Harmony & Melody Vol 1

This is one of the best music theory books I have ever read.

After years of going through many, many texts on the basics of harmony and melody, Siegmeister's two volumes are the best place to go beyond the basics of notes values and scales. He assumes you know something of classicla music and the difference between flats, sharps, and minor and major scales. As a self-taught musical enthusiast, now working with an experienced teacher, I love this approach--copious examples, enthusiastic style, thorough explanation of basic principles. Get both volumes. (Piston and the others are pendantic and dull, too dense and hard to follow, or too simplistic.) The workbooks are of less value and need a professional to provide most of the material for exercises.