Minor Key Harmony - Music Theory
video description
Date: 2022-03-28
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
Rhydian
Thank you for your excellent videos. Being born without the massive, pulsating, musical engine of a Mozart of a Chopin, this is the only labourious route left open to me to try to harmonise, a bit like non-painters using painting by numbers. I have to try to figure out harmony by testing triads. My late sister-in-law was an astonishing musician. She would have harmonised this tune at sight and then given the analysis, as I am sure you do. My sister-in-law once asked me to play a random 10-note chord, nothing harmonious but a racket: she sang the 3rd note from the bottom, 4th note from the top, etc. I also saw her play a round of Frere Jacques on a 2-manual organ. She started playing with her right hand, then joined in with the left, then the pedals and finally with voice. It was like hearing a four-fold echo. Her sight reading skill was astonishing. I have trouble sight-singing and I am envious that you are able to sing all four parts with ease. I am also envious that you can hear that (say) a diminshed 7th will fit a progreession. Beethoven wrote his 9th when totally deaf. Schubert, away from a keyboard, composed on the back of a menu. Paraphrasing Salieri in the film Amadeus, it was as though these guys are taking dictation for a tune already formed in the head. As a mathemtician and epidemiologist, I have no problem whatsoever in constructing key signatures using the beautiful Circle of 5ths but recognition by HEARING is the other side of the musical coin. I recently came across a piano score of the Shepherds' Farewell by Berlioz. The harmonies are astonishing and I would despair if asked to reconstruct them! Thank you again. shall continue plodding, (Dr) Rhydian Harker.
reply
Thank you for your excellent videos. Being born without the massive, pulsating, musical engine of a Mozart of a Chopin, this is the only labourious route left open to me to try to harmonise, a bit like non-painters using painting by numbers. I have to try to figure out harmony by testing triads. My late sister-in-law was an astonishing musician. She would have harmonised this tune at sight and then given the analysis, as I am sure you do. My sister-in-law once asked me to play a random 10-note chord, nothing harmonious but a racket: she sang the 3rd note from the bottom, 4th note from the top, etc. I also saw her play a round of Frere Jacques on a 2-manual organ. She started playing with her right hand, then joined in with the left, then the pedals and finally with voice. It was like hearing a four-fold echo. Her sight reading skill was astonishing. I have trouble sight-singing and I am envious that you are able to sing all four parts with ease. I am also envious that you can hear that (say) a diminshed 7th will fit a progreession. Beethoven wrote his 9th when totally deaf. Schubert, away from a keyboard, composed on the back of a menu. Paraphrasing Salieri in the film Amadeus, it was as though these guys are taking dictation for a tune already formed in the head. As a mathemtician and epidemiologist, I have no problem whatsoever in constructing key signatures using the beautiful Circle of 5ths but recognition by HEARING is the other side of the musical coin. I recently came across a piano score of the Shepherds' Farewell by Berlioz. The harmonies are astonishing and I would despair if asked to reconstruct them! Thank you again. shall continue plodding, (Dr) Rhydian Harker.
reply
Vivek
Sir, you are amazingly good and I find myself so lucky to be listening to a such a knowledgeable teacher like you.
I saw you checking for parallel fifth while completing your piece and I do have a question in mind regarding parallel fifth and I understand that you may not have the time to answer.
Let's say we are using chords I, IV and V in their root positions in a piece of music. That means that the first note and the fifth note of the chords (which a perfect fifth apart) are moving in parallel. So does that mean we need to play inversions in between to avoid the parallel fifth movements? So we really can't play chords consecutively in their root positions?
Very thankful for your lectures on you tube.
Regards
Vivek
reply
Sir, you are amazingly good and I find myself so lucky to be listening to a such a knowledgeable teacher like you.
I saw you checking for parallel fifth while completing your piece and I do have a question in mind regarding parallel fifth and I understand that you may not have the time to answer.
Let's say we are using chords I, IV and V in their root positions in a piece of music. That means that the first note and the fifth note of the chords (which a perfect fifth apart) are moving in parallel. So does that mean we need to play inversions in between to avoid the parallel fifth movements? So we really can't play chords consecutively in their root positions?
Very thankful for your lectures on you tube.
Regards
Vivek
reply
TinyMaths
I always loved that interval that implies some kind of Arabian music. But I never understood why ascending should be different from descending in the harmonic minor scale, since, I came to music from a non-traditional approach. Also, this is the sort of thing I've been wanting to do, promising myself a few years ago that I would begin taking a deeper look at harmony. I was fascinated at your breakdown and analysis and towards the end of your analysis I was thinking, - but, is this going to work? I mean, how can he be so confident something musical is going to emerge? -. Wow, my skepticism got put in its place; that simple movement was pretty, well, moving. Looking forward to watching this again since there's a lot to take in.
