Fundamentals of Western Music

[2nd Edition] This book is an introduction to reading and notating Western music. It is designed to serve as a textbook for a one-semester course at the college level. Students need no prior knowledge of music. The course of study will foster an understanding of and appreciation for the roles of composer, performer and listener. Music of the world is as diverse as the cultures that create it. Methods for transmitting musical ideas are equally varied. In Western civilization a system of notation has evolved that allows transmission of musical thought with utmost precision. The notation applies equally to all genres, whether symphony, folk music, popular music, or jazz.