Overview

Music Fundamentals: A Balanced Approach, Fourth Edition combines a textbook and integrated workbook with an interactive website for those who want to learn the basics of reading music. Intended for students with little or no prior knowledge of music theory, it offers a patient approach to understanding and mastering the building blocks of musical practice and structure. Musical examples range from Elvis Presley songs to Filipino ballads to Beethoven symphonies, offering a balanced mixture of global, classical, and popular music. The new edition includes: New cultural, historical, and vocabulary references New singing exercises with audio recordings New and updated musical examples with audio recordings throughout Revised counting method for compound meter (“1 la le 2 la le” in addition to “1 2 3 4 5 6”) An enhanced e-book edition with integrated audio for musical examples and direct links to online exercises The author’s balanced approach to beginning music theory engages student interest while demonstrating how music theory concepts apply not only to the Western classical canon but also to popular and world music. With the beginner student in mind, Music Fundamentals: A Balanced Approach, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive text for understanding the foundations of music theory.

Full Product Details

Author:   Sumy Takesue
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   4th edition
ISBN:  

9781032290409

ISBN 10:   1032290404
Pages:   546
Publication Date:   25 August 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

A Visual Tour of Music Fundamentals: A Balanced Approach Preface MODULE 1 BASICS OF PITCH The Musical Alphabet The Keyboard White Keys The Staff Clefs The G Clef (Treble Clef) The Octave Ledger Lines Note Reading in the G Clef Relating the Treble Clef to the Keyboard Introduction to Singing—Why Sing? Singing in the Treble Clef The F Clef (Bass Clef) Note Reading in the F Clef Relating the Bass Clef to the Keyboard Singing in the Bass Clef The Grand Staff Further Study of Ledger Lines Octave Higher (8va) or Octave Lower (8vb) Workbook MODULE 2 BASICS OF RHYTHM Pulse: Feeling the Beat Types of Rhythmic Values Stems and Flags Rhythmic Patterns with Beams Time Signature, Bar Line, Double Bar Line Meter Simple Meter Comparing a Melody in Different Meters Conducting Patterns Workbook MODULE 3 BASICS OF RHYTHM: EXTENDING DURATION, ANACRUSIS, RESTS Tied Notes: Extending Duration Slurs Dotted Notes: Extending Duration Fermata Anacrusis Rests Workbook MODULE 4 ACCIDENTALS Sharp, Flat, Natural Drawing Accidentals on the Staff Relating Accidentals on the Staff to the Keyboard Enharmonic Spellings Diatonic and Chromatic Half Steps Chromatic Scales Whole Steps Double Sharp, Double Flat Workbook MODULE 5 RHYTHM: SIMPLE METER EXPANDED Subdividing the Quarter Note Counting Sixteenth Note Patterns Syncopation Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Half Note Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Eighth Note Composing Rhythms Workbook MODULE 6 MAJOR SCALE What Is a Major Scale? Writing Major Scales: Using Tetrachords Writing Major Scales: Using Whole and Half Steps Scale Degree Names—Major Keys Changing the Tonic—Singing Transposition Enharmonic Scales—Major Keys Workbook MODULE 7 MAJOR SCALE KEY SIGNATURES Major Scale Key Signatures Major Scales with Sharps Finding the Tonic Note in a Major Scale with Sharps Major Scales with Flats Finding the Tonic Note in a Major Scale with Flats Circle of Fifths—Major Keys “Courtesy” Accidentals Transposition: Using a Key Signature Workbook MODULE 8 RHYTHM: COMPOUND METER Melodies in Compound Meter First Method of Counting Compound Meter Second Method of Counting Compound Meter Rests Beams Dividing the Dotted Quarter Comparing 6/8 and 3/4 Two-part Rhythm Exercises Further Exercises in Compound Meter: Dotted Eighth Note Rhythms Rhythm Review—1-, 2-, 3-part