Principles of Harmonic Analysis

This small book is a very nice exposition of a particular kind of analysis; well worth a read and multiple rereads! Serious musicians: this is essential reading!

This book is a very short (88 pages) workbook with brief explanations followed by several pages of examples, some of which have no comment at all. This lack of explanation of the harmonic elements is conspicuous because Piston spends lots of time introducing apoggiaturas, passing tones, etc. It seems if the reader is at a level where a passing tone has to be explained to him/her, than he's not in a position to look at pages of music and work out from himself what is happening in the harmony.This is really a workbook that should accompany a textbook on harmony or used as adjunct material in a class, but not be the principal study material for harmony or even harmonic analysis.Overall, a disappointing publication that's not at the same level as Piston's admired masterwork on harmony.

An introduction Piston's later books; Harmony, Counterpoint, Orchestration offer so much more

Although the kind of harmonic analysis (i.e. labeling chords with Roman numerals) has become rather passé, it is still more useful than its detractors will readily admit. It is easier to learn than Schenkerian and contrapuntal approaches (however powerful they may be) and many people hear and follow the chord changes more easily than they hear the counterpoint.The purpose of this book isn't to teach the application of Roman numerals. Rather, it is to provide a background of harmonic treatment during what used to be called the "common practice period" in order to prepare the 1930s music student for handling the music of his own time. It is primarily a selection of musical examples of the treatment of different types of chords and later how harmony is used in types of counterpoint. Modulation techniques are shown in a separate chapter. The short chapter on the 20th century is only text. The appendix is a series of examples of complete short pieces with the kinds of analysis demonstrated in the chapters.It is an interesting book and I can't imagine a student not wanting to read through it. However, I can imagine some devotees of certain theoretical approaches rejecting it because it isn't a part of their orthodoxy. However, Piston was a solid composer and an important 20th century pedagogue and writer on music. Learning what he thought has to be worth more than the petty pronouncements of so many whose primary musical accomplishment was acquiring tenure somewhere.