
Roel
That SMART guy.
I know that their are a few other peeps around here that get a kick from music theory and classical composition...
So, what books did you read, abuse or just bought ages ago and nicely put on the shelf?
I'm using a dutch study book on harmony on my lessons, almost through with it, then the teacher just teaches...
Oh well...
I read another dutch book on theory, just all round guide. Little bit of everything.
Than the interesting stuff:
Schoenberg's Fundamentals of Musical Composition. Very good book explaining all about motives, sentences, all that stuff, but from a composers point of view. VERY inspiring. Also has a chapter on self criticism and on small forms for the beginning composer. Reading this one at the moment.
On the shelf, waiting for time to read them:
- Contemporary Harmony : Romanticism Through the Twelve-Tone Row by Ludmila Ulehla, rather advanced, starts with eleventh and thirteenth chords. (Which is kinda advanced from a classical point of view.)
- Orchestration by Cecil Forsyth. S. Adler was out of print, didn't want to just sit while waiting for the next edition...
- The Jazz piano book and The Jazz Theory book by Mark Levine. Offcourse...
- A book on music psychology, found it in a used books store...
I'm thinking of ordering Schoenberg's Structural functions of harmony too. Like the title, and the other book is so good...
So, what books did you read, abuse or just bought ages ago and nicely put on the shelf?
I'm using a dutch study book on harmony on my lessons, almost through with it, then the teacher just teaches...

I read another dutch book on theory, just all round guide. Little bit of everything.
Than the interesting stuff:
Schoenberg's Fundamentals of Musical Composition. Very good book explaining all about motives, sentences, all that stuff, but from a composers point of view. VERY inspiring. Also has a chapter on self criticism and on small forms for the beginning composer. Reading this one at the moment.
On the shelf, waiting for time to read them:
- Contemporary Harmony : Romanticism Through the Twelve-Tone Row by Ludmila Ulehla, rather advanced, starts with eleventh and thirteenth chords. (Which is kinda advanced from a classical point of view.)
- Orchestration by Cecil Forsyth. S. Adler was out of print, didn't want to just sit while waiting for the next edition...
- The Jazz piano book and The Jazz Theory book by Mark Levine. Offcourse...
- A book on music psychology, found it in a used books store...
I'm thinking of ordering Schoenberg's Structural functions of harmony too. Like the title, and the other book is so good...