10677 Harmonic Structures I

Credits: 3 intermediate credits in Music

Prerequisites: Introduction to Music

Recommended: A History of Western Music I, A History of Western Music II. Students are advised to consult an academic advisor.

Authors: Yossi Peles, Hadas Goldschmidt-Halfon, Yonatan Bar-Yoshafat, Ron Weidberg. The material includes Harmony in its Systemic and Phenomenological Aspects (Yanetz, 1980), by Y. Sadai.

Harmony is one of the most prominent and unique components of western music. It is a fascinating sonic phenomenon and at the same time, a structural element of tonal thinking. The course is an overview of the evolution of harmony, deals with tonality, and imparts the tools and principles of harmonic analysis and of realizing harmonic progressions. It presents the most frequent harmonic structures, illustrated through numerous examples from different styles and periods.

The course imparts a theoretical orientation in the concepts and basic diatonic structures of functional harmony. It is intended for music students who wish to deepen their knowledge of musical concepts, develop their ability to identify a variety of harmonic phenomena, and to gain some practical experience in writing harmonic phrases.

Topics: “The Harmonic Period”; The basics of tonal structure; Four-part writing; Harmonic progressions; Harmonic cadences; The harmonic bass; Broadened functionality.