Minor Harmony

Hello, this is my first attempt at exercises from the chapter on the minor mode.

I've been concentrating on my main pitfalls from the last ones, parallels and the tenor being too far from the alto.

Please point out any mistakes and remeber that the progression is boring for a reason: I'm given a bassline in the book and have to harmonise it with ROOT POSITION CHORDS ONLY. This will change later on but i haven't covered inversions yet and although i know how to use them i don't want to confuse myself thinking about too mant things at once.

Thanks, Mark

I'd love to!

But where's the file?

sorry, i kept doing this with the last load of exercises i did aswell, here it is:

Hi Mark. Nice. If you were trying out academical counterpoint there's lots of mistakes there. Remember that in Cminor you can also use the F# when ascending to the G# or on the the 6th degree diminish triad (A C F#)... but of course you shall never put it in root position (so forget it for now ! ehehe)...

I didn't check everything but you have paralle fifths (between soprano and bass at between the mesures 2 and 3). Theres is a lot of 3rd in the horizontal flow of the voices which is not in the style.

Also, try to avoid going no where or turning around the same notes... only Mozart do this. Like in the bass, you turn around E-F-D-E-F-D-E... etc... it's still not in the style altough I understand you need roots chords only. The soprano isn't too bad ! :)

And question of style also... and augmented fourth is prohibed (D-G# a the tenor near the end).

For the rythmes... do not use the Anapeste (noire noire blanche) rythme in academic counterpoint.

In a.c. the C of the third mesure of the soprano is neither a passing note nor a note from the harmony... you should not write it... but C-B-A would be good in that context though (and would correct the parallele fifths!)...

OK... I stop there. Have a nice work. Minor isn't easy to work with but is so beautiful !... have a good work ! xox

Well... I hope it help.

Mark, one note that is problematic is the E in the tenor, measure 4. it's a dissonance, yet is unprepared and unresolved. this is definately something to avoid in 4-part choral realizations.

in that same measure, examine the relationship between alto and bass... even with the G# in the alto, there are still parallel 5ths in that measure.

4th measure, second half of measure, between soprano and bass is a parallel 5th as well

(B -> E in Sop, E -> A in Bass)

don't be tricked into thinking that they aren't parallel because they are going in opposite directions.

measure 5, soprano and tenor - parallel octaves.

******

sometimes, when doing a realization, it's important to set out what chords you will be using, without actually assigning voices to the notes yet.

then you need to examine where the root and 5th of each set of chords are to help notice them and avoid parallels.

then look for potential suspensions (always useful for colour).

thank you both for your pointers, i have looked them all over and the only thing i'm wondering about is Dunael's point "and augmented fourth is prohibed (D-G# a the tenor near the end)." I didn't want this but i found it the only alternative to a diminished chrd, which i haven't covered yet and do not know how to handle and would definitely produce less pleasing results.

Thanks very much, Mark

Have you covered 2 and 3 part writing before you attempted 4?

That might be an idea, because you can more easily get used to avoiding parallels &c., without jumping straight to 4 voices, and having more things to look out for.

I went through the whole of Fux's counterpoint before starting harmony, so yes. After finishing Harmony I'm going to go on and study counterpoint in more depth, as Fux doesn't really teach anything other than voice leading.

Maybe you should start again at 2 voices and find someone to correct thyem since you still make lots of mistakes :P