MaqamDjinn

My submission: http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/4912/reflection-prelude-for-steelpan-solo/

Another site: http://www.music.indiana.edu/department/composition/isfee/

To be honest, 1. Depends on the piece/context. Are the non-diatonic pitches used melodically or harmonically? If harmonically, how are the chords used? 2. Depends on the piece/context. In some cases, one ("ti" in the new key, generally speaking) will suffice. However, this depends on how well you're able to execute the modulation as well as the key to which you're modulating... 3. Depends on the piece/context. It could be, although it's not necessary. For reinforcing modulations, though, the cadential 6/4 is super effective. :thumbsup: Again, this depends on the context. If you have tonicized C major, you will hear I - V - I in C major. If you have tonicized G major, you will hear IV - I - IV in G major. However, in the latter example I seems to be embellishing IV, so all you're supposed to hear is C - before the harmony returns to G major. In addition, whether one has truly modulated is often quite subjective. In many cases, one person hears a passage as completely modulating to another key, while another person hears the same passage as merely pointing to or tonicizing another key, but ultimately remaining in the original key.

Thanks for the definition; actually, before you posted it I was about to post this wall of text: …which seems to reinforce your argument about a work’s “musical discourse” being a key element of “accessibility.” However, I think form could fall under your category of musical discourse (as a familiar or easily recognizable element, which of course would depend on your audience’s past musical experiences or musical culture). P.S. You probably already know this, but definitely include a definition and explanation of those terms in your paper. ;)

(Topic fixed)

Yes, but that's the goal, to develop your inner ear. Textbook fugue sounds great; better to start out with something you're reasonably comfortable writing.

Yes, Fermata (no humming or whistling). For this challenge, you may only subvocalize your piece (use your vocal chords without making any sound). It's basically mind training. :)

True, I suppose. I guess we could always just take away the style requirement and judging components. I mainly included the style component because (a) I thought it would be easier to write (and judge the writing) in the common-practice style since probably most of us have studied that style in some capacity (although I suppose I could be wrong there...), and (b) to prevent any troll posts of random atonal stuff. :P You're probably right in that we don't really need a deadline or judging, since the idea's more useful as an exercise in training your inner ear than as a competition. Just thought it night be interesting to see what people came up with. And Sojar, I would totally do it. Our aural skills classes do eight-measure periods this way every two weeks or so... :D

Well, that's why I've placed a style restriction... and don't hate on them too much, now. :D

The reason I don't think the second chord is a Bb chord is because of the prominent A in the melody (which doesn't belong to the Bb triad). (I also just don't hear a Bb in the harmony.) As a Dm/F chord, however, it becomes a minor v chord (very rare and generally nonfunctional in Classical music, upon which this categorization system is based). One might understand this chord to be a substitution for the dominant (major V) harmony, however. The reason I'm hesitant to call the E half dim. a tonic chord is because chords with 7ths and diminished chords of any sort are considered to by very unstable in the common practice period (and tonic chords, being chords of resolution, traditionally tend to be very stable). Of course, since this is a more modern piece, perhaps you could understand the chord to act like a tonic chord anyway (as a substitute for the minor vi triad). Because the beginning and ending chords have so much in common (separated by a related but contrasting chord), one could definitely say that this portion of the phrase is based on a tonic-dominant-tonic model, as you pointed out. However, I think it's also important to take a look at the linear content of this excerpt. The bass moves from G to F to E in this section, with the melody echoing this stepwise descent (Bb-A-G). Because the second chord acts as a passing chord, it is better understood as an embellishing chord (rather than a structural chord). So basically, yes.

Listening to your composition as you write is an important part of the compositional process, whether you use a piano, your voice, a sequencer, or some other method of playback. But what would happen if you stopped listening? What if you could only use your inner ear to "hear" your piece? Here's the challenge: Compose a piece without relying on any sort of external playback. That means you can't sing it, play it on an instrument, or use any computer program to play it back. Here are the rules: You must follow common-practice period style conventions. You may use any instrumentation you wish (try to keep it within common-practice norms, though; no steelpans, now!). The composition should be under 10 minutes. [EDIT] Deadline: ongoing (although I will provide comments on any submissions received before May 1, 2013). All forum members are welcome to submit comments on any of the submissions. OK? Ready? Set? Go!

Well, take the first few measures (this is what I hear, roughly): The chord progression seems to be: Gm, Dm/F, Edim, Fr+6, Bb/D, Adim/C, GM/B, D(/F#, then D). These harmonies form a progression of harmonies based more on the linear motion of the bass (its stepwise descent) than a traditional pattern of functional harmonies. It would seem that the primary structural harmonies (according to Classical-era traditions) are those at the beginning and end of the passage, I (tonic) and V (dominant). The other harmonies are linear harmonies, embellishing chords that are formed by linear (stepwise) patterns in the bass (and other voices). These chords don't always fit into the three functional categories we discussed (vi should be a minor chord in the tonic category, for example, not a diminished triad); nor do they necessarily follow traditional functional progressions (predominant->dominant->tonic). In this piece, then, the Dm/F would appear to be a non-functional minor V chord, the Edim would be a non-functional diminished vi, the Fr+6 doesn't fit into any functional category (predominant, dominant, or tonic), the Bb/D chord's primary function is to connect other linear harmonies (although, as III in the minor mode, you might consider it a tonic chord), and the Adim/C harmony (a iio6 chord) doesn't resolve to dominant harmony as it should, unless you consider the GM/B to be an altered version of a cadential 6/4 chord (a purely embellishing harmony that resolves to V at the end of the phrase). And yes, the F# in m.4 would lead to G (in the next measure), since it acts as a leading tone within dominant harmony. Hopefully this helps?

Thanks for the link; I think I understand now. Actually, the type of harmonic theory that we've been discussing is probably better suited to analyzing Classical-era music than this style, since this type of music seems more chromatic and its harmonies more linear than those of most Classical music (from what I can tell, so far). That being said, there are some things than can be discussed in the same terms, since the two styles remain very similar in many aspects. What's interesting is that I don't hear it the same way; I hear the cadence a few measures later and understand all those harmonies--the gm, dm, and edim--to be linear harmonies embellishing the descending line in the bass from the tonic, gm, to the dominant at the cadence, DM. Very beautiful, though. :)

;) Think Schenker.