The New Guide to Harmony with Lego Bricks [Paperback]

 

 

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This is a great book, and really teaches you the basic constructs of Jazz. I can't really say more than has already been said above, other than to say that I have published 2 Imixes on Itunes with all the music referenced in the text. If you buy the book, you will need the music to accompany it.

If I had to choose one book to take to a desert island, it would be this.

The previous review by 'A Reader' (Dec-9 1998) may look like a put-up job, but it's not hyperbole, it's all true.

I return to this book again and again: bedtime reading, bathtime reading, anytime I feel like reading. And when I'm at the piano, of course. It's a delight.

I learned of its existence in a Lionel Grigson jazz book, and read the sample chapters on the Tadley Ewing website, and I was hooked. You will be, too.

The Most Original Idea In Jazz Education Just Got Better After ten years, Conrad Cork has re-written his classic Harmony With LEGO Bricks with two objectives in mind. First to make the book much more approachable for everybody. Now even non-musicians can use it: all it takes is an interest in jazz. Everything else you need is here, including a complete course in directed listening, and the simplest, most pragmatic way ever to make the transition from listening to playing. Second, in response to public demand, to offer much more for experienced players too. 'All the scales there are', 'Why Giant Steps is a Doddle', and lots besides. Plus, the text to go with the Harmony with LEGO Bricks Playalong has been greatly revised and expanded. Don't just believe me - listen to the experts! - It is terrific -- the best book I've ever seen on helping people to learn to improvize! Philip Johnson-Laird, Stuart Professor of Psychology, Princeton University, USA - A remarkable achievement. Cork has not only given us a reliable way in to understanding the inner mechanisms of the jazz harmonic and formal language, but he has also provided us with a series of insights that have relevance to a wide range of disciplines. His concepts are being applied in such diverse fields as linguistics, cognitive psychology, computing and aesthetics. As with the potential applications of any great idea, the only limiting factor remains our imagination. The New Guide to Harmony with LEGO Bricks remains top of my recommended reading list for students at every level. He is to be congratulated. It is recommended reading for anyone who wants to know more about musical creativity. The New Guide to Harmony with LEGO Bricks goes straight to the heart of the matter. It is so refreshing to find a work that avoids the tired old myths about jazz, and seeks instead to establish a whole new view of the art form. Don't lend this one out - you're unlikely to get it back! At last, we have the Plain English, no-nonsense version of 'How It Works', applied to Jazz. Whether you're an established musicologist or simply an enthusiastic listener, you should have this on your bookshelf. The New Guide to Harmony with LEGO Bricks has a great deal to offer. Robin Dewhurst, Head of Popular Music, Faculty of Media, Music & Performance, University of Salford, UK - Full of wisdom. He looks with fresh eyes at much of the traditions and concepts of jazz and music in general. Cork's approach is thorough and, where appropriate, he is not afraid to be light-hearted or controversial. Amen. Graham Collier, Director of Jazz, Royal Academy of Music. London - It is excellent, and I shall certainly recommend it to my jazz tutors and students. The conversational tone makes it sound as if the author is there in the room with the student. I like very much the way he backs up principles with practical advice (for both learning and playing) that obviously comes from years of first hand experience. It all very much fits within my schema of jazz understanding and so its methods make complete sense to me. Louise Gibbs, Lecturer in Charge for Music, Goldsmiths College, University of London. - I like the first premise of this book - that the music comes first. The chapters on how to listen and what to listen for are very valuable to a beginner. I would recommend this book to students who have started to learn, and know something of the history of the music and love it; they will have a good time. Eddie Harvey, leading Jazz Educator, musician and arranger. - It is excellent. John Robert Brown, Director of Jazz Studies, City of Leeds College of Music, UK - Its clear, modular approach has opened musical doors and enhanced the understanding and development of thousands of musicians since the first edition was published in 1985. Charles Alexander, Musician and Director of JAZZWISE publications.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Original
A very good approch for learning and memorizing chord progressions.However,the playalong materiel should have been included.

Published 18 months ago by nadinette

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