Dissonance

Hey all

I'm really trying to improve my writing using notes outside of the triad (i'm only talking harmonically not melodically). Where should I start?

I have to admit I'm only a first year at university, and as such haven't done much study into composition yet. You can get an idea of what I'm writing like at my website (Edward J. Blakeley - Music and Sound for the Media Industry) and here.

Most of my knowledge comes from my ear (I write what I hear in my head) as apposed to pre taught technique. I am learning though, gradually. For example I know that major 2nds and 9's can help make a peaceful melodic/romantic setting if used appropriately (sweeping strings etc).

I know its a big topic, but is there any key advice you can give me? For example the track above (here) has virtually no notes outside of the minor triad of that bar/beat (except the intro). Its a tense, fast moving piece - what kind of dissonances fit that mood?

Thanks and I hope I've made any sense at all, :P

Edd

You can use any tone combination you like. You just need to make them sound good. Generally cpp is limited to NHT's which are tones that are prepared and resolved so that the dissonance is subdued.

For example, you can add 7ths do your chords but you should generally prepare it and resolve it. This simply means use a chord that contains that note, have it extend into the new chord(sustain it, repeat it or embellish it), then resolve it to a chord tone in the next chord.

Bb Bb A

D G F

F E C

Bb C F

The Bb chord prepares the Bb note on Cmaj that is the m7th and resolves properly a half step down to the chord tone on the F chord.

This is just a IV V7 I.

Similarly you can do this with other harmonies. Adding suspensions also work well. These are tones that are similar as 7ths but there resolution is into the chord instead of into the next chord. (the 7ths became much more of a chord tone than the suspensions)

so

D D-C C

Bb G A

F E C

Bb C F

The D-C is a suspension. Basically your sort of suspending the D from moving harmonically. It becomes dissonant over the C chord but resolves in the chord(unlike the first example where the 7th was dissonant durring the whole chord and resolved on the next chord).

These are stock cpp techniques. There are a bunch of other stuff too. I suggestion you check out some jazz as the harmonic vocabulary is much larger than anything else... although it is a freer harmonic style.

The main thing to realize is that any combination of notes can sound good if you figure out how to use them. It's mainly about resolving the dissonances in a pleasing way(which can also mean not to resolve them). Resolving generally means moving the dissonance a half step up or down into a consonance(but not always).

Of course you can do whatever you want but I'm just giving the standard approach.

Hey Edd! I'm glad that you asked a question like this, as this is one of the BEST ways that you can really individualize your music.

To answer your question - I think you should not just limit yourself to harmonic dissonance usage. Suspensions and anticipations are some of the best tricks of the trade when used appropriately, and they will really add to your music's color.

As far as 7th and 9th chords that work well in a "common practice" framework, I would spend some time with your nose in the books. The subdominant chords (that is, ii and IV) work very well with 7ths when functioning as subdominants. Similarly, when moving I-IV, especially in a usage like I-I6-IV or something similar, adding a m7 to the I makes the chord a V/IV, which creates more harmonic interest - Beethoven was very fond of doing this to obscure his tonal reference.

Another trick of the "less harmonic" trade is the non-harmonic diminished chord. That is, using diminished triads and 7ths in a non-harmonic way to strengthen color and create tension. Schubert was very fond of using these chords in his music.

9ths and 11ths can also work wonders when used with your V (dominant), but if you're going to start using extended harmony, you really need to also take the extra time to learn your secondary functions for chords, modulations, independent voice leading, and extended chord progressions. Otherwise, the chords will sound jarring, out of place, and non-functional.

As far as melodic dissonances go, one of my favorite tools is to voice the "melodic" note a second above the harmony; that is, if I have a C-Maj chord in my accompaniment, use a high or low D in the melody. It's technically an 11th, but if you're doing it for melodic and not harmonic purposes, it gives rich color without expectations.

