echurchill

Lesson with Creation Artist

OK, first I need to know what sort of notation software you use. Oddly enough, I have no notation software of my own, just a MIDI sequencer. I can create small PDFs in Lilypond, or I might have to get Finale notepad.

So now I would like to ask you a few basic questions to understand what exactly you know about harmony, which I assume will be our initial area of focus. You will probably already know the answers to most of these, so don't bother to answer any really easy ones. I hope you're familiar with roman numerals to designate chords, like i, V, iv6, i64, III+6, etc....

1. Can you see a chord spread over both treble and bass clefs and rapidly know the intervals between any two notes?

2. Do you know the basics of voice leading between root position chords? 6 chords? (sorry, I call first inversion 6)

3. Do you know when a 6/4 (second inversion) chord is appropriate?

4. Name some chords you would place before a vi chord in major. Name some that would go after.

5. When would you double a chord's 3rd?

6. When would you use IV (major subdominant) in minor?

In all of these I'm referring to what is now usually called common practice harmony, as used from Bach and beyond. I'm assuming that this sort of standard harmony (and counterpoint) is more or less what you want to master. (Keep in mind that I myself am slightly more comfortable in the harmony of the early Baroque, which is my favorite music, so I might be learning some things about the 18th cent. and beyond with you. Also keep in mind that unfortunately I know almost nothing about Classical music and beyond. The harmonic knowledge, however, still applies all the way up to the early romantic period.)

I'm sorry if these questions are too basic, I just want to better understand where you're at. As soon as you reply I'll think of concepts to teach and exercises. Also, feel free to ask about counterpoint, general details of baroque style, and baroque forms.