Are you a music lover? I don’t mean to ask you if you like music, most do and most have specific tastes, but there is so much more to music than just listening. Perhaps you would like to learn more about its structure and how to analyze it? If so, let me recommend a very good book:
“Shape in Tonal Music” by Douglas M. Green; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Publishing Company Incorporated; New York, NY; 1965; ISBN: 0-03-46015-7.
This book takes the confusion out of the typical study of music analysis by simplifying the disciplines of harmony and counterpoint, allowing the student to understand how to build without becoming overloaded with historical musical melodies and famous names. Knowing music without confusion first is the objective of this book, and therefore, it may be a good first reading, prior to analyzing music from a historical perspective. I think I would recommend it to any serious music student.
The book has chapters on the basics of phrase form, form, gender, and harmonic phrase structure, along with phrase development and blending. The book, which is written much like a textbook, then discusses the various analytical methodologies. The student will learn variations, ternary forms, rondo, sonata (very complete) and binary forms.
Concerto movement, fugue and similar genres are discussed and then there is a final chapter, which is very fascinating, even showing that Green really knows what he is doing as he delves into the unique ways of the structure. He will be fascinated by the amount of information and the ways he can apply this knowledge when he is finished.