Comprehensive Aural Skills
A Flexible Approach to Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony
3rd Edition
Will be published approx. on 6. November 2026
450 pages
E-Book
978-1-040-55566-8 (ISBN)
Description
Comprehensive Aural Skills, Third Edition is a complete suite of material for both performance and dictation, covering the wide range of sight singing and ear training skills required for undergraduate courses of study. It provides a series of instructional modules on rhythm, melody, and harmony, and blends musical examples from the common-practice repertory with original examples composed to specifically address particular skills and concepts. Each module includes material for classroom performance, self-directed study, and homework assignments.
Features:
A complete suite of aural skills material: Comprehensive Aural Skills is a combined sight singing and ear training textbook, audio, and digital resource package.
Fully modular, customizable organization: Instructors can choose freely from the set of exercises in the book and supplemental material on the companion website to appropriately tailor the curriculum based on their students' needs.
Engaging and idiomatic musical examples: Examples are selected and composed specifically for the didactic context of an aural skills classroom.
Dictation exercises for practice and assignment: Practice exercises include an answer key so students can work independently and receive immediate feedback, while homework assignments are given without a key.
Audio examples for dictation: The free to access website hosts live recordings of acoustic instruments performed by professional musicians for each dictation exercise and homework assignment.
Supplemental materials for instructors: A wealth of material for class use and assignment available digitally
Teacher's guide: The guide includes answers for every homework assignment, brief commentary on each module's content, tips for integrating written theory, and strategies on how to effectively teach new concepts and skills.
This updated Third Edition includes:
A new module on jazz harmony
Updates to the rhythm portion of the book, with particular focus on more gradual scaffolding of skills.
More examples from the literature
Difficulty levels of examples now indicated throughout the book, improving ease of use
New recordings available on the website, now including a wider array of instrumentation
Revised, more modular homework assignments
Fully updated and free to access Instructor and Student Resources website
Features:
A complete suite of aural skills material: Comprehensive Aural Skills is a combined sight singing and ear training textbook, audio, and digital resource package.
Fully modular, customizable organization: Instructors can choose freely from the set of exercises in the book and supplemental material on the companion website to appropriately tailor the curriculum based on their students' needs.
Engaging and idiomatic musical examples: Examples are selected and composed specifically for the didactic context of an aural skills classroom.
Dictation exercises for practice and assignment: Practice exercises include an answer key so students can work independently and receive immediate feedback, while homework assignments are given without a key.
Audio examples for dictation: The free to access website hosts live recordings of acoustic instruments performed by professional musicians for each dictation exercise and homework assignment.
Supplemental materials for instructors: A wealth of material for class use and assignment available digitally
Teacher's guide: The guide includes answers for every homework assignment, brief commentary on each module's content, tips for integrating written theory, and strategies on how to effectively teach new concepts and skills.
This updated Third Edition includes:
A new module on jazz harmony
Updates to the rhythm portion of the book, with particular focus on more gradual scaffolding of skills.
More examples from the literature
Difficulty levels of examples now indicated throughout the book, improving ease of use
New recordings available on the website, now including a wider array of instrumentation
Revised, more modular homework assignments
Fully updated and free to access Instructor and Student Resources website
More details
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
2143 Line drawings, black and white; 2143 Illustrations, black and white
ISBN-13
978-1-040-55566-8 (9781040555668)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Justin Merritt | David Castro
Comprehensive Aural Skills
A Flexible Approach to Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony
Book
approx. 11/2026
3rd Edition
Routledge
€148.50
Not yet published
Justin Merritt | David Castro
Comprehensive Aural Skills
A Flexible Approach to Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony
Book
approx. 11/2026
3rd Edition
Routledge
€216.50
Not yet published
Persons
Justin Merritt is Professor of Music Composition and Theory at St. Olaf College, USA.
David Castro is Professor of Music Theory at St. Olaf College, USA.
David Castro is Professor of Music Theory at St. Olaf College, USA.
