Combining a grounding in music notation and theory concepts with a foundation in essential technologies, The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music offers an innovative approach that addresses the needs of students preparing for music careers.

Greg McCandless is Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Appalachian State University.

Daniel McIntyre is Department Chair of Music Composition at Full Sail University.

Introduction: The Contemporary Commercial Composer and the Digital Audio Workstation

I. Fundamentals of Music and Audio

Ia: Fundamentals of Music

Chapter 1: Introduction to Pitch

Chapter 2: Introduction to Rhythm

Chapter 3: Introduction to Harmony

Chapter 4: Melody and Counterpoint

Ib: Fundamentals of Audio Engineering and Sequencing

Chapter 5: Introduction to Audio and MIDI

Chapter 6: Manipulating Rhythm in the DAW Environment

Chapter 7: Introduction to Acoustics

Chapter 8: Melodic Sequencing

II. Music Production Essentials

IIa. Composition Essentials

Chapter 9: Functional Diatonic Harmony

Chapter 10: Expanding your Harmonic Vocabulary

Chapter 11: Form and Development

Chapter 12: Basic Orchestration

IIb. Audio Engineering Essentials

Chapter 13: Introduction to Mixing

Chapter 14: Recording and Editing Live Instruments

Chapter 15: Mixing and Processing

Chapter 16: Final Mix Considerations

Chapter 17: Scoring for Short-Form Media

Chapter 18:

IV. The Business of Music Composition

Chapter 19:

Glossary