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.

Course Information

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Course Instructor

Gisela Paterno Gisela Paterno Author

Introduction

Theory or System?
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Introduction. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Method of teaching Harmony
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Introduction. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Consonance and Dissonance: Main Concepts
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Introduction. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords

The overtone series
Lesson 1 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Diatonic Triads
Lesson 2 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Spacing and Voice registers
Lesson 3 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Primary and Secondary Triads. Connection between them: Voice Leading
Lesson 4 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Triad inversions: The Sixth and the Sixth-four chords
Lesson 5 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Parallel Octaves and Fifths
Lesson 6 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Connection of Triads in root position, first and second inversion
Lesson 7 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Sevenths chords: Voice Leading
Lesson 8 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Connection of Seventh chords with the previous chords
Lesson 9 of 9 within section The Major Mode and the Diatonic Chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

The Minor Mode

The Diatonic Triads: Voice leading in different scales 
Lesson 1 of 3 within section The Minor Mode. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Inversion of Triads in Minor mode
Lesson 2 of 3 within section The Minor Mode. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Seventh chords and theri inversions in Minor Mode
Lesson 3 of 3 within section The Minor Mode. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Connection of Chords with no Common Notes

Voice leading directions and guidelines between outer voices
Lesson 1 of 1 within section Connection of Chords with no Common Notes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Cadences (closes)

Plagal Cadence, Perfect Authentic and Deceptive Cadences
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Cadences (closes). You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The sixth*four chord in a cadential (the cadential six-four)
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Cadences (closes). You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Freer treatment of the VII degree in Major and Minor mode

Voice Leading examples
Lesson 1 of 1 within section Freer treatment of the VII degree in Major and Minor mode. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Modulation

Main concept and function
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Modulation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Circle of Fifths
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Modulation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Modulation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

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

Guidelines
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Secondary Dominants and other Non-Diatonic chords derived from the Church Modes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Diminished chord and Guidelines for its use
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Secondary Dominants and other Non-Diatonic chords derived from the Church Modes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Secondary Dominants and other Non-Diatonic chords derived from the Church Modes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Rhythm and Harmony

Main Concept and Guidelines
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Rhythm and Harmony. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Time Signature and Takt
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Rhythm and Harmony. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Modulations: Continuation

Modulations to the 3rd and 4th circles
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Modulations: Continuation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples and Exercises
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Modulations: Continuation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Regions in Minor

Guidelines
Lesson 1 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Relationship to the Subdominant Minor
Lesson 2 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Regions II
Lesson 3 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Transformations of the second degree
Lesson 4 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Transformations of other degrees in the tonic region
Lesson 5 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Exercises
Lesson 6 of 6 within section Regions in Minor. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

At the Frontiers of Tonality

More uses of the Diminished seventh Chords
Lesson 1 of 5 within section At the Frontiers of Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Augmented Triad
Lesson 2 of 5 within section At the Frontiers of Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Augmented six-five, four-three
Lesson 3 of 5 within section At the Frontiers of Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Some alterations of the II degree and other degrees
Lesson 4 of 5 within section At the Frontiers of Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Connections of altered and vagrant chords
Lesson 5 of 5 within section At the Frontiers of Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Modulations to more distant keys

Modulation to the 2nd, 5th and 6th circles of fifths
Lesson 1 of 5 within section Modulations to more distant keys. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Modulations through intermediate keys
Lesson 2 of 5 within section Modulations to more distant keys. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Interchangealbility of Major and Minor regions
Lesson 3 of 5 within section Modulations to more distant keys. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Regions III (Major)
Lesson 4 of 5 within section Modulations to more distant keys. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Tonic Minor Region
Lesson 5 of 5 within section Modulations to more distant keys. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Chorale Harmonisation

Cadences
Lesson 1 of 1 within section Chorale Harmonisation. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Non-Harmonic Tones

Introduction. contrapuntal Concepts
Lesson 1 of 5 within section Non-Harmonic Tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Passing, Neighbouring
Lesson 2 of 5 within section Non-Harmonic Tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Appoggiatura, Suspension, Retardation
Lesson 3 of 5 within section Non-Harmonic Tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Changing Tones, Anticipations
Lesson 4 of 5 within section Non-Harmonic Tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Analysis and Exercises
Lesson 5 of 5 within section Non-Harmonic Tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Ninth chords

Main Concepts
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Ninth chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples and Analysis
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Ninth chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Extended Tonality

Romantic period. Descriptive Music
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Extended Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples of the Literature
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Extended Tonality. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Progressions for varios compositional Purposes

Sentence
Lesson 1 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Period
Lesson 2 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Codetta
Lesson 3 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Contrasting Middle Section
Lesson 4 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Variation of a Sequence
Lesson 5 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Pedal
Lesson 6 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Transition
Lesson 7 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Elaboration or Development
Lesson 8 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Roving Harmony
Lesson 9 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
“Free Form”
Lesson 10 of 10 within section Progressions for varios compositional Purposes. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System

Alterations of Triads, Seventh and Ninths Chords
Lesson 1 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Abbreviation of Set Patterns through Omission of Intermediate Steps
Lesson 2 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Triads connectd with all other triads and Seventh Chords
Lesson 3 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Possibilities of Ascended Sevenths 
Lesson 4 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Bases ofr the Diminished Seventh Chords (Mozart’s chord)
Lesson 5 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Additional Schemes for Modulations
Lesson 6 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Fluctuating and SuSuspended Tonality
Lesson 7 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
The Chromatic Scale as a Basis For Tonality
Lesson 8 of 8 within section Schematic representations to round out the Tonal System. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

The Whole-Tone scale and related five and six-part chords

Main concetp Examples
Lesson 1 of 2 within section The Whole-Tone scale and related five and six-part chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Uses and resolutions
Lesson 2 of 2 within section The Whole-Tone scale and related five and six-part chords. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Chords constructed in Fourths

General guidelines
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Chords constructed in Fourths. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Examples and Analysis
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Chords constructed in Fourths. You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Aesthetic evaluation of chords with six or more tones

General Concept and Guidelines
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Aesthetic evaluation of chords with six or more tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.
Different applications and examples
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Aesthetic evaluation of chords with six or more tones. You must enroll in this course to access course content.