Years of classroom experience and a thoughtful reappraisal of the skills needed in todays musical world are reflected in Ralph Turek's new theory text. This unique project merges traditional topics such as part writing (pared and prioritized in light of current practice) and harmony (diatonic, chromatic, neotonal and atonal) with less traditional topics such as counterpoint and musical process, and with non-traditional topics such as popular-based song writing and harmonic principles in jazz and the blues.In a style that reads more like a novel than a textbook, Theory for Today's Musician employs precise and articulate prose seasoned with a pinch of humor, a sprinkle of analogy, and a dash of vignette. It considers the classical, folk, popular, and jazz repertoires in equal measure, probing connections among them and offering fresh and unique perspectives. In support of his guiding principle that If theyre not reachable, theyre not teachable, the author has scoured the classical literature in search of familiar examples not often included in theory texts and has chosen popular, jazz, TV, and film-score examples for their durability and interest. New through and through, this textbook is informative, creative, and compelling. This single-volume text is packaged with a CD-ROM containing over 350 music examples. Use ISBN 0-07-321520-1 to order the textbook packaged with the example CD-ROM, student workbook, and workbook CD-ROM at a discounted price.
UNIT ONE: IN LIEU OF FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1: Assorted PreliminariesPart
One: Matters of PitchThe staff; Clefs; The grand staff; Solmization; The
hexachord system; AccidentalsPart Two: Modes, Scales, and Evolution Church
modes; Evolution of scales; Musica fictaPart Three: Metric Matters Meter;
The dot; Early meter signatures; HypermeterPart Four: Sound The harmonic
series; The Legend of Pythagoras; Equal temperamentDrills and
AssignmentsChapter 2: IntervalsPerspective: Five Ways of Looking at an
Interval Part One: White-Key Intervals Numerical value and quality;
Chromatic alterationPart Two: Intervals of the Major ScalePart Three: This
and That about Intervals Enharmonic intervals; Inversion; Simple versus
compound; Diatonic versus chromatic; Consonance versus dissonanceDrills and
AssignmentsUNIT TWO: DIATONIC HARMONY
Chapter 3: Basic Harmonic
StructuresPart One: Triads Harmony and chord; The basic triadsPart
Two:Inversion Inversion and bass line; Determining inversionPart Three:
Seventh Chords Classification; Diatonic seventh-chord types; Inverted seventh
chordsDrills and AssignmentsChapter 4: Musical Shorthand: Lead Sheets and
Figured Bass Part One:Lead-Sheet Notation Lead-sheet and chord symbols;
Expanded symbols; Passing tonesPart Two: Figured Bass NotationThe continuo;
Figured bass rules Drills and AssignmentsChapter 5: Harmonies of the Major
and Minor ScalesPart One:The Diatonic Chords of a Key Diatonic triads in
major; Diatonic triads in minor; Roman numeral symbols; Roman numerals
versus lead sheet symbols; Showing inversionPart Two:Functional Tonality
Chord stability; The circle of fifths; Harmonic function; Ground bass
patterns; Major and minor comparedPart Three: More on Seventh
ChordsSymbolizing seventh chords; Half-diminished versus fully-diminished
seventh chordDrills and AssignmentsChapter 6: Cadences/Harmonic RhythmPart
One: Cadences Cadences and style; Standard cadences; Cadential variants;
Summary of Standard Cadences Part Two: Harmonic Rhythm Common patterns;
Harmonic syncopation; Metric shiftDrills and AssignmentsUNIT THREE: MELODY
Chapter 7: Melodic Pitch and RhythmPart One: Range, Interval Structure, and
Gesture Range; Interval structure; GesturePart Two: Repetition Motive;
Exact repetition; SequencePart Three: Melodic TonalityScale and arpeggio;
