Part I: The Tonal System
Chapter 1: An introduction to notation
The system of notation
The clef question
The ABC of notes
Halftones and whole tones
The C major scale
Accidentals
The twelve notes within an octave
Four-four time
The time values of notes
Triplets
Rest signs
Dots and ties
Other time signatures (metres)
Expression marks
Exercises
Chapter 2: The phenomenon of the harmonic series - the basis of harmony
The octave positions
Frequency ratios and interval proportions
The well-tempered tuning
Exercises
Part II: The Rudiments of Harmony
Chapter 3: The intervals
The perfect intervals
Major and minor - diminished and augmented
Table of intervals
The tritone
The use of enharmonic notes
Beyond the octave
Complementary intervals
A few observations on ear training
Consonance and dissonance
Theories of aural psychology
The interval proportions
Interval qualities in classical counterpoint
The intervals in jazz
Circles of intervals
Exercises
Chapter 4: The triads
The four "basic" triads
Triad inversions
The first chord symbols
The diatonic triads of a major scale
Primary and secondary triads
The classical terms of harmonic function
The fifth relationship
Function sand cadences
Assigning the diatonic triads to the 3 functional areas
The relationship between triads a third apart
The diatonic relation ship
The half-tone relationship
Symbols for triad inversions
Triads with additional bass note
Exercises
Chapter 5: Four-note chords and their extensions
The make-up and extension of four-note chords
Symbols used to designate chords
Two index systems
10 general rules for chord symbols
The 7 main seventh chords
How to decipher chord symbols
How to put notes together to form a chord symbol
Four-note chords as triads with an additional bass note
Slash chords
The diatonic seventh chords of a major scale
The cadence of the diatonic seventh chords in fourths
Chord synonyms
Shortened four-note chords
The relationships of four-note chords a third apart
Half-tone related four-note chords
Exercises
Chapter 6: The lonian system
From the church modes to the lonian system
Chords are scales - scales are chords
A closed tonal system
Scale structures
Scale relationships
The new order
The "avoid notes"
Exercises
Chapter 7: The circle of fifths
The relationship of the tetrachords
From C major to G major
The circle closes
The circle of fifths as the touchstone of relationships
The diatonic chords in the circle of fifths
The keys and their accidentals
The circle of fourths
The circle-of-fourths exercise
Exercises
Chapter 8: The harmonic minor scale
The introduction of a leading note
The dominant seventh chord in the minor cadence
The oriental character of the harmonic minor scale
The gypsy minor
The harmonic minor as a closed scale system
Naming the diatonic scales of the harmonic minor
The common scales of this system
Harmonic minor half-tone relationships
Exercises
Chapter 9: The melodic minor scale
Evening out the tonal leap
The melodic minor in classical and in modern music
The melodic minor scale system
Naming the diatonic scales of the melodic minor
Re-interpreting the VIIth degree
From super locrian to altered
Melodic minor half-tone relationships
The 4 principle minor keys
Exercises
Chapter 10: A general survey of other scales
1. The pentatonic scales
Major and minor pentatonic scales
The pentatonic scale in jazz
Altered pentatonic scales
Indian and Japanese pentatonic scales
2. The scales in the blues
The minor pentatonic scale as the first blues scale
The minor pentatonic scale with the b5 (minor blues scale)
The blues scale
The phenomenon of the "blue notes"
3. The symmetrical scales
The whole-tone scale
The chromatic scale
Half-tone-whole-tone and whole-tone-half-tone scales
The half-tone-whole-tone scale
The whole-tone-half-tone scale
Further possibilities
4. Composite scales
Exercises
Chapter 11: The harmonic major scale
The formation of the harmonic major scale
The harmonic major scale system
Naming the harmonic major scales
The half-tone relationship of the four basic scales
The four chord-sea le systems
Exercises
Appendix: Additional chord symbols
Tables of the scales
Answer key to the exercises