Music is a universal language crossing national boundaries and cultural traditions. This book hopes to introduce the reader to the fundamental structure and syntax found in tonal music of the western world. The method begins with instruction on rhythms and meter followed by pitch identification on the treble clef. Major scales in C, F and G major, along with the respective parallel minor scales, are introduced with fingering patterns on the keyboard.
Music from the Baroque, Classic, Romantic, Impressionist, Modernist and post-Modern periods is presented in an effort to delineate stylistic elements of each period. Fundamental concepts about music, such as syncopation, texture, and musical form are explained in the context of each period. Theme and transition are defined using musical scores and commentary during audio examples. This book does not attempt to survey every major composer and every major work composed since 1600. Rather, the text and musical examples serve to orient the reader to the important features of each musical period using musical examples and, most importantly, with a basic knowledge of score reading so that the reader may follow music with a rudimentary knowledge of the language of music itself.
