Rating: 
Summary: Readable, Helpful, and Interesting Intro to Music Theory
Review: Music theory is often seen as unnecessary and boring to even the most musically inclined persons. Many see it as a hindrance to their natural creativity. However, without a sense of music theory, nobody will progress from playing music, to understanding and even writing music. I took a music theory class in college and used a textbook that tried to say the same things that Miller says, only the textbook was far more confusing. I think this book would actually make a fine textbook for an "Intro to Music Theory" class. He covers most basic topics, even assuming that the reader has no music knowledge. This is good for beginners, but for me it meant that I only skimmed the first few chapters. He does cover more advanced topics such as harmony, counterpoint, transcribing from audio, and transposing. At the end of each chapter, he has quizzes to review and test what was learned in the previous chapter. He includes most important topics in music theory, including scales, pitches, rhythm, melodies, chords, chord progressions, phrases, transcribing, arranging, writing lead sheets, and performing. At the end, the book has a glossary, a guitar and piano chord reference section, and answers to the quizzes at the end of each chapter. Overall, this book has many good qualities. It is very readable and interesting. He also is able to convey difficult topics in an understandable way without sacrificing his point. Most music theory textbooks cannot do this, and overwhelm the reader. I would say this book is best for students who need an easy-to-understand book to complement a more advanced book, to clarify what they have learned in a music theory class. It is also good for musicians who don't want to be experts in music theory, but who wish to further their musical abilities. However, as I have said, it also works on its own, and I believe rivals many textbooks that are five times as expensive.
Rating:
Summary: nice pick for the average reader
Review: Supposing that you are an average person such as myself who wants to learn to play an instrument, and that you are looking to become more informed about music theory without becoming an expert (or needing to be an expert to understand the book) this is a very good pick. It is clear and friendly without being wordy. Having been required to learn piano as a child, I have been exposed to several books/processes for learning music theory, and this book is the one that actually made it understandable to me. I have had to read it more than once to remember the concepts, but that is to be expected with any book; this book makes the concepts accessible and is the best I've come upon so far.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful.
Review: This book is a delight.
It begins with the assumption that you don't know how to read music at all, very patiently goes through the notes and the staff. It guides you through all the major and minor scales, gradually introducting rhythms with time signatures and tempo. As soon as you know the basics, you go right into composing simple tunes that "make sense" so far as the key you're in, instead of a simple plucking out random notes. Then your simple notes are augmented to chords, and your melodies get better.
The book then starts off on a different tack and starts teaching you about accompanying and transcribing music, as well as transposing to other keys. Even if you don't have absolute pitch, you're guided through developing "superhearing" for notes, chords, and keys. You're taught improvisation and embellishment for given tunes. The very last part of the book, with three sections, guides you through arranging for several instruments and vocals, composing music for a symphony orchestra, and conducting it yourself!
And even given that range of subjects, assuming an enormous growth in your musical knowledge, the book isn't confusing or flim-flam at all. In fact, it's quite funny. Michael Miller, in his introductions and insets, manages to convey a sense of humor that is really laugh-out-loud. Compare this to "Teach Yourself: Music Theory," for instance, and you'll see the color of what could have turned out to be a dull book. Music is fun. Music is art. Music does take practice . . . but this book gives you all three.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, clear, and concise
Review: This is a great book for someone who wants to understand basic music theory. Most books I have looked at assume a fair knowledge to begin with. Not so here. The author assumes that you are starting from scratch and takes you through everything from reading music, to composing melodies, to chord construction and beyond. I have played guitar since high school, but never really understood musically what was behind what I was doing. I have wanted to write songs, but have been intimidated by my lack of knowledge of theory. This book has given me the knowledge I need to get started.
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Summary: A Touch More Than Just A Music Theory Book!
Review: What a nice little gem this was to find. I have a degree from Berklee College Of Music in Music Production & Engineering. For the last 15 years I've been hung up reading equipment manuals and music software manuals. Recently I decided that I wanted to pursue something I've always known I had the ability to do but never took the time to craft; the art of songwriting. This book served as a great refresher! The author hits on all the key concepts that you need to sit down and create an original song from scratch. No book out there can make you a great songwriter, that holy grail does not exist! The only thing a book can do is provide you with the tools you need to get started, and this one does it rather well. To supplement this text I would highly recommend a book on modern arranging. Once you have a song structured out, melody written, and harmonized, the arrangement is the finishing touch that can really set it apart and make it a memorable experience for the listener. I've yet to find a relevant book on the concept of modern song arranging. If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know. This one is a steal for its price!
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