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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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  • by James Shipway
    £17.99 - 18.49

  • - A visual approach to playing music
    by Andy Schneider
    £14.49

  • by Ruth Meints
    £7.99

    Discover the eight motivational styles and have tons of practical tools at your fingertips to boost motivation in your music studio or classroom.

  • by Cathy Scott
    £14.99

    In this second edition of The Murder of Biggie Smalls, Cathy Scott delves behind the scenes to pore over police records, coroner reports, FBI files, and interviews Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, to reveal new facts surrounding the gangsta rapper's murder. The Notorious B.I.G. exploded onto the hip-hop scene in 1995 with his platinum-selling album Ready to Die. Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace and performing as Notorious B.I.G., grew up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where he dropped out of high school to pursue street culture and his rapping style. Biggie began emceeing his original raps, which were discovered by producer Sean "Puffy" Combs, who took Biggie's gangsta image to the next level. Fame followed two successful rap albums earning million of dollars, a 1996 Billboard Rapper of the Year Award, marriage to R&B singer Faith Evans, a public affair with rapper L'il Kim, and hanging out with Tupac Shakur. The high life for Biggie tragically ended March 9, 1997, after a Los Angeles post-awards party, where he was gunned down in a drive-by, much like friend-turned-enemy Shakur six months earlier. Twenty-four years later, L.A. police still have made no arrests, despite their early confidence that the case would be solved quickly, and after revealing identities of persons of interest who worked for the police department. They dropped the investigation before it ended, stalling the case. Bestselling True Crime author Cathy Scott shares it all in this second edition of The Murder of Biggie Smalls.

  • Save 27%
    - 40 Years of Rap and Hip-hop Photography
    by Vikki Tobak
    £23.99

  • by J B Arban, Allen Vizzutti & Wesley Jacobs
    £47.49

  • Save 11%
    by Jessica Jung
    £7.99

    Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knock-out sequel, about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls Generation.Couture gowns, press parties, international travel. Rachel Kim is at the top of her game. Girls Forever is now the number-one K-pop group in the world, and her fame skyrockets after her viral airport styling attracts the attention of fashion's biggest names. Her life's a swirl of technicolour glamour and adoring fans. Rachel can't imagine shining any brighter.The only thing that's missing is love-but Rachel's determined to follow the rules. In her world, falling in love can cost you everything.Enter Alex. When Rachel literally falls head over designer heels into his lap on a crowded metro, she's tempted to give up her anti-love vows. Alex is more than just heart-stopping dimples and adorably quirky banter. He believes in Rachel's future-both in music and in fashion.But the higher you rise, the harder you fall. And when a shocking act of betrayal shatters her world, Rachel must finally listen to her heart.

  • Save 21%
    by Martin Popoff
    £14.99 - 23.99

  • Save 20%
    by Nathan Evans
    £11.99

    This book of shanties will take you on a journey through time. Nathan Evans presents his favourite songs to sing along to. Find out the history and meaning behind each of the shanties.

  • - Dialogues with Contemporary Musical Improvisers
     
    £34.99

  • Save 29%
    by Gay Talese
    £35.49

    "Sinatra mit Schnupfen ist wie Picasso ohne Farbe, Ferrari ohne Sprit - nur schlimmer. Weil ihn eine Erkältung seines unbezahlbaren Juwels, seiner Stimme, beraubt; sie bohrt sich nicht nur tief in sein Selbstbewusstsein und verändert seine Psyche, sondern ruft obendrein noch eine Art psychosomatischen Schnupfen bei Dutzenden von Menschen hervor, die für ihn arbeiten, mit ihm trinken, ihn verehren, auf Gedeih und Verderb von ihm abhängig sind." -Gay Talese Im Winter 1965 brach der Journalist Gay Talese im Auftrag der Zeitschrift Esquire nach Los Angeles auf, um ein umfangreiches Porträt von Frank Sinatra anzufertigen. Als er ankam, verhielten sich der Sänger und seine wachsame Entourage leider eher frostig: Sinatra war verschnupft und wollte nicht interviewt werden. Doch Talese blieb am Ball. Er nutzte die Zeit, um den Star aus der Distanz zu beobachten und seine Freunde, Kollegen, Produzenten, Studiobosse, Angehörigen, Putzerfische und Satelliten zu interviewen. Sinatra gewährte ihm nie das erhoffte Einzelinterview, doch Taleses Beharrlichkeit zahlte sich dennoch aus: Sein detailversessenes Porträt Frank Sinatra Has a Cold ging als Glanzstück des New Journalism in die Geschichte ein. Das dichte Porträt offenbart ebenso viel über den ausnahmsweise mal maulfaulen Entertainer wie über die ganze Hollywoodmaschinerie. Diese Ausgabe präsentiert Frank Sinatra Has a Cold ergänzt um ein Vorwort von Gay Talese, Faksimiledrucke von Manuskriptseiten, Briefwechsel und Originalstoryboards und eine Vielzahl von Fotos, darunter zahlreiche Aufnahmen des legendären Phil Stern - des einzigen Fotografen, der Sinatras Karriere über vier Jahrzehnte begleitete - und anderer prominenter Bildjournalisten der Sechzigerjahre, wie John Bryson, John Dominis und Terry O'Neill. Die Fotos dokumentieren die vielen Gesichter des nicht gerade pflegeleichten Stars: den Showmenschen, den notorischen Großkotz, den liebevollen Vater, den cleveren Geschäftsmann und Hollywoodkassenmagneten, den Boss des Rat Packs, den Freund führender Mafiosi und den gnadenlosen Womanizer, zu dessen Hofstaat, wie wir dank Talese wissen, auch eine unscheinbare kleine Dame zählte, die ihm stets in einem Köfferchen seine 60 Toupets hinterhertrug. Bislang als signierte Collector's Edition erschienen, nun auch zum Preis eines gepflegten Whiskeys erhältlich.

