We a good story
Quick delivery in the UK

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.
Show more
Filter
Filter
Sort bySort Popular
  • Save 25%
    by Gillian G. Gaar
    £20.99

    San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Toronto, ON; New York, NY; Bristol, England

  • by OH
    £6.99

    From controversial interview quotes to candid life philosophies, through his legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985 to his final days as a solo artist, this little book is full of quotes from Freddie Mercury.

  • Save 15%
    by Fiona (Classical Music Critic - Observer) Maddocks
    £10.99 - 18.99

  • Save 27%
    by LOU REED
    £21.99

    The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed's worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. The Art of the Straight Line features Reed's unpublished writings on the technique, practice, and purpose of martial arts, as well as essays, observations, and riffs on meditation and life.

  • by Jeremy Siskind
    £20.99

    Playing Solo Jazz Piano is an essential new book for creative jazz pianists. The second edition adds two new chapters and audiovisual content to the original. Readers will learn essential solo jazz piano concepts like stride piano, one-handed shell voicings, comping, using basslines, shared-hand voicings, leaving out the bass, and playing ballads. Plus, the book explores modern approaches to solo jazz piano including perpetual motion, counterpoint, and borrowing from classical music. With over 200 musical examples, references to over 100 jazz pianists, and numerous hands-on exercises, Playing Solo Jazz Piano is the perfect how-to for passionate, innovative pianists. " Jeremy has done a remarkable job of organizing the whole history of jazz piano in the book you now hold. It is concise and yet open-ended simultaneously. All of the important concepts and historical styles are here, and presented in a way that is thorough and that will also stimulate you to investigate, listen, experiment and have fun with the world of solo jazz piano.">"Jeremy Siskind's book takes solo pianistson a journey from basic concepts to a real musical conversation: between both hands, across jazz tradition, with textures and rhythms, counterpoint and new harmonies. There's a wealth of musical ideas here: how to efficiently practice, creatively delveinto a song, and musically tell a story.">" I've been waiting for this book! Jeremy Siskind presents a cogent and stimulating series of techniques and approaches to creative solo piano playing, rooted in the tradition while inviting both students and professionals to find their own voice and musical personality. The material is historically informed, well-organized, and specific, yet quite open-ended and fun to read and practice. Early and often, the book provides excellent guidance on how to develop the oft-neglected left hand. Finally, the lists of recommended recorded examples from the music's solo piano masters are an invaluable asset.">" Playing Solo Jazz Piano is an extraordinarily comprehensive text on a complex subject. Jeremy expertly covers a breadth of techniques and styles while introducing fresh concepts drawn from his own unique artistic experience. This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and advanced student alike.">Author Jeremy Siskind is the student of Fred Hersch and the teacher of widely-hailed prodigy Justin-Lee Schultz. A top finisher in several national and international jazz piano competitions, Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition. Besides a performance career in which he has been praised as "a genuine visionary" (Indianapolis Star) who "seems to defy all boundaries" (JazzInk), Siskind is an active teacher, including as a faculty member at Western Michigan University and Fullerton College. The author of over fifteen pedagogical books, Siskind chairs the Creative Track for the National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy and serves as a regular clinician for Yamaha Music Education. He regularly travels too spread peace through music in places like Lebanon, Cyprus, Thailand, China, India, Colombia, and Tunisia with the organization Jazz Education Abroad.

