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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 13%
    by S. W. Lauden
    £12.99

    Whether they're self-taught bashers or technical wizards, drummers are the thrashing, crashing heart of our favorite punk bands. In Forbidden Beat, some of today's most respected writers and musicians explore the history of punk percussion with personal essays, interviews and lists featuring their favorite players and biggest influences. From 60s garage rock and proto-punk to 70s New York and London, 80s hardcore and D-beat to 90s pop punk and beyond, Forbidden Beat is an uptempo ode to six decades of punk rock drumming. Featuring Ira Elliot, Curt Weiss, John Robb, Hudley Flipside, Bon Von Wheelie, Joey Shithead, Matt Diehl, D.H. Peligro, Mike Watt, Lynn Perko-Truell, Pete Finestone, Laura Bethita Neptuna, Jan Radder, Jim Ruland, Eric Beetner, Jon Wurster, Lori Barbero, Joey Cape, Marko DeSantis, Mindy Abovitz, Steven McDonald, Kye Smith, Ian Winwood, Phanie Diaz, Benny Horowitz, Shari Page, Urian Hackney, and Rat Scabies.

  • Save 10%
    by Melanie C
    £8.99 - 15.49

  • Save 20%
    by The Secret DJ
    £11.99

    The Secret DJ's first two books lifted the lid on what really happens behind the decks in the sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing world of the superstar DJ. Now they've reached out to dozens of DJs from around the world - and from every scene and genre - for their own true stories of the DJ life Tales From the Booth raises the BPM, rounding up an all-star cast of Secret DJs to tell their anonymous stories of what it's really like to rock dancefloors for a living. From strange encounters on tour, to side-splitting debauchery and afterparty excess, to the seamy and even dangerous side of the industry, this is your access-all-areas backstage pass. You'll never look at a DJ quite the same again.

  • Save 17%
    by Rikky Rooksby
    £14.99

    Write better songs with the help of the third edition of The Songwriting Sourcebook.

  • Save 30%
    by Gillian G. Gaar
    £41.99

    Seattle, WA

  • by Alderman Scott Alderman
    £11.49 - 15.99

  • by Simon Doonan
    £16.49

    In this funny and poignant memoir and cultural history, the television personality, columnist, and author of Drag pays homage to Lou Reed’s groundbreaking album Transformer on its fiftieth anniversary and recalls its influence on his coming of age and coming out through glam rock.In November 1972, Lou Reed released his album, Transformer because he thought it was “dreary for gay people to have to listen to straight people’s love songs.” That groundbreaking idea echoed with the times. That same year, Sweden was the first country to legalize gender-affirming surgery, and San Francisco struck down employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.Sometimes an artistic creation perfectly aligns with a broader social and political history, and Transformer—with the songs “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Perfect Day,” and “Vicious”—perfectly captured its time. “Walk on the Wild Side” was banned on radio across the country but became a massive hit when young people threatened to boycott stations that would not play it. The album''s cover featured a high-contrast image of Lou, flaunting a new mascara''d glamrock incarnation, shot by legend Mick Rock, thereby underscoring his intention to create "a gay album."In Transformer, Doonan tells the story of how Lou Reed came to make the album with the help of David Bowie, and places its creation within the course of Reed’s life. Doonan offers first-hand testimony of the album’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, recalling how it transformed his own life as a 20-year-old working class kid from Reading, England, who had just discovered the joys of London Glam Rock and was sparked by the artistic freedom of Warhol’s The Factory. Transformer was a revelation—hearing Reed’s songs, Doonan understood how the world was changing for him and his friends.A poignant, personal addition to modern music and LGBTQ+ history, Transformer captures a pivotal moment when those long silenced were finally given a voice. As transgender icon Candy Darling, highlighted in his lyrics, told Reed, “It’s so nice to hear ourselves.”Transformer includes approximatively 16 pages of black-and-white and color photos.

  • by Jette Finn
    £11.49

  • - + Sounds Online
    by Bettina Schipp & Reynhard Boegl
    £17.49

  • Save 27%
  • Save 24%
    by Martin Power
    £18.99

    Based on interviews with those who knew him and worked with him, White Knuckles: The Life of Gary Moore comprehensively explores his colourful story, for the very first time.

