Your Guide to How Music Works—From Notes and Rhythms to Complete Compositions

By Michael Miller

This concise and clear guide to simplified music theory teaches readers who play music by ear how to read musical notation by guiding them through the basics of reading and composing music to share with others.

In this revised edition, renowned music author Michael Miller will help you learn:

• The basics of tones, including pitches, clefs, and major and minor keys
• The building blocks of rhythm, including basic notation, time signatures, and tempo
• How to create tunes, starting with melodies, chords, chord progressions, and phrases and forms

• Composing and arranging your own music, including coverage of musical genres and forms, arranging for voices and instruments, working with scores, and performing your music

• The basics of accompaniment, including transcribing, accompanying melodies, and transposing to other keys