For an example, listen to the VERY short clip I included (I just took a couple seconds to do it). It's very definitely in C, with a I-vi-V6-IV progression (the IV, in this case, is used as a deceptive resolution). The melody is played almost completely at the 9th, 7th, and 11th, which gives it an extremely rich color and makes the underlying harmony less important, though still functional. As an added bonus, the triads underneath could be completely replaced with non-tertian chords, such as quartal chords, and it still wouldn't lose that sense of purpose.

C Major.mid

The guys offered specifics but I also advise score reading.

First place to start would be the Ravel and Debussy String Quartets -- try your hand at writing a reduced score (eg reduce the 4 staves to 2)

For piano works, well visit some of the stranger Chopin preludes, Schumann Op 17, Brahms Intermezzi (Op 76 onward), then Debussy Images, Bartok Mikrokosmos.

Orchestral - even though I don't like Wagner study his orchestral scores ... you'll discover novel ways to handle harmonies. From thereon there is a huge amount.

Finally - Study jazz piano transcriptions (as well as listen to jazz) - Errol Garner, Bud Powell, etc all great stuff. Also Tristano. I learned much about chord voicings from these guys - esp with 7th, 9th chords etc. Any classical worth his salt will spend some time with this literature -- even if they don't aim to be a jazz player it is important as they take where Rameau left off and run with it.

Whoops! I forgot all about doing the homework behind the material.

All examples listed above are very useful and important. Also, before trying to incorporate new ideas into large pieces, try writing small-scale music to "practice" your new techniques. Not only will you become more comfortable with them, but the small bits of material you use can be used and developed later in larger pieces.

Wow guys - amazing and comprehensive responses.

I am familiar with chords in the jazz sense - i'm a jazz e-bassist for live sessions (but i don't read onto the guitar, just ear playing), so I can recognize the chords pretty well (probably where my 'in ear' modulations come from - also from listening to too much beethoven, john williams, hans zimmer and the like). Also familiar with your standard I-IV and I-V modulations (although only discovered how they worked in the cpp way about a year ago by accident whilst listening to mozart!)

Great advice about writing for small sections - i guess it helps you learn the capacity of the instruments too.

I've used suspensions when writing pop music (but only subconsciously-usually because its easier than changing chord on guitar :) ) but thanks for that tip and reminder about using them in orchestral writing.

The stuff about resolving dissonance was very helpful also! I guess its all about appropriateness.

If theres any more I'd love to hear it!

Thanks very much

Edd

Here are some suggestions:

Dissonance

Edit: What composerorganist said, is in my opinion, the most important thing. By studying scores, you can see what there is to do and how you can do it effectively. With study and time you will also develop your own way of handling dissonance, harmony etc.

Dissonance.pdf

Alex - Those examples are fantastic - thanks! Look them over Edd.

Edd - I still suggest you look over transcriptions of jazz piano improvs - with you acute ear you'll be able to delve much further into them and gain even more just sitting with the score at home, at the keyboard or even in the park.

Listening to more modern and harmonically adventerous pieces can help you get a sense of what type of dissonance makes sense and what kind of dissonance is just random noise. It also helps to learn atonal theory; much like there are rules and systems of categorizations for Tonal Music, Atonal Theory has its own theory and its own categories.

What's interesting to note about Atonal Theory is that it accounts for every possible combination of notes possible under the 12 note equal temperament system. Because of this, it's both incredibly useful once you understand it but also can be intimidating to learn. Also, books on the subject tend to be expensive; I recommend this one: Amazon.com: Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory (3rd Edition): Joseph N. Straus: Books.

Also, composers you should listen to if you want to expand your ear for dissonance; I'm posting you tube examples of their music as well.

Charles Ives:

Alfred Schnittke:

Penderiski:

Oliver Messiaen: YouTube - Oliver Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time

I hope you enjoy!

Well, there are three kinds of dissonance: good, bad and cognitive. Good dissonance (ie. the best) is when you raise you forearm and smash it onto the keys of a piano smothering as many notes as possible, guaranteed to give you all those crunchy harmonies. Or you write music that sounds like that.

Bad dissonance is everything else. Prepared, unprepared, twelve tone, it doesn't really matter to be honest dissonance should be loud and brash and Debussy's just annoying for making dissonance sweet and beautiful. Except Copland he writes good dissonance.

