Models for Beginners in Composition was one of Arnold Schoenberg’s earliest attempts to reach a broad American audience through his pedagogical ideas. The novelty of Models for Beginners in Composition lay in its streamlined approach-one basing all aspects of composition including motivic design, harmony, and the construction of themes on the two-measure phrase.

In its practical function as a syllabus for the American classroom, Models for Beginners in Composition stands alone. One of its most significant contributions to American music education was its use of the two-measure phrase as the building block for an entire compositional method. This revised edition of Models for Beginners in Composition by Gordon Root incorporates Schoenberg’s corrections to the original manuscript and a commentary tracing the evolution of Schoenberg’s unique pedagogical approach. These features allow readers to utilize and explore the text in greater depth. Students of composition, Schoenberg scholars, music theorists, and historians of music theory alike will no doubt welcome this new edition of Schoenberg’s classic composition syllabus.