
The Practice of Popular Music
Understanding Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form in Commercial Songwriting
- 490 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
The Practice of Popular Music
Understanding Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form in Commercial Songwriting
About this book
The Practice of Popular Music is a music theory and musicianship textbook devoted to explaining the organization of contemporary popular music styles such as pop, rock, R&B, rap, and country. Rooted in recent research showing that the structure of popular music differs from classical music in important ways, this textbook offers an approach to teaching music theory that is fully oriented around popular and commercial genres.
Beginning with fundamentals and requiring no previous training in music theory or notation, this book eventually guides the reader through a range of advanced topics, including chromatic mixture, secondary chord function, complex time signatures, and phrase organization. Each chapter develops concepts in tandem with aural comprehension, and the included exercises balance written tasks with listening activities. A companion website provides links to playlists of the music discussed in the book.
With an innovative approach designed to broaden the reach of music theory coursework to a wide range of students, including non-majors and those in modern music degree programs such as audio engineering, songwriting, and music business, this textbook enables readers to gain a deep understanding of music theory in the context of popular music.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half Title page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Preface
- Part I Foundational Frameworks
- Part II Essential Elements
- Part III Alternative Arrangements
- Part IV Deeper Developments
- Part V Prevalent Permutations
- Part VI Colorful Combinations
- Part VII Tightened Tensions
- Part VIII Significant Shifts
- Bibliography
- Index