Theoretical perspective. Music theory as psychdology ; The connection with linguistics ; The connection with artistic concerns ; The overall form of the theory -- Introduction to rhythmic structure. Grouping structure ; Metrical structure ; The interaction of grouping and meter ; The relation of structural accent to grouping and meter -- Grouping structure. Grouping well-formedness rules ; Perceptual motivation for the preference rule formalism ; Grouping preference rules ; Grouping overlaps ; The performer's influence on preferred hearing ; Two more examples -- Metrical structure. Metrical well-formedness rules ; Metrical preference rules ; Further metrical preference rules ; Variations on the metrical well-formedness rules ; Metrical irregularities at hypermeasure levels -- Introduction to reduction. The need for reductions ; Possible formal approaches to reduction ; The tree notation for reductions ; Preliminary construction of reductions -- Time-span reduction : the analytic system. Time-span segmentation ; Time-span trees and metrical structure ; Time-span trees and structural accents ; Details of cadential reduction ; Background structures and the location of the structural dominant ; A complete time-span reduction --

Formalization of time-span reduction. Time-span segmentation ; Time-span reduction well-formedness rules ; Preference rules within phrases ; Structural accents of groups ; Concluding remarks -- Prolongational reduction : the analytic system. Intuitions about tension and relaxation ; Preliminaries to prolongational trees ; Prolongational trees ; A secondary notation ; A complete prolongational reduction -- Formalization of prolongational reduction. Fundamental hypotheses ; Prolongational reduction well-formedness rules ; Prolongational regions ; Prolongational reduction preference rules ; The interaction principle ; Normative prolongational structure ; Binary form and sonata form ; Reflections on musical cognition and music as an art -- Some analyses. A complex rhythmic example ; Motivic structure and time-span reduction ; Some time-span and prolomgational reductions ; Possible refinements in prolongational reduction -- Musical universals and related issues. What is a musical universal? ; Musical innateness ; Summary of rhythmic features ; Motivic "Transformations", "Deep structures", and musical "Archetypes" ; Remarks on the basis of tonal systems ; Remarks on contemporary music --

Psychological and linguistic connections. Gestalt theory and visual form perception ; Preference rules in linguistic theory ; A deep parallel between music and language ; A remark on brain localization ; Music theory as a cognitive science.