Theory for Today's Musician Textbook

Ralph Turek is a theorist, composer, author, jazz pianist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Akron, and a veteran of 35 years of teaching in the music theory classroom.Daniel McCarthy is a familiar name in contemporary American music. As a composer, he has received distinguished faculty research/creativity awards at Indiana State University and the University of Akron, where he is Chair of the Composition and Theory Section in the School of Music. He also has extensive experience as a studio composer/arranger for TV, radio, and film.

• PART ONE: FUNDAMENTALS / 1 Pitch, Rhythm, Scales, and Keys / 2 Intervals / PART TWO: DIATONIC HARMONY / 3 Basic Harmonic Structures /4 Musical Shorthand: Lead Sheets and Figured Bass / 5 Harmonies of the Major and Minor Scales / 6 Cadences/Harmonic Rhythm / PART THREE: MELODY / 7 Melodic Pitch and Rhythm /8 Embellishing Tones / 9 Melodic Form /PART FOUR: VOICE LEADING / 10 Melodic Principles of Part Writing/The Outer Voice Framework / 11 Voicing and Connecting Chords / 12 Part Writing with Root-Position Triads/13 Part Writing with Triads in Inversion / 14 Part Writing Seventh Chords / PART FIVE: BASIC CHROMATIC HARMONY / 15 Secondary Function I / 16 Secondary Function II / 17 Modulation I / PART SIX: COUNTERPOINT / 18 The Art of Countermelody /19 The Fugue /PART SEVEN: ADVANCED CHROMATIC HARMONY /20 Mixing Modes / 21 Altered Pre-Dominants / 22 Other Chromatic Harmonies /23 Modulation II /24 Harmonic Extensions and Chromatic Techniques / PART EIGHT: FORM / 25 Binary and Ternary Forms /26 Sonata Form /27 The Rondo / PART NINE: MUSIC IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEYOND / 28 Post-Tonal Music: Syntax and Vocabulary / 29 New Tonal Methods / 30 Non-Serial Atonality / 31 Serial Atonality /32 Harmonic Principles in Jazz / 33 The Blues / 34 Shaping a Song/ Appendix A: Facts of Interest/ Appendix B: Concept Check Answers/ Appendix C: Lead-Sheet Symbols / Appendix D: Part Writing Guidelines

Theory for Today’s Musician is indeed apropos for today’s music student. The book offers a logical and thorough presentation of music theory concepts, leaving no stone unturned. Musical examples are drawn not only from the standard classical repertoire, but from musical theater, popular music, traditional tunes, and jazz, so the book is relevant for any musician, regardless of specialization.—Eric Alexander, University of Northern ColoradoTheory for Today’s Musician by Ralph Turek and Daniel McCarthy is a clearly-written, easy-to-follow textbook for students. The authors’ use of creative analogies and musical examples taken from a variety of genres and styles, combined with a bit of humor, will undoubtedly help students connect with a subject that too often seems distant and difficult to them.—Vicki Curry, James Madison UniversityI have found that this textbook helps students understand important musical concepts by making connections between classical, jazz, and popular music. The authors use familiar sounds to help the students grasp traditional principles. This textbook has been especially helpful for our music education majors who must pass a state-wide standardized exam that includes jazz and popular music. The integration of lead sheet symbols with traditional figured bass symbols has given our students the skills they need to succeed in today's musical environment.—Randy Earles, Idaho State UniversityTheory for Today’s Musician’s carefully considered musical examples, drawn proportionately from “classical” and popular genres, clearly demonstrates the theoretical concepts students struggle to understand. Turek and McCarthy’s entertaining writing encourages even the most reluctant student to read the text. The text encourages students to think creatively and actively. As a result, students learn to use their ears and then understand the “rules” of music theory. This should be the standard among theory textbooks.—David Hanan, University of Central OklahomaTheory for Today’s Musician will be popular with both students and teachers. The writing style is clear and direct, the musical examples are selected from standard “classical” repertoire as well as popular tunes, and the student exercises are varied, creative, and well thought out. The chapters on songwriting and jazz will help to create a well-rounded student with a solid foundation in music theory. The Turek and McCarthy text will be a great addition to the theory classroom. —Leslie Odom, University of FloridaRalph Turek and Daniel McCarthy hone Theory for Today’s Musician for the 21st-century student by using straightforward and concise writing, new and clear examples from classics to jazz and beyond, combined with abundant drills and exercises for student mastery throughout the text and the workbook.—Elaine Rendler, George Mason UniversityTheory for Today’s Musician’s engaging writing style sparks the imagination and curiosity of students and encourages them to read on their own. It approaches music theory in such a way that the concepts and terminology covered may be applied equally well across a wide range of musical styles, and its well-placed examples demonstrate over and over again how useful these concepts can be to understanding and performing music, regardless of whether that music is by Bach, Beethoven, Bartók, or Brubeck.—Matt Santa, Texas Tech University