How do you learn Music Theory?

It is difficult to learn from a book.

Some people suggest Practical Beginning Theory, by Bruce Benward.

You need to check a textbook store to a good music college. However, If you have not been to college - I recommend enrolling.

Once you get into using more complex chords like DbAug9th it can get complicated no matter what type of music you play or what instrument you play.

To learn music theory I found I needed to see it on a keyboard even though my instrument was guitar.

You can get into complex ways of using chords, counterpoint, analysis, more advanced scales, modes, theories of music from other cultures, arranging, composing, advanced meters and rhythms and many other things in college.

It is difficult to learn from a book.

Then if you play serialism you are dealing with a whole different type of knowledge. Some of the twenty-century type "classical" music gets heavily into mathematics.

Jazz, not only are the chords important but to know which scales, modes, arpeggios, etc you can use to play on top of the chords.


Try Harmony and Voice Leading by Edward Aldwell, Carl Schachter - which I have used.

Theories and Analyses of Twentieth-Century Music
James Kent Williams, J. Kent Williams - (which is on the Graduate School level at least in my school.)

Jazz Arranging - Norman David (The book I used is out of print.)

Look at those and see if you think you can use them.

Thanks: YA.