3rd Edition
by Perry Goldstein (Author)
Rudiments of Music: A Concise Guide to Music Theory
is written for the beginner who has an interest in reading and writing
music as well as the desire to understand the rudiments of tonal music
theory. It will also be useful for the student who has experience of
music notation and the desire for a stronger foundation in the rudiments
of music. This book covers basic notation of pitch and rhythm, major
and minor keys, intervals, triads, and the tonal context of harmony.
Students will also learn how to compose short rhythm examples, melodies
in major and minor keys, and a 24-measure piece for piano, exploring the
principles of melody and harmony. This book is intended to supplement
the classroom experience. The study of music theory requires two basic
components: the study of theory and the application of theory through
the listening experience. This book supplies the former, the basics of
music theory. The application of theory through listening will be
provided in the classroom. It is the hope of the author that the merely
theoretical will be brought to life in the experience of music, and for
this the work of the instructor in a beginning theory class is crucial.
Understanding how chords, intervals, meters, key signatures, and
melodies work can only be meaningful when they explicate the listening,
performing, and composing experience of music. The study of theory is a
desiccated endeavor when it does not answer questions about how we
listen to, and experience, music.
