Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete Alto Clef (Viola) Edition Cover Image

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete Alto Clef (Viola) Edition: Complete Book Alto Clef (Viola) Edition (Comb Bound)

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Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete Alto Clef (Viola) Edition Cover Image

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete Alto Clef (Viola) Edition: Complete Book Alto Clef (Viola) Edition (Comb Bound)

By Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus

Item: 00-18583

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Description
Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory is designed for students of any age, whether listeners or performers, who want to have a better understanding of the language of music. In this all-in-one theory course, you will learn the essentials of music through concise lessons, practice your music reading and writing skills in the exercises, improve your listening skills with the available ear-training CDs (sold separately), and test your knowledge with a review that completes each unit.

This Alto Clef edition includes primarily alto clef examples, but also presents treble and bass clef examples. The Student Complete Book includes Books 1-3 in a spiral-bound format. The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance.

Book 1 (Lessons 1-25): Staff, Notes and Pitches * Treble & Bass Clefs * Grad Staff & Ledger Lines * Note Values * Measure, Bar Line and Double Bar * 2/4, 3/4 & 4/4 Time Signatures * Whole, Half & Quarter Notes/Rests * Dotted Half & Quarter Notes * Ties & Slurs * Repeat Sign, 1st & 2nd Endings * Eighth Notes & Rests * Dynamic Signs, Tempo Marks & Articulation * D.C., D.S., Coda & Fine * Flats, Sharps & Naturals * Whole & Half Step, Enharmonic Notes.

Book 2 (Lessons 25-50): Tetrachords & Major Scales * Key Signatures * Chromatic Scale * Intervals, Circle of Fifths * Perfect, Major & Minor Intervals * Augmented & Diminished Intervals * Solfège & Transposition * Sixteenth Notes & Rests * Dotted Eighth Notes & Eighth Note Triplets * Common Time & Cut Time * 3/8 & 6/8 Time Signatures * Pick-up Notes & Syncopation * Primary & Major Triads * Scale Degree Names * Dominant 7th Chord.

Book 3 (Lessons 51-75): 1st & 2nd Inversions of Triads * Inversions of V7 Chords * Figured Bass * Major Chord Progressions * Minor Scales, Minor Triads * Augmented & Diminished Triads * Primary Triads in Minor Keys * Minor Chord Progressions * Modes * Harmonizing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys * Broken Chords & Arpeggiated Accompaniments * Passing and Neighboring Tones * Composing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys * 12-Bar Blues Chord Progression & Blues Scale * Basic Forms of Music.

The complete line of Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory includes Student Books, a Teacher's Answer Key, Ear-Training CDs, Double Bingo games, Flash Cards, Reproducible Teacher's Activity Kits, and interactive software for students and teachers in private study, studio and network environments.

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete Alto Clef (Viola) Edition: Complete Book Alto Clef (Viola) Edition (Comb Bound) isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

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Additional Details
Series: Essentials of Music Theory
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 124
ISBN10: 0-7390-0265-1
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-0265-0
UPC: 038081177458
SKU: 00-18583
Instrumentation: Alto Clef (Viola)

More about this title

About the Author: Karen Farnum Surmani

Karen Farnum Surmani

Karen Farnum Surmani serves as Early Childhood Acquisition Editor and Vocal Masterworks Editor at Alfred Music, bringing together her training in both performance and pedagogy. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge, and a Master's in Music Education from USC, and brings classroom experience across elementary, middle, and university levels. An active classical vocalist, she maintains a private teaching studio while contributing to multiple educational series and publications.

Surmani's credentials span the Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly approaches, and she holds membership in the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, MENC, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Her work on Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory reflects her deep understanding of how students at all ages develop musical literacy.

Why we love this

The alto clef orientation makes this indispensable for viola programs that need a theory text matching what students actually read. The comb binding is a practical touch, pages stay open without wrestling the book, which matters when you're working through exercises with a pencil in one hand. Covering all three clefs while centering alto clef examples creates a resource that doesn't feel like a workaround.

What to expect

Systematic and approachable. The progression from foundational note-reading through key signatures and intervals builds confidence without overwhelming. It reads like someone who understands what students actually struggle with wrote it.

Who it's for

Viola students who need theory instruction grounded in their own clef, rather than constantly translating treble clef examples. This serves independent learners preparing for auditions or college entrance exams, and ensemble directors who want a unified theory curriculum for mixed instrumental groups.

How to get the most out of it

  • Assign one lesson per week and have students complete both the written exercises and listening components before the next rehearsal; the modular structure pairs well with performance preparation rather than disrupting it.
  • Use the review sections at the end of each unit as quick diagnostics before moving forward; gaps in interval recognition or key signature fluency will show immediately.
  • Work through solfège and transposition exercises as a full ensemble warm-up once students reach Book 2; it strengthens aural skills while building ensemble cohesion.

How to use it

Integrate it as required reading in a pre-rehearsal study block for violas, or use it to support a full ensemble theory initiative where all students work from the same pedagogical framework. The complete three-book format works well for students spanning middle school through early high school.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and writing in alto clef with fluency across the full range
  • Constructing major scales and identifying key signatures
  • Recognizing and spelling intervals (perfect, major, minor, augmented, diminished)
  • Understanding chord construction and function
  • Transposing melodies at various intervals
  • Applying solfège syllables to aid sight-reading
  • Interpreting tempo markings, dynamic symbols, and articulation signs

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