The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Jazz Theory Book
Book Review: Fantastic guide to jazz
Summary: 5 Stars
Not only is this book filled with essential fundamentals of jazz theory, but the author's approach guides one to discover the ways that these methods developed and interesting ways of thinking about music in general. I've completed all of my theory and ear training at a top level college institution, and I can tell you that I've learnt more about theory in the first 45 pages of this book than 2 years of outdated theory. Conservatories must update their teaching, and jazz theory is the closest that I see to today's music and musical understanding. Buy this book.Book Review: Finally, someone has done it ! ! !
Summary: 5 Stars
There was a time when it was a common adage that Jazz can't be taught. You were either born with it, or were lucky enough to pick it up... to some extent that is true... as there is a time you have to lift your head from the books and learn on the bandstand... but the question is how to get to that point - - the point where you can benefit from lead sheets or learning off of records, or by communicating with other musicians ? For many years, a lot of the "Jazz" educational material on the market was either antequated by the time of publication (remember going into music shops to find "modern" piano books that would teach you how to play stride version of Honeysuckle Rose and the Maple Leaf Rag?)... other books contained misleading information, or some of the better ones required technical reading skills (as well as hand spands and chops) that few Jazz masters themselves were known to possess (!) - - Finally, over the years, a few breakthroughs... two of the earliest that come to mind would include books by David Baker and John Mehegan. - - But most of us still wondered, "When is somebody going to write *the book* ?" - - ...finally someone did.
The publication of this book has launched Jazz education into the modern era... Very readable, well presented, modern, practical, never over academic or esoteric, and requiring the most minimal amount of reading of musical notation possible - - and written for a generation raised on Miles Davis and John Coltrane not Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong (as great as they were.)
Combining this book with the right listening, hands on playing (check out some of the Aebersold play-a-longs) and the right fake book... in a situation where a great Jazz teacher might not be so available or affordable, with the right attitude (check out Berliner's Thinking In Jazz) - - this book is your spiral bound musical conservatory, with advice relevent to players of all levels... From those basic intervals, scales, chord voicings and changes that all Jazz students learn in their first lessons, to the insight required to "put it all together" - - This is a great reference for everyone, from the begining student, the aspiring amateur trying to get into a program (or take his or her playing to the next level)... to the seasoned veteran who'd like to learn the language and reason and gain better insight into what he or she is playing and hearing in order to grow as a musician. Regardless, this is one resource that belongs in your music learning library !
Book Review: Five Stars, but. . .
Summary: 5 Stars
My frustration with this book is the considerable overlap between it and the Jazz Piano Book, also by Mark Levine. I bought the Jazz Piano book first worked through a lot of it before purchasing this book. The number of pages copied verbatim from one book to the other appears to be significant, particularly at the beginning. I could not help feeling a little like I paid twice for the same not inexpensive book. However, the material unique to this book is great, especially the chapters on reharmonization. Just don't be surprised if you own the Jazz Piano book and end up skipping some sections in this book.Book Review: Great "pull together" text for music theory (with jazz focus, of course)
Summary: 5 Stars
There is so much information in this book and it really "brought together" a lot of concepts I'd only glimpsed from other sources like fake books and playalongs. Not strictly jazz either, music theory in general.Book Review: Great Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is simple, concise, to the point, and does not get overly verbose. This is probably the best music theory book I have seen. If you want to learn about chord structure and scale structure, this book is amazing. You will be reading chord changes after just reading the first couple of chapters. Excellent book!