The manual was created by the efforts of a group of teachers-theoreticians of the SMU . Gnessins . Each chapter of the book is devoted to one of the epochs in the development of musical thinking, starting from the era of fretful archaic music and up to the musical language of geniuses of the 20th century. The material is presented in a form that integrates theoretical concepts with practical, analytical and creative tasks. This allows you to actively involve the consciousness of students in the process of creative thinking of the authors of the studied works. Among the tasks there are also rarely used - such as the construction of thematic scenarios and developing games that can be used in DMS and DSH. The material of the manual, designed to form the conceptual apparatus of students-theoreticians and students of composers of music colleges, can give students and teachers-performers a more accurate idea of the content of works studied in the class of works of different eras and styles.