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Music

Music speaks directly to your feelings and comes in many forms. For that reason Tales have selected some of the finest music books just for you. You can for example find a biography of your favorite music idol, but you can also find music theory books that will help you become your own musician. Whether you like rock, pop, musicals or classical music we have the books for you. Find your inner melody with a music book from Tales.
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  • Save 10%
    - An Inside Story of British Rock and Roll
    by Bernie Marsden
    £8.99

    A fascinating insight into the golden-age of 1970s and 80s rock and roll told through the eyes of music legend Bernie Marsden and, most notably, his role in establishing one of the world's most famous rock bands of all time - Whitesnake.

  • Save 30%
    by Editors of American Vogue
    £38.49

  • Save 14%
    - The Life
    by Robert Hilburn
    £9.49

    This is an intimate, candid, and definitive biography written with Simon's participation and encouragement by acclaimed biographer and music writer Robert Hilburn.

  • - Craft and Art
    by Alan Belkin
    £19.49

    An invaluable introduction to the art and craft of musical composition from a distinguished teacher and composer

  • by Gorm Henrik Rasmussen
    £14.49 - 21.49

    Pink Moon is a personal, original, and moving retelling of the life, death, and posthumous rise of Nick Drake from Danish poet Gorm Henrik Rasmussen. This is the only account of Nick's life to include extensive interviews with Nick's parents as well as others of his close friends. It is now available in English for the first time. -- .

  • - Soul of Brazilian Music
    by Eric A. Galm
    £36.49 - 108.99

    The Brazilian berimbau, a musical bow, is most commonly associated with the energetic martial art/dance/game of capoeira. This study explores the berimbau's stature from the 1950s to the present in diverse musical genres including bossa nova, samba-reggae, MPB, electronic dance music, Brazilian art music, and more.

  • Save 10%
    - A Memory of George Michael
    by Sean Smith
    £8.99

    George is the story of two extraordinary lives - the private man and the public legend.

  • Save 15%
    - Practical Tips on Building a Loyal Following and Making a Living as a Musician
    by Ari Herstand
    £25.49

    This definitive handbook redefines what it means to "make it" in the brave new world of professional music.

  • Save 14%
    - My Life With Prince
    by Mayte Garcia
    £9.49

    At the one-year anniversary of his death, legendary musician Prince's first wife shares a uniquely intimate, candid, and revelatory look inside the personal and professional life of one of the world's most beloved icons.

  • - Technical Ear Training
    by Jason Corey
    £65.49 - 155.49

  • Save 20%
    by Moby
    £11.99

    In the late eighties and early nineties, Moby, then an underground DJ and musician, was scraping out a living in New York City. In a scene popular chiefly among working-class African-Americans and Latinos, Moby - a poor, skinny, white Christian, vegan and teetotaller - looked like he would never make it.

  • Save 19%
    by Daniel K. Longman
    £12.99

    This fascinating collection of photographs and stories traces the ways in which The Beatles' home town has changed over the past 50 years.

  • Save 20%
    by Phil Collins
    £11.99

    As one of only three musicians to sell over 100 million records both in a group and as a solo artist, Collins breathes rare air, but he has never lost his talent for crafting songs that touch listeners around the globe.

  • Save 15%
    - Tales from a Sex Pistol
    by Steve Jones
    £10.99

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  • Save 15%
    - My Life, My Music
    by John Fogerty
    £14.49 - 43.99

    The long-awaited memoir from John Fogerty, the legendary singer-songwriter and creative force behind Creedence Clearwater Revival and Grammy-winning solo artist.

  • Save 14%
    - Rock's Golden Year
    by David Hepworth
    £9.49

    The Sixties ended a year late - on New Year's Eve 1970, when Paul McCartney initiated proceedings to wind up The Beatles.

  • Save 14%
    - A Beginner's Guide
    by Stuart Nicholson
    £9.49

  • Save 23%
    by Winslow Yerxa
    £16.99

    Master the harmonica fast with this fun, easy guide Everybody loves the sound of a harmonica, and the thought of learning to play one is even more appealing.

  • Save 26%
    - A Prize Every Time
    by Neil Peart
    £19.99

  • Save 24%
    by Vic Dapra
    £43.49

  • Save 12%
    by Amy C. Beal
    £18.49

    The first in-depth look at a highly innovative jazz icon

  • Save 20%
    - The Enduring Saga of the Smiths
    by Tony Fletcher
    £11.99

    Tony Fletcher's A Light That Never Goes Out - part celebration, part paean - moves from Manchester in the nineteenth-century to the present day to tell the complete story of The Smiths.