Content
Part 1: Rhythm
Module 1 : Introduction to Simple Meters
Module 2 : Simple Meters, Continued
Module 3 : Rests and Ties
Module 4 : Syncopation in Simple Meters
Module 5 : Introduction to Compound Meters
Module 6 : Compound Meters, Continued
Module 7 : Syncopation in Compound Meters
Module 8 : Triplets, Duplets, and Hemiola
Module 9 : Compound Meters, Advanced Beat Patterns
Module 10 : Asymmetrical and Mixed Meters
Part 2: Melody
Module 1 : Steps within the Major Scale
Module 2 : Steps within the Minor Scale
Module 3 : Leaps within the Tonic Triad (Major and Minor)
Module 4 : Leaps within the Dominant (Seventh) and vii degrees
Module 5 : Further Diatonic Leaps
Module 6 : Stepwise Chromatic Tones
Module 7 : Motion to The Dominant
Module 8 : Leaps To and from Chromatic Tones
Module 9 : Modulation to Closely Related Keys
Module 10 : Advanced Chromaticism
Module 11 : Modulation to Distantly Related Keys
Module 12 : Pentatonic and Diatonic Modes
Module 13 : Other Modes
Module 14 : Sets and 12-Tone Rows
Part 3: Harmony
Module 1 : I(i) and V (^1 and ^5 in the Bass)
Module 2 : IV(iv), ii6( degrees6), and ii (^4 and ^2 in the Bass)
Module 3 : I(i)6, vii degrees6, and V6 (^3, ^2, and ^7 in the Bass)
Module 4 : V7 and the Cadential 6/4 (^5 in the Bass)
Module 5 : Inversions of V7 and The Passing 6/4 (^4, ^2, and ^7 in the Bass)
Module 6 : vii degrees7 and its Inversions and the Pedal 6/4
Module 7 : IV(iv)6, vi(VI), and iii(III) (^6, and ^3 in the Bass)
Module 8 : Pre-dominant Seventh Chords-ii(o)7 and IV(iv)7
Module 9 : Applied Dominants 1-V7/V, vii degrees7/V, and V7/III
Module 10 : Applied Dominants 2-V7/IV(iv) and vii degrees7/iv
Module 11 : Applied Dominants 3-V7/ii, vii degrees7/ii, V7/vi(VI), and vii degrees7/vi
Module 12 : Modulation to Closely Related Keys
Module 13 : Modal Mixture
Module 14 : The Neapolitan (bII)
Module 15 : Augmented 6th Chords
Module 16 : Modulations Using vii degrees7 and the ct degrees7
Glossary of Musical Terms; Solmization Systems
Dicatation Keys
Part 1 Rhythm
Part 2 Melody
Part 3 Harmony
Module 1 : Introduction to Simple Meters
Module 2 : Simple Meters, Continued
Module 3 : Rests and Ties
Module 4 : Syncopation in Simple Meters
Module 5 : Introduction to Compound Meters
Module 6 : Compound Meters, Continued
Module 7 : Syncopation in Compound Meters
Module 8 : Triplets, Duplets, and Hemiola
Module 9 : Compound Meters, Advanced Beat Patterns
Module 10 : Asymmetrical and Mixed Meters
Part 2: Melody
Module 1 : Steps within the Major Scale
Module 2 : Steps within the Minor Scale
Module 3 : Leaps within the Tonic Triad (Major and Minor)
Module 4 : Leaps within the Dominant (Seventh) and vii degrees
Module 5 : Further Diatonic Leaps
Module 6 : Stepwise Chromatic Tones
Module 7 : Motion to The Dominant
Module 8 : Leaps To and from Chromatic Tones
Module 9 : Modulation to Closely Related Keys
Module 10 : Advanced Chromaticism
Module 11 : Modulation to Distantly Related Keys
Module 12 : Pentatonic and Diatonic Modes
Module 13 : Other Modes
Module 14 : Sets and 12-Tone Rows
Part 3: Harmony
Module 1 : I(i) and V (^1 and ^5 in the Bass)
Module 2 : IV(iv), ii6( degrees6), and ii (^4 and ^2 in the Bass)
Module 3 : I(i)6, vii degrees6, and V6 (^3, ^2, and ^7 in the Bass)
Module 4 : V7 and the Cadential 6/4 (^5 in the Bass)
Module 5 : Inversions of V7 and The Passing 6/4 (^4, ^2, and ^7 in the Bass)
Module 6 : vii degrees7 and its Inversions and the Pedal 6/4
Module 7 : IV(iv)6, vi(VI), and iii(III) (^6, and ^3 in the Bass)
Module 8 : Pre-dominant Seventh Chords-ii(o)7 and IV(iv)7
Module 9 : Applied Dominants 1-V7/V, vii degrees7/V, and V7/III
Module 10 : Applied Dominants 2-V7/IV(iv) and vii degrees7/iv
Module 11 : Applied Dominants 3-V7/ii, vii degrees7/ii, V7/vi(VI), and vii degrees7/vi
Module 12 : Modulation to Closely Related Keys
Module 13 : Modal Mixture
Module 14 : The Neapolitan (bII)
Module 15 : Augmented 6th Chords
Module 16 : Modulations Using vii degrees7 and the ct degrees7
Glossary of Musical Terms; Solmization Systems
Dicatation Keys
Part 1 Rhythm
Part 2 Melody
Part 3 Harmony
