Bold words, eh?
The book has virtually no text, just a page of explanation in the beginning. (One instruction, to play music in straight and swung eighths, is vital for jazz musicians.) There is only 1 note in the text, the bass clef "e." You use the exercises in the book to develop your sense of pulse and sub-division of the beat.
I had 2 degrees and a teaching certificate in music before I ever found this book. By the time I'd finished the first 14 pages, my understanding and ability to play time was virtualy mastered.
The magic of this book is the hidden organization. I learned in education classes the value of "sequential learning" and "one complexity at a time." This book applies those principles in a masterful way. Every possible placement of quarter notes and rests are explored, line by line, in a sequential fashion. (Rest on beat 2, rest on beat 3, rest on beat 4, rest on beat 1, then 2 rests, 3 rests and so on.)
After quarter notes, the same thing is done with eighths and sixteenths, including ties. Dotted rhythms are explored. By the time you've finished the section, you have encountered every single possible rhythm.
I have my students count and then play these examples. It is a discipline and can be tiresome, but make it a game for yourself. If you want to learn to read music better, this is one "must have" book.Get more detail about Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments.
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