  • - Crisis and Vital Signs
    by Lawrence Kramer
    £23.49

  • - Accordi Per Chitarra - Principianti & Avanzati
    by Mather Pauric Mather
    £13.49

  • - 101 Blues Riffs and Solos for Mandolin
    by Robitaille Brent C Robitaille
    £17.99

  • Save 13%
    - The Duran Duran Story
    by Stephen Davis
    £13.99

    A stunning new biography of Duran Duran by the best-selling author of Gold Dust Woman and Hammer of the Gods

  • - A Study of the 'Improbasen' Learning Centre
    by Guro Gravem Johansen
    £40.99 - 132.99

  • - Containing the Rudimental Principles of Drumbeating, Scale for the Fife, Rudiments of Music and a New and Entirely Original System of Expressing Hand to Hand Drumbeating, Also the Full and Correct United States Army...
    by Gardiner a Strube
    £12.49 - 23.49

    A comprehensive guide to drum and fife music, including rudiments, scales, and original compositions, as well as a unique system for notation and performance. Aimed at both beginners and experienced musicians, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history and technique of traditional American military music.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

  • - a Manual on Drum Playing as Practiced in the United States Army and Navy, Including Drum Duties With Fife and Bugle
     
    £14.49

  • - A 21-Day Devotional for Artists
    by M Miller & CATHERINE
    £10.49

    Are you trying to find your place as an artist in the church? Wondering if anybody cares about your dreams to record an album or publish a book? Do you question if pursuing your art is worthwhile?You are not alone. In A Place of Beauty, artists and pastors from around the world reflect on the timeless truths of Scripture and call us forward to define success by one thing - following Jesus. Step into a 21-day rhythm of reflection, practice, and prayer to be reminded that you are the beloved of God and part of his communion of artistic saints who have a shared struggle, shared celebrations, and shared story as fellow makers in the Kingdom of God. Representing a movement of artists and pastors called UnitedAdoration, the contributors share a common mission to revitalize the creativity of the local church by empowering artists to create in their own language, culture, and context. Written to the heart of the artist in each of us, the personal stories and biblical reflections invite you into deeper union with God. In these stories, you will be challenged and equipped to:Rest in your identity as the Father's belovedSubmit your vocation to the authority of Jesus ChristInvite the Holy Spirit into your creative processYou are an artisan in the Kingdom of God. You have been given the spiritual gifting and skill to cultivate a place of beauty in this world. If you want to learn how, this devotional is for you.

  • by Doug Young
    £17.99

    Hymns for Fingerstyle Guitar contains twenty five well-known hymns arranged for fingerstyle guitar in standard tuning.The arrangements are designed for easy sight reading, with the potential to embellish them on the fly to create more complex arrangements in your own style. In addition to the hymn arrangements, the book includes tips and suggestions on adding your own introductions and endings as well as improvising variations. Recordings of all hymns are available as a free download. Hymns: Abide With MeAmazing GraceA Mighty Fortress is Our GodBe Thou My VisionBlessed AssuranceCome Thou Fount of Every BlessingFairest Lord JesusFaith of Our FathersFor the Beauty of the EarthHe Leadeth MeHoly, Holy, HolyI Have Decided to Follow JesusIn the GardenJesus Loves MeJesus, Keep Me Near the CrossJust As I AmLove Lifted MePraise Him, Praise HimSweet Hour of PrayerThe Old Rugged CrossThis is My Father's WorldTurn Your Eyes Upon JesusWe Are Climbing Jacob's LadderWhat a Friend We Have in JesusWhispering HopeFrom the author's Introduction: This book grew out of a need. Recently, I was asked to play during several funerals, with the request being to "just play some hymns." When I began looking for material, I found a wealth of wonderful arrangements for fingerstyle guitar, but none of them were going to work for me in this situation. Naturally, I had only a few days' notice, so I wasn't going to learn and memorize complex arrangements, no matter how beautiful they were. Even the simplest arrangements I found were many pages long, and I didn't want to be turning pages during a funeral service, the way I would if I tried to read the music rather than memorize it. I also realized that in this setting, the focus wasn't on me, or how clever or complex the music was. I just needed to play appropriate music for the occasion that helped set the mood and that didn't detract from the service. Uncomplicated, melodic arrangements would be a plus.My solution forms the basis of this book - my own arrangements that are simple, almost "sketches" of an arrangement. What I decided I needed was a type of book known as a "fake book" in jazz circles - but for hymns - and designed for solo fingerstyle guitar. Jazz fake books are typically limited to just chord names and perhaps melody. I wanted a bit more than that - basically easily-playable arrangements with no complicated parts, and designed to be extended on the fly.

