The Musician's Guide to Aural Skills (The Musician's Guide Series)

This two-volume text covers diatonic, chromatic, and contemporary harmony, as well as voice leading, emphasizing practical performance skills by integrating theoretical principles with aural and keyboard skills through coordinated keyboard, sight-singing, dictation, improvisation, and composition exercises.

The much-anticipated Musician’s Guide series offers a comprehensive four-semester introduction to the skills of complete musicianship, seamlessly integrating theory and analysis, aural training, and performance in one pedagogical program.

The Musician’s Guide series is divided into two main components, each represented by a core text. While complete enough to be used alone, these dynamic texts are fully coordinated, sharing the same pedagogical approach and structure. Each book relies on a core repertoire of real music that is revisited throughout in a variety of theory- and performance-based contexts. These texts are complemented by a rich collection of learning resources.

Joel Phillips is professor emeritus of music theory and composition at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and recipient of its Distinguished Teaching Award. His compositions are published by G. Schirmer, Transcontinental, GIA, and Shawnee Press. A long-time member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Phillips served five years as Chief Faculty Consultant for the Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in Music Theory and is the longest-serving College Board presenter for AP Music. Phillips is a founding member and past president of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic and a former editor of the Society for Music Theory’s Newsletter.

Jane Piper Clendinning is professor of music theory at the Florida State University College of Music. She has published articles reflecting her interests in the history of theory, theory and analysis of twentieth-century music, computer pitch recognition, and computer applications in music. Her current research interests include theory and analysis of popular and world musics. She has served as the chair of the Advanced Placement Music Theory Test Development Committee and as an AP reader, and is a regular consultant at AP workshops and summer Institutes.

Elizabeth West Marvin is Minehan Professor Emerita of Music Theory and former dean of academic affairs at the Eastman School of Music. She has published in the areas of music cognition, music theory pedagogy, theory and analysis of atonal music, contour theory, history of theory, and analysis and performance. She is past president of the Society for Music Theory and past co-chair of the Advanced Placement Music Theory Test Development Committee. Marvin is the 2012 recipient of the Gail Boyd de Stwolinski Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Music Theory Teaching and Scholarship.