Appmuse

Hooktheory 2 is a must read for aspiring music producers and composers. It teachers the fundamentals of 7th chords and secondary chords and how to use them in progressions to create more compelling sounds. Also I was fascinated with learning that you can use chords outside of the scale to truly improve basic chord progressions. I was blow away when I read how to connect baselines with inversions of basic and secondary chords. This app along with Hooktheory 1 has changed the game for aspiring music producers! I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to make music Show more

Much music theory lacks context. You read it and can’t figure out how to apply it. Either that or you see applications to classical or jazz. The Hooktheory apps are fantastic in showing you how theory works in popular music and illustrates with actual songs. Brilliant! The only thing I’d like to see is a lot more on rhythm. Show more

Amazing tool for students and professionals. Speaking from the perspective of a professional musician who perform high level work in the field.

I’ve been getting into song analysis as a means of becoming a better songwriter and wishing I had a resource that blends theory and practice. Hooktheory delivers all this and more. Love it! Show more

I loved this book. I feel like I understand how to use chords now, and how to identify what techniques songwriters are using in the songs I learn. I recommend this and hooktheory 1 to anybody who wants a better knowledge of music theory that isn't so dry like a book. Show more

While not formally trained in music theory, I’ve been a self-taught student for much of my adult life. Many of the more advanced and abstract concepts have always escaped practicality - until now. Advanced ideas are spelled out in easy to understand ways, but most importantly, the many examples throughout the book demonstrate how to use these tools in a way that makes sense. Bravo! Along with a fantastic writing tool (HookPad) you have made what once seemed complex and out of reach accessible and usable. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Hope you continue to put out more products and fine tune your HookPad. Nicely done! ?? Show more

This is exactly what I've been looking for: all music theory, well explained with plenty of audio-examples. How can you make a chord progression less dull? What does a sus4 chord do actually? How can you mix & match chords from various modes? It's all very well explained. After reading & listening during the last week (on holiday) I'll spend the next couple of weeks at the piano, trying to incorporate all knowledge in this gem! Show more

I was happy to see that this finally came out. Then I started reading and came across the first example song. Robin Thicke. Are you kidding me? A music theory book that opens with an example by Robin f'ing Thicke??? The rest of the book might be awesome, I don't know, but my review is going to be based on the fact that the authors somehow feel that the songwriting of Robin Thicke is the best way to open the book. (I'm not a fan of Robin Thicke...) ...however, this IS one of the better functional explanations of some of the more common harmonic mechanisms and how they work. They have developed a nice system for sort of diagramming harmonies and melodies that is backed up with a website with tons of songs broken down for further analysis. It's very well done and I think the app of worth the price. The musical examples are all very basic, piano only. This is a good thing because it forces you to listen to the harmony, not the song or the tone. I wish that they used more classic songs and less current music for the examples. Aside from Robin Thicke, there were a bunch of other more games used that I'm not familiar with. It doesn't really matter though, because nearly all of the examples have lessons to be learned whether you know the song or not. Good stuff! Show more

I loved the first book. But the embedded samples in this app have no sound. How do I get a refund? Edit - Apparently, if your iPad is set to mute, the videos' sounds don't play while videos in other apps do. Show more

I understand the Hooktheory approach so much better now, and have insights into what various composers and song writers were seeking to accomplish. The book moves at a comfortable pace and self-tests throughout the book cement knowledge. I was truly disappointed to reach the end, but look forward to going through again, taking notes, and applying the ideas while sitting at a guitar and piano. Show more

This book and Hooktheory I were exactly what I needed to to help me write more cohesive and compelling music. Not only was it well written and well thought out, but the interactive components in the book and the accompanying website make it a tool I will continue to reference for years to come. Show more

Only to the second chapter since it just came out, but there's clearly a lot more work that went into this book. I would also recommend Hooktheory I to beginners, but this book goes well into intermediate territory. A few bugs here and there since it just came out. The continue button at the end of the intro doesn't work if you swipe to it because the "Start Reading" button that they tell you to click is on the page before. The table of contents doesn't allow you to scroll all the way. But despite these flaws with the app, I'd still give it 5 stars. I'm still waiting for the companion webapp to work on the iPhone since it's built in Flash, but I wouldn't be surprised if that never happens. That's probably my only major gripe. Show more