Brent Coppenbarger is professor of music at the Cline School of Music at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina where he has taught music theory and woodwinds since 1995. He has published in The Clarinet, NACWPI Journal, and The Instrumentalist. He is also a composer who works are available from Dorn Publications and Musica Rara.

This book was written for a number of audiences: high school students planning to study music in college, private music teachers wanting to incorporate some music theory into their lessons, adult amateur musicians who wish to understand music theory and construction much better, and for music teachers having to teach music theory as part of an overall classroom experience. As the author states, many college music majors struggle to understand music theory, and many of them drop out of the major because of this. This book attempts to fill both basic and advanced music theory challenges through various tricks, descriptions, explanations, and mnemonics. It starts out with very basic concepts such as pitch, rhythm, major and minor scales, scale degrees and chords, and Roman numeral analysis and chord inversions, and moves to more advanced concepts such as singing with solfege syllables, transposition, and four-part writing analysis. Having had major issues with music theory myself while obtaining my undergraduate music degree, I can say that this book is a wonderful addition and of practical help to anyone in the music profession dealing with various aspects of music theory.

• Quick Reference Guide to Helpful TablesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPreludeChapter 1: Pitch and Rhythm BasicsSecret 1: Pitch BasicsSecret 2: The Treble Clef or G ClefSecret 3: The Bass Clef or F ClefSecret 4: The Alto Clef & The Tenor ClefSecret 5: The Grand StaffSecret 6: RhythmSecret 7: Time SignatureSecret 8: MeterSecret 9: Simple MeterSecret 10: Compound MeterSecret 11: Asymmetrical MeterSecret 12: Counting in Simple MeterSecret 13: Counting in Compound MeterSecret 14: Practice Makes PerfectChapter 2: Major Scales and Major Key SignaturesSecret 15: The ScaleSecret 16: The Major ScaleSecret 17: The Major TetrachordSecret 18: Key SignaturesSecret 19: The Order of FlatsSecret 20: The Order of SharpsSecret 21: The Sharp Key Signatures in MajorSecret 22: The Flat Key Signatures in MajorChapter 3: Minor Scales and Minor Key SignaturesSecret 23: Minor ScalesSecret 24: Parallel MinorSecret 25: Relative MinorSecret 26: Natural Minor FormSecret 27: Harmonic Minor FormSecret 28: Melodic Minor FormChapter 4: Other ScalesSecret 29: The Chromatic ScaleSecret 30: The Whole Tone ScaleSecret 31: The Pentatonic ScaleSecret 32: Dorian ModeSecret 33: Phrygian ModeSecret 34: Lydian ModeSecret 35: Mixolydian ModeSecret 36: The Seven Note Blues ScaleSecret 37: The Bebop ScaleSecret 38: Less Common ScalesChapter 5: Scale Degree Names and IntervalsSecret 39: Scale Degree NamesSecret 40: The IntervalSecret 41: Major IntervalsSecret 42: Perfect IntervalsSecret 43: Minor IntervalsSecret 44: Augmented IntervalsSecret 45: Diminished IntervalsSecret 46: The TritoneChapter 6: TriadsSecret 47: Major TriadsSecret 48: Minor TriadsSecret 49: Augmented TriadsSecret 50: Diminished TriadsChapter 7: ChordsSecret 51: The Major Seventh ChordSecret 52: The Major-Minor Seventh ChordSecret 53: The Minor Seventh ChordSecret 54: The Diminished Seventh ChordSecret 55: The Half-Diminished & Fully-Diminished Seventh ChordSecret 56: Other ChordsChapter 8: Roman Numeral AnalysisSecret 57: Roman Numeral QualitySecret 58: Roman Numerals in Major KeysSecret 59: Roman Numerals in Minor KeysSecret 60: Four-Part Roman Numeral AnalysisChapter 9: Inversions of the Chord and Figured BassSecret 61: The Root Position TriadSecret 62: The First Inversion Triad Secret 63: The Second Inversion TriadSecret 64: Figured BassSecret 65: Root Position Figured BassSecret 66: First Inversion Figured BassSecret 67: Second Inversion Figured BassSecret 68: Seventh Chord Figured BassSecret 69: Lead Sheet InversionsChapter 10: Non-Chord TonesSecret 70: Non-Chord Tones DefinedSecret 71: The Passing ToneSecret 72: The Neighbor ToneSecret 73: The Escape ToneSecret 74: The AppoggiaturaSecret 75: The AnticipationSecret 76: The SuspensionSecret 77: The Pedal ToneSecret 78: Using Non-Chord Tones To ImproviseChapter 11: Singing with Solfège SyllablesSecret 79: Sight SingingSecret 80: Solfège Syllables in MajorSecret 81: Solfège Syllables in Natural MinorSecret 82: Solfège Syllables in Harmonic MinorSecret 83: Solfège Syllables in Melodic MinorSecret 84: Other Methods of Sight SingingChapter 12: TranspositionSecret 85: Concert Pitch InstrumentsSecret 86: Transposing InstrumentsSecret 87: Transposing PartsSecret 88: Transposing Using Solfege SyllablesSecret 89: Transposing KeysSecret 90: The Transposition TableChapter 13: Advanced ConceptsSecret 91: Four Part AnalysisSecret 92: Part-writing RulesSecret 93: The SequenceSecret 94: FormAppendix 1: Chorale AnalysisAppendix 2: Suggested Further ReadingAbout the Author Index

Brent Coppenbarger is professor of music at the Cline School of Music at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina where he has taught music theory and woodwinds since 1995. He has published in The Clarinet, NACWPI Journal, and The Instrumentalist. He is also a composer who works are available from Dorn Publications and Musica Rara.

