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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 32%
    by Gerald Scarfe
    £101.49

    A stunning book, collecting the artwork from Pink Floyd's The Wall and presenting it as it has never been seen before.

  • Save 15%
    - And Other Conversations
    by Johnny Cash
    £10.99

    Johnny Cash seemed like the stuff of legend when he was alive, and even more so as he achieved something close to sainthood in death. The interviews collected here bring us closer to the actual man: brilliant, falliable, introspective, and longing for redemption.Mythmaker, philosopher, sinner, and saint, Johnny Cash is perhaps the quintessential American icon. Though often rebellious and unruly, he rarely spoke without intention, sincerity, and a bit of poetry. The interviews here spotlight that inimitable rhetorical style, and the fascinating diversity of subjects that made him as relatable as he was mysterious. From a hopped up early interview with Pete Seeger, to a meditation on sobriety, to the last interview in which he stares calmly into the face of death, this collection brings together decades of insight as deeply profound as the unforgettable baritone of The Man in Black himself.

  • Save 27%
    by Brian Hiatt
    £21.99

    A detailed look at each and every one of his tracks, providing a unique look at this rock legend's method, as well as some of the many anecdotes and tales that are prolific in his long music history.

  • Save 13%
    - Madness and Black Radical Creativity
    by La Marr Jurelle Bruce
    £20.99 - 74.49

    La Marr Jurelle Bruce ponders the presence of "madness" in black literature, music, and performance since the early twentieth century, showing how artist ranging from Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill to Nina Simone and Dave Chappelle activate madness as content, form, aesthetic, strategy, philosophy, and energy in an enduring black radical tradition.

  • - Psychological Strategies for Optimal Flow
    by Sarah Sinnamon
    £32.99 - 132.99

  • by Senior Research Fellow in Music and Music Technology, Professor of Music, Michael (Professor of Music, et al.
    £31.99 - 111.99

    A ground-breaking investigation of how new technological developments have influenced the creative possibilities of composers of computer music in the last 50 years.

  • Save 14%
    by Sophy Roberts
    £9.49

    A Sunday Times BOOK OF 2020: 'Extraordinary.''An extraordinary, cadenced journey into music, exile and landscape.' EDMUND DE WAAL_______________Siberia's story is traditionally one of exiles, penal colonies and unmarked graves.

  • Save 15%
    - The Last of the Great Rock Stars: The Authorised Biography of The Who's John Entwistle
    by Paul Rees
    £10.99

    The authorised biography of The Who's John Entwistle

  • Save 20%
    - Tales of Glamour and Excess
    by Danny Sugerman
    £11.99

    WONDERLAND AVENUE is the careering autobiography of someone who wilfully, skilfully and enthusiastically abused all the cards that life dealt.

  • Save 22%
    - An Experiential Approach to Sound, Music, and Psychoacoustics
    by Eric J. Heller
    £77.99

    A groundbreaking textbook that explores the phenomena and physics of music and soundWhy You Hear What You Hear is the first book on the physics of sound for the nonspecialist to empower readers with a hands-on, ears-open approach that includes production, analysis, and perception of sound. The book makes possible a deep intuitive understanding of many aspects of sound, as opposed to the usual approach of mere description. This goal is aided by hundreds of original illustrations and examples, many of which the reader can reproduce and adjust using the same tools used by the author (e.g., very accessible applets for PC and Mac, and interactive web-based examples, simulations, and analysis tools that can be found on the book's website: whyyouhearwhatyouhear.com). Readers are positioned to build intuition by participating in discovery.This truly progressive introduction to sound engages and informs amateur and professional musicians, performers, teachers, sound engineers, students of many stripes, and indeed anyone interested in the auditory world. The book does not hesitate to follow entertaining and sometimes controversial side trips into the history and world of acoustics, reinforcing key concepts. You will discover how musical instruments really work, how pitch is perceived, and how sound can be amplified with no external power source.Sound is key to our lives, and is the most accessible portal to the vibratory universe. This book takes you there.The first book on sound to offer interactive tools, building conceptual understanding via an experiential approachSupplementary website (http://www.whyyouhearwhatyouhear.com) provides Java, MAX, and other free, multiplatform, interactive graphical and sound appletsExtensive selection of original exercises available on the web with solutionsNearly 400 full-color illustrations, many of simulations that students can do

  • - Picking, Sweeping and Tapping Licks in the Styles of The Guitar Masters
    by Chris Brooks & Joseph Alexander
    £17.99

  • Save 22%
    by Steve Pilkington
    £13.99

  • Save 25%
     
    £17.99

    The World of Bob Dylan aims at a wide audience looking to gain a deeper familiarity with the art and legacy of one of the world's most influential artists. Carefully integrated essays offer a lively and accessible look at topics that include song writing, civil rights, literature, law, and more.

