By Mark Phillips. 

Music notation is a language that has been developing for thousands of years; even the manner in which we read music today has been around for several centuries. In learning to read music, we encounter basic symbols for pitch, duration, and timing. As we advance, we learn about dynamics,expression, timbre, and even special effects. How to Read Music will introduce you to the basics, then provide more advanced information. As a final reward for all your hard work, you'll get a chance to play excerpts from three classic piano pieces. Topics include: pitch • rhythm • meter • special words and symbols • plus classical piano pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.