Large-scale events; Recognizing important pitches; Tonic-dominant axisDrills
and AssignmentsChapter 8: Embellishing TonesPart One: Step-Step
Combinations Passing tone; neighbor tonePart Two: Step-Leap Combinations
Appoggiatura; incomplete neighbor; escape tone; changing tonesPart Three:
Step-Repetition Combinations Anticipation; suspension; retardation;
Rearticulated suspensions; Suspensions over a change of bass; Chain
suspensionPart Four: Embellishing tones and style Multiple embellishing
tones; Embellishing tones in jazz; Embellishing tones as motives; Pedal
point; The embellishing chord toneSummary of Embellishing Tones Drills and
Assignments
Chapter 9: Melodic FormPart One: The Phrase Some definitions;
Phrase lengths; The cadence; Phrase relationshipsPart Two: Combining and
Extending Phrases The period; The phrase group; The double period; Cadential
elision; Phrase extension; Phrasing and style Drills and AssignmentsChapter
10: Composing MelodiesPart One: Constructing a Melody from a Motive The
initial melodic idea; The harmonic factor; Devising a harmonic planPart Two:
Composing a Melody to a Harmonic Pattern Drills and AssignmentsUNIT FOUR:
VOICE LEADING
Chapter 11: Melodic Principles of Part Writing/ Voicing and
Connecting Chords Perspective: Why Four Parts? Part One: Melodic Principles
Ranges; Interval motion; Leaps; Sensitive tones; Soprano-bass
counterpointPart Two: Voicing Chords Spacing; Doubling; Alternative
doubling; Incomplete triadsPart Three: Connecting Chords Consecutive perfect
consonances; Voice crossing and overlap; Connecting chords that contain
common tones; Connecting chords that do not contain common tonesDrills and
AssignmentsChapter 12: The Chorale/Part Writing with Root-Position
TriadsPerspective: Good News and Bad Part One: The Chorale Perspective on
the chorale; Melodic featuresPart Two: Part Writing with Root-Position
Triads The "short rule" for connecting chords; Fifth relationship; Third
Relationship; Second Relationship; Part writing the deceptive
cadenceExpanded Guidelines for Connection ChordsPart Three: Part Writing
Suspensions9-8 Suspension; 4-3 Suspension; 2-3 RetardationDrills and
AssignmentsChapter 13: Part Writing with Triads in InversionPerspective Part
One: First Inversion Inversion and bass line; Doubling; Chord connection;
Inversion and harmonic weight; Suspensions; 7-6 suspension; 2-3
suspensionPart Two: Second Inversion Cadential six-four; Passing six-four
chord; Pedal six-four chord; Arpeggiated six-four chord; Six-four chord
variantsVoice-Leading Practices: A SummaryDrills and AssignmentsChapter 14:
Part Writing Seventh ChordsPerspective Part One: Dominant-Functioning
Seventh Chords Voice leading in the V7; The seventh as embellishing tone;
The unresolved leading tone; The ascending seventh; Delayed resolution;
The viiø7 and viio7Part Two: Non-Dominant Seventh Chords Function;
Resolution; Frequency; Inversion; Incomplete seventh chords; Altered forms;
Seventh chords and chainsuspensions; The I7Drills and AssignmentsUNIT FIVE:
BASIC CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 15: Secondary Function IPart One:
Secondary Dominants Tonicization; The V/x; The secondary leading tone; The
tonicing tritone; The V7/x; Common musical contexts; Harmonic sequencePart
Two: Secondary Leading-Tone Chords The viio/x, viio7/x, and viiø7/xDrills
and AssignmentsChapter 16: Secondary Function IIPreliminary NotePart One:
Jazz and Popular Styles V7/x in barbershop harmony and ragtime; The
tonicizing chord group in bop and beyond; viio7/x; bVII as IV/IVPart Two:
Voice Leading and Harmonization Drills and Assignments
Chapter 17:
Modulation IPerspective: A Preliminary Quiz Part One: Modulation by Common
Chord The common chord; The pre-dominant in modulation; Multiple common
