Essentials of Music Theory

Teachers consistently reach for Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete: Book as their primary text. The three-book series (Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3) lets you pace instruction across a full year or customize based on your students' progress. The flash cards on key signatures give students a tactile way to drill one of theory's trickier concepts, and the Teacher's Answer Key saves hours of prep work. For students who benefit from audio reinforcement, the Complete edition with 2 CDs includes recorded examples that clarify concepts like scales and chord voicings.

Karen Farnum Surmani is the Early Childhood Acquisition Editor at Alfred Music and brings her background in vocal performance and music education to this series. She has authored Teach Yourself to Sing and Singing 101, and co-authored several pedagogical series including Classroom Music for Little Mozarts. Her approach to theory instruction prioritizes clarity and practicality for working teachers.

Morton Manus served as president of Alfred Music from 1952 to 2016 and shaped the company's mission during decades of publishing innovation. His stewardship of Alfred Music established the publishing standards and pedagogical vision that underpin resources like this theory series.

Andrew Surmani collaborated with Karen Farnum Surmani on this widely adopted theory curriculum, contributing to its coherence and classroom effectiveness.