Elements of Music

Elements of Music by Joseph Straus is arguably the best textbook currently available for the course it is designed for (i.e. Music Fundamentals for music majors as a pre-theory review course, as well as for non-music majors). It covers topics in a comprehensive progressive manner - pitch recognition, rhythm and meter, scales, intervals, triads and 7th chords, introduction to 4-part harmony and music organizations - and at the same time leaves the instructor and students a great degree of flexibility. The 2nd edition varies little from the 1st, but the improvements are noticeable and welcomed: larger font sizes, rearranged music examples in certain exercises (in accordance with the level of difficulty), and the addition of a self test at the end of each chapter.