*Updated with a new chapter on digital curation*How Music Works is David Byrne’s incisive and enthusiastic look at the musical art form, from its very inceptions to the influences that shape it, whether acoustical, economic, social or technological. Utilizing his incomparable career and inspired collaborations with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and many others, Byrne taps deeply into his lifetime of knowledge to explore the panoptic elements of music, how it shapes the human experience, and reveals the impetus behind how we create, consume, distribute, and enjoy the songs, symphonies, and rhythms that provide the backbeat of life. Byrne’s magnum opus uncovers ever-new and thrilling realizations about the redemptive liberation that music brings us all. Read more

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Ever dreamed of learning to play the guitar? Well it’s time to stop dreaming amigo. Let’s take that fantasy and turn it into a reality! Learning to play the guitar isn’t the monumental, uphill struggle you imagine in your head. When you’ve got a great teacher (me), learning guitar is enjoyable and so very rewarding. The feeling of being able to play your first song is just incredible...you’ll soon see!I tried before and it suckedYou’re sitting there with a chord book and your guitar, these shapes are confusing and your fingers hurt, you begin to feel hopeless, that was me too! Guitar for Beginners is different as we know what it takes to build the right relationship with your guitar, from the moment you pick it up.We demystify the guitar for youPicking up a guitar for the first time can be pretty intimidating. How do I turn it on? How fragile is it? What the heck is even going on here? Take it easy buddy, there’s no need to freak out, Guitar for Beginners is exactly that, for beginners. We go through the very first steps and teach the super basics in the proper way. From how to hold a guitar pick to good playing posture, you’re getting a top-notch education.Learn to play the guitar the right way from the startTo become a great guitar player, you need to build strong foundations and good habits. Learn the correct way to play from the moment you start and you’ll avoid many problems that even pro guitar players suffer from later on. Bad habits are difficult to break so the key is not to develop them at all!You’ll be playing your first song in just 7 Days!Guitar for Beginners will get you playing right away. We know how important it is for beginners to make quick progress in order to stay motivated. With years of experience we take you right to the good stuff. Forget the boring introductions and tedious exercises and get playing songs you love quicker than you could have ever imagined.What’s the first step?Teaching you how to properly hold your guitar and how to tune it. The book goes through every step to make sure you’re not starting on the back foot. Get the beginning stuff right and you’re guaranteed to succeed. If your guitar is upside down and out of tune, you’re not going to be doing yourself any favors!Reading guitar tablature made easyBecome fluent in reading guitar tabs. Learning with tabs is the easiest way to start rocking riffs and learning licks from your favorite tunes. Discover new chords and memorize songs to impress your friends and family.From total beginner to guitar playerLearning to play guitar is like gaining a new level of cool, it becomes part of your identity. Guitar for Beginners will take you from the very start and turn you bonafide guitarist in no time. After playing your first song in the very first week, you’ll move on to learning all sorts of cool stuff.Convinced? Of course, you are! So head back up to the top of the page and click & Buy now. Treat yourself to the gift of learning to play the guitar with Guitar for Beginners. It will enrich your life and provide many years of happiness all while looking damn cool! Read more

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory is designed for students of any age, whether listeners or performers, who want to have a better understanding of the language of music. In this all-in-one theory course, you will learn the essentials of music through concise lessons, practice your music reading and writing skills in the exercises, improve your listening skills with the ear-training CDs (available separately or as a Book & CD combo), and test your knowledge with a review that completes each unit. The Student Complete Book includes Books 1-3 in a spiral-bound format. Book 1 (Lessons 1-25): Staff, Notes and Pitches * Treble & Bass Clefs * Grand Staff & Ledger Lines * Note Values * Measure, Bar Line and Double Bar * 2/4, 3/4 & 4/4 Time Signatures * Whole, Half & Quarter Notes/Rests * Dotted Half & Quarter Notes * Ties & Slurs * Repeat Sign, 1st & 2nd Endings * Eighth Notes & Rests * Dynamic Signs, Tempo Marks & Articulation * D.C., D.S., Coda & Fine * Flats, Sharps & Naturals * Whole & Half Step, Enharmonic Notes. Book 2 (Lessons 25-50): Tetrachords & Major Scales * Key Signatures * Chromatic Scale * Intervals, Circle of Fifths * Perfect, Major & Minor Intervals * Augmented & Diminished Intervals * Solfège & Transposition * Sixteenth Notes & Rests * Dotted Eighth Notes & Eighth Note Triplets * Common Time & Cut Time * 3/8 & 6/8 Time Signatures * Pick-up Notes & Syncopation * Primary & Major Triads * Scale Degree Names * Dominant 7th Chord. Book 3 (Lessons 51-75): 1st & 2nd Inversions of Triads * Inversions of V7 Chords * Figured Bass * Major Chord Progressions * Minor Scales, Minor Triads * Augmented & Diminished Triads * Primary Triads in Minor Keys * Minor Chord Progressions * Modes * Harmonizing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys * Broken Chords & Arpeggiated Accompaniments * Passing and Neighboring Tones * Composing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys * 12-Bar Blues Chord Progression & Blues Scale * Basic Forms of Music. The complete line of Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory includes Student Books, a Teacher's Answer Key, Ear-Training CDs, Double Bingo games, Flash Cards, Reproducible Teacher's Activity Kits, and interactive software for students and teachers in private study, studio and network environments. Read more