  • Save 29%
    by Peter Spirer
    £28.49

    The ultimate backstage pass: a photographic inside look at the making of the pioneering hip hop documentary Rhyme & ReasonIn the mid-1990s, documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer embarked on a three-year odyssey to create a realistic portrait of hip hop, interviewing over 80 artists. Spirer captured a seminal moment as the culture balanced on the cusp of the mainstream. As Ice-T comments in the introduction to the book, "Rhyme & Reason is one of the few films that was there to document us before hip hop truly exploded."While filming, Spirer took stills using a medium-format Rolleiflex camera. These photographs form The Book of Rhyme & Reason. Spirer writes: "The Rollei allowed me to capture some amazing moments: Puffy getting a trim in his office while doing three tasks at once, Biggie opening record plaques on his couch, Ice-T and Mack 10 hanging with their homies, Heavy D at the barber, playing pool. There was the Jack The Rapper convention with Death Row making a statement, at a Disney World Hotel, that ended in chaos. There were magical moments such as Redman and Erick Sermon freestyling on the mic to amazed onlookers at a block party in Newark and watching Wu-Tang Clan chop it up on the block in Staten Island on a cold winter's day before they exploded."This coffee-table volume features over 130 of Spirer's photographs from 1994 to 1997. As hip hop commemorates its 50th anniversary in 2023, it is particularly fitting that many of these images from this formative period are being published for the first time.Peter Spirer (born 1963) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-nominated director and producer. His catalog of over 32 films includes Rhyme & Reason (1997), Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel, Life of an Outlaw (2002), the BEEF series (2003-5), Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life (2007) and The Legend of 420 (2017).

  • Save 24%
    by Bernie Taupin
    £18.99 - 497.49

  • Save 14%
    by Chris Blackwell
    £9.49 - 16.99

  • Save 10%
    by Nate Rae
    £8.99

    Do you know which country won the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956? And can you name the five members of Kalush Orchestra, the 2022 contest winners? How about which iconic song ABBA won with in 1974?Celebrating the Eurovision Song Contest, this unofficial quiz book features more than 1,200 questions and will test your Eurovision pop history knowledge to the limit. With different levels of difficulty, there's something for everyone - let's just hope you don't score the dreaded nul points!This book is the perfect companion to a Eurovision party night, and would make a great gift for any pop-obsessed friend or family member.

  • Save 25%
    by Ian Glasper
    £17.99 - 46.49

  • Save 14%
     
    £23.99

    En original sangbog til alle befolkningerne i hele EU, som kan lære hinanden bedre at kende ved at udveksle – ikke kul, stål eller fisk – men sange.The EU Songbook præsenterer et bredt spektrum af genrer og europæisk kulturhistorie fra 1400-tallet til i dag, fra folkemusik til moderne popsange. EU’s motto “forenet i forskellighed” manifesterer sig dermed på spektakulær vis i denne samling, der omfatter både internationalt elskede klassikere og lokale perler, som ikke er kendt uden for det enkelte EU-lands egne grænser.The EU Songbook omfatter 6 sange fra hvert af de 27 EU-lande samt Europahymnen og en særlig hilsen til Storbritannien – i alt 164 sange med tekst og noder. Sangene falder i 6 kategorier (love songs, nature & seasons, freedom & peace, folksongs & traditionals, faith & spirituality og children’s songs), og alle bringes med teksten på det originale sprog samt i en sangbar engelsk oversættelse. Blandt oversætterne finder man flere kendte lyrikere og singer-songwriters, og bl.a. har Suzanne Brøgger oversat Man binder os på mund og hånd.Sangene er valgt af EU’s befolkninger: Mere end hundrede musiklærerorganisationer, korforeninger og musikkonservatorier fra hele EU har nomineret et større antal sange i hvert land. Derefter har 27 folkeafstemninger, hvori næsten 100.000 EU-borgere har afgivet en halv million stemmer, kåret vinderne i hvert land.