chords; Closely related keysPart Two: Chromatic Modulation Common
contexts; Types of chromatic modulation; Evaluating multiple accidentals;
Modulation of tonicization?Drills and Assignments UNIT SIX: COUNTERPOINT
Chapter 18: The Art of CountermelodyPart One: Two-Voice Counterpoint
Motion; 1:1 Counterpoint; Converting 1:1 to 2:1; Essentials of
counterpoint; Converting 2:1 to 4:1; Jazz and popular StylesPart Two: Fun
with CounterpointCreating a bass; Melodizing the bass; Adding a third voice;
Polyphony versus homophonyDrills and Assignments
Chapter 19: J.S. Bach's
Two-Part Inventions Part One: The Invention Motive and countermotive;
Contrapuntal devices Part Two: Invention No. 6Analysis; Invertible
counterpoint; Tonality; Harmony;Implied harmony; FormDrills and Assignments
Chapter 20: The FugueFugue versus InventionPart One: The Basics of
FugueSubject and answer;The exposition; The countersubject; The
development; Episodes and entries; The recapitulation; Summary; Stretto;
Counterexposition; The codaPart Two: AnalysisJ. S. Bach: Fugue No. 16 (WTC
I); Analytic comments; CodaDrills and AssignmentsUNIT SEVEN: ADVANCED
CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 21:Mixing ModesPerspective: Adding to the Palette
Part One: Change of Mode Change of mode as musical contrast; Mode and
mood; Keys related through mode mixture; Enharmonic change of modePart Two:
Modal Borrowing Modal borrowing versus change of mode; Common borrowed
harmonies; Modal borrowing and stylePart Three: Chromatic-Third
Relationships Diatonic- versus chromatic-third relationships; Common
chromatic-third relationships; CodaDrills and Assignments
Chapter 22:
Altered Pre-dominantsPerspectivePart One: The Neapolitan Sixth ChordThe
Neapolitan chord; The harmonic nature of the Neapolitan; Inserting the
cadential six-four chordPart Two: Augmented sixth chordsThe augmented sixth
interval; Augmented sixth chord types; Constructing an augmented sixth
chord; The doubly augmented fourth chord; Voice leading; CodaDrills and
AssignmentsChapter 23: Other Chromatic Harmonies Part One: Altered
Dominants Part Two: Embellishing Diminished Seventh Chords Functional
versus embellishing o7; Spelling the embellishing o7; CodaDrills and
Assignments
Chapter 24: Modulation IIPerspective: "In Search of Harmonic
Logic" Part One: Recognizing Signals The tell-tale tones; Clue chords;
Cadences; Thinking through a modulationPart Two: Back to the Tonal Border
Common chord modulation; Chromatic modulation; Chromatic pivot; Enharmonic
pivotPart Three: The Secret Lives of Chords The enharmonic German sixth
chord; The enharmonic diminished seventh chord; CodaDrills and Assignments
Chapter 25: Selected Harmonic Structures and TechniquesPart One: Triadic
Extensions Dominant ninth chords; Secondary dominant ninth chords; Other
ninth chords; The dominant eleventh chord; The minor eleventh chord;
Thirteenth chordsPart Two: Linear ChromaticismChord mutation Part Three:
Harmonic Sequence Drills and Assignments
UNIT EIGHT: ARRANGING,COMPOSING, AND ANALYSIS
Chapter 26: Harmonic
Principles in Jazz Perspective: What's the Difference? Part One: Extending
the Triad Basic seventh chords and their extensions; Voicing; Template 1 and
Template 2Part Two: Chord Substitution Origins; Simple tonicization; The
turnaround; Tritone substitution in the turnaround; Extended tonicization;
Tritone-related chords; Substitution guideline; Expanded tritone
substitutionPart Three: Implied Lines Reading between the chords; Auxiliary
chords, CodaDrills and Assignments
Chapter 27: The BluesPerspectivePart One:
Blues Form and Harmonic PracticeEarly blues; Twelve-bar blues; The basic
blues today; Substitute harmonies; Minor bluesPart Two: Blues Melodic
PracticeBlue notes; Blue-note scales; Blue-note scales in minor bluesPart
Three: Blues VariantsSixteen-bar blues; Accompaniment styles; CodaDrills
