Harmony in Context

It was worth the price came in good conditioned the corners were roughed up a little, but other than that it came in good condition, great price too!

I have taken several theory courses, and I am very glad I had the workbook to use. What helped me the most in theory was practice, practice, practice, and that's why this workbook was so helpful. It was very thorough, with lots of examples and opportunities to practice anything you might encounter in music. The workbook was well-paced. I felt ready to start each new concept because of the strong preparation I'd had from the previous exercises. The workbook takes a step-by-step approach, which was very helpful in learning the information. I never felt bombarded with something I couldn't handle because everything progressed very naturally from one exercise to the next. Everything built upon itself. My teacher usually only assigned portions of the exercises offered, but I usually completed everything because it was hepful for me to have the extra practice. I strongly recommend this workbook for a introductory course in theory!

This is the textbook I wish I would have used as an undergrad - the explanations are thorough yet assessible. Most theory texts often try to teach a bit too much from the historical perspective without enough emphasis on the actual application of theory or fail to go into enough detail to be useful in the long term (Kotska.) Also, many theory texts often dump undergrads in the middle of part writing and analysis without really showing them where the theorical ideas came from - this is where Theory in Context is the strongest. This is also one of the only texts that gives a detailed yet easy to understand introduction to species counterpoint and relates it to part writing. Francoli provides a comprehensive view of theory and its application in music ranging from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and even pop and jazz. He is also excellent at providing a great deal of information about the finer details of harmony while also addressing the bigger picture of analysis by using a modified form of Schenkerian analysis. I cannot say enough good about this text but I do have to give one warning: While the book is very descriptive and thorough, it can initially be a bit wordy for the typical freshman. But, as long as the instructor is at hand to clarify certain ideas, as is in any theory class using any book, the students often remark they vastly preferred his explanations to any of the other texts I have used. My only other complaint is that the book doesn't include nearly enough on 20th/21st century theory, but this this is still my favorite text to date.