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(Andrew Ford, Old Street Publishing, £14.99)

The music programme of study requires students to possess an understanding of the music they perform and that which they listen to, as well as a grasp of music history, and an appreciation of different musical styles. This book certainly delivers on those counts, alighting on different kinds of instruments, forms of notation and general structures of music. It even delves into the distinctions between diatonic, chromatic and pentatonic scales, in a way that seems quite astonishing for such a short (256-page) book. There's a good breadth too, touching on classical, jazz, folk and blues, with a few 'one-page dives' into certain topics. Perhaps the only disappointment is that the index, while detailed, isn't as comprehensive as it could be, with some obvious key terms strangely omitted. Regardless, this book is highly recommended.

The Shortest History of Music: my original review, the one I actually sent in

(Ford, Old Street, £14.99)

The Music Programme of Study requires students to have an understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history, and an appreciation of different musical styles. This book certainly delivers as far as this is concerned. It deals with different kinds of instruments, notation, and music in general. It even goes into the differences between diatonic, chromatic and pentatonic scales, plus a note on equal temperament. Indeed, it’s quite astonishing how much the author manages to cram into such a short book. There’s a good variety too: classical, jazz, folk and blues, and a few ‘one-page dives’ into particular topics. Another plus point is that it’s highly readable. The only disappointment is that the index, while comprehensive, is perhaps not comprehensive enough. Key terms are omitted, making for a somewhat frustrating experience when attempting to find something again. Nevertheless, this is highly recommended.