Another crowdsourcing question. I've long said that every harmonica player should make a point of learning some basic harmony. I learned mine in the course of a 7-week summer workshop in jazz guitar at Berklee when I was 20 years old. The things I learned there, including basic jazz chording for the guitar, have inflected my playing ever since.
I just got an email from somebody asking if I could recommend a good basic text on the subject. I couldn't. He mentioned Ernest F. Richter's MANUAL OF HARMONY. I told him that I would start a thread here and send him a link so he could follow it.
Suggestions? My suggestion has always been that harp players take a course in basic harmony at a local community college or music school or the equivalent. But books have their place. Please suggest a good basic text.
I have not yet purchased it myself, but if you have ever watched Rick Beato on YouTube, he sells a book, The Beato Book, that covers music theory, including harmony, extensively from beginner to very advanced.
I don't know how well it caters to beginners, but Rick is extremely knowledgeable. The only complaints that I have heard about The Beato Book (which are pretty big ones), are that it is all hand written, and that it is only available in pdf format.
Harmony & Theory by Keith Wyatt & Carl Shcroeder, MI (Musicians Insitute) HAL-LEONARD, Carish edition.
No better books than this one in the world about basic (and not only basic) harmony and theory: clear, complete, translated in many languages and available in a lot of countries. The discussion can be closed :D
The AB Guide to Music Theory in two volumes by Eric Taylor is always worth having, as you can get them from Amazon for a penny each in the UK. They seem to be dearer in the USA, and possibly not relevant (being about classical music), so I'd say ONLY buy them if you see them for a cent each, but DO buy them if you see them for a cent each.
Apart from that, all I've got is a copy of Jazzology by Robert Rawlins and Nor Eddine Bahha. It seems fine to me, although I've only read half of it. It's not so basic, but I've seen reviews that think it's too basic, so maybe it's about right!
It depends on the student, doesn't it - for many these books will be above their heads, especially as a collection of diatonic harps is not "linear" (can't think of a better way of putting it). I suspect a short course at school is by far the best option for a lot of people.
Sometimes Hal Leonard come up trumps; sometimes they are just a money-spinner with too many titles available. ---------- Andrew. -----------------------------------------
Last Edited by Andrew on Jan 20, 2018 3:14 AM
I don't read music or anything. I learned about Harmony as a child attending church. My mom always sang harmony during hymns and it stayed in my head ! ----------
