Voicings for piano (continued) - Harmony Basics - Part 44
LearningIn the previous article we started to discuss how to apply to the piano everything you've seen so far regarding voicings. Today we'll continue doing the same.
Left-hand voicings for piano - Harmony Basics - Part 43
LearningToday I will change a bit the usual approach of this article series. What I intend to do this time is to leave aside the purely theoretical aspect and put into practice, in a very simple manner, what…
Voicings and cadences - Follow-up and end - Harmony Basics - Part 42
LearningThe present article closes the mini-series we started with article 39 focusing on the use of voicings within the most common cadences. And we'll finish studying voicings based on added-tone chords lo…
Voicings and cadences - Second-to-last installment - Harmony Basics - Part 41
LearningWith this article we close the chapter on voicings within the framework of cadences by seeing how you can add tones to the cadence chords in the previous articles.
Voicings and cadences - Follow-up - Harmony Basics - Part 40
LearningIn the previous article we discussed some examples for three types of cadences: seventh chord progressions based on the circle of fifths, the perfect cadence and the plagal cadence. And we also looke…
Voicings and cadences - Harmony Basics - Part 39
LearningToday we'll go once again over what we saw in articles 34 and 36 regarding voice-leading according to cadence, exploring in detail voice movements in relation to the most common cadences.
Parallel voices - Harmony Basics - Part 38
LearningThe previous article allowed you to get to know chords better, discussing open and drop chords. This week we'll take a look at a case where voices evolve in parallel, with a special focus on octaves …
Drop voicings - Harmony Basics - Part 37
LearningIn the previous article we briefly studied the movements of each voice within the context of voice-leading, based on the motion of the root. Today we'll focus on a particular sort of voicing: drop vo…
Voice movement in voice-leading - Harmony Basics - Part 36
LearningIn the previous article you saw the notes that are best suited to create voicings and those which ought to be avoided. In this one we will focus our attention on voice-leading and certain rules you s…
Voicings, important notes and notes to avoid - Harmony Basics - Part 35
LearningToday we'll continue exploring voicings... but going back to the basics! Because it's really nice to talk about open, closed, added-tone and what-not chords but if you don't know which notes you can …
Voicings for the II V I pogression - Harmony Basics - Part 34
LearningEver since I started this series I have striven to give you a bunch of theoretical tools that allow you to understand as well as possible the mechanisms behind Western harmony, always trying to avoid…
Voicings and added-tone chords - Harmony Basics - Part 33
LearningIn the present article we'll discuss added-tone chords in more detail, but first let me finish the previous installment.
Open position chords - Harmony Basics – Part 32
LearningIn the previous article you saw how to create an interesting harmonization and, at the same time, develop clear bass and harmonic lines by simply inverting chords. But it isn't enough just to invert …
My first voice leading - Harmony Basics - Part 31
LearningIn the previous article I introduced you to the concept of voice leading and voicings. Today we'll explore them in detail.
Introduction to voice leading and voicings - Harmony Basics - Part 30
LearningIn the previous articles we explored the different harmonic motions which originate from the alternation between dissonance and consonance, and without even noticing it we started to lay the foundati…
The pedal point and the sus4 chord - Harmony Basics - Part 29
LearningIn the previous articles we dealt basically with dissonances and consonances and how they alternate following the different harmonic motions.
Harmonic anticipation and appoggiatura - Harmony Basics - Part 28
LearningWelcome to today's article, where we will keep on discussing motion in the harmonic domain. Last time we talked about suspension, so today we'll talk about its flip side: anticipation and its very cl…
Harmonic suspension - Harmony Basics - Part 27
LearningIt's sometimes hard to believe the similarities between real-life events and music. You could say that when you are late or early in life, you are not in sync with your environment. Well it's similar…
Indirect resolutions - Harmony Basics - Part 26
LearningIn the previous article you saw how a resolution can be regular or... irregular. And it's precisely the latter that we will start exploring today. By doing this you will be able to observe, once agai…
Forced motions and resolutions - Harmony Basics - Part 25
LearningIn the previous article you saw how the different voices of a chord evolved to get to another chord, following a very specific voice leading procedure, which is called a "forced" motion. And that's w…
Context and first resolution - Harmony Basics - Part 24
LearningIn the last article, we saw consonances and dissonances according to our Western point of view, as well as the alternation that governs their use. In the present article you will see how to lead thes…
Consonance and Dissonance - Harmony Basics - Part 23
LearningIf you want to start making up melodies and bass lines from chord inversions, as I promised in the last article, we must first address the thorny issue of consonance and its evil twin, dissonance... …
Melodic and harmonic motion - Harmony Basics - Part 22
LearningIn the previous article we discussed inversions within the frame of enharmonic modulations. I will take this opportunity to explore with you in this and the following article the different ways in wh…
Enharmonic Modulations - Harmony Basics - Part 21
LearningBefore I begin I most warn you that this article might seem a bit grueling for some of you. But if you've been following the other articles in the series up to now, you shouldn't have a problem with …
Modulating to neighbor, distant and chromatic keys - Harmony Basics - Part 20
LearningIn the previous articles we saw how you can modulate towards other keys, mainly using pivot chords to guarantee a smooth transition. So, now that we've seen how to modulate, it would be nice to know …
