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amelia_lim's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, definitely learned some interesting facts for example:
1. Plucking a guitar string produces not only one frequency, but a lot of frequencies (fundamental and harmonics). And it is because of this whole mixture of frequencies makes a guitar sounds like a guitar. The different proportion and lifetime of fundamental frequency and harmonics is the reason why different musical instrument has its own unique timbre (tone colour).
2. Why harp and flute sounds more "pure", clarinet and violin sounds more "rich".
3. Why 6 guitars playing together doesn't sound 6 times louder than 1 guitar playing alone.
4. The measuring system for "loudness", decibel, phon and sone.
I find the second half of the book a bit dry and basic, but maybe it's because most of the stuff are music theories and I already knew most of them: chord, harmonic, rhythm, major and minor scale, what is fugue, concerto, sonata etc...
What doesn't really meet my expectation is that it lacks a bit of explanation of the underlying physics. Take the 1st example I listed above, I would like to know more about: Standing wave. How does plucking a guitar string eventually produces standing wave? Why a mixture of frequencies, why not just one?
But to be fair, maybe adding those explanations would be too much and doesn't meet the goal of making this book as simple and as accessible as possible for people who doesn't have a basic knowledge of physics and music theory.
Overall, it's an interesting and easy to read yet informative book :)
1. Plucking a guitar string produces not only one frequency, but a lot of frequencies (fundamental and harmonics). And it is because of this whole mixture of frequencies makes a guitar sounds like a guitar. The different proportion and lifetime of fundamental frequency and harmonics is the reason why different musical instrument has its own unique timbre (tone colour).
2. Why harp and flute sounds more "pure", clarinet and violin sounds more "rich".
3. Why 6 guitars playing together doesn't sound 6 times louder than 1 guitar playing alone.
4. The measuring system for "loudness", decibel, phon and sone.
I find the second half of the book a bit dry and basic, but maybe it's because most of the stuff are music theories and I already knew most of them: chord, harmonic, rhythm, major and minor scale, what is fugue, concerto, sonata etc...
What doesn't really meet my expectation is that it lacks a bit of explanation of the underlying physics. Take the 1st example I listed above, I would like to know more about: Standing wave. How does plucking a guitar string eventually produces standing wave? Why a mixture of frequencies, why not just one?
But to be fair, maybe adding those explanations would be too much and doesn't meet the goal of making this book as simple and as accessible as possible for people who doesn't have a basic knowledge of physics and music theory.
Overall, it's an interesting and easy to read yet informative book :)
mgouker's review against another edition
4.0
Really great course that affirms what I knew about music while providing a better discourse giving a deeper meaning. I really enjoyed this one and it's actually better in audiobook form.
susanbrooks's review against another edition
2.0
Sadly, I found much of this book boring, especially the lengthy explanations of frequency. I sparked up at certain concepts and examples, like examples of arpeggios or dissonance in songs. His jokes mostly fell flat for me. With a thud.
erikofthenorth's review against another edition
3.0
As someone with a musical background, this book managed to share a few interesting tidbits here and there. I can imagine if you don't have a musical background, it may be far more enlightening and captivating. Also, John Powell's writing is strong but can sometimes illicit an eye roll when he tries a little too hard on a joke. Overall, a fine read for me that could have been more engaging if not for my prior knowledge of music.
megaslippers's review against another edition
Aim 3 of 2023 is to read more. I’m going to post reviews as I go. March is still Q1 but this does feel like a very late start.
I’ve picked up the guitar again after 12 years away. I wanted a refresher on the things I’d forgotten. So I picked up How Music Works by John Powell.
It tells a very neat story from the foundations of “what is sound” all the way to selecting a key for your composition and thoughts on audiophiles.
There is however, a problem. I am not the target reader. I’ve sat classical guitar & music theory exams. I also have a Physics degree. A lot of this book is a repetition on things I know already. I didn’t need a refresher on waves, interference, or the weirdness of measuring volume. This meant I was focused on the writing style which really didn’t gel for me. The abundance of non-sequiturs and humour is mentioned in other reviews as a positive. When I’m rushing through a chapter because I’m hunting for some new bit of lore it’s grating.
The last few chapters were on material I hadn’t covered before or had forgotten. The history of temperament, modes, and composing for orchestras. Here I was much more on board with the conversational writing style. Especially the section on why/how you pick a key for your compositions, this was a topic I’d wondered about but never formed the question properly in my mind.
A small nit pick is that John’s editor really could have pushed for the singular They. A few sentences ended up feeling really clunky, especially in 2023. We must give them some slack as this book was published in 2010 (when I was still playing the guitar the first time around). Times do be a-changin.
For balance I must call out the beautiful cover art. I have what I believe is the UK paperback. The colourful, punchy, but clean style is very pleasing. Much more so than the more common cover with the headphones.
Would I recommend it? If you’re a true layperson, absolutely! This is an ideal start for an adult beginner, reading the chapter on picking your instrument before you purchase something is probably a very smart idea. If you’re me from a month ago when I ordered it? That’s a maybe-to-no, but you’ll have a hard time finding a better summary.
kellyxmen's review against another edition
5.0
Author is funny and writes otherwise pedantic material in a digestible and entertaining way. I stopped reading before finishing though because I don’t find the information particularly useful in my music playing. Not that he advertised it to be so it’s my bad.
**
Edit: I went back and continued reading and I have to give it a 5-star because it actually does have some applicable information. And it's also just interesting for anyone who is into music. The author does a great job of explaining things from the ground up which can at times be tedious to people who are not novices but if you're patient, then there will be of something of interest to you just around the corner.
**
Edit: I went back and continued reading and I have to give it a 5-star because it actually does have some applicable information. And it's also just interesting for anyone who is into music. The author does a great job of explaining things from the ground up which can at times be tedious to people who are not novices but if you're patient, then there will be of something of interest to you just around the corner.
misstessamaye's review against another edition
2.0
I expected this book to tackle psychology a bit more but it was primarily physics-focused (can't blame the author, as that's what he's an expert in, but the tagline made it seem like psychology would be more present). Some interesting information but overall didn't keep my interest. I think if I were enrolled in a class on the subject and this was the textbook, I might have gotten more from it that way (class discussions, studying terms for exams, etc.).