anything meaningful about novels, you don't go and read musical scores. You read novels. Good ones. You really READ them. Similarly, if you want to learn anything meaningful about music, you don't read texts. You read musical scores. Good ones. You really READ them.

Just looking at Bach scores won't make you understand what's going on - you'll still have to know what to look for, what counterpoint is, how Bach interweaves the theme in different voices, if you are not trained in classical music education you'll only be staring a page full of notes.
Of course, just looking inside a book won't help. One must know how to read (music, texts), otherwise one will be staring at white pages full of meaningless black symbols.

[Enrique]

Must read music books? You mean something that will help to understand the music and how to write it? Here are two books that provide help in that direction: J.S. Bach — The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 and Book 2.
I'll second that! :D

[Cedric]

Must read music books? You mean something that will help to understand the music and how to write it? Here are two books that provide help in that direction: J.S. Bach — The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 and Book 2.

As a matter of fact, the 48 fugues of Bach's well tempered clavier, book I & II is the first listening recommendation of Copland. So I'll get the books as well as the CDs!

So far:

What to listen for in music
Aaron Copland

The Way of the White Clouds
Lama Anagarika Govinda

The Snow Leopard
Peter Matthiessen

Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design
Bill Buxton

Music Money and Success / The Insider's Guide to Making Money in the Music Business
Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec

All you need to know about the music business
Donald Passman

Writer / Producer / Engineer / A Handbook for Creating Contemporary Commercial Music
Michael Farquharson

The Guide to MIDI Orchestration
Paul Gilreath

Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the contemporary composer
Andrea Pejrolo and Richard DeRosa

Complete guide to film scoring
Richard Davis

The emerging film composer
Richard Bellis

How to get your music in film & TV
Richard Jay

The craft and business of songwriting
John Braheney

Songwriters on songwriting
Paul Zollo

Writing better lyrics, Essential Guide to Lyric Form
Pat Pattison

Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics
Pat Pattison

Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics
Pat Pattison

The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
Mark Lewisohn

Effortless Mastery
Kenny Werner

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 and Book 2
J.S. Bach