  • Save 23%
    by Jeff Strong
    £16.99

    Get down with rock, R&B, jazz, blues, funk, and Latin rhythms! Groove to the beat in no time with this ultimate rockin' guide! Whether you're dreaming of starting a band, striking the snares, or simply playing a hand drum, this interactive book-and-CD package makes it easy to pick up the basics.

  • Save 21%
    - Our OFFICIAL autobiography
    by Little Mix
    £13.49

    Celebrate Little Mix's first UK number-one album - Glory Days - by reading the full story of the girls' astonishing rise to pop super stardom. Our World is full of exclusive photos and inspirational stories about Jade, Perrie, Jesy and Leigh-Anne's unique friendship.Little Mix are the UK's most successful girl band. They first found fame - and each other - on The X Factor in 2011. Five years later they have gone from strength to strength, achieving huge global success. With three platinum-selling albums in the UK and over 14 million record sales worldwide, the band are both adored by their fans and critically acclaimed for their brilliant music. In this book the girls share the real behind-the-scenes story of both their personal lives and their success. They reveal the many highs - what it feels like to perform in front of thousands of people; the excitement of seeing your music soar to Number One around the world - but also the lows. Through it all the girls have had each other, and their incredibly close friendship has grown stronger and stronger as the years have gone by. Now the girls are like sisters, and in this book they share their journeys and how it feels for your dreams to come true.Brimming with exclusive photos, this book shares with us the girls' innermost secrets - their hopes and dreams for the future, their families, their relationships, their style advice and above all their friendship. This book is Little Mix's story in their own words and tells you everything you need to know about their lives both in and out of the spotlight.

  • Save 23%
    by Elizabeth Wilson
    £15.49

    Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is a unique study of the great composer, drawn from the reminiscences and reflections of his contemporaries. Elizabeth Wilson sheds light on the composer's creative process and his working life in music, and examines the enormous and enduring influence that Shostakovich has had on Soviet musical life.'The one indispensable book about the composer.' New York Times

  • by Christopher Gable
    £61.49

    Sheryl Crow continues to be celebrated for her legacy as a singer-songwriter and pop culture icon. This book provides an introduction to Sheryl Crow's entire music catalog. Organized into chronological periods of time, the author weaves biographical facts throughout a narrative rich with details about her songs: how they were created, recorded, distributed, and modified in live performance. Accompanying commentary features song analysis-including song structure, chord progression, and melody-and provides fascinating insights into the lyrical content of Crow's songwriting. The work begins with Crow's upbringing, her musical roots and influences, and how they manifested themselves in her later career. Subsequent sections delve into her road to success and eventual stardom, revealing how her rise to fame and widespread popularity was littered with broken friendships, acrimony, and suicide. The last several chapters follows her life after a diagnosis of breast cancer and the adoption of her sons. The work also includes a chapter on B-sides and rare songs by Crow.

  • Save 21%
    by Neil Kulkarni
    £13.49

    Welcome to The Periodic Table of Hip Hop. Instead of hydrogen to helium, here you'll find James Brown to Kanye West - 94 artists that have defined Hip Hop arranged following the logic of The Periodic Table of Elements. MCs, DJs, rappers and producers are the elements here, and this expert guide orders them to reveal their contrasts and connections, along with key movements and moments in the history of this music genre. Includes: James Brown, P-Funk, Kool Herc, Melle Mel, Sugarhill Records, Fab Five Freddy, Whodini, Run DMC, Rick Rubin, LL Cool J, Kanye West and Jay Z and many, many more...

  • Save 23%
    - David Bowie: The Definitive Story
    by David Buckley
    £15.49

    The Sunday Times bestseller.David Bowie was arguably the most influential artist of his time, reinventing himself again and again, transforming music, style and art for over five decades. David Buckley's unique approach to unravelling the Bowie enigma, via interviews with many of the singer's closest associates, biography and academic analysis, makes this unrivalled biography a classic for Bowie fans old and new. This revised edition of Strange Fascination captures exclusive details about the tours, the making of the albums, the arguments, the split-ups, the music and, most importantly, the man himself. Also including exclusive photographic material, Strange Fascination is the most complete account of David Bowie and his impact on pop culture ever written.

