Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony

The music theory text that students read and understand.

Authors Burstein and Straus combine decades of teaching experience with concise prose, carefully curated musical examples, and a robust, skill-sharpening media program to illuminate the essential concepts of music theory.

L. Poundie Burstein is Professor of Music Theory at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has taught at Mannes College, Queens College, and Columbia University. He has written many articles on tonal music and performed extensively as a pianist for comedy improvisation groups. He is President of the Society for Music Theory.

Joseph Straus is Distinguished Professor of Music Theory at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Queens College and has held visiting positions at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and New York University. He has many written articles and books on twentieth-century music and is the author of several textbooks, including Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony, Elements of Music, and Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory. He is a former President of the Society for Music Theory.