The Rough Guide to Reading Music and Basic Theory. (Books).(Brief Article)

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 ...