  • Save 23%
    by DK
    £15.49

    An essential guide to more than 1,000 years of classical musicLose yourself in the fascinating story of classical music in The Complete Classical Music Guide. Full of beautiful colour photographs, over 300 inspiring composer biographies, analyses of major classical works and information on every genre, style and form, instrument and ensemble, this is essential reading for every lover of classical music.Be inspired by the composers who have shaped the musical landscape over a millennia from the earliest music, through the Baroque and Romantic eras and right up to the modern classical music of today. Presented in a beautiful glossy slipcase in the shape of a grand piano, The Complete Classical Music Guide will hit the right note with any classical music fan.All content previously published in Eyewitness Companions: Classical Music.

  • Save 15%
    by Carole King
    £10.99

    A memoir by the iconic singer-songwriter chronicling her story from her beginnings in Brooklyn through her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed musical talents, to her present day as a leading performer and activist. From her marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she wrote dozens of songs that hit the charts, to her own achievements, notably with 'Tapestry', which remained on the charts for more than six years, to her experiences as a mother, this memoir chronicles one of music's most successful and fascinating stars. The book includes dozens of photos from King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances over the years.

Music
Music has that special connection with our feelings. It can both make us happy and sad, help through a crisis and through all the difficult feelings we need to acknowledge. Life is not just about being happy, and music can take you on a journey through all those different feelings. In that way music can function as a form of therapy. Music can comfort you and the lyrics can make you feel embraced and recognized. Some of the songs we love most are those, which have that universal feeling and message in them. Those songs that cover all the different and conflicting feelings of life in a verse. You can learn the secrets behind some of the biggest hits or most beautiful ballads in our selection of music books. 
You could also get to know your biggest idol in our icon books. Some of the music icons have lived an inspiring and sometimes hard life, and you can learn a lot from there stories. We have biographic music books with musicians from different genres, all with their own fascinating story. We have multiple music books about the extremely talented singer Freddie Mercury - the frontman, pianist and songwriter in the legendary band Queen. Freddie Mercury had an amazing career and a magnificent voice, and he was at the same time a huge inspiration for homosexuals and generally everyone, who felt different. The singer must tragically lost his life to AIDS and the world lost one of its biggest stars to date, but you can revisit Freddie Mercury’s amazing talent and read his story in the music books Bohemian Rhapsody - The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury, Freddie Mercury - the Biography, Somebody to Love - The Life, Death and Legacy of Freddie Mercury, and many more.

Music books for students
If you are studying the wonderful world of music or just wants to improve your performance you should look at our music theory books. They will help you with all the different techniques no matter the instrument. At Tales you find music books for piano, music books for keyboard and music books for guitar. They will all help you in your musicology study or on your journey to becoming an amazing musician yourself. 
We also have music history books that will take you on a journey with all the greatest from Beethoven and Mozart to Tjajkovskij and Stravinskij. When you travel through the history of music you will also visit different music periods and get a better understanding of why the music sounds so differently throughout history. The music is formed by its time and the historical events of that time. If you are interested in the history of music we will recommend the music history book by Cecil Gray called History of Music. The music book moves in the crossfield between the elementary, educational and tries to give answers to some of the things we do not yet understand. It starts with the Gregorian Chant and moves through investigations of both French, Italian, English, and Russian music. 

Musical
If you like to visit the theatre for a musical you can take some of that magic with you home by finding the books, scripts and lyrics of all the biggest hit shows on Broadway and West End. Experiencing a live performance is something unique, but it is over too fast. That is why we recommend you to dive deeper into your favorite musicals with the music books on Tales. You find the lyrics and story behind the world’s nr. 1 hit musical Hamilton that changed the world. The show won The Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016 and tells the story of one of America’s Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton. The musical contains an amazing Grammy award winning soundtrack with the most brilliant lyrics telling the story of the American civil war. The man behind it all is the extremely talented Lin Manuel Miranda, who tells the story of American then, but with the sounds and faces of modern times. You can dive into the fascinating story of Alexander Hamilton and the musical in the book Hamilton: The Revolution or you can learn how to perform the amazing songs yourself with the music books Hamilton - Vocal Selections & Piano or Hamilton - Easy Piano Selections

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