The Must-Have Guide for SongwritersWriting Better Lyrics has been a staple for songwriters for nearly two decades. Now this revised and updated 2nd Edition provides effective tools for everything from generating ideas, to understanding the form and function of a song, to fine-tuning lyrics.Perfect for new and experienced songwriters alike, this time-tested classic covers the basics in addition to more advanced techniques.Songwriters will discover:   • How to use sense-bound imagery to enhance a song's emotional impact on listeners   • Techniques for avoiding clichés and creating imaginative metaphors and similes   • Ways to use repetition as an asset   • How to successfully manipulate meter   • Instruction for matching lyrics with music   • Ways to build on ideas and generate effective titles   • Advice for working with a co-writer   • And much moreFeaturing updated and expanded chapters, 50 fun songwriting exercises, and examples from more than 20 chart-toppings songs, Writing Better Lyrics gives you all of the professional and creative insight you need to write powerful lyrics and put your songs in the spotlight where they belong. Read more

This practical, easy-to-use, self-study course is perfect for pianists, guitarists, instrumentalists, vocalists, songwriters, arrangers and composers, and includes ear training CDs to help develop your musical ear. In this all-in-one theory course, you will learn the essentials of music through 75 concise lessons, practice your music reading and writing skills in the exercises, improve your listening skills with the enclosed ear training CDs, and test your knowledge with a review that completes each of the 18 units. Answers are included in the back of the book for all exercises, ear training and review. Read more

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Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory is designed for students of any age, whether listeners or performers, who want to have a better understanding of the language of music. In this all-in-one theory course, you will learn the essentials of music through concise lessons, practice your music reading and writing skills in the exercises, improve your listening skills with the available ear-training CDs (sold separately), and test your knowledge with a review that completes each unit. Computer software is also available with randomized drilling of the material and scorekeeping. Book 1 (Lessons 1-25): Staff, Notes and Pitches * Treble & Bass Clefs * Grand Staff & Ledger Lines * Note Values * Measure, Bar Line and Double Bar * 2/4, 3/4 & 4/4 Time Signatures * Whole, Half & Quarter Notes/Rests * Dotted Half & Quarter Notes * Ties & Slurs * Repeat Sign, 1st & 2nd Endings * Eighth Notes & Rests * Dynamic Signs, Tempo Marks & Articulation * D.C., D.S., Coda & Fine * Flats, Sharps & Naturals * Whole & Half Step, Enharmonic Notes. The complete line of Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory includes Student Books, a Teacher's Answer Key, Ear-Training CDs, Double Bingo games, Flash Cards, Reproducible Teacher's Activity Kits, and interactive software for students and teachers in private study, studio and network environments. Read more

A comprehensive look at the unique recording history of Pink Floyd, one of the world's most commercially successful and influential rock bands. Pink Floyd All the Songs tells the full story of every recording session, album, and single that the band has released. Since 1965, Pink Floyd been recording sonically experimental and philosophical music, selling more than 250 million records worldwide, including two of the best-selling albums of all time Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. In Pink Floyd All the Songs, authors Margotin and Guesdon describe the origins of the band's nearly 200 released songs, including details from the recording studio, what instruments were used, and behind-the-scenes stories of the tensions that helped drive the band. Organized chronologically by album, this massive, 544-page hardcover begins with the band's 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn—the only one recorded under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership—and runs all the way through their 2014 farewell album, The Endless River, which was downloaded 12 million times on Spotify during its first week of release. Packed with more than 500 photos, Pink Floyd All the Songs is also filled with stories that fans will treasure, such as Waters working with engineer Alan Parsons to implement revolutionary recording techniques on The Dark Side of the Moon during sessions at Abbey Road Studios in 1972, and producer Bob Ezrin's contributions that helped refine Waters' original sprawling vision for The Wall. Read more

