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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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  • - The Complete Guide to Modern Heavy Metal Guitar
    by Rob Thorpe
    £29.99

    This 3-book compilation is filled with over 360 musical examples. Every concept and technique is demonstrated with stylistic licks and riffs - No mindless exercises! Throughout, creativity and understanding is prioritized to you with the knowledge and confidence to get playing immediately Audio is included for all the 360+ examples, including nine extended solo studies and backing tracks. The first two books provide an easy-to follow-method for learning heavy metal guitar from the ground up. For the beginner, with the fundamentals in place, each book starts from the classic rock influences of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, before charting a course through metal's varied development.

  • Save 22%
    - Radical Escapism in the Age Of Paranoia
    by Joe Banks
    £20.99

    An account of the English rock band Hawkwind shows them to be one of the most innovative and culturally significant bands of the 1970s.Fifty years on from when it first formed, the English rock band Hawkwind continues to inspire devotion from fans around the world. Its influence reaches across the spectrum of alternative music, from psychedelia, prog, and punk, through industrial, electronica, and stoner rock. Hawkwind has been variously, if erroneously, positioned as the heir to both Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground, and as Britain's answer to the Grateful Dead and Krautrock. It has defined a genre—space rock—while operating on a frequency that's uniquely its own.Hawkwind offered a form of radical escapism and an alternative account of a strange new world for a generation of young people growing up on a planet that seemed to be teetering on the brink of destruction, under threat from economic meltdown, industrial unrest, and political polarization. While other commentators confidently asserted that the countercultural experiment of the 1960s was over, Hawkwind took the underground to the provinces and beyond. In Days of the Underground, Joe Banks repositions Hawkwind as one of the most innovative and culturally significant bands of the 1970s. It's not an easy task. As with many bands of this era, a lazy narrative has built up around Hawkwind that doesn't do justice to the breadth of its ambition and achievements. Banks gives the lie to the popular perception of Hawkwind as one long lysergic soap opera; with Days of the Underground, he shows us just how revolutionary Hawkwind was.

  • Save 21%
    - Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams
    by Nick Tosches
    £13.49

    From dealing blackjack in the small-time gangster  town of Steubenville, Ohio, to carousing with the  famous "Rat Pack" in a Hollywood he  called home, Dean Martin lived in a grandstand,  guttering life of booze, broads, and big money. He  rubbed shoulders with the mob, the Kennedys, and  Hollywood''s biggest stars. He was one of America''s  favorite entertainers. But no one really knew him.  Now Nick Tosches reveals the man behind the  image--the dark side of the American dream. It''s a  wild, illuminating, sometimes shocking tale of sex,  ambition, heartaches--and a life lived hard, fast,  and without  apologies.

  • Save 24%
    - Lyrics and More
    by Iggy Pop
    £18.99

    James Newell Osterberg Jr., better known by his stage name Iggy Pop, is an American singer, songwriter and musician, widely acknowledged as the "The Godfather of Punk". From Raw Power to Lust for Life, he has written a number of influential albums and iconic singles both as the vocalist of The Stooges and as a solo artist who collaborated with David Bowie, Debbie Harry, Alice Cooper and many more.

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    - The Band that Dave Made
    by Stevie Chick
    £18.99

    Published to coincide with the twenty-fifth of the band's founding, an insightful and visual look at the rock survivors' journey so far.

  • Save 14%
    - A Practical 3D Audio Theory for Recording, Studio Production, Sound Reinforcement, and Virtual Reality
    by Franz Zotter
    £38.49

    The book offers readers a deeper understanding of Ambisonic technologies, and will especially benefit scientists, audio-system and audio-recording engineers. In the advanced sections of the book, fundamentals and modern techniques as higher-order Ambisonic decoding, 3D audio effects, and higher-order recording are explained.

  • Save 10%
    - Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Carry, One Chord on Every Page
    by Jake Jackson
    £8.99

    A great companion for both guitar and piano players, this book places the most popular chords in context. Includes clear diagrams and concise information on what chords are, how they can be used, and what they can be used alongside, with guidance on chord progressions.

  • Save 27%
    by Paul Anderson
    £21.99

    Featuring a foreword by Suggs and jam-packed with iconic images, this is the definitive visual history of the Suedehead way of life.

  • Save 10%
    - The Unique Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Units, Keyboards and Studio Equipment
    by Mick Ekers
    £31.49

    Frank Zappa was an unremitting musical innovator and experimenter always looking for ways to exploit the latest advances in technology. His working life coincided with the explosive development of music technology that ran from the 1960s through the following three decades. Without such inventions as the Marshall amplifier the Gibson SG the wah-wah pedal and the Synclavier¿much of it modified to his requirements and used in ways for which they had never been designed¿Zappa's air sculptures as his music has been described would have had a significantly different shape and texture. Lavishly illustrated¿including over 180 unique photographs of Frank Zappa's guitars and equipment taken by the author at his UMRK studio in LA and featuring a foreword by Dweezil ZappäZappa's Gear offers an unprecedented inside look at the machinery behind the legendary music. In addition to a detailed presentation of the equipment Zappa's Gear also introduces some of the pioneering inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs without whom the instruments would not exist. Zappa's Gear is an official Frank Zappa book produced and written with the full cooperation and endorsement of Gail Zappa and the Zappa Family Trust.

  • Save 23%
    - The Real Life of Robert Johnson
     
    £15.49

    Up Jumped the Devil will astonish blues fans who thought they knew something about Robert Johnson.

