First takes the student through the basic elements - melody, harmony, counterpoint, and rhythm - before covering a variety of special subjects such as writing vocal and choral music, accompaniments, and film and TV music. Devotes many chapters to composing with advanced and recent techniques including free diatonicism, bitonality and polytonality, atonality and twelve-note mic, and serialism and indeterminancy. Uses over 200 music examples to illustrate points in the text, and includes exercises