The Invisible Art of Film Music [Paperback] Review

For one who collects, listens and enjoys film music, this tome is the best available in the market. It is a wonderfully comprehensive reference guide to the best film scores from the early twenties up to almost the nineties. Eminent composers are given adequate biographies. The salient highlights of the scores are reviewed by decade. The golden age of hollywood is represented by Korngold, Steiner, Tiomkin, Newman, Waxman. One can actually feel the development of film music techniques from the silents to the talkies and the sophistication of today`s electronic scores. The rise, decline and revival of this art form is well documented and one can compare different periods in terms of orchestration, styles, audience tastes and composer standards. The composer, arranger, conductor, songwriter were sometimes one person for example, Alfred Newman. The death of the studio system also spelt the end of the road for studio orchestras which employed hundreds of emigrants from Europe. Also, the predominance of Jewish composers and musicians is keenly felt even today. A good investment for any film music lover, it will pay dividends many times over. High readable and highly recommended.

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Product Description:
A comprehensive introduction to film music for the general student, the film historian, and the aspiring cinematographer. It is a historically structured account of the evolution of music in films. The book is arranged as a chronological survey and includes biographical sketches on many important film composers in addition to the development of the films themselves.

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The Young Musician's Survival Guide: Tips from Teens & Pros [Hardcover] Review

This book is filled with practical easy to read information about what it means to learn music.As a music teacher, I find this book to be a great tool for parents and students.It teaches the basic aspects of what isinvolved in learning a musical instrument.It is also written on a levelthat schoolage students can understand.I found it to be simple to read,yet very informative and enjoyable.I am going to recomend it to mystudents - especially the Jr. High students who seem to have lostmotivation.I may even assign them chapters to read and intergrate it intomy lessons.

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Alfred's Pocket Dictionary of Music [Paperback] Review

After searching for the past several years for my own students and teachers who study with me, I can finally state that I've found a music dictionary equal to the original "Pocket-Manual of Musical Terms" edited by Dr. Theodore Baker back in 1947 (published by G.Schirmer).Unfortunately, that same dictionary is still available in an "updated" format.I say 'unfortunately' because the new author (ie editor) decided to delete many of the classic terms for reasons unknown.But thanks to Alfred Publishing, Sandy Feldstein has done a great job of maintaining an excellent balance between content and precise meanings in an easy to understand manner. In fact, this small pocket dictionary has more charts and drawings of notes and key signatures than any other dictionary of the same size.In addition, a wonderful biographical section is included in the last section featuring basic facts on the great composersbothpast and present. You will not regret purchasing thishandy size ( 4 x 5 inches) edition,as I have widely recommended thislittle book to hundreds of teachers and schools.

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Product Description:
Contains thousands of entries covering all eras of music. It is unique in that it includes contemporary terms and composers from the popular genre as well as classical terms and composers. It is organized in a logical sequence for quick and easy reference.

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The Big Book of Torch Songs 2nd Ed. (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook) [Paperback] Review

I have a wide range... can sing soprano and alto quite easily, but when I sing torch songs or other jazz/blues standards, I prefer to sing them in my lower register. This book is great with offering these types of songs, but the keys they are in are HORRIBLE! They must be transposed down to even be comfortable for a woman to sing them in that "sulty-torch-song" style. I wouldn'trecommend it at all... instead, I found a book called "Belter's Hot Standards." This has been my Bible of music! Go find that book if you're a woman looking for low jazz songs.

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Product Description:
Features 75 heart-on-the-sleeve standards, such as: Angel Eyes * As Long as He Needs Me * Bewitched * Black Coffee * Crazy * Cry Me a River * Glad to Be Unhappy * Good Morning Heartache * Here's That Rainy Day * I'll Be Seeing You * Misty * Mood Indigo * My Man * My Old Flame * The Party's Over * Skylark * So in Love * Stormy Weather * When Sunny Gets Blue * and more.

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Joey DeFrancesco's Concepts for Improvisation (Piano) [Paperback] Review

I just wanted to write this review since I had to buy this book without being able to find any sort of review on the net or here on Amazon and I wanted to help others figure out what this book is about.

When I first received this book, I flipped through it and was initially disappointed. There was very little text or explanation and what was written wasn't written by Joey D. However after listening to the CD and working through it, I really dig it. The part that Joey contributes is the only part that really matters.

Here is the deal, this book is basically a baby step on the way to transcribing solos and analyzing them. What you get is a CD with containing two versions of each track. The first is Joey playing both the bass line and solo/lead with a light sounding drum machine and the second features just the drum track and Joey's left hand bass line, like a play along track. The book features a transcription of Joey's playing for each full track.

You get four two-chorus solos for the blues (plus three versions of each solo in different keys so you end up with recordings and transcriptions for the blues in all 12 keys). You get 10 tracks of bebop style licks over II-V, II-V-I, III-VI-II-V-I progressions (each track moves through all twelve keys). And finally you get two full songs recorded and transcribed, one blues and one bebop style tune.

