Musical Composition: Craft and Art by Alan Belkin

When teaching music composition for guitar, I frequently refer to Musical Composition: Craft and Art by Alan Belkin. I have students get a copy of the book so that they can read the clear and concise explanations Belkin gives for many subjects in music composition. Each of the the 20 chapters in the book refer to a specific aspect of music composition, and the book can be read cover to cover, or by skipping from chapter to chapter as needed. The examples and exercises Belkin gives in the book are excellent, and I supplement them in lessons with examples from the guitar repertoire, and with exercises/composition assignments that are to be written for classical guitar. Belkin’s examples are from repertoire for piano, string quartet, orchestra, and other instruments and ensembles, and he also refers to music for film and games.