First he discusses music as a language--how it conveys definite thoughts and feelings. Then he takes up in turn the various elements found in all music--tone, rhythm, melody, harmony; finally, he shows why music must have form and traces its development from the simplest folk-song to the complex modern symphony.

Douglas Moore's skillful interpretation of musical expression makes this an ideal handbook for those who wish to develop their own taste through a fuller understanding of how music speaks to the listener.