  • - The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark
    by John Einarson
    £18.99

    MR. TAMBOURINE MAN THE STORY OF THE BYRDS GENE CLARK

  • Save 20%
    - The True Story of Faith No More
    by Adrian Harte
    £11.99

    The definitive biography of one of the most intriguing bands of the late twentieth century, written with the participation of the group s key members.

  • Save 13%
    - 30 Powerful Patterns to Unleash Your Inner Icon
    by Anna Fleiss
    £12.99

    The perfect gift for popular culture feminists and audiophiles alike, Women Who Rock Cross-Stitch features 30 bold cross-stitch patterns alongside off-beat biographies of 20 of the music industry's most seminal figures.

  • - with Audio and Video Recordings
    by Samuel (Juilliard School of Music Adler
    £57.99

    The book that set the standard for orchestration texts.

  • - Study score
    by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    £75.99

  • by Jb Arban
    £20.49

    Hailed the Trumpet Bible for over 150 years, this complete pedagogical method contains hundreds of exercises for brass instruments, beginning with basics and progressing to advanced compositions, including the author's famous arrangement of "The Carnival in Venice." Sharing the knowledge he acquired from many years of experience as a performer and teacher, Arban discusses every aspect of playing with emphasis on articulation, tonguing, slurs, tone, and range. He offers an appreciation of all the instrument's inherent difficulties as well as instructive points that touch upon all possible musical questions. Whether you are a beginner or an old master, this unabridged republication of the 1912 edition is an asset to trumpet, French horn, and cornet players. Joseph Jean-Baptiste Laurent Arban (1825-1889), the first famed virtuoso of the cornet, applied Niccolò Paganni's virtuosic technique for the violin to the cornet to prove that the cornet is a true solo instrument. From 1841 to 1845, Arban studied trumpet under Francois Dauverné at the Paris Conservatoire. He was appointed professor of sax horn at the École Militaire in 1857 and professor of cornet at the Paris Conservatoire in 1869. Arban devoted his life to music working as a conductor, composer, and professor. His legacy endures in the Arban Method, which continues to be widely studied by modern horn players, along with his masterful arrangement of "The Carnival of Venice," which remains a legendary soloist cornet piece.

  • - The Ultimate Guide to Learn Guitar: Best Tips and Tricks for Learning Guitar
    by Mavis Kerr
    £7.49

  • by Merlin Blencowe
    £33.99

    Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass is the most comprehensive guide to the design of tube-based preamplifiers for musical instrument use, in a single volume. From the input to the phase inverter this book discusses in detail the inner workings and practical design of every part of a conventional guitar preamp, including the use of triodes, pentodes, tone controls, effects loops and much more. This second edition is fully revised and includes four new chapters covering noise, signal switching, topology, and grounding. Aimed at intermediate-level hobbyists and circuit designers, it explores how to manipulate distortion and maximise performance for the perfect tone. With easy-to-read explanations, minimal math and over 250 diagrams and figures, it is an essential handbook for any tube amp enthusiast!

  • Save 16%
    by JOHANN SEBASTI BACH
    £14.99

    Perhaps the greatest of all works for the solo Cello. Bach's 6 Cello Suites BWV 1007-1012 edited by Hugo Becker.Suiten fÿr Violoncello solo BWV 1007‿1012Vielleicht das großartigste aller Werke fÿr das Solo-Cello. Bachs 6 Cellosuiten BWV 1007-1012, herausgegeben von Hugo Becker.

  • Save 27%
    - 101 Iconic Underground Rock Albums, 1966-1970
    by Richard Morton Jack
    £21.99

  • by Ralph J Murphy
    £25.99

  • - The Autobiography. Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks and More.
    by Bill Bruford
    £18.99

  •  
    £26.49

    An expanded and updated edition, this Companion will appeal to students and practitioners of electronic music. Including four new chapters and new artists' statements, this book explores the history, theory, creation and analysis of a wide range of styles across the worldwide electronic music scene.

  • Save 10%
    - The Definitive Biography
    by Mick Wall
    £8.99

    'All the hard-living, the drinking, the drugging, the sex, the money, all the bullshit, it was never hard. It was easy. The hard part was not dying from it.' Lemmy, as told to Mick Wall'Unflinching, forthright and full of wry humour as the man himself, and there's little praise greater than that' CLASSIC ROCK

  • Save 25%
    - A Visual Document
    by Terry Burrows
    £20.99

    The definitive history of the iconic independent label Mute Records.

  • by Nancy November
    £78.99

    The first detailed contextual study of chamber music in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when the string quartet reigned supreme among the different chamber genresThis book is the first detailed contextual study of string quartets in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when that genre reigned supreme among the different chamber genres. Focusing on a key transition period in the early nineteenth century, which bore witness to fundamental shifts in the 'private' sphere of music-making, it explores the 'cultivation' of string quartets by composers, critics, listeners, performers, publishers and patrons. The book highlights these parties' interactions, ideas and ideals, which were central to defining the unique cultures of chamber music arising at this time. We gain fresh insights into publishing and marketing, performance venues and practices, review culture, listening theories and practices, and composition in early nineteenth-century Vienna. Until now, the unique theatricality of chamber music, and the 'social' nature of its discourse, has been poorly appreciated. Cultivating String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna addresses this misconception and enriches our understanding of this crucial period of change, in which concert life began and previously 'private' music was moved out onto the stage. NANCY NOVEMBER is Associate Professor in Musicology at the University of Auckland.

  • Save 27%

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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