and Assignments
Chapter 28: Form, Process, and DramaPart One: An Experiment
Part Two: Three Ways of Looking at Form Visual versus aural symmetry;
Motivic analysis; Musical processes; Similarity and contrastPart Three:
Dramatic Shape Shape; Creating musical tension; Texture; CodaDrills and
AssignmentsChapter 29: Binary and Ternary FormsPerspective Part One:
Statement-Restatement Chopin: Prelude, Op. 28, No. 7; Clementi: Sonatina,
Op. 31, No. 1 (Vivace); The codaPart Two: Statement-Contrast Bach: French
Suite No. 5 (Gavotte); Asymmetric binary form Part Three:
Statement-Contrast-Restatement Beethoven: Sonata, Op. 14, No. 2 (Second
Movement); Desmond: Take Five; The bridge; Schumann: Kinderscenen, Op.15,
No. 6; Rounded binary versus ternary form; CodaDrills and Assignments
Chapter 30: Shaping a SongPerspective Part One: Text Text and lyrics;
Text setting; Form; Text/melody relationship; Text paintingPart Two:
Accompaniment Piano styles; Prelude, postlude, and interludePart Three:
Composing a Song Text scansion;"Rhythmicizing" the text; Constructing the
melody; The accompanimentDrills and Assignments UNIT NINE:
TWENTIETH-CENTURY TECHNIQUESChapter 31: Syntax and VocabularyPart One:
SyntaxNon-functional tonality; Planing; The augmented triad; Modality;
Modal cadencesPart Two: New Melodic and Harmonic StructuresPentatonic
scales; Quartal and quintal harmonies; Whole-tone scale; Other scalesDrills
and Assignments
Chapter 32: NeotonalityPerspectivePart One: New Tonal
AdventuresQuartal harmonies; Polychords; Polytonality; Bimodality;
PandiatonicismPart Two: Stravinsky and BartókStravinsky: The Rite of
Spring; Bartók: Boating (from Mikrokosmos, Vol. V)Drills and
AssignmentsChapter 33: Atonality and Twelve-TonalityPerspectivePart
One:Atonality: Cell; Enharmonic equivalence; Pitch class; Interval class;
Set; Set type; Normal order; Analytical hintsPart Two: Twelve-TonalityThe
twelve-tone method; Row forms; Index numbers and order numbers;
Segmentation; Choosing a row; Findingthe row; CodaDrills and
AssignmentsAppendix A: PitchPart One: Pitch and its NotationPitch and
frequency; The staff and clefs; Notating pitches above and below the staff;
Half steps and whole steps; Chromatic alteration; Accidentals; Enharmonic
equivalents; Diatonic versus chromatic half stepsPart Two: Scales and
KeysThe chromatic scale; The major scale; Transposition; Key signatures; The
circle of fifths; Relative major and minor keys; The minor scale forms;
Parallel major and minor keysDrills and AssignmentsAppendix B: RhythmPart
One: Elements of the Proportional SystemRhythm defined; The tie and dot;
AccentPart Two: Meter and MeasureMeter and measure defined; Barlines;
Simple meter signatures; Compound meter signatures; Borrowed divisions of
the beat; Syncopation and hemiolaPart Three: Notating RhythmDots and ties;
Beams; Notating restsDrills and AssignmentsAppendix C: Lead-Sheet Chord
SymbolsAppendix D: Part-Writing PrinciplesGlossaryIndex
Ralph Turek holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College -- Conservatory of Music. He has held teaching posts at George Mason University, the University of Maryland, and The University of Akron, where he is Professor of Music Composition and Coordinator of Graduate Studies. He is the author of The Elements of Music: Concepts and Applications and of Analytical Anthology of Music, both published by McGraw-Hill. In Theory for Today's Musician, the author brings to bear insights and pedagogy acquired over a long career of teaching music theory, analysis, and composition informed by a background in jazz and arranging; as well as other experience that includes program annotation and fiction writing. The result is a textbook unique in style, tone, and relevance to todays practicing musician and music educator.