Fleetwood Mac All the Songs dives deep into the unique and often fraught recording history of the mega-bestselling and hugely influential rock band. Packed with captivating photographs and fascinating behind-the-scenes details, it’s a must-have for any music history fan. Fleetwood Mac is the one of the most enduring, endearing, and drama-filled bands in rock history whose triumphs, struggles, and music continue to resonate with generations of listeners. This thorough dissection of every album and every song ever released by the beloved rock group follows the band's many iterations from their self-titled debut in 1968 (when they were known as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) to the classic Rumours era featuring the core line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Stevie Nicks, all the way up to the passing of Christine McVie in November 2022. The writing and recording process of each and every track is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by authors Olivier Roubin and Romuald Ollivier, through the band's many breakups and shakeups.Fleetwood Mac All the Songs draws upon years of research to recount the circumstances that led to the composition of every song the band ever wrote, as well as the details behind their in-studio recording process. Also featuring hundreds of photographs, including rare black-and-white publicity stills, images of instruments used by the band, and engaging shots of the musicians in‑studio, this is a must-have book for any true fan of classic rock.    Read more

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When we think of rock stars - particularly those in rough, “edgy” bands - we are entrained to think of them as having come from regular, working-class backgrounds, and having worked their way up the slippery pole to success through hard work and talent alone.The reality is that all household name musicians are selected for success, and often this is down purely to the families that they are born into. Barely a plumber in sight. But no shortage of generals, admirals, politicians, civil servants and spies.ln this, the fourth book in the ‘Musical Truth’ series, Mark Devlin offers further evidence to show how the corporate music industry exists solely for the mind-control of the masses, with artists becoming little more than hand-picked puppets. Read more

The humorist asked his readers to share their least favorite tunes and chronicles the hilarious responses.When funnyman Dave Barry asked readers about their least favorite tunes, he thought he was penning just another installment of his weekly syndicated humor column. But the witty writer was flabbergasted by the response when over 10,000 readers voted. “I have never written a column that got a bigger response than the one announcing the Bad Song Survey,” Barry wrote.Based on the results of the survey, Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs is a compilation of some of the worst songs ever written. Dave Barry fans will relish his quirky take. Music buffs too will appreciate this humorous stroll through the world’s worst lyrics. The only thing wrong with this book is that readers will find themselves unable to stop mentally singing the greatest hits of Gary Puckett.Praise for Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs“Barry is his usual puckish self, but the real surprise here is how funny many of the survey respondents are.” —Kirkus Reviews“Who can resist such a book?” —Publishers Weekly Read more

Hours of Fun-Filled Facts & Trivia Questions! - Special Launch PriceThis trivia book begins with the precursors to musical theatre throughout the world and narrows to the island we will come back to time and time again: Manhattan. We explore each thrilling decade and then cover grander topics that span the years. Each chapter begins with a series of multiple-choice and true or false questions with the answers following on the next page. After testing your knowledge, peruse the “Did You Know” section for quirky anecdotes, fun facts, and important records to add to your knowledge.Grab a copy and test yourself on your knowledge of Broadway theatre! Whether you’re a Fosse fan, more of a Golden-Age gal, or you cry yourself to sleep listening to Next to Normal, you’ll strengthen your knowledge of the history of American musical theatre and the remarkable people who have made it happen.Let’s see how much you know about Broadway! Scroll up and buy now. Read more

A wonderful organizational tool, this assignment book includes practice tips, a record of important musical events, and weekly practice logs (including staves for teacher use). Read more

“This tome is work of art and a labor of love . . . : A Dylan fan could live inside this book for weeks. Hard-core enthusiasts will be enthralled.” —Library JournalThe most comprehensive account of Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize-winning work yet published, with the full story of every recording session, every album, and every single released during his nearly sixty-year career.Bob Dylan: All the Songs focuses on Dylan's creative process and his organic, unencumbered style of recording. It is the only book to tell the stories, many unfamiliar even to his most fervent fans, behind the more than 500 songs he has released over the span of his career. Organized chronologically by album, Margotin and Guesdon detail the origins of his melodies and lyrics, his process in the recording studio, the instruments he used, and the contribution of a myriad of musicians and producers to his canon.“A must for Dylan fans and those who enjoy folk music.” —Booklist“Meticulously researched” —Buzzfeed“Hardcore aficionados from the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol will be thrilled with its scope and intricacy.” —Miami Herald“Perhaps the most impressive book on the man ever produced.” —Houston Press Read more

