Music’s Fascinating Fun Facts

Title: Music's Fascinating Fun Facts
Author: Peterson, Nick
Price: $33.50

Music's Fascinating Fun Facts is a collection of amazing and amusing insights and revelations all pertaining to music. The text is essentially a music companion organised in alphabetical order. What sets it apart from being a straight out dictionary is its entertainment value.

Whilst amusing in tone, the book divulges intriguing information on:
* famous musicians - How could Beethoven compose when he was deaf?
* well-known pieces - Which piece was written to alleviate insomnia? Who was Elise from Beethoven's 'Fur Elise'?
* musical instruments - Which instruments were used to mete out humiliating punishments? Why is a double bass called 'double' even though there is only one?
* musical styles - Why was the graceful waltz considered as dirty dancing?
* theoretical concepts – What’s a treble? What is the 'sign of the ass'?

Music's Fascinating Fun Facts will also serve as a refresher on the old terms while also shedding new light on preconceptions and clarify complicated notions. This book also explains those modern musical terms that just suddenly appear like 'jamming' and 'vamping'. Elusive terms like 'licks', 'riffs' and 'backbeat' are finally addressed, and the horrors associated with 'ghost' notes and the brutality of 'stabs' and 'beatboxing' are demystified.

Publisher: Cengage Learning
Publication date: 10/10/2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780170211253
Publishing status: Last copy available