Exercises Workbook MODULE 9 MINOR SCALE Minor Key Signatures Relative Major and Minor Key Signatures Finding the Tonic Note in a Minor Key with Sharps Finding the Tonic Note in a Minor Key with Flats Parallel Major and Minor Key Signatures Circle of Fifths—Minor Keys Three Forms of Minor Scales Musical Examples in the Three Forms of Minor Scales Comparing Pieces in Major and Minor Keys Scale Degree Names in Minor Workbook MODULE 10 INTERVALS Identifying Intervals Consonance and Dissonance Defining Quality Intervals of the Major Scale: Perfect and Major Interval Shortcuts Changing Major Intervals: Minor Changing Major and Minor Intervals: Augmented, Diminished Changing Perfect Intervals: Augmented, Diminished The Tritone Simple and Compound Intervals Descending Intervals (Interval Inversion) Workbook MODULE 11 TRIADS Defining and Drawing Triads Qualities of Diatonic Triads Major Triad Constructing Major Triads Harmonizing Music Using Major Triads Minor Triad Constructing Minor Triads Diminished Triad Constructing Diminished Triads Augmented Triad Constructing Augmented Triads Augmented and Diminished Triads Using Double Sharps and Double Flats Workbook MODULE 12 RHYTHM: COMPOUND METER EXPANDED Changing the Pulse Note in Compound Meter: The Dotted Half Note and Dotted Eighth Note The Triplet The Duplet Workbook MODULE 13 TRIADS: ROMAN NUMERALS Triads of the Major Scale: Use of Roman Numerals Primary and Secondary Triads of the Major Scale Harmonizing Music in a Major Key Using Roman Numerals Triads of the Harmonic Minor Scale: Use of Roman Numerals Primary and Secondary Triads of the Harmonic Minor Scale Harmonizing Music in a Minor Key Using Roman Numerals Workbook MODULE 14 INVERSIONS OF TRIADS Defining Inversions: Root Position, First Inversion, and Second Inversion Harmonizing Music Using Inversions Triads in Open and Close Position Figured Bass Symbols Constructing and Identifying Triads Using Figured Bass Symbols Harmonizing Music Using Roman Numerals and Figured Bass Symbols Drawing Chord Progressions in Close Position Workbook MODULE 15 SEVENTH CHORDS Qualities of Seventh Chords Dominant Seventh Chords Two Methods of Writing Dominant Seventh Chords Harmonizing Music in Major Keys Using Triads or Dominant Seventh Chords in Root Position Inversions of Dominant Seventh Chords Figured Bass Symbols for Seventh Chords Harmonizing Music in Major Keys Using Inverted Dominant Seventh Chords Chord Progressions Using Dominant Seventh Chords in Major Keys Dominant Seventh Chords in Minor Keys Workbook MODULE 16 FORM IN MUSIC Phrase Structure: Antecedent, Consequent Cadences: Authentic, Half, Plagal, Deceptive Authentic Cadence Half Cadence Plagal Cadence Deceptive Cadence Forms Binary Form: Two-part Form Ternary Form: Three-part Form 32-Bar Form (AABA) 12-Bar Blues Repeat Signs First Ending, Second Ending Da Capo al Fine Dal Segno al Fine Coda Workbook APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Musical Terms APPENDIX 2 Acoustics APPENDIX 3 C Clefs (Alto and Tenor) APPENDIX 4 Modes APPENDIX 5 Other Seventh Chords (Major, Minor, Half Diminished, Diminished) APPENDIX 6 Basic Guitar Chords The following appendices can be found on the companion website: APPENDIX 7 Keyboard Exercises (Scales, Triads, and Chord Progressions) APPENDIX 8 Analysis of Minuet, BWV Anh. 115 (J.S. Bach) APPENDIX 9 Analysis of Minuet, K.2 (W.A. Mozart) APPENDIX 10 Analysis of Serious Moments, Op. 130, No. 23 (C. Gurlitt) APPENDIX 11 Analysis of Time in a Bottle (J. Croce) APPENDIX 12 Sansa Kroma, Akan Mmoguo Song (African playground song) Credits Track Listing Index

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Author Information

Sumy Takesue is an Instructor at Santa Monica College, teaching theory and class and individual piano. She has taught at the University of Hawai’i (Hilo) and the University of Southern California.

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