A. Tillman Merritt graduated from the University of Missouri in 1924 and was the first recipient of a new degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts, in 1926. That autumn he came to Harvard as a graduate student in music; recognition of his unusual talent was immediate. In February, 1927, he was asked to be Walter Piston's teaching assistant in music theory. This book is intended to be an introduction and guide to the early study of counterpoint, and deals with the construction of the single line and with the combination of two lines, three lines, and four lines.