布鲁斯·本沃德（Bruce Benward），著名教育家和学者。1943年，本沃德在印第安纳大学取得音乐硕士学位，1950年，在伊斯曼音乐学院取得博士学位。在威斯康辛大学音乐学院音乐理论教授30年。之前20年，他在阿肯萨斯大学音乐教授及音乐系主任。1992年，本沃德博 士也任职弗罗里达州立大学音乐理论专业客座教授。此外，他还担任美国州立大学音乐学院联合会的主席。在他的职业生涯中，本沃德编著出版了很多关于音乐理论及视唱练耳的书籍，并在全国范围内开办了很多工作坊。除此之外，他还是支持计算机辅助音乐教学的先锋，并合编了几款计算机软件。

芭芭拉·加维·杰克逊（Barbara Garvey Jackson），阿肯色大学荣休教授。

布鲁斯·R·杰克逊（Bruce R. Jackson）林肯大学人文音乐兼职助理教授。出版作品包括《g-d-G-C 变格定弦低音提琴的调音——历史考察，理论基础，教学研究和创作示范》。

译者：

蒋瑀，中央音乐学院作曲系本科，美国密苏里大学堪萨斯城分校音乐作曲硕士。创作音乐作品体裁涉及室内乐、交响乐、音乐剧、及影视音乐等，并曾在中美各地上演。现居纽约，目前任职美国作曲家交响乐团发展部，热衷艺术、电影、旅行和美食。

The phrase 'practical theory' may seem to be a contradiction, but it is a term that "Practical Beginning Theory" has, since it's first edition in 1963, sought to embody by providing a comprehensive introduction to basic level theory that can be used in any teaching situation, even if other resource materials are limited or unavailable. In the new edition, the text continues its mission to be an all-in-one coursebook for music fundamentals. A third author has been added to revise and update the exercises in popular music and to integrate new electronic supplements into the text. A new chapter has been added to address jazz, pop, and blues and a CD of ear-training examples is now included with each copy of the book. The software package of the prior edition has been coordinated to the new CD and mounted to the Internet and exercises throughout the text have been revised to further emphasize real music instead of artificial textbook examples. In all, "Practical Beginning Theory" prepares students completely for the first semester of major-level music theory. In can be used at two- and four-year colleges and it is appropriate for pre-college students who are preparing to enter a music major or for advanced high school music theory courses.