Tonal Music Book Review

Are you a lover of music, I do not mean to ask you if you like music, most everyone does and most everyone has specific tastes, but there is a lot more to music than just listening. Perhaps you’d like to learn more about its structure, and how to analyze it? If so, let me recommend a very good book to you:

“Form in Tonal Music” by Douglas M. Green; Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishing Company Incorporated; New York, NY; 1965; ISBN: 0-03-46015-7.

This book takes the confusion out of the typical study of music analysis, as it simplifies harmony and counterpoint disciplines, allowing the student to understand how to construct without over loading with historical music tunes and famous names. Knowing the music without confusion first, is the aim of this book, and thus, maybe it is a good first read, prior to music analysis from a historical perspective. I think I’d recommend it to just about any serious music student.

The book has chapters on the basics of form, shape, genre and harmonic structure of the phrase, along with developing, and combining phrases. Then the book, which is written very much like a text book discusses the various analytical methodologies. The student will learn of variations, ternary forms, rondo, sonata (very comprehensive), and binary forms.

The concerto movement, fugue, and similar genres are discussed and then there is a final chapter, which is very fascinating, even proves that Green really knows his stuff, as he goes into the unique forms of structure. You will be fascinated by the amount of information and ways you can apply this knowledge when you are completed.