reply
I always loved that interval that implies some kind of Arabian music. But I never understood why ascending should be different from descending in the harmonic minor scale, since, I came to music from a non-traditional approach. Also, this is the sort of thing I've been wanting to do, promising myself a few years ago that I would begin taking a deeper look at harmony. I was fascinated at your breakdown and analysis and towards the end of your analysis I was thinking, - but, is this going to work? I mean, how can he be so confident something musical is going to emerge? -. Wow, my skepticism got put in its place; that simple movement was pretty, well, moving. Looking forward to watching this again since there's a lot to take in.
reply
Caters
You say to avoid the augmented second in melodic writing. Several other people also say that. I don-t think the augmented second is awkward in the context of a minor key. In major? Yeah it would be awkward outside of modulation, but in minor? Not really. You also say that not using the raised seventh is a mistake. How many pieces in C minor do you know that don-t use Bb major or G minor? Probably very few. A Bb major chord, the subtonic of C minor does not automatically mean modulation like some people think it does. In fact, I find that Bb -> Cm is a nice progression in C minor, with similar strength of resolution to a true dominant.
reply
You say to avoid the augmented second in melodic writing. Several other people also say that. I don-t think the augmented second is awkward in the context of a minor key. In major? Yeah it would be awkward outside of modulation, but in minor? Not really. You also say that not using the raised seventh is a mistake. How many pieces in C minor do you know that don-t use Bb major or G minor? Probably very few. A Bb major chord, the subtonic of C minor does not automatically mean modulation like some people think it does. In fact, I find that Bb -> Cm is a nice progression in C minor, with similar strength of resolution to a true dominant.
reply
Dharmendra
Respected sir,
I like your style of explaining the music very much, but my question is that - Is there any book published by you, containing everything step by step you say from writing melodies in all Maj min - melodic, harmonic etc. keys and harmonizing the same ? And if yes then how much does it cost and does it have online video access so that while going through a topic in the book I can click its relevant video and watch and
understand the theory and practical at the same time ? Pl response.
reply
Respected sir,
I like your style of explaining the music very much, but my question is that - Is there any book published by you, containing everything step by step you say from writing melodies in all Maj min - melodic, harmonic etc. keys and harmonizing the same ? And if yes then how much does it cost and does it have online video access so that while going through a topic in the book I can click its relevant video and watch and
understand the theory and practical at the same time ? Pl response.
reply
Dave2002
This is a very helpful video - another excellent one. There are several which you have done on minor key harmony over the last few years. Now I'll have to watch the other ones. Thank you.
I really like the scale based approach - which makes key based harmony a lot easier to understand.
Perhaps that approach can also be used with some unusual scales - though conventions might be different. Can it work with the half-whole tone or diminished scale used by jazz musicians?
reply
This is a very helpful video - another excellent one. There are several which you have done on minor key harmony over the last few years. Now I'll have to watch the other ones. Thank you.
I really like the scale based approach - which makes key based harmony a lot easier to understand.
Perhaps that approach can also be used with some unusual scales - though conventions might be different. Can it work with the half-whole tone or diminished scale used by jazz musicians?
reply
Pebber
I have been studying music theory for 45 years. I have studied at Berklee college of Music, Dick Grove School of Music, Citrus College, Chaffey College, and received a BA in Music theory from University of La Verne and an M.A. from Claremont Graduate University. . I have have extensively studied both traditional (functional) and jazz harmony. I have Never heard of -One C- until this video. What the hell is -One C?-
reply
I have been studying music theory for 45 years. I have studied at Berklee college of Music, Dick Grove School of Music, Citrus College, Chaffey College, and received a BA in Music theory from University of La Verne and an M.A. from Claremont Graduate University. . I have have extensively studied both traditional (functional) and jazz harmony. I have Never heard of -One C- until this video. What the hell is -One C?-
reply
education
I am learning so much from this teacher, that i was able to write my first composition of 21 bars in a minor with a 12/8 time signature. I used the same approch to find the chords that he is saying in This video. You have to take your time, try that one bar (at a time) and listen. I thank you so much sir.
reply
I am learning so much from this teacher, that i was able to write my first composition of 21 bars in a minor with a 12/8 time signature. I used the same approch to find the chords that he is saying in This video. You have to take your time, try that one bar (at a time) and listen. I thank you so much sir.
reply
something
wouldn't you only really raise the seventh in chords when you explicitly want a dominant function, meaning you could take the III and leave it as major without any issue? same with the VII. does sound quite nice though once you finish it. helpful video, thanks!
reply
wouldn't you only really raise the seventh in chords when you explicitly want a dominant function, meaning you could take the III and leave it as major without any issue? same with the VII. does sound quite nice though once you finish it. helpful video, thanks!
reply
Jos-
Thank you for this very informative video! I remember some old rule that says that a fifth shouldn-t be approached by parallel motion, like it happens at the beginning of measure 2 between tenor and soprano, can this rule be safely disregarded? Thank you again!
reply
Thank you for this very informative video! I remember some old rule that says that a fifth shouldn-t be approached by parallel motion, like it happens at the beginning of measure 2 between tenor and soprano, can this rule be safely disregarded? Thank you again!
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
