Music in Words is based on the conventions and rules of language that apply to Great Britain and those other countries where they are used (most countries of the British Commonwealth, for example). American conventions differ significantly: some words have different spellings, there are grammatical variances and sometimes different words are used to convey the same meanings. Obvious examples are words used for note values: crotchets and quavers in British usage are known in American English as, respectively, quarter notes and eighth notes; ‘bars’ are referred to as ‘measures’ in US usage.
Some of the most obvious differences are addressed in the British edition, but there are so many such variances, some of them subtle but extremely important, that it has been necessary to issue a separate edition for readers in the USA and those places where American conventions are preferred.
The American edition is published by Oxford University Press.
This edition also has its own website containing samples of the book and other information.