This book was written for a number of audiences: high school students planning to study music in college, private music teachers wanting to incorporate some music theory into their lessons, adult amateur musicians who wish to understand music theory and construction much better, and for music teachers having to teach music theory as part of an overall classroom experience. As the author states, many college music majors struggle to understand music theory, and many of them drop out of the major because of this. This book attempts to fill both basic and advanced music theory challenges through various tricks, descriptions, explanations, and mnemonics. It starts out with very basic concepts such as pitch, rhythm, major and minor scales, scale degrees and chords, and Roman numeral analysis and chord inversions, and moves to more advanced concepts such as singing with solfege syllables, transposition, and four-part writing analysis. Having had major issues with music theory myself while obtaining my undergraduate music degree, I can say that this book is a wonderful addition and of practical help to anyone in the music profession dealing with various aspects of music theory.

• Quick Reference Guide to Helpful TablesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPreludeChapter 1: Pitch and Rhythm BasicsSecret 1: Pitch BasicsSecret 2: The Treble Clef or G ClefSecret 3: The Bass Clef or F ClefSecret 4: The Alto Clef & The Tenor ClefSecret 5: The Grand StaffSecret 6: RhythmSecret 7: Time SignatureSecret 8: MeterSecret 9: Simple MeterSecret 10: Compound MeterSecret 11: Asymmetrical MeterSecret 12: Counting in Simple MeterSecret 13: Counting in Compound MeterSecret 14: Practice Makes PerfectChapter 2: Major Scales and Major Key SignaturesSecret 15: The ScaleSecret 16: The Major ScaleSecret 17: The Major TetrachordSecret 18: Key SignaturesSecret 19: The Order of FlatsSecret 20: The Order of SharpsSecret 21: The Sharp Key Signatures in MajorSecret 22: The Flat Key Signatures in MajorChapter 3: Minor Scales and Minor Key SignaturesSecret 23: Minor ScalesSecret 24: Parallel MinorSecret 25: Relative MinorSecret 26: Natural Minor FormSecret 27: Harmonic Minor FormSecret 28: Melodic Minor FormChapter 4: Other ScalesSecret 29: The Chromatic ScaleSecret 30: The Whole Tone ScaleSecret 31: The Pentatonic ScaleSecret 32: Dorian ModeSecret 33: Phrygian ModeSecret 34: Lydian ModeSecret 35: Mixolydian ModeSecret 36: The Seven Note Blues ScaleSecret 37: The Bebop ScaleSecret 38: Less Common ScalesChapter 5: Scale Degree Names and IntervalsSecret 39: Scale Degree NamesSecret 40: The IntervalSecret 41: Major IntervalsSecret 42: Perfect IntervalsSecret 43: Minor IntervalsSecret 44: Augmented IntervalsSecret 45: Diminished IntervalsSecret 46: The TritoneChapter 6: TriadsSecret 47: Major TriadsSecret 48: Minor TriadsSecret 49: Augmented TriadsSecret 50: Diminished TriadsChapter 7: ChordsSecret 51: The Major Seventh ChordSecret 52: The Major-Minor Seventh ChordSecret 53: The Minor Seventh ChordSecret 54: The Diminished Seventh ChordSecret 55: The Half-Diminished & Fully-Diminished Seventh ChordSecret 56: Other ChordsChapter 8: Roman Numeral AnalysisSecret 57: Roman Numeral QualitySecret 58: Roman Numerals in Major KeysSecret 59: Roman Numerals in Minor KeysSecret 60: Four-Part Roman Numeral AnalysisChapter 9: Inversions of the Chord and Figured BassSecret 61: The Root Position TriadSecret 62: The First Inversion Triad Secret 63: The Second Inversion TriadSecret 64: Figured BassSecret 65: Root Position Figured BassSecret 66: First Inversion Figured BassSecret 67: Second Inversion Figured BassSecret 68: Seventh Chord Figured BassSecret 69: Lead Sheet InversionsChapter 10: Non-Chord TonesSecret 70: Non-Chord Tones DefinedSecret 71: The Passing ToneSecret 72: The Neighbor ToneSecret 73: The Escape ToneSecret 74: The AppoggiaturaSecret 75: The AnticipationSecret 76: The SuspensionSecret 77: The Pedal ToneSecret 78: Using Non-Chord Tones To ImproviseChapter 11: Singing with Solfège SyllablesSecret 79: Sight SingingSecret 80: Solfège Syllables in MajorSecret 81: Solfège Syllables in Natural MinorSecret 82: Solfège Syllables in Harmonic MinorSecret 83: Solfège Syllables in Melodic MinorSecret 84: Other Methods of Sight SingingChapter 12: TranspositionSecret 85: Concert Pitch InstrumentsSecret 86: Transposing InstrumentsSecret 87: Transposing PartsSecret 88: Transposing Using Solfege SyllablesSecret 89: Transposing KeysSecret 90: The Transposition TableChapter 13: Advanced ConceptsSecret 91: Four Part AnalysisSecret 92: Part-writing RulesSecret 93: The SequenceSecret 94: FormAppendix 1: Chorale AnalysisAppendix 2: Suggested Further ReadingAbout the Author Index