This rich and varied collection comprises 230 canons spanning six centuries. Its primary aim is to provide music students, from beginners to advanced learners, with material through which they can improve their musicianship effectively using relative solmization. For this reason, the canons are presented without text and are partly transposed. They can be performed by voices, instruments, or both.

The publication was originally published in 1928.

This new edition of Classical Canons presents the works in score format. This format makes the music easier to read and reveals its harmonic, rhythmic, and motivic structure. The book is accompanied by an online teacher's guide by Thomas Kite that offers useful supplementary material for analyzing and teaching the canons in various ways. A Companion to Classical Canons can be purchased at a discounted price using the unique code printed in each book.