"A self-contained and comprehensive college textbook, this new work provides the basis for both the one-year course in elementary harmony and the two-year course which includes advanced harmony. A new and more effective approach to this traditional music discipline has long been needed. Accordingly, Professor Forte has provided students of music with a fresh treatment of bases of harmony--one which will lead to a more effective understanding of tonal music. Tradition has by no means been minimized, but many fresh ideas replace older (and, sometimes, inadequate) ones. For example: more comprehensive ideas of harmonic structure, a schema of modulatory progression, and an uncomplicated, learnable system of chord classification are presented here for the first time. The chapters dealing with modulation and melodic structure and development shed new light on those areas. Each section is brief, well-defined, and amply illustrated with musical examples. Emphasis is placed upon composition and analysis. These essential experiences give the general music student a firm foundation in the understanding of harmony--the how as well as the why, the underlying concepts as well as the techniques for manipulating specific materials." --Dust jacket flap.

For over two decades Tonal Harmony has been the leading text for the two-year theory curriculum for music majors. Used at nearly 800 schools, Tonal Harmony has been consistently praised for its practicality and ease of use for student and instructor alike. The straightforward approach is supported by well-chosen examples and thoughtful exercises, and the total presentation is compatible with differing teaching styles and theoretical points of view. In addition, students can purchase a CD of recorded examples for use with the textbook, while audio examples for the workbook are available for download as MP3 files. For instructors, an extensive Instructor's Manual is available and rounds out this comprehensive teaching package.