Now here is the good Baby Step part. For the blues, Joey gives you a two chorus blues solo built on Dorian Scales. The next version Joey adds in use ofthe whole tone scale. The next he uses the Half diminished and the last one he uses the blues scale. Each one is progressive and incorporates material from the prior solos. Culminating in the full blues tune which contains extensive use of all of the stuff, Dorian, Whole-Tone, Half diminished and Blues... On the tracks it is real easy to hear what Joey is doing on the organ since there is only a light cymbal track mixed in and the tempos are nice and easy at around 1/4 note = 120 so you can hear everything Joey is doing without having to slow it down or anything. Note that for each solo Dorian, Whole-Tone, etc. there are three versions recorded in different keys. They are basically the same solo transposed. In the book they are the same but Joey recorded three different versions for each solo because there is a note or two different that the book doesn't pick up. The book says that Joey wants you to be proficient in all keys which is why they recorded and wrote out all of the solos in different a different key. They say most books just publish one and tell you to transpose it on your own but most people won't do it unless it is already transposed.

Now for the real baby step... Having the solos written out takes the work out of transcribing, but it means that you can go right in and easily learn the solo, getting it under your fingers and also you can go right in and start analyzing the solo. What makes it even easier is that you have an idea of what he is doing. For example the first solo is all Dorian, the second is Dorian plus WholeTone, the third all that plus half diminished, etc. So you have a great hint at what he is doing and the solos are simple but good, making it easy to analyze especially compared to transcribing a solo on your own where you have no idea what the guy is trying to do and you have to figure it all out.

This book will help you get started by making it easy and helping you because of the straight forward solo style and after getting these solos under your fingers and doing the analysis you'll see how rewarding and great transcribing can be and how much faster you learn stuff, plus you'll have a good foundation to either transcribing on your own or getting a book of transcriptions, say like the Charlie Parker Omnibook, and analyzing on your own.

With the bebop section, Joey starts out with a two bar II-V lick and each track expands a bit going to II-V-I, III-VI-II-V etc... There aren't a lot of licks here but working though all twelve keys will take some time and really get you feeling it in your fingers.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for something on how to improvise. The text consists of only a paragraph or two for each section and doesn't really describe how to do much, the real meat of this book is the CD and the transcriptions. The solos sound good and are rhythmically good too. Once you start learning the short solos in different keys you'll start to assimilate the phrasing. Also one obvious thing not really mentioned anywhere in the book, but not only is Joey's solo transcribed but also his bassline. So you can also learn some stuff about left hand walking bass and constructing bass lines from the CD and transcriptions. The book doesn't mention anything about it but it is all written out and plus you have bassline only tracks to listen to where you can hear what Joey's doing loud and clear. Don't be discouraged by the text which is really basic and you can find better detailed info for free on the web. The easy to follow solos on the CD and transcriptions are where it is really at. Highly Recommended.

One last thing just an FYI,this book really only covers soloing and doesn't have any info on chord voicing or anything. They show you how to make basic root position chords in the Bebop section to describe II-V's and stuff but no real info on voicing. Also this book is great for pianists to not just organ lovers...

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Product Description:
This book by renowned young Hammond B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco encompasses blues and bebop lines and progressions. It includes: music examples for practice and study; examples and lines in all 12 keys; transcriptions and improvisations with harmonic analysis for two tunes; and Joey playing the examples in different tempos on the CD, with and without the right hand.

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The Piano Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering Piano [Spiral-bound] Review

This really is the best of the few decent books in this category - and one of only a small handful that don't treat you like an idiot. Concomitantly, if you ARE in idiot, this book won't work for you. As other reviewers have noted, the pace is definitely fast compared to the 'graded' lesson books commonly used by piano teachers. But using the CD, and practicing every exercise until you truly understand it - you WILL go far, and fast, with this one. I've carefully checked every other "teach yourself piano" title I've seen in the local stores, and even bought and returned a few. This one, however, is a keeper. By the end of the book, you'll be playing some fairly impressive classical pieces (more than enough to impress your friends - unless they're experienced pianists!). Along the way, you get a very nice background in piano history (great photos an illustrations!), and you'll gain a good, solid understanding of reading music. (hm - except for all those british musical terms. Feh. Luckily, American-style is included as well.)
Generally, you really, really should try to get a teacher. But if you just can't afford it, this book is the next best thing. Combine it with a few videos/DVDs (like the "Van Cliburn competition" - YES!, or even buy "The Pianist" or "Shine" right here on Amazon) so you can get an idea of how pianists hold and move their hands. (not that you'll move like these people for a long while!).
There is a crazy typographical error in my edition of the book, where an entire paragraph is repeated! This is only a little sad, because the space could have been put to use for more of the author's great information. It's not enough to drop my rating! The binding (at least in my edition) is spiral - a VERY SMART move, as it sits nicely on the music desk. I have to make photo copies to use the sheet music in other books!
This one has got my full recommendation. And better yet, if you have any musical background at all, or have had some piano lessons (even in your distant past) this book will have you flying along in no time.

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Product Description:
This illustrated handbook offers a comprehensive tutorial for learning to play piano alone or with a teacher. An accompanying audio CD demonstrates key techniques and concepts, and the author explores the common origins of different musical cultures to show that learning different kinds of music can be an enriching experience. Readers discover how classical piano technique and musicianship inspire creative approaches to composing and improvising across a variety of styles, including pop and jazz.

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