Tonal System

Roughly speaking, it does this in three stages. First, proceeding from the diatonic scale, the main area of a home key is mapped out with dimensional and chromatic expansions. Then the reader is given chapters on enharmonic and mediant relationships, especially for use in modulations. Finally the subject rounded off with summary chord charts and a complete overview of chordal types.

Strewn throughout the text are spotlights on jazz harmonic theory, with the aim of opening the readers’ eyes to this field and giving them thought-provoking ideas, but without any pretense to completeness.

I have deliberately avoided presenting examples from the existing literature and instead focused on “casebook examples.” This seemed to me the clearest and fastest way to cover the subject. And since the entire book is aimed at analysis anyway, it should obviously be read in conjunction with the existing works of music.