Cognitive is when you listen to Eminem and Tori Amos's version of Bonnie and Clyde 97 at the same time.

Good dissonance composers:

Leo Ornstein - Wild men dance

George Antheil - Ballet Mechanique

Bad dissonance composers:

Everybody except for Leo Ornstein, George Antheil and Aaron Copland. Especially neo-classicists (including Stravinsky)

Cognitive dissonance:

Tori Amos vs. Eminem

Well, there are three kinds of dissonance: good, bad and cognitive. Good dissonance (ie. the best) is when you raise you forearm and smash it onto the keys of a piano smothering as many notes as possible, guaranteed to give you all those crunchy harmonies. Or you write music that sounds like that.

Bad dissonance is everything else. Prepared, unprepared, twelve tone, it doesn't really matter to be honest dissonance should be loud and brash and Debussy's just annoying for making dissonance sweet and beautiful. Except Copland he writes good dissonance.

Cognitive is when you listen to Eminem and Tori Amos's version of Bonnie and Clyde 97 at the same time.

Good dissonance composers:

Leo Ornstein - Wild men dance

George Antheil - Ballet Mechanique

Bad dissonance composers:

Everybody except for Leo Ornstein, George Antheil and Aaron Copland. Especially neo-classicists (including Stravinsky)

Cognitive dissonance:

Tori Amos vs. Eminem

Debussy's just annoying for making dissonance sweet and beautiful.

If serious, you are bafflingly stupid

I was going to say "you're not kidding, are you? You should be." You guys beat me to it.

Well, if someone says that Debussy is annoying for making something "sweet and beautiful", I'm pretty sure that they're being slightly sarcastic, especially when they include "cognitive dissonance" in the list and specifically describe "good" dissonance as banging your forearm on the keyboard.

If you like Eric Whitacre, you can listen to some of his pieces for some incredible examples of dissonance. Listen to the chorus of The Stolen Child (found on his website) sometime. It's one of the most unique and creative uses of dissonance I've ever heard. For something REALLY dissonant, listen to his When David Heard which has an entire two-octive A minor scale in it. Just amazing.

Well, if someone says that Debussy is annoying for making something "sweet and beautiful", I'm pretty sure that they're being slightly sarcastic, especially when they include "cognitive dissonance" in the list and specifically describe "good" dissonance as banging your forearm on the keyboard.

Some people are just insane/masochistic.

A quick background check reveals that the writer of the controversial comment does indeed have a history of posting unusual, sarcastic, and occasionally inflammatory comments, but he or she seems like a smart person. It's really not worth derailing a topic over.

Dissonant chords can be incredibly expressive if used right. One of my favorites is GCDE, which, in a good context, sounds kind of like a ray of light. Try playing around with them when you want to emphasize a musical point, and see what you like. It may sound awful at first, but keep experimenting until you find your style.

Ok so I may have been a little foolish in pretty much everything I wrote but using your forearm to play note clusters has actually be utilised by Stockhausen and other innovative composers. My comments on Debussy were totally fallacious, I adore his work.

I'd disagree with anyone who argues there's a correct way to do dissonance in as far as I find it difficult for anyone to argue that there's a correct way to structure or write a piece of music. Of course there are many techniques one may explore and I cannot better the previous posts, however, from my somewhat limited personal experience I think scores can only offer you a certain amount of guidance. Of course, this is personal preference.

Just sit in front of a keyboard hitting out random chords with cool extensions (like it seems you've been doing) or simply series of notes that seem unrelated then sit down and work out what you're hearing, try different inversions eg. G Bb F D rather than the usual G7 chord. Learn about modes and different scales and above all listen and find out music you enjoy.

Some dissonant composers I enjoy:

Magnus Lindberg:

Charles Ives:

John Cage:

In Four Parts

George Antheil (with awesome movie!)

Ballet Mechanique

fourthage is right that Antheil and Ornstein are amazing, though. Two VERY underappreciated composers.

But Hindemith has bad dissonance? Heresy!