Books
“Unusually clear-headed and practical books about music.” Richard Buell, The Boston Globe
Gardner Read’s authoritative books on musical notation and related subjects are considered classics in their field. They include:
Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices
Pittman Publishing Corp.,1953; revised 1969
Greenwood Press, 1953; Books on Demand, 1995
ISBN 0837118840
“In a lifetime of reading musical books, I have never got such a jolt as I have reading… [this]. The organization is certainly a masterpiece both of scholarship and ingenuity. Read’s contribution will remain a cornerstone among the world’s reference works. A truly monumental accomplishment, perfectly executed.” Rudolph Elie, Boston Herald
Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice
Crescendo Publishing, 1964; revised 1972
Taplinger Publishing Company, 1979 (2nd edition)
ISBN 0800854535
“Here is an absolutely indispensable, unique, authoritative, much needed text , which every music student and music teacher will have to own for constant reference.” Ingolf Dahl.
Contemporary Instrumental Techniques
Schirmer Books, 1975
ASIN 0028721004
revised as Compendium of Modern Instrumental Techniques
Greenwood Press, 1993
ISBN 0313285128
“An impressive and useful documentation, a significant achievement in cataloguing and organization, and an invaluable tool for initial research into contemporary trends. It is an absolute must for all serious students of orchestration.” Philip Rehfeldt, Journal of Research in Music Education
Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award in 1994
Modern Rhythmic Notation
Indiana University Press, 1978; Books on Demand, 1998
(ASIN 0253338670)
“Read’s new book is destined to be seen as one of the finest contributions on its subject. It is a major statement and one that warrants our attention.” American Music Teacher
Style and Orchestration
Schirmer Books/MacMillan Publishing Company, 1979; Books on Demand, 1995
ISBN 0028721101
“Read’s book, which very successfully fills a gap in the study of musical styles, belongs in the library of every serious musician. It is a book that is a fortunate combination of encyclopedic information and lucid writing style.” American Music Teacher
Source Book of Proposed Music Notation Reforms
Greenwood Press, 1987
ISBN 031325446X
“The material is closely organized and superbly presented. I cannot imagine that this subject will ever have to be covered again from this point of view.” American Research Books Annual
Twentieth Century Microtonal Notation
Greenwood Press, 1990
ISBN 0313273987
“Exhaustive in coverage, free from judgmental views, clear and definitive in presenting the problems and possibilities of microtonal notation, Read’s work is as thorough and authoritative a consideration of the field as we are likely to see.” F. Goossen, Choice
Pictographic Score Notation
Greenwood Press, 1998
ISBN 0313304696
“This reference text serves as a contemporary tool to enable the active, living composer or arranger for percussion to properly notate percussion instruments in a pictographic format.” Percussive Notes
Orchestral Combinations: The Science and Art of Instrumental Tone Color
Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2004
ISBN 0810848147
