My Music Literature Collection

Hi everyone,

In todays post I thought that I would share with you my collection of music literature.

I have been collecting books related to classical music over a number of years, and this collection resides alongside my sheet music.

DK The Classical Music Guide

This is an encyclopaedia filled everything you would ever want to know about the world of classical music, and its done in small chunks that are easy to understand. It goes through everything from musical instruments, reading music, the orchestra, as well as various composers and well known works of classical music.

On Playing the Flute (Quantz)

This book is brilliant if you want to gain a better understanding of playing Baroque music, and it gives really nice explanations on how play in a Baroque style and the techniques used in the Baroque era. Even though this is aimed at flute players, don't be fooled as anyone can use it and apply the theory to their instrument. You just might need to adjust it a little bit to get it to work for you. If you are unsure about playing in the Baroque style; I would recommend that you talk to your teacher.

Year of Wonder & Another Year of Wonder (Clemency Burton-Hill)

If you ever wanted to learn about classical pieces of music, then these books are fantastic. These books are piece a music for to read over the course of a year - one a day; and they go through a range of different composers. They also range from Early Music right the way up to the modern day era. Each page is filled with information regarding the composer, the era and explanation of what that piece of music is about. Short, and easy to understand 'bursts of information' of classical pieces of music.

Everything You Have Ever Wanted to Know About Classical Music (Classic FM)

This is also a fun little book to help to gain a better understanding of classical music. It goes through composers, eras, styles, concert halls; as well as well known pieces of classical music. It's also written in a format that is easy to digest, so then it isn't overwhelming for the reader.

The Art of Practicing (Madeline Brusser)

This is really well book that musicians and learners use to help them to develop their practice, and to become better at practicing a musical instrument. It's filled with loads of information to help you to get the most out of your practice sessions.

Advice for Young Musicians (Robert Schumann & Steven Isserlis)

Even though this book is aimed at young musicians; there's still a wealth of information that all players alike can benefit from. There's also some really nice quotes throughout the book, along with explanations of what the quotes mean. 

Oxford Dictionary of Musical Terms

This is also a pretty standard book that most musicians and learners have; and what this is, is a dictionary that goes through all of the musical terms that you will use throughout your musical journey. It's similar to the music glossary that you will find at the end of each music theory grade, but this dictionary covers a lot more.