  • by Melody Lau
    £10.99

    A guide to the music and multifaceted career of Canadian artists and songwriters Tegan and Sara.Through interviews with Tegan and Sara, their collaborators, journalists, and fans, this book explores the multifaceted career of one of musics most celebrated sister duos, from their start as Neil Youngs protgs to Canadian indie-rock purveyors and, making their riskiest transformation yet, into mainstream pop breakouts.Coming up as grunge-loving musicians in the late '90s and early 2000s, Tegan and Sara found themselves awkwardly pushed into categories that didnt quite fit: a novelty twin sister folk act when they wanted to be taken seriously; pop when they wanted to be indie rock; and sellouts when they finally made their bid for mainstream success. As young, queer musicians who didnt see anyone else like themselves growing up (in a time where Internet access hadnt yet formed global spaces and communities for LGBTQ+ people), Tegan and Saras path to pop stardom was filled with familiar hurdles, but no clear instructions on how to navigate things like homophobic press, niche queer audiences that wanted to claim them, or sexism at every turn.Its a journey with ups and downs, but Tegan and Saras perseverancealongside a music industry and journalism world thats had to learn to confront its own biaseshas helped create a musical world today that more readily accepts and embraces queer voices. Featuring continuous sonic transformations, Tegan and Saras story is essential to Canadian music history.

  • Save 13%
    by Peter Jones
    £20.99

    Donald Fagen will forever be associated with Steely Dan, the band he formed with Walter Becker and four other musicians in 1972. The smooth, radio-friendly veneer of the duo's songs made Steely Dan internationally popular and famous in the 1970s, but the polish glossed over the underlying layers of anger, disappointment, sleaze, and often downright weirdness lurking just beneath the surface. The elliptical lyrics were-and continue to be-an endless source of fascination. What kind of person was capable of writing such songs? Fagen has always kept his true self hidden behind walls of irony, confounding most journalistic enquiries with a mixture of obscurity and sarcasm. Nightfly cracks open the door to reveal the life behind the lyrics and traces Fagen's story from early family life in suburban New Jersey, to his first encounter with Walter Becker at Bard College, their long struggle for recognition as songwriters, and the formation of Steely Dan. The band's break-up in 1981, re-formation in 1993, and Fagen's parallel solo career are covered in detail.Author Peter Jones seeks to explain the public's continuing fascination with Fagen's music, both in collaboration with Becker and as a solo artist.

  • Save 20%
    by Grant Brydon
    £11.99

    Adopt a hip-hop mindset to take control of your own narrative and become the best version of yourself with 50 must-read lessons on creativity and self help that will inspire a new generation. Grant Brydon has interviewed some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Here he shares the creative directions and tips derived from one-on-one conversations with Pharrell Williams, J Cole, Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, and many more. With chapters covering motivation, creativity, authenticity, reinventions, mental wellbeing, resilience, and more, the advice gleaned from these important artists' life experiences will help you to face up to your own challenges and inspire you to make simple changes that have major positive consequences. Lessons include: - Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and producer J Cole on how to Define Success - Grammy award-winning hip-hop- legend Nas on Maintaining Focus on What's Important- A lesson in Committing to Inspiration from Flo Milli, viral TikTok sensation and Best New Artist nominee at the 2020 BET - Hip Hop Awards- Big Sean on how to Take Time Off and Talk to Someone- Multiple BET Hip Hop Awards nominee Action Bronson on how not to be discouraged- Kenny Beats - producer of Vince Staples and Ed Sheeran - on the dangers of overthinking- Grammy nominated Freddie Gibbs on Integrity - Hip-hop royalty Pharrell Williams on the importance of always staying curious- Mac Miller on reinvention

  • Save 19%
    by David Paton
    £12.99

    Discovering The Beatles at the age of fourteen, David Paton had no idea that one day he'd work with Paul McCartney in Studio Two at Abbey Road or that he'd write a number one worldwide hit, or that he'd spend three years touring the world and recording as bass player with Elton John, including playing in his band at Live Aid. These achievements were well beyond his imagination - yet he did them. For David, making music was a joy and a privilege, but his career as a musician made it possible for him to meet and work with some of the world-famous artists that he idolised. David Paton is the singer, songwriter and bass player with the group Pilot, writing the worldwide hits 'Magic', 'January' and 'Just a Smile'. He was a member of The Alan Parsons Project for ten years and did session work with The Pretenders, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Chris De Burgh, Chris Rea and Jimmy Page, to name but a few. This book gives an insight into the life of a successful songwriter and session musician. He has a lot to say, but as well as telling his story, the book also offers valuable insight into what to do - and what not to do - for creative people interested in pursuing a career in music.

