The current volume is the first in this multi-volume Music Theory collection, which is targeted at pre-college students of all levels and is drawn largely from the materials the author has developed for her own students over the years. This collection was originally conceived as a supplement to the Russian School of Piano Playing (Russian Piano School) book series, which is an English translation of the popular Russian piano method book. A number of piano teachers, both Russian and American, have noted the need for a comprehensive music theory supplement to the Russian School piano method series. Music Theory is intended to fill this gap, though it can be used effectively with any piano method. Moreover, the Music Theory books have evolved beyond their original conception as a supplement to the Russian Piano School books, incorporating more advanced concepts and skills (in Levels 4 and higher) than those found in the Russian Piano School series, which stops at intermediate levels. The Music Theory books are intended to be used primarily by piano and music theory teachers and their students, as a significant portion of the musical examples are drawn from the Russian and classical piano repertoire. A number of examples are also drawn from the Joy of Classics and Music for Millions, the well-known collections of piano anthology books. The Music Theory collection uniquely combines textbook and workbook components in each volume, providing greater ease of instruction for both teachers and students at every level.

Unlike the majority of existing theory books, which focus on each musical element separately, this collection's focus is on the integration of a music piece, on the combination of elements that makes a music piece unique. None of the existing theory books provide the sheer number of musical examples that are offered in this series. With every analysis of a musical example, the student's attention is drawn to the style and genre of the music piece and to the historical period in which it was composed. Information about the composers whose pieces are presented in each lesson can also be found in the short biographical articles included in footnotes throughout the books.