Harmony

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Harmony is the simultaneous sounding of multiple pitches. Harmony constitutes one of the most important elements of Western Music. Having a thorough knowledge and a firm understanding of Harmony is of the utmost importance to Composers, Performers, Theorists, and Musicologists. The study of harmony focuses on how different relationships or combinations of notes can be manipulated over time. Traditionally, in Western Music, harmony was used to create music which moved from dissonant (jarring or unstable) to consonant (pleasant or stable). This can and usually applies to music on a large scale formal level and the chord to chord phrase level. Although the decision which sounds are characterized as consonant or dissonant have varied from age to age, and from place to place, this form of tension and release was the basis of most Western Musical composition, which is still largely the norm today.

This course assumes a basic knowledge of music fundamentals.

Topics

1. Some Basic Concepts: The Major Scale, & Intervals
2. The Minor Scale and Modes
3. Triads & Seventh Chords
4. Harmonic Language, Function, and Progression
5. Chord Inversions
6. Cadences & Phrases
7. Suspensions
8. Sequences & Other Devices
9. Harmonizing Melodies & Non-Chord Tones
10. Introduction to Voice-leading
11. Introduction to Counterpoint
12. Modulation
13. Chromatic Chords
14. Extended Chords
15. Chords by Seconds & Chords by Fourths
16. Chords extended beyond the 13th
17. Introduction to Harmonic Progressions, Functions, & Substitutions in Jazz
18. Planning, Organum, Isomelody, & Isorhythm
19. Survey of Post Tonal Music
20. Introduction to Serialism
21. Introduction To 20th Century Styles
22. History of Western Harmony