Four-Part Harmony from a Bass Line - Music Composition

[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@Locrian1]

Hi Gareth, I have a question for you. Did composers from the Baroque era really compose from the bass up? I ask this because the evidence you posit is the relative ubiquity of figured bass from around that time, but figured bass relies on a melody (or at the very least some chords) to begin with, else there is no reason for a figured bass in the first place? Further, it was used less as a compositional tool and more as a performance tool (though yes i guess one could say, the figured bass being realized is a sort of on-the-fly composition). I am much less knowledgeable on all this than you, so it would be really interesting to hear your thoughts on this as i have no doubt you have your reasons for saying this.

[@MusicMattersGB]

What I’m suggesting is that Baroque composers did much more thinking from the bass up eg The Rule of the Octave demonstrates this, a subject we will be covering in videos coming soon.

[@jajlertil]

I’m taking a music theory college course from Home and your videos have been really helpful filling in the gaps in my Understanding from the lessons, thank you 🙏

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. Have a look at our complete courses at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@carlstenger5893]

Great video! I had a harmony professor at university that used to refer to these sorts of exercises as "musical crossword puzzles". I've always enjoyed the challenge of taking one line of music and adding the other 3 parts.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Yes it still engages me after all these years!

[@NomeDeArte]

Love this videos about four part harmony. Thank you so much for all the hard work everyone puts on the channel. Best regards from Argentina!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. Best wishes to you too

[@jayducharme]

That was very well organized, almost like a mystery novel. I got a chuckle out of your statement that it's good when the middle lines are boring. I've gotten grief from singers for writing boring alto parts. 😁

[@MusicMattersGB]

Keep writing those boring Alto parts!

[@markchapman6800]

Altos also complain when their line is too interesting!

[@MusicMattersGB]

You can’t win!

[@jayducharme]

@@markchapman6800 😁

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@stefanodigarbo4735]

Another masterful lesson delivered by the Tube's best music teacher. A few simple rules applied with awareness can already pay off well. Are you going to make a video about harmonising a given Soprano part? That used to be en vogue back in my harmony days. Looking forward to your next video dear Gareth, thanks a lot for your work!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. We have some videos on the channel covering harmonising a soprano part but we will do more.

[@davidwhite2949]

Another wonderful video. Elegant example!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thank you

[@davidwhite2949]

I love these tutorials on cantata four-part harmonies, counterpoint, fugue

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad they’re useful

[@planetmullins]

Great channel! Inspires me to make more jazz piano lesson videos!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@Roman-is4jj]

My method is to compose the soprano part using the rules of strict counterpoint, and then analyze the harmony. Thanks for the video.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@oldensad5541]

Yes! My favorite style of wrighting. I'm not disliking to write melodies, but it's always go much better if i start from the bottom. I find harmony and bass much more important coz you technically can slap almost any "in key" (or even not in key lol) melody on top of good harmony, but you definitely can't do it other way around.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@johnerskine8367]

Lots of clear, helpful ideas (as always): thank you.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@albertmaneno]

Very useful. Thanks Gareth

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure.

[@carlstenger5893]

I decided to give the exercise " a go" this afternoon. I settled on the following chord scheme: I V VI IV II VIc IIIb Vsus 4-3 V7 I.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s a great scheme

[@abagatelle]

Sort of like "reverse harmony". Excellent video and unique too, thank you Gareth.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful

[@timdovecool7202]

Very nice and amazing, more of this plz (harmonization) . Kindly, becouse of retrogations, do for us more videos on chord substitution options and adding colour to the diatonic scales in a melody. Thanks sir.

[@MusicMattersGB]

We’ll do our best to keep producing such videos.

[@CalebePriester]

Another great lesson, as always. By the way, we could have used a passing V43 in the first measure as well.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@vincent-ataramaniko]

A great video idea could be to do a list of the little things that are particular to each era, for example the little passing notes in Baroque, the appoggiaturas and the cadenze in Classic, the borrowing of foreign chords in Romantic etc, so we would know how to write in any given style ! :)

[@MusicMattersGB]

We’ve done some of that but we could certainly do more.

[@jakubr4634]

It looks so logical and easy when I look at you doing the exercise, but then when I try to do it myself suddenly it gets incredibly complicated... :D

[@MusicMattersGB]

Keep at it and it will get easier

[@maribelfarnsworth4565]

You could perhaps add more interest in the last bar by having the alto drop to C on the second beat before rising to D in measure 3.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s another possibility.

[@martinbennett2228]

Thank you, that was indeed helpful. I happened to be looking at an exercise* like this last night, but could not work out what to sort out first, the harmony or the melodic line. It was OK putting the harmony in first, but it was not so good for the top line especially if direct fifths and octaves are to be avoided. Trying to find a melody first sounded as though the two lines should be OK but produced problems with the progressions and the middle parts. I shall see if I can follow your approach. * - an old copy of MacPherson's Practical Harmony that my father had picked up as a student in 1939. I guess it is OK, because apparently it is still being reprinted.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Hopefully you’ll soon get sorted by going about things as per the video. MacPherson is a sound source.

[@jarodvmusic]

Great video! Starting from a bass line has always made more sense for me. I also like how you composed the bass and soprano first, it makes a huge difference to have a solid bass line as well as melody in a piece. The end result was very nice. The passing 6/4 chords is a great voice leading trick! I would love to hear more voice leading tricks that you know of. One question I have is when one gets to engraving their composition would they get rid of the double stemmed notes in, lets say, a professional setting. Or would this just be a personal choice?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Many thanks. Yes you would probably get rid of those but one sees both in printed music

[@vincent-ataramaniko]

Maybe this is too advanced in level, but do you reckon you could try doing a video on how to make a fugue based on a bass line? Here in France it is usually the given exam when trying to enter higher classes

[@MusicMattersGB]

We could do that.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

This is way out of my pay grade, and I have gained much respect for musicians. I had joked that I was born with two left ears, but it's never too late to change, n'est-ce pas?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Keep going. You’re doing fine.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I think this would be good to practice keyboard technique. I've hit the gym for right handed pinky musculation, and hoping it will really ring out. Music is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration, n'est-ce pas?

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@telaim]

🤙🤙🤙

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@kornsuwin]

oh hi

[@MusicMattersGB]

Hi