  • Save 19%
    by Al Fingers
    £32.49

    The long-awaited second edition of Al Fingers' cult classic, Clarks in Jamaica, documenting the history of Clarks shoes in Jamaica with a focus on the reggae and dancehall musicians that have worn and sung about Clarks shoes through the years. Updated with new interviews, photographs and previously unseen archive material.

  • by Dale Raynes
    £10.49

  • - An anthology of 58 arias from oratorios for tenor
     
    £23.49

    This anthology of arias for tenors drawn from Oratorios and Cantatas is beautifully presented and clear to read. Wherever an aria was composed with a preceding recitative this has also been included. An essential collection for students and teachers, and an invaluable resource for professional singers. All the tenor oratorio repertoire for public examinations has been included. Contents include arias from: Vivaldi's Gloria RV 588; Bach's St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio and Easter Oratorio; Handel's Dixit Dominus, L'Allegro, Messiah, Samson, Semele, Solomon, Hercules, Judas Maccabaeus, Jephtha; Haydn's Stabat Mater; C.P.E.Bach's Magnificat; Mendelssohn's St. Paul and Elijah; Verdi's Requiem, Rossini's Petite messe solennelle

  • - How to Play Walking Basslines On Any Chord Sequence - For Upright & Electric Bass
    by Tim Pettingale, John Patitucci & Joseph Alexander
    £17.99

  • - An Unauthorised Compendium: An Unauthorised Compendium
    by Dave Thompson
    £34.49

  • Save 20%
    - Every Album, Every Song
    by Lisa Torem
    £11.99

    In 1992, Singer, pianist and composer Tori Amos achieved fame with the intensely personal solid gold record, Little Earthquakes, the first of fifteen studio albums. Each new recording cut new ground both musically and thematically. Since then, Amos has performed world-wide, both as a soloist and also accompanied.

  • Save 23%
    - The Story Behind Every Track
    by Benoit Clerc
    £36.99

    Album by album and track by track, this first-of-its-kind catalog of David Bowie's entire 50-year and 27-album career tells the story of one of rock's all-time greatest artists.

  • - The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys
    by Lol Tolhurst
    £22.49

    A deeply moving and engaging memoir by Laurence "e;Lol"e; Tolhurst, cofounder of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The CureAs two of the first punks in a provincial English town, Lol Tolhurst and Robert Smith didn't have it easy. Outsiders from the start, theirs was a friendship based initially on proximity and a shared love of music. They began playing together in pubs and soon developed their own unique style and approach to songwriting, resulting in timeless songs that sparked a deep sense of identification and empathy in listeners and spawning a new subculture dubbed "e;Goth"e; by the press. But there was also a dark side to The Cure's intense and bewildering success. Tolhurst was nursing a growing alcoholism that would destroy his place in The Cure and nearly end his life.Intensely lyrical and evocative, gripping and unforgettable, this is the definitive story of a singular band whose legacy endures many decades hence, told from the point of view of a participant and eyewitness who was there when it happened--and even before it all began.

  • - How to Play the Recorder 143 Pages (With Video Lessons)
    by Barton Press
    £9.99

    Learning to Play the Recorder Has Never Been Easier: Get This Comprehensive Guide Today & Master Playing the Recorder in No Time + Unlock Exclusive Access to Video InstructionsThe recorder is a great instrument to help you develop your musicality and learn how to play and feel the music. Moreover, it is one of the simplest instruments to learn.Would you like to: Develop strong lungs and learn to control your breathing?Train your musical ear and learn how to read music?Improve brain functions? (fun fact: reading and playing music is one of the very few activities that uses both sides of the brain at once!)Have better self-discipline and control? Find a relaxing hobby?Then, you need to learn to play the recorder! Yes, you can get all this, and much more, by just learning to play the recorder. If you''re struggling to get started and you''re looking for an effective way to master playing the recorder, this guide will show you the way!

  • Save 13%
    - A Memoir
    by Alan Light & Peter Frampton
    £12.99

    A revelatory memoir by rock icon and legendary guitarist Peter Frampton.

  • Save 15%
    by Jayne County
    £10.99

    The true story of trans punk performance art sensation Jayne County's wild and daring life.

  • Save 15%
    - The Autobiography of Don Letts
    by Don Letts & Mal Peachey
    £10.99 - 15.49

    In There and Black Again, Don Letts looks back on his exceptional life, which has seen him befriend Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, join The Clash's White Riot tour as manager of The Slits and become one of the UK's most highly regarded video directors just as the MTV boom hit.

  • Save 20%
    by Rob Chapman & Syd Barrett
    £11.99

    The complete lyrics of Syd Barrett - 52 songs written for Pink Floyd and during his subsequent solo career - are presented together for the first time, along with rare photos and artwork, to form this beautifully illustrated book.

  • by Laura Hamer
    £25.49 - 75.99

    Music, Twentieth-century and contemporary music, Gender studies

  • Save 25%
    - Album by Album
    by Martin Popoff
    £19.49

  • Save 14%
    - How Drill, Trap and Bashment Made Music New Again
    by Kit Mackintosh
    £9.49

    Examining new genres from the UK and across the Atlantic, including mumble rap, Brooklyn drill, UK drill, trap dancehall and Afrobeats, Neon Screams explores the dystopias and dissociative transcendence offered by this boundary-pushing music.

  • by Angelika Nair
    £84.49

    This book is unique in its approach to, and concentration on, the singing and speaking of consonants-specifically, how the tongue affects singing.

  • Save 15%
    - The Young Nick Cave
    by Mark (author) Mordue
    £10.99

    A brilliant and soulful biography of one of today's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Nick Cave.

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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