The Rough Guide to Reading Music and Basic Theory. . - Books - book review

American Music Teacher, Feb-March, 2002 by Patricia Griggs Burnham

The Rough Guide to Reading Music and Basic Theory, by Hugo Pinksterboer. Rough Guides/Penguin (345 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014), 2001. 146pp., $9.95.

The Rough Guide to Reading Music and Basic Theory is a concise introduction to reading and writing music. Written in a "user friendly" style, the book is primarily aimed at the person who wants to learn or discover an instrument. It also is designed as a reference for those who can already read music.

Written in chapter format, the book begins with an introduction to music fundamentals: reading music, rhythmic concepts and the basics of pitch and dynamics. Some basics of music theory also are explained including scales, key signatures, chords, intervals, transposition and the circle of fifths. At the end of the book, there is a glossary of more than 100 terms and a quick reference section, with the major and minor scales written out, a scale wheel, the circle of fifths, memory aides and the systems for naming specific notes and octaves.

Overall, the book covers the essential information any beginning music student would need to know. Some of the jazz lingo and the chapters dealing with ornamentation and scales other than major and minor (church modes, blues scale and the like) are not likely to apply to a beginning student. The author would have served the student better by concentrating more on chord construction and the practical application of chords in lead lines, pop music and simple accompaniment. The chapter on writing music down seems a little trivial, too wordy and confusing for a beginner. Some simple examples and a few instructions would suffice.

The ordering of concepts from one chapter to the next did not always seem logical. I sometimes wondered why a concept was omitted, only to discover it in a later chapter. It was suggested that a person obtain a keyboard to use while studying this book. A great idea, but I'm not sure how helpful this would be for the person who knows nothing of the piano keyboard.

In the "want to know more" section, the author suggests other books and websites for further study of theory and ear training; however, he leaves out one essential element--the music teacher. One can read about music and learn many facts, but that doesn't mean one has experienced music. Music is an interactive experience and cannot be truly learned or appreciated by reading a book. It is through listening, playing, sharing, performing and studying that a person comes to an understanding of and personal satisfaction with music. Reviewed by Patricia Griggs Burnham, Austin, Texas.