Anyone Read Schoenberg's Theory Of Harmony?

this book is piece of cake

Voice leading is a very essential skill... but it is not essential to understanding modulation. What type of modulation is this demonstrating?(Most likley common chord.)

There are 5 types modulation (well I'm sure there are more...but these five are the model ones that my AP text book teaches):

Common Chord- using a chord that exists in both keys to link them.

Direct(or Phrase)- where you have a phrase...cadence... and start the next phrase in a new key.

Enharmonic- where a chord is interpreted enharmonically in the new key

Common Tone- where texture is reduced to one note and that note is re interpreted in a new key.

Monophonic- where texture is reduced to one voice...that voice wonders around (like a cadenza)...and lands in a new key (joined by the other voices.

*note common tone and monophonic are similar in the way of reducing the texture to a single voice or note. This erases the sense of key in your ear, allowing the entrance of a new key.*

Common chord works best for closely related keys.

Enharmonic, common tone, and monophonic work well for foreign keys.

*You should understand key relationships well before you learn modulation.*

This example confuses me because there is a retrogression (G7 to F)

I know they happen... but they are very difficult to voice lead in a harmonic realization.

I looked up the book online and am looking at the example...

It seems like he is using a modally borrowed v (minor v) to form a common chord modulation to F. (v becomes ii) I think it really could have stopped there, but the rest of the progression leads up to a strong cadence in F (so your ear is lead to F being the new tonic).

That is what I got from this. I am going to look at it more later.

Something you should consider is, for music theory, you REALLY should progress and not just skip around to whatever you want. Each skill leads up to the next. You must understand everything before moving on.

(oh, and pardon MY english as well. LOL)

this book is piece of cake

Thanks DV,

As he said, it wouldn't be so essential to have voice leading in understanding modulation. moreover, the book is dense like a novel. i don't fully understood about what you said (Mm7) since i'm prefering someone to explain it in schoenberg perspective. for instance, there's no term of "borrowed chord" in schoenberg method, at least so far.

It is a rather large tome on harmony and it encompasses topics that may or may not be suitable for viable for those who have not study theory properly. However, this does not mean that you can read it. I recommend reading his other book on harmony first before tackling this one. It is called: "Structural Functions in Tonal Harmony". Start here and before going his other book. :)

this book is piece of cake

I agree...don't pick you way through the text. Start at the beginning and work your way through the end, and then progress towards each new topic and book.

And no, that has to do with counterpoint and chord connection. they are related.

I am going to look at the voice leading section in this book and see how well it explains it... because the voice leading in this example would fail a test in my school. (There are doubled thirds, parallel fourths and a retrogression.)

Another thing that you should consider is getting an actual teacher or tutor... be it in person or online. I say this because the theory text book we use in my AP class will literally take 12 pages to explain something the teacher express easily in a simple explanation or even sometimes a chart. Text books contain the information but it is better to have it said to you in plain english than long-winded geeky theory talk.

Now back to the progression. there are a few ways you could look at it.

I v₆MB| (F:) V/V| I₆ ii₆ I V₄₃/V V I

(d:)| iv₆ V i |IVMB

or if you want to go straight to F

I v_6MB|

F: | ii₆ V₇/vi vi V/V I₆ ii₆ I V₄₃/V V I

(I realize the pivots didn't come out well.)

Either would be correct. I still really don't see why one would use this to modulate, though. It works...it is just long and over complex. i don't really like it because not only does it use an incorrect resolution of a secondary, it incorrectly resolves it creating a retrogression ( I mean I know they happen and rules get broken...but in a TEXTBOOK example! really?!) I mean, you would never call something a "II" because in any key, "II" doesn't exist diatonically, making it is a secondary function. (a V/V)

Oh, and just putting it out there so there is no confusion: I am not saying modulation and voice leading are not related, I just mean the concept of modulation can be understood with out knowledge of voice leading. Using it requires voice leading knowledge. :D

this book is piece of cake

The book isn't useless, it's a mainstay. Schoenberg openly admits that he follows his own rules early on, he spends the first couple chapters justifying his approach.

Yes, you should get a teacher.

Voice leading is not just about constructing chords... don't be lazy, read about it. It's essential.

I'm not saying the book is "useless"... I'm just saying the way text books present information is sometimes hard to understand. It would do you better to have a teacher or person to explain it to you straight. What I said about modulation in my first response was literally an entire chapter's material, summed up with brief definitions.

Yes, I go to a performing arts high school (I'm a junior) and I am in an AP music theory class. The book we use in class is called "Tonal Harmony" (with an introduction to twentieth-century music.) I think you can get it for like $15 used from Barnes and Noble... but you can do better.

Just an interesting note:

My textbook says "with an introduction to twentieth-century music."

Schoenberg WAS twentieth-century music. I'm not saying that makes his method of harmony "wrong" or anything like that. I just mean to say his approach to harmony, like many twentieth century composers (and even (french) impressionistic composers), was a little different.

Is it the Kostka and Payne? Because that book is total gibberish.

Oh, really?

I'm not saying the book is "useless"... I'm just saying the way text books present information is sometimes hard to understand. It would do you better to have a teacher or person to explain it to you straight. What I said about modulation in my first response was literally an entire chapter's material, summed up with brief definitions.

Yes, I go to a performing arts high school (I'm a junior) and I am in an AP music theory class. The book we use in class is called "Tonal Harmony" (with an introduction to twentieth-century music.) I think you can get it for like $15 used from Barnes and Noble... but you can do better.

Just an interesting note:

My textbook says "with an introduction to twentieth-century music."

Schoenberg WAS twentieth-century music. I'm not saying that makes his method of harmony "wrong" or anything like that. I just mean to say his approach to harmony, like many twentieth century composers (and even (french) impressionistic composers), was a little different.

i scarcely can read those piano parts, schoenberg has an easier practical examples despite sometime he gives an ambiguous one. what do you think about Tchaikovsky "practical study of harmony"?

Since I, too, reading now....he does says that but also adds that he won't be using figured bass or harmonic anyalsis to teach you.