  • by Adam Lee
    £13.99

    Blackpink is one of the most well-known girl K-pop groups ever, with millions of fans worldwide.Made up of four gorgeous, talented, and rebellious girls, everything you'd like to know about Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé is included in this book! You are invited to a visually enriched journey, including stunning, brand-new pics, to better understand what Blackpink have achieved.Starting from their time doing an apprenticeship together till becoming the absolute icons of the female K-pop music scene, this book will cover all you need to know about the band.Start leafing through to find out more about the missing members of Blackpink, Teddy Park, the idols' pets and much more.This up-to-date guide with the latest information and images of the band from The Album to the present is a treasure every Blink should have.

  • by LOUIS R. FEUILLARD
    £14.49 - 22.49

  •  
    £6.99

    Christmas Classics are collections of timeless (and most requested) traditional carols that students are sure to enjoy and cherish throughout the holiday season! Each book of arrangements are designed to go along with the corresponding levels of the Bastien New Traditions All-In-One Course, or the comparable level of any (similar) piano course. In each book, the carols appear in progressive order of difficulty. Duets for each carol (Primer A, Primer B and Level 1 only) provide students with wonderful ensemble playing opportunities. The duets offer a rhythmic foundation for student beginners and may be played by the teacher, a student's parent or sibling, or a more advanced student. Holiday-themed activity pages are woven into each book to provide fun review and reinforcement of beginning concepts. Gorgeous, full-color illustrations enhance the student experiences.

  • Save 13%
  • by Barry Phillips
    £27.49

    The book traces the story of how a song recorded in 1981 by a young punk rock band from a cultural backwater on the English-Welsh border, and released on a tiny independent record label, became famous in a Yugoslavia formed in the image of Marshall Tito? Why was it 30 years before the members of the band found out? How did this 'socialist' country have one of the most vibrant punk scenes in the world?Gloucester, England, 1981; multi-racial, teenage street-punk band, Demob, recorded and released what would become their best known and most enduring song, No Room For You. A rasping vocal told the story of the 1979 closure of a short-lived, punk rock venue at a disused motel on the edge of the provincial city. Depending on your mind-set, the lyrics were either a howl of rage at the injustice, a wail at the loss, or a love-song to an era. More than three decades later, the author - and Demob's bass player in 1981 - set out to follow the song across a country that no longer exists. On the road he heard the life stories of the heroes of Yugoslavian punk and the punks themselves; from the Tito era, through the disintegration and wars, forced displacements and permanent exiles, to today's turbulent 'reconstruction. Who were 'Tito's punks' and who are they now?An unvarnished but also affectionate portrait of Yugoslavia in the years before its demise through to the present, seen through the unlikely lens of punk and punk rockers. Part travelogue, part history the book is both, and neither, of those things. Rather, it is a mural and soundtrack of a journey through a time and place which no longer exists. The latest addition to the Global Punk series from Intellect.

  • Save 21%
    by Stephen Davis
    £13.49

  • Save 19%
    by John van der Kiste
    £12.99

    Eagles began as a backing group for Linda Ronstadt, then realised they had the potential to strike out on their own.

  • Save 24%
    by Charles Ginger
    £15.99

    They say the winner takes it all, and when it came to fame, fortune and writing their name into the annals of pop music, ABBA certainly did. But just how did four young Scandinavian singers join forces to become the biggest- selling pop band in history? From their early days as budding artists to winning Eurovision, storming the global charts and bringing Australia to a hysterical halt, this is the history of arguably the most iconic pop act the world has ever seen. With in-depth analysis of all nine studio albums, accounts from their tours and a look at how the band managed to keep turning out the smash hits even as their private lives collapsed, prepare to dive into a world of glitzy gear, record-breaking songs and blockbuster movies. Oh, and there's the fishy agreement that made it all possible. I hope you enjoy the journey. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do...