  • - Learn to Solo Effortlessly
    by Guitar Nation
    £11.49

    Guitar Scales for Beginners: Here''s the Perfect Guide if You Want to Become a Guitar Pro and Play Solos Effortlessly Would you like to:Take your guitar playing to the next level?Be better at improvisation and playing solos?Enhance your creativity through music theory?If you are just entering into the world of guitar, it is likely that you''ve heard a thing or two about scales. Unfortunately, many new guitarists shudder when they hear the word "scale". Music theory can certainly seem intimidating if you don''t know where to start! This book will help you understand that learning scales is not difficult or tedious. In fact, scales can be tons of fun if you know how to use them to make music. Plus, scales help guitarists build strength, technique, and hand coordination. Knowing scales will also allow you to solo andimprovise with ease!Here''s what this book can teach you:Guitar Scales 101: What they are, how to practice, and why it''s so important that you learn scales (hint: creativity and improvisation)Understanding the Fretboard: How to identify the fretboard''s numbered frets and learn musical notes and their names on the fretboard, plus the chromatic scaleIntervals and Keys: Understanding what an interval is with examples from many different popular songs, with exercises that will help you finally get the right keysThe Most Important Scales and Modes: Learning how to play major and minor scales, learning different patterns and positions, plus the pentatonic scale and exotic scales (Oriental, Japanese, Hungarian...)Practice Makes Perfect: Ascending and descending exercises, how to practice on one string, tricks for changing direction, how to use nursery rhymes and singing to get better at scales, tips and tricks for improvisationIf you''re ready to take your guitar playing to a new creative and professional level, it''s time to learn the scales! This book is a perfect guide for beginners-you will learn everything you need to know in a simple and practical way!

  • Save 30%
     
    £41.99

    Crammed full of live and off stage shots of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer from their days with The Nice, King Crimson, Arthur Brown's Crazy World and Atomic Rooster, through the ELP years, as well as documenting their solo work and other outside projects. Topped and tailed with 15,000 words by musicologist and author Laura Shenton.

  • Save 21%
    by Reid Chancellor
    £13.49

    2020 marks the 27th anniversary of the death of GG Allin, the most notorious rock n roll artist of all time. He was loved and hated, but it was clear to everyone that he knew how to create a spectacle: defecating on stage, throwing blood at the audience, self-mutilation, and violent attacks. This colouring and activity book honours the best of his unique creative expression. Draw his tattoos, colour his infamous onstage antics, engage with his unflinching takes on death, pain, and religion. Channel your rage through the page.

  • - How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins
    by Bjoergvin Benediktsson
    £15.49

    Learn a Proven Step By Step Mixing Process That''s Helped Thousands of Musicians Like Yourself Make Amazing Mixes in Their Home Studio, Using Only EQ, Compression, Reverb, Delay, and Saturation"This is the NO BS guide to taking your mixes to the next level! Bj├╢rgvin has been teaching and writing about recording for a decade, and really understands that stuff that we all struggle with in the home studio. Step By Step Mixing takes you through the full process of making sure your mixes rock from ruff to radio ready!"-Lij Shaw, Award winning Producer and Podcaster of Recording Studio RockstarsLet Me Ask You This:Do you fight to make all your instruments fit together in a busy mix?Do you struggle to EQ each instrument to sit in their frequency range without getting in the way of everything else?Do you tear your hair out finding the right compression setting for each track?Do you have a hard time using reverb and delay without cluttering up your mix?Do you get confused by saturation and how to use it to get a warmer sounding mix?If you answered yes to one of those questions - don''t worry - you''re not alone.If you want to make better mixes immediately in your home studio that translate to every speaker system, whether you''re working on demos for your band or mixing records for your clients, then Step By Step Mixing is for you.Here''s What You''ll Learn Inside:Learn to get organized and simplify your mixing process to create more mixes that sound better in less timeLearn practical EQ tips to make all of your instruments fit in your mixLearn to use compression to create punchy and tight mixesLearn to use reverb and delay to add space and depth to your mixes without cluttering up the song and making yourself sound like an amateurLearn everything you need to know about saturation to add that secret sauce to your songs that make people take notice of your skillsLearn an invaluable process to getting your mix to translate to any speaker or sound systemStep by Step Mixing covers the theory behind each processor while giving you simple to use, practical audio tips you can use to improve your mixes.Every chapter is broken down as such:Explanations on the theory behind what the plug-ins do and how to use them: You''ll get a thorough walkthrough of the various regions of the frequency spectrum. You''ll understand exactly how to use your compressors. You''ll learn all about the various reverb and delay settings and you''ll get very familiar with using saturation (without overloading and distorting your mixes!).Common Problems and Their Practical Solutions: After you understand how each processor works we''ll talk about some real world scenarios. You''ll learn practical and easy to use tips to make your mixes jump out of the speakers.Simply put...Step By Step Mixing is For You If...You''re exhausted with your trial and error process that keeps you second-guessing yourself about whether your music sounds any good.If you''re tired of individual tricks and wished you had a clear set of instructions on how to make your mixes sound like the professional records you love so much, then Step By Step Mixing is your clear and concise reference guide for better sounding music in your home studio.