Includes hundreds of chords and chord progressions in all styles in all 12 keys. For beginning to intermediate guitarists. Contains progressions in all styles, including rock, blues, jazz, folk, alternative, country, and more. Read more

In this series of books, based on the hit podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Andrew Hickey analyses the history of rock and roll music, from its origins in swing, Western swing, boogie woogie, and gospel, through to the 1990s, grunge, and Britpop. Looking at five hundred representative songs, he tells the story of the musicians who made those records, the society that produced them, and the music they were making. Volume two looks at fifty songs from the origins of rock and roll, starting in 1956 with the Million Dollar Quartet session at Sun Studios, and ending in 1962 with "Love Me Do" by the Beatles. Along the way, it looks at Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Wanda Jackson, the Chantels, Little Richard, and many more of the progenitors of rock and roll. Read more

Other than ‘I Me Mine’ and some minor overdubs, The Beatles’ entire EMI/Apple catalogue was recorded in fewer than seven years: from 4 September 1962 through to 20 August 1969. Twelve albums, twenty-two singles, two standalone EPs, 213 songs. That in itself is remarkable enough.But the quality of the music, the rapid development of musical complexity and the innovations in studio production lifted The Beatles above every other band. The Fab Four were not always fab. But that some writers take the time and expend energy to point this out and purposefully diss perfect songs such as ‘Yesterday’ merely serves to remind us that, most of the time, The Beatles were unarguably brilliant.Authors Andrew Wild and Alberto Bravin have listened to, digested and discussed the entire Beatles back catalogue to remind them why they love their music. How do they affect us today? Answer: they were bloody good. They still are.This first volume covers the period 1962 to 1966– from 'Love Me Do' to 'Tomorrow Never Knows', and the early albums – that were different in the UK and the USA – to Rubber Soul and Revolver, marking four years of outstanding, groundbreaking music.Andrew Wild is a British writer, collector and long-time Beatles fan who recalls hearing the ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ albums in the mid-1970s and has been in love with their music ever since. He has copies of every known Beatles outtake and live concert recording. His thorough and exhaustive study of every song performed or recorded by the band Four Sides Of The Circle was republished in 2024. He has written numerous music-related books, including several in the On Track series, about artists as diverse as The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Collins and Dire Straits. He lives in Rainow, Cheshire, UK.Alberto Bravin is a musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is the lead singer of the progressive rock band Big Big Train. Alberto was previously a member of the highly-regarded Italian progressive rock band PFM – Premiata Forneria Marconi from 2015 to 2022 and for many years he also played with his The Beatles tribute band Marshmallow Pies. He lives with his family in Trieste in the north-east of Italy. This is his first book. Read more

Opera is the fastest growing of all the performing arts, attracting audiences of all ages who are enthralled by the gorgeous music, vivid drama, and magnificent production values. If you've decided that the time has finally come to learn about opera and discover for yourself what it is about opera that sends your normally reserved friends into states of ecstatic abandon, this is the book for you.Opera 101 is recognized as the standard text in English for anyone who wants to become an opera lover--a clear, friendly, and truly complete handbook to learning how to listen to opera, whether on the radio, on recordings, or live at the opera house. Fred Plotkin, an internationally respected writer and teacher about opera who for many years was performance manager of the Metropolitan Opera, introduces the reader (whatever his or her level of musical knowledge) to all the elements that make up opera, including:A brief, entertaining history of opera;An explanation of key operatic concepts, from vocal types to musical conventions;Hints on the best way to approach the first opera you attend and how to best understand what is happening both offstage and on;Lists of recommended books and recordings, and the most complete traveler's guide to opera houses around the world. The major part of Opera 101 is devoted to an almost minute-by-minute analysis of eleven key operas, ranging from Verdi's thunderous masterpiece Rigoletto and Puccini's electrifying Tosca through works by Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Offenbach, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, to the psychological complexities of Richard Strauss's Elektra. Once you have completed Opera 101, you will be prepared to see and hear any opera you encounter, thanks to this book's unprecedentedly detailed and enjoyable method of revealing the riches of opera. Read more