  • by Doug Young
    £17.99

    Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar contains twenty five well-known Christmas songs arranged for fingerstyle guitar in standard tuning.The arrangements are designed for easy sight reading, with the potential to embellish them on the fly to create more complex arrangements in your own style. In addition to the arrangements, the book includes tips and suggestions on adding your own introductions and endings as well as improvising variations. Recordings of all carols are available as a free download. Songs: Angels We Have Heard on HighAuld Lang SyneAway in a Manger (Mueller)Away in a Manger (Cradle Song)Bring a Torch, Jeanette, IsabellaCoventry CarolGo Tell It on the MountainGod Rest Ye Merry, GentlemenGood King WenceslasHark! The Herald Angels SingHere We Come A-WassailingIn the Bleak MidwinterIt Came Upon a Midnight ClearJoy to the WorldO Christmas TreeO Come All Ye FaithfulO Come, O Come, EmmanuelO Little Town of BethlehemSilent NightThe First NoelThe Holly and the IvyUp on the HousetopWe Three KingsWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasWhat Child is This?From the author's Introduction: Like other books in this series, the tunes in this book are meant to be easy to play, easy to read, and most of all, easy to extend on the fly. There are two basic approaches to playing fingerstyle arrangements: memorize every note of an intricate piece and play it the same way every time, or start with an outline of the tune, and improvise variations. The first approach has the advantage that the notes are all worked out ahead of time, but takes work to memorize. The music may also get stale over time, since everything is locked in. With the second approach, memorization is easier (or maybe even unnecessary), and you can continually explore new variations, making the music more fun to play, and potentially more fun to listen to.Christmas tunes are ideally suited for the improvisational approach. Most musicians don't need to perform them all year long, and it's challenging to maintain a repertoire of memorized arrangements that get played only during the holidays. The arrangements in this book are designed to be pulled out at a moment's notice, and allow you to perform seasonal music without preparation. These sketches are similar to those found in "fake books," but designed for solo fingerstyle guitar. Jazz fake books are typically limited to just chord names and perhaps melody. These arrangements provide a bit more than that - basically easy-to-play arrangements with no complicated parts that are designed to be extended on the fly.

  • Save 21%
    by Keith Cameron
    £13.49

    IF ROCK FANS ASSOCIATE SEATTLE PRIMARILY WITH NIRVANA AND PEARL JAM, TIME HAS SHOWN THAT THE CITY'S MOST INFLUENTIAL GRUNGE BAND MAY WELL HAVE BEEN MUDHONEY. THEY'RE STILL GOING STRONG AND THIS IS THEIR STORY.Formed in early 1988 Mudhoney originally comprised Mark Arm, Matt Lukin, Dan Peters and Steve Turner and their debut single, ‘Touch Me I'm Sick', was the catalytic force behind Nirvana and Pearl Jam who took grunge global.Mudhoney's would have been another story of half-forgotten pioneers paving the way for others who grabbed the prize... except they not only survived all the classic rock band excesses, but they also kept on producing great music. Bolstered by new member Guy Maddison, they celebrated their quarter-century with a superb 2013 album, Vanishing Point, and showed no signs of slowing down with the release of Digital Garbage in 2018 and Morning In America in 2019. Updated with a new chapter drawing on fresh interviews with the group, this book tells an unconventional tale of rock heroism about a band that missed out on superstardom but kept control of the music and triumphantly outlived their more famous disciples.

  • by Jake Jackson
    £6.99

    2O chords per key, organised as a chord per page, this is a simple, compact solution for anyone learning the guitar or needing a quick reminder. Great for beginners, and for those playing with others needing a straightforward reference.

  • Save 30%
    by Hal Leonard Corporation & Adam Perlmutter
    £15.49

  • Save 20%
    by Stephen Palmer
    £11.99

    Long, unfurling tracks; huge stacks of gear; music like that of no other group; trailblazing live gigs based on improvisation. This is the legacy of Tangerine Dream, the legendary German group piloted by Edgar Froese, whose impact on music, and electronic music in particular, has been profound.

  • Save 24%
    - a song cycle
    by J.R.R. Tolkien
    £18.99

    In this song book the composer Donald Swann gives Tolkien characters Bilbo, Treebeard, Sam Gangee and Tom Bombadil tunes for their ballads of the road. Professor Tolkien approved of this and added a tune of his own, along with a glossary of Elvish terms and lore. Includes CD.

  • Save 18%
    by Sami Yaffa
    £16.49

    Sami Yaffa is a bass guitar legend, an icon of the rock world, and an uncompromising walker of his own way, who rose to prominence as the bassist of the mythical Hanoi Rocks. A man of lights and shadows, and the embodiment of street credibility, Yaffa has recorded with Bruce Springsteen and Slash, played with the New York Dolls and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, crawled across Helsinki pubs and restaurants with Anthony Bourdain, and performed at Carnegie Hall. This is his story.

  • Save 23%
    - The Story Behind Every Track
    by Jean-Michel Guesdon
    £38.49

    A revised and updated edition of the comprehensive visual history of the "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" on the occasion of their 60th anniversary. This book tells the history of the Rolling Stones through the recording of their monumental catalog, including 30 studio albums and 29 compilation albums, plus more than a hundred singles.

  • Save 22%
    by Marc Andrews
    £13.99

    Over 14 albums, soundtracks & compilations, the undisputed Queen of Pop has released 80+ singles spanning five decades. In this book, every Madonna song from her 40-year career is examined with new insights, revelations, video & remix info.

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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