  • Save 18%
    - My Journey with Jay-Z and Jesus
    by A. D. "lumkile" Thomason
    £11.49

    Embracing your Christian identity does not make you "soft." Embracing your Black identity does not make you less Christian. Throughout American history, Black people were not given the freedom to acknowledge their suffering. A. D. Thomason believes that the Holy Spirit brings freedom and liberation as we're able to name our pain, recognize its roots in history and society, and seek healing. While many saw a confident, six-foot-five Black man, A. D. "Lumkile" Thomason lived most of his life in fear and anguish, deeply wounded by encounters with violence, abandonment, and family tragedy. Hiding behind a tough exterior, Adam earned his "Black card" but felt joyless inside. Even traveling around the globe to play professional basketball could not resolve his despair. But in the art of Jay-Z, A. D. discovered stirring honesty that gave voice to his own expressions of longing. And in the gospel of Jesus, he experienced the healing and salvation that had long evaded him. Now through what he calls "kingdom therapy," he's figuring out how to redefine the Jay-Z and Jesus that make up his blackness. A. D. uses his artistry as a poet and storyteller to share how he confessed his internalized pain and embraced the liberating joy of Christ. He writes for millennials, emerging adults, and anyone else who's ready to acknowledge the reality of racial trauma and our need to confront it. A. D.'s powerful story gives you permission to be Black, to be Christian, and to be the person God has made you to be.

  • - Master the Iconic Licks, Rhythms & Techniques of Rockabilly Guitar
    by Darrel Higham
    £17.99

    Discover The Secrets of Rockabilly GuitarDiscover 100 Licks to Supercharge your Rockabilly Guitar PlayingStruggling to master the authentic Rockabilly guitar sound?With its roots in early Rock 'n' Roll, Country and Rhythm & Blues, the Rockabilly revolution is still going strong… and there's no one more qualified to teach it than Rockabilly expert Darrel Higham, whose credits include Jeff Beck, Brian Setzer and Imelda May.In this book, you'll quickly master the iconic rockabilly guitar style through 100 lead licks and essential rhythms.Capture the Style of the Rockabilly PioneersDarrel Higham shares his encyclopaedic knowledge to teach you exactly how the pioneers of this music thought and played. Want to know how your favourite player created their iconic licks? Get unparalleled insight into the playing styles of the Rockabilly legends: Eddie Cochran Scotty Moore Cliff Gallup Joe Maphis Grady Martin Brian SetzerRockabilly Signature LicksYou'll begin by learning the essential vocabulary of Rockabilly and discover classic "building block" phrases to quickly build your chops, along with just enough theory to help you create your own authentic sounding lines.Next, you'll master the essential rhythm guitar playing skills of Rockabilly so you can groove with any band.Advanced Rockabilly Soloing TechniquesAs your Rockabilly guitar skills continue to develop, the language gets more advanced as you learn intricate licks based around Rockabilly techniques like: Fast hammer-on and pull-off licks Banjo roll techniques for rhythm and lead guitar Combining guitar techniques to build solosFull-Length Rockabilly SolosTo round off your Rockabilly masterclass, you'll learn to play no less than 12 full-length Rockabilly soloing studies that demonstrate how to combine each technique into exciting, attention grabbing and musical solos.It's all here, from aggressive Rock 'n' Roll to amazing Travis picked and banjo rolled performances.Bonus 1 - Not just a "100 licks" book, 100 Rockabilly Licks for Guitar contains over a dozen full-length 12-bar blues sequences that put the licks and language into musical focus.Bonus 2- Discover the perfect Rockabilly guitar gear in the bonus, Guitars, Amps & Effects sectionHear it!100 Licks for Rockabilly Guitar contains over 100 supporting audio examples to help you get inside the music and quickly hear exactly how each lick should be played.Buy it now!

