Lessons with Matthaeus

Hi M

OK Matt, I will do it soon!

Hello Matt! I'm attaching the progressions you asked. I had trouble with naming the dissonant chords (except 6/4), so I've added interval numbers only.

Some suspersions are resolved to 6/3 chord. I don't know if it's good, but sounds OK to me. :)

M

Matthaeus_hw_05-c.pdf

Matthaeus_hw_05-c.MUS

Hi M

Hi Matt, thanks a lot for correcting me!!! Sorry about the poor chord-progressions, I've concentrated on making suspensions first (extra sorry about my G minor 4-3 which is really a shame).

So I should always write suspensions 9 and 7 as 9/3 and 7/3, and 4 as 5/4 (without the 3rd) and the root must always present. I will keep that it mind.

6/4 chords are bad so I will not use them except the 3 cases you've mentioned. By the way, in the B flat major excercise I'm using ii6/4 (the 4th is prepared) which is not corrected by you. That means it's good?

I'm attaching the 2-part counterpoint homework. The A minor one was very difficult, because the 2nd bar of the excercise (bar 7 really) seems to start with a V7 so the 2nd note (D) cannot act as a preparation since it is the 7th of the chord, which is dissonant: placing the root (E) in the bass forms a 7th, placing the 3rd (G#) in the bass forms a diminished 5th with it. So I failed to make a suspension in this excercise.

I've tried to write implied harmonies below the notes on strong beats (except at suspensions), but I'm not sure they are good.

Waiting for the next lesson, I hope it comes soon!

M

Matthaeus_hw_06.pdf

Matthaeus_hw_06.MUS

Hi M

Hello Matt!

Sorry about the implied harmonies! The excercise started with "Harmonise this melody...", so I thought I need to think in harmonies/progressions and that's why the roman numerals are written. I try to keep in mind that counterpoint is not all about harmony. When listening to a renaissance piece I'm often wondering, how could composers of 16th century make such beautiful music without any advanced theory about harmonies and progressions.

Hi M

lessoniv second inversion chords.pdf

Hi M

Hi Matt! I've read your lesson and managed to do some cadencial 6/4. I think we can go on, too.

In the bar 18 of the sonata there is an imperfect cadence (ends with G major). After that the next phrase(?) starts with a G major chord, too, and in bar 19-20, note F is not used. Bar 20 has a C major chord in 2nd inversion perhaps to avoid a cadencial "feeling" (V-I6/4 is not a perfect cadence), however I'm not 100% sure about it.

Bar 21: There's a D major chord in 1st inversion (F sharp in the bass) with an added 7th © at the end of the bar which suggests a modulation to G major (bar 22). At bar 23 a 7th (F natural) is added to the G major chord, and it modulates back to C major (bar 24).

Hope I've answered correctly. It's a pity I cannot play it on the piano :( :

I like anything in 3/4 time; this piece of the sonata can be very happy :)

Hi M

bach.mid

Sibelius.pdf

OK, Matt, I give it a try:

Bach R.356 (D minor)

Bar1 ends with Dmin chord in first inverion (i6/3).

Bar2 starts with an A7 chord in 1st inversion followed by Dmin (V6/5 - i). After that there's an E7 in 1st inversion followed by A7 (7th added a bit later) and finally a Dmin (II6/5 - V7 - i).

Bach R.106 (A major)

Bar1: The first 3 chords are A, E6/3 and D6/3 (I - V6/3 - IV6/3). It seems to me that the fourth chord is some form of the tonic (I6/4 ?) or dominant (???), or vi in root position with a dissonant bass (I'm just guessing :) ).

Bar2: B7 in first inversion followed by E (7th added later in the tenor), and finally the E7 goes to A (II6/5 - V7 - I).

Conclusion:

The "II6/5 - V7 - I (i)" progression is used at cadences in both examples. I don't think it's a modulation since V7 is not a stable chord and cannot be a tonic.

Hi M

OK, I think I understand it. But is it possible use II6/5 in other inversions?

Ah yes of course it is, root position is fine, but II6/5 works much better because the bass line leads up to the dominant note chromatically. Also in general, ii6/5 - V7 -I is much more common than just ii7 - V7 - I, first inversion sounds better, and the seventh adds strength to that relationship. One reason I can think of for this is that it makes the V - I relationship clearer. II7 - V could be misconstrued by the ear as a perfect cadence, but II6/5 - V just sounds like it's leading up to a perfect cadence. Of course if you want to use II (with a major third) at other points in your piece that's fine, and it doesn't necessarily need to lead to perfect cadence. You could also use it to get I6/4 for example.

Hi M

Hello Matt, how are you? I'm experimenting with chorals recently (my attempt is attached). I know that you're very busy, but could you take a look at it in your spare time?

Thanks!

M

matthaeus-choral.pdf

matthaeus-choral.mid

Hi M

Hello Matt, I'm glad you're alive! :) (kidding)

Thanks for the suggestions, I've tried them out:

The vii6/3-I in F major sounds great (moreover it makes a nice linear movement in the bass), but I don't know how to go on with the composition. Should I remain in the dominant key?

Taking a look at some of my chorale-attempts, I've realized that I'm using vi-V and vi-V-I (with possible inversions) quite often, but I don't know why.

The III6/3-vi sounds so strong at the fourth measure, but I feel I should continue the composition by writing at least another 2 or 4 measures and cadencing to B flat major at the end, for making balance.

The tune is written by myself, it's simple but enough for the purpose. About your suggestion I could not figure out what are you thinking. Sorry.

Yes, only F and C sounding at the same time at measure 3 quaver 2, I need to correct it! I haven't recognized it maybe because the high F in the melody distracted my attention from this little issue. Thanks!

I'm not working with a book; I've analyzed some Bach chorale-harmonizations and some madrigals of Palestrina and Victoria myself by writing out every intervals above the lowest voice. It was very useful: for eg. I discovered that Bach doubles the minor 3rd above the bass very often, but almost never doubles the major 3rd.

Plus I have 6-7 years of singing experience (bariton), so I'm familiar with the movement of the bass.

Thanks again for your recommendations. You should not worry about the thread, I treat everything you are posting here a "lesson". I would be happy if I could post some of my other attempts, too (one at a time).

Hi Matt,

After experimenting with chorale-harmonization I realized that my biggest problem is that I don't really know how and when to use harmonic and natural minor scales. I know that mixing the two modes is somewhat unfortunate, but overusing the leading note sounds wrong (boring?) to me in minor. To solve this problem I've tried to avoid repeating the dominant harmony so often, but the piece started to lose its original tonality, and reintroducing the harmonic leading note sounded a bit "forced".

I've only analyzed Bach chorales written in major. I've looked at some minor-chorales, but Bach uses so many leading notes in those, analyzing seems very difficult to me, so I've skipped them. (And to tell the truth I didn't like how they sounded).

I'm attaching my harmonization of a borrowed melody. I think it can be done better but don't know how. Hope you can help.

Thanks in forward,

M

matthaeus-chorale2.pdf

matthaeus-chorale2.MUS

Hi M

Hi M

secondary dominants and feminine endings.pdf

tutorial on harmonisation.pdf

tutorial on harmonisation.mid

Wow Matt, thank you very much for the lessons!

I have only read the first lesson (as suggested), so I have only one question, yet:

When I'm using II (V/V) in minor, should I sharpen both the 3rd and the 5th of the diminished ii* chord at the same time to make a major chord? So the D minor homework should be ended with "E maj - A maj - D min" progression?

Thanks,

M

Hi M

[this is part of the next lesson]

Mozart Minuet