February 2, 201214 yr hi, i'm trying to analyze a song so to better understand my options when writing some music. i know some stuff about harmony but i'm in an early stage and get stuck when i try to define the functions ... ... would be amazing if someone could meet me online vie skype for a little session to go over a song together, so i get a grip how to do it. Regards, Frank
February 4, 201214 yr Well, a better option would be to post the song in composer forum and tell us where you are stuck. However, before you get stuck iin harmonic functions of individual chords a huge help is to determine the form. That is what are the large sections and within the large section how are they organized - eg a sentence like structure, or period structure etc. To determine the form, look for prolonged cadences - eg a V-I cadence where the music rests and resumes the material again at a different pitch or starts something new, or a deceptive cadence V-vi, or plagal cadence IV-I or a phrygian cadence IV-V (or flat ii-V). Also, just see what other factors are used to create a cadence. But doing this crucial step will make your analysis of a song much easier and more rewarding. It also prevents you from getting into a bad habit of naming chords in isolation when they more than likely lead to a point.
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