Rating: 
Summary: bloated and inaccurate
Review: Paul Creston in his authoritative "Rational Metric Notation" points out several of Garner Read's errors. Here is one:1) "Chapter 10 of Gardner Read's book 'Music Notation', entitled 'Meter and Time Signatures,' begins: 'TIME, METER, TEMPO, RHYTHM--musicians often use these terms imprecisely. But the four expression are not synonymous, and only two are interchangeable. The analogous terms are TIME and METER...' The first sentence and the first phrase of the second sentence state a truism; the remainder of the statement vitiates the truth. "The more than two dozen dictionary definitions of TIME can be condensed into one synonym, DURATION, which is present in every definiton of TIME. The word METER is derived from the Greek METRON, the Latin METRUM, and the French METRE; in ANY language, it means MEASURE. In music, therefore, TIME means DURATION, and METER means MEASUREMENT OF DURATION. Hence, TIME and METER are NOT analogous or interchangeable."
Rating: 
Summary: Best thing for any level musician
Review: This amazingly thorough book covers every problem, concern or question that can ever come up in a musician's mind. Whether you are a performer, composer, arranger, or just interested in music notation, this book is perfect for reference. After a brief history of music notation's development through the Middle Ages, Mr. Read systematically examines every part of notation, giving plenty of examples and also providing new innovations in that area. Every chapter is well organized, and the reference tables are a particularly helpful resource. Being a young composer, I found this book extremely valuable for providing me with the knowledge that, although essential to all musical fields, is rarely taught in any manner. A must buy for all musicians.
Rating:
Summary: The best guide to notation I have read.
Review: This book covers everything you need to know about traditional music notation. It will serve as an excellent reference. Though the book might take some time to get through, it is definitely worth reading in its entirety at least once if you plan to write or arrange music of any kind. A number of reviewers have recomended the "Norton Manual of Music Notation" instead of this book. I would suggest it in addition to this book as they cover different topics. This book is about the meaning and history of notation. The Norton Manual is a practical guide to writing out music by hand.
Rating:
Summary: not recommended
Review: This book is filled with bad and ill-considered advice. It is ineptly written, stilted, pretentious, and poorly organized--the worst music notation book I've seen. Among the best music notation books I've seen is "The Norton Manual of Music Notation". I recommend you buy this instead. I also very much recommend PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.
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