By working through a variety of drills, analyses, and exercises, students learn how harmony functions within a large-scale melodic organization and develop the tools they need to analyze and understand the concepts behind a wide range of music.

Written exercisesThe Second Edition includes new exercises for each chapter that reflect changes in the text, in particular changes in the chapters on fundamentals and diatonic harmony. Exercises require students to fill in short harmonic progressions, complete sequential patterns, realize figured basses, harmonize melodies, analyze excerpts from music literature, and compose original music.

Keyboard exercisesProfessor Gauldins keyboard exercises help students make the transition from theory to ear training and performance. Students learn to hear various intervals, chords, and harmonic progressions and to master transposition, figured bass, and melody harmonization. All keyboard exercises have been collected in a separate section at the end of the text.