  • Save 16%
    by Marie Fredriksson
    £15.99 - 20.99

  • by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne
    £20.99

    Anglo Concertina from Beginner to Master includes 72 tunes for the C/G 30-button Anglo concertina and uses a simple tablature system along with standard musical notation and multiple exercises to teach simple tunes in the home keys all the way up to complex classical arrangements. It also teaches tunes in different keys and different modes plus many types of ornamentation and styles of accompaniment. Many of the tunes are from early 19th century concertina tutors and others are from historical 18th and 19th century tune books and manuscripts. In addition to several hymns, two classical Baroque pieces by Telemann and Westhoff are also notated and discussed. The book is divided into chapters with each chapter being based around a different theme or style of concertina playing. Each of these chapters gets gradually more complex as it progresses and each chapter, overall, is more complex than the one that proceeds it. Each tune has been assigned an ability level from one to seven- taking you through from beginner to master. Each selection has a Button Map showing which buttons are needed to play the tune, and has the same easy-to-use tablature system found in other Rollston Press concertina books. And this book comes with video instruction! Every tune also has a smartphone-scannable QR code that links to a video of Cohen showing how the tune is played. Working through all these tunes will not be easy, but thanks to the diligent teaching of master player Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne it will quickly develop and elevate your playing skills. THE TUNES: All Around the Maypole See How They Trot, Beautiful Star, The Birmingham March, Bridgeford, Bryan O'Lynn, The Buds of May, Cambridge New, Cambridge Short Tune, The Cat's Polka, Chamberlain Election, The Christmas Tale, Colchester, Cotillon, Cure of all Grief, The Devil in a Bush, Dover, Ellingham Assembly, The Exile, Favourite Banjo Breakdown, The Fiddler's Jig, Fishes in the Sea, Freedom and Liberty, French March, Frogmore Farm, Grano's March, Harliquin Air, Holborn March, Honey Moon, King's Polka, Lady Cathcart, Litchfield Races, The London Camp, The Magic Girdle, Maid in the Wood, Marey's Dream, The Martyrs Tune, Marybone Assembly, Minasi Number 3, Minasi Waltz Number 7, Miss Gayton's Hornpipe, Nineteenth of May, Now or Never, Oxford Tune, Paddy Wack, The Philosopher's Jigg, Prince William, Rakish Highlandman, Rattling Morgan, Sailor's Hornpipe, Saxon Hornpipe, Spring's Waltz, Such a Wife as Willy Had, Take a Dance, Tekeli, Telemann's 5th Fantasia - First Movement, Telemann's 5th Fantasia - Second Movement, Telemann's 5th Fantasia - Third Movement, Telemann's 5th Fantasia for solo flute, The Tempest, Trip to London, Two and Two, Tyroler Waltzer, The Unfortunate Cup of Tea, Union Waltz, The Vesper's Hymn, Waltz, Welsh Fusiliers, West Cottage Hornpipe, Westhoff's 4th Partita - Allemande, Westhoff's 4th Partita - Courante, Westhoff's 4th Partita - Gigue, Westhoff's 4th Partita - Sarabande, Westhoff's 4th Partita for solo violin, Westwood Park, When once I lay with another Man's Wife, Wilkes's Wriggle, Windsor Terrace.

  • Save 25%
    by Dolly Parton
    £19.49

    "For the first time ever, legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton brings you behind the lyrics of 175 of her songs to reveal the personal stories and vibrant memories that have inspired sixty years of songwriting. Lushly illustrated and told in Dolly's inimitable voice, this rich collection offers an intimate, exclusive look at the colorful life, prolific career, and rags-to-rhinestones journey of one of the most revered entertainers of our time"--

  • by Jeremy Siskind
    £27.49

  • Save 14%
    by Adelle Stripe & Lias Saoudi
    £9.49

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

Join thousands of book lovers

Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.