Applied Music Fundamentals: Writing, Singing, and Listening

Jena Root, Oxford University Press 2014, $74.95

General Information Very basic Designed for use in multiple contexts Consumable; more than half of the book is exercises Companion multimedia website Structure Each of the nine chapters contains: Clear and specific statement of learning objectives New pitch and rhythm content Notation guidelines Memorization strategies Keyboard and/or singing exercises Ear training exercises- recognizing intervals, triads, etc Guided listening exercises Various written classroom activities, drills, composition exercises, etc. Special Features Wide variety of written and listening examples, from classical to popular Specific memorization strategies for each concept Excellent, concise glossary Pull-out glossy keyboard chart with staff, could probably be written on with dry erase markers Potential Concerns Written entirely in the second person, which can be construed as condescending Limited scope prevents use beyond the very beginning of a college theory curriculum Book is designed for single use- all pages are perforated and the book is meant to be written on Best Use College context: non-major theory classes very remedial courses preparation for college theory as a strategy and exercise reference for professors Alternate contexts: high school or amateur musicians with an interest in theory probably too expensive and limited in scope for an AP theory course

Chapter One The staff, treble and bass clefs, introduction to rhythm and meter, simple quadruple meter, the repeat sign Chapter Two The keyboard, accidentals, octave designation, rests, ties, dotted quarter notes, syncopation, the anacrusis Chapter Three The major scale, major key signatures up to four sharps and flats, sixteenth notes, dotted eighth notes Chapter Four Remaining major keys, the tonic triad, tendency tones, triplets Chapter Five The natural minor scale, eight- and two-based simple meter Chapter Six The harmonic and melodic minor scales, the tonic triad and tendency tones in minor keys, compound meter Chapter Seven Major, minor, perfect, diminished, augmented, doubly-diminished, and doubly-augmented intervals, inversion, enharmonic intervals, compound intervals Chapter Eight Triad structure, quality, inversions, and identification, sixteen- and four-based compound meter Chapter Nine Diatonic triads in major and minor keys, harmony, labeling triads in music (Roman numeral analysis), diatonic triad functions, irregular meter, tuplets, hemiola Appendices Alto and tenor clefs Singing pitch names Chromatic solfege Modes Seventh chords