The best music theory books, according to hackers
4 music theory books recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedComputer Music Tutorial by Curtis Roads5 people recommend it
- Free and lovedIntroduction to Computer Music by Nick Collins5 people recommend it
All music theory books
- Computer Music Tutorial by Curtis RoadsRecommended as the best general reference on computer music and a good source for academic and serious composers.5recommend
- Introduction to Computer Music by Nick CollinsRecommended as a shorter, less intimidating alternative to the standard computer music bible; critics say it is more reference than starter guide.5recommend
- Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale by William SetharesRecommended for its treatment of how timbre and dissonance relate, and a commenter points to Sethares as a source for overviews of this topic.3recommend
- Music Theory for the 21st-Century ClassroomRecommended as a complete, openly licensed full-year music theory textbook with assignments that suits self-study. Critics find the explanations weak and the focus heavily classical.3recommend