Structural Harmony

The course of Harmony is based totally on the “Treatise of Harmony” by Arnold Schonberg. According to him, “Harmony is the study of simultaneous sounds(chords) and of how they may be joined with respect to their architectonic, melodic, and rhythmic values and their significance, their weight relative to one another”.

The reason we chose this book comes from Schonberg himself: “The outset required the pupil to determine the sequence of chords himself […] This procedure has the advantage that from the very beginning the pupil is himself, in a certain sense, composing.” All the fundamental topics to develop from scratch a solid knowledge in Harmony are presented impeccably and logically mixed with his ideas and with philosophical overtones that enrich the contents entirely not just to follow the rules but ponder upon them.

Structural Harmony

Course Information

Course Instructor

Introduction

Theory or System?

The Method of teaching Harmony

Consonance and Dissonance: Main Concepts

The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords

The overtone series

The Diatonic Triads

Spacing and Voice registers

Primary and Secondary Triads. Connection between them: Voice Leading

Triad inversions: The Sixth and the Sixth-four chords

Parallel Octaves and Fifths

Connection of Triads in root position, first and second inversion

Sevenths chords: Voice Leading

Connection of Seventh chords with the previous chords

The Minor Mode

The Diatonic Triads: Voice leading in different scales

Inversion of Triads in Minor mode

Seventh chords and theri inversions in Minor Mode

Connection of Chords with no Common Notes

Voice leading directions and guidelines between outer voices

Cadences (closes)

Plagal Cadence, Perfect Authentic and Deceptive Cadences

The sixth*four chord in a cadential (the cadential six-four)

Freer treatment of the VII degree in Major and Minor mode

Voice Leading examples

Modulation

Main concept and function

Circle of Fifths

Examples

Secondary Dominants and other Non-Diatonic chords derived from the Church Modes

Guidelines

The Diminished chord and Guidelines for its use

Examples

Rhythm and Harmony

Main Concept and Guidelines

Time Signature and Takt

Modulations: Continuation

Modulations to the 3rd and 4th circles

Examples and Exercises

Regions in Minor

Guidelines

Relationship to the Subdominant Minor

Regions II

Transformations of the second degree

Transformations of other degrees in the tonic region

Exercises

At the Frontiers of Tonality

More uses of the Diminished seventh Chords

The Augmented Triad

The Augmented six-five, four-three

Some alterations of the II degree and other degrees

Connections of altered and vagrant chords

Modulations to more distant keys

Modulation to the 2nd, 5th and 6th circles of fifths

Modulations through intermediate keys

Interchangealbility of Major and Minor regions

Regions III (Major)

Tonic Minor Region

Chorale Harmonisation

Cadences

Non-Harmonic Tones

Introduction. contrapuntal Concepts

Passing, Neighbouring

Appoggiatura, Suspension, Retardation

Changing Tones, Anticipations

Analysis and Exercises

Ninth chords

Main Concepts

Examples and Analysis

Extended Tonality

Romantic period. Descriptive Music

Examples of the Literature

Progressions for varios compositional Purposes

Sentence

Period

Codetta

Contrasting Middle Section