  • - Measuring the Price of Musical Ambition
    by Sally Anne Gross & George Musgrave
    £73.49

  • - Learn the Jazz Concepts of a Master Improviser
    by Ulf Wakenius, Joseph Alexander & Tim Pettingale
    £17.99

    Discover Oscar Peterson's Piano Licks for Jazz guitarUnlock virtuoso jazz piano vocabulary for guitarVirtuoso guitarist Ulf Wakenius performed with jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson for a decade, and followed in the footsteps of Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis and Joe Pass. In Oscar Peterson Licks for Jazz Guitar, Ulf shares his unique insight into the jazz concepts of Oscar Peterson, and teaches how that language creates the perfect vocabulary for jazz guitar.What You'll LearnOscar Peterson was the complete musician and matched effortless technique and dexterity with perfect time, a huge melodic vocabulary, a deep level of harmony, and a unique energetic creativity that powered his music. In this book, Ulf teaches you how to combine these essential musical elements to create the language of a jazz piano icon, while teaching you to master dozens of jazz guitar licks that give you the perfect jazz guitar vocabulary.Among other things, you'll study…The Blues How to weave blues ideas seamlessly into your jazz guitar solos How to create lines with fluid vocal-phrasing Jaw-dropping pentatonic runs Outstanding double-stops and octave lines Call and response licks Masterful rhythmic variation techniquesThe art of building strong motif-based solos Learn to tell a story with your solo Create motif-based phrases in the style of Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery The secret to carrying motifs through chord changes Catchy ostinato and pedal-tone ideasThe techniques and concepts to 10x your bebop licks Learn to construct bebop guitar licks using chromatics and enclosures Play dozens of swinging licks over essential jazz chord sequences How to execute blisteringly fast runs! The modal licks and sequence-based lines that create a modern jazz soundDiscover The Secret to Perfect Solo Jazz Guitar ArrangingSoloing with block chords was another important feature of Oscar's playing. Here you'll learn the secret principles behind this technique. By learning several longer study pieces, you'll gain valuable insight into creating your own originalblock chord solos. Learn the three principles that underpin everyblock chord solo Discover lush Wes Montgomery, Johnny Smithand Barney Kesselstyle chord solos Learn advanced chord voicing and substitution ideas Study reharmonization ideas over famous jazz standardsFull-Length Jazz Guitar Pieces Bring Everything TogetherAs well as many long examples played over extended chord changes, the finale features three full-length performance solos that bring together all the techniques in the book. You'll learn two bebop blues solo studies, and a stunning guitar arrangement to consolidate your harmonic and chord substitution ideas.Hear it!Ulf Wakenius' Oscar Peterson Licks for Jazz Guitar contains over 1-hour of audio that's free to download from our dedicated website. You'll hear Ulf's original recordings so you can play the music right - every time.Buy it now and bring the iconic language of a jazz piano virtuoso home to your guitar

  • by Brent C Robitaille
    £15.49

  • - Revised Edition
    by David Benjamin Levy
    £30.99

    This up-to-date book focuses on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, exploring the cultural and musical meanings that surround this powerful work of genius. The author includes an examination of interpretations of the work by prominent conductors, including Wagner, Mahler, and Weingartner.

  • - A Biography
    by John Borgmeyer
    £30.99

    This biography traces Dre's rise to fame, a story that parallels the rise of hip-hop as one of the most dominant cultural forces in America. Dre came of age at the time when hip-hop culture (rapping, breakdancing, Deejaying, and Graffiti art) began an underground trend in urban America.

  • Save 11%
    - Great Songs from the Irish Folk Tradition
    by Emma (The O'Brien Press Ltd) Byrne
    £12.49

    Songs to stir the soul and move the feet, raise a roar or bring a tear to the eye. From Danny Boy to Boulavogue and more, this book celebrates the cream of Irish ballads, explaining the origins of each song, along with words, melodies and chords. Illustrated with evocative photographs and woodcuts..

  • Save 21%
    - The Story of Sick of It All's Koller Brothers
    by Lou Koller
    £13.49

    When it comes to New York City hardcore, its community proudly boasts Lou and Pete Koller-brothers who have dominated the scene worldwide since 1986 with the aurally devastating Sick of It All as their vehicle.

  • Save 20%
    by Nathaniel Webb
    £11.99

    The 1980s encapsulated Marillion's birth, commercial apex, and near-implosion. This book combines meticulous history with careful musical analysis to chronicle their most turbulent decade from their first gig, through the dizzying success and destructive decadence of their time with frontman Fish.

  • Save 14%
     
    £23.99

    Exploring a wide range of sonic practices, from birdsong in the Marshall Islands to Zulu ululation, the contributors reorient the field of sound studies toward the global South in order to rethink and decolonize modes of understanding and listening to sound.

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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