Harmonizing a Chromatic Scale is Not Impossible - Music Theory

[@MusicMattersGB]

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

[@johncenter4858]

If people want a masterful example, I'm suggesting to check Dom Digalas video on Mozart's Lacrimosa (Requiem). This chromatic ascending phrase gives you chills! And It's very interesting to understand how Mozart did it.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Beautiful movement

[@Inventio13]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnibus_progression

[@KarstenJohansson]

I really like how the C resolves at the top. It feels complete. I'd like to have heard this played backward as well, to see if it has that same steadiness and final resolution.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@jayducharme]

That was fascinating. And you're right; it's definitely reminiscent of late romanticism. The only chord that seemed strange to me was the C7. For some reason it didn't seem to have the same "flavor" as the other chords. But I didn't realize there were so many options.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@superblondeDotOrg]

10:00 I suppose there could be some debate over calling such chords by their functional names (Italian, German, etc) because they are not operating in a functional way. This is where Tonal Harmony Theory breaks. Non-functional chords shouldn't be notated with a functional name, right? Yet, they are. If Tonal Theory were valid, then there would be an alternate notation to apply for such non-functional chords. This is a real problem from my perspective, not something just superficial, considering that Tonal Theory is force-fed to music students regardless of its applicability. This is the kind of fundamental problem which leads all the Jazz majors to discard the entirety of classical theory "because it doesn't work" and instead write Pop notation for entire charts. Also it would be great to see how you would do this for 6 or 8 voices. Because that is when harder choices need to be made about which notes to double.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Vasioth]

Honestly, the thing with more voices in an orchestral setting and even big band setting is that many of those voices will just be doublings of the bass or melody/device. A lot of textures really can be boiled down to 3 or 4 part harmony with some kind of doubling of one of these voices. Another way to get around this is to literally just follow the overtone series. And then finally, some of the forbidden voice leading just becomes less of a problem since the new voices aren't there for voice independence but for voice reinforcement. Obviously there are instances of 5 part fugues etc but honestly, are the majority of people going to be writing 5 part fugues?

[@superblondeDotOrg]

@@Vasioth true, and the connundrum is choosing which pitches to double or to say another way, which pitches to strengthen and which pitches to Not strengthen, for best voicing. Plus the closeness of the voicing as well, etc. Following overtone series is a good suggestion for strengthening consonance but maybe not a good one for strengthening dissonance.

[@MusicMattersGB]

@superblondeDotOrg 😀

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Fascinating subject. It's out of my pay grade, for now. But I've learned so much music theory by osmosis that nothing was surprising. I'll train my fingers and ears, and use this as a reference when I get to this level. I am working on learning Nadia Boulanger's cadence voicings now. I think you can get a whole series of videos out of those. And I made a suggestion that Alex include a camera angle of the Maestro's hands as he plays the keyboard.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@daryl0063]

Harmonies is what makes my music. That's all I hear and it's weird. Thank you for the inspiration 😊

[@MusicMattersGB]

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

[@MehrbodR]

Hello. First of all, thank you for all the educational content you share with us. I'm looking for an understandable explanation about "polychords" and unfortunately I couldn't find a good video about it on KZbin. Could you please explain to us the rules for constructing and using such chords? Thank you.❤

[@MusicMattersGB]

We could make a video about that

[@MehrbodR]

@@MusicMattersGB That's perfect, thank you very much 🥰

[@Dave-nm8uk]

Interesting. As others have suggested it could be interesting to try reversing this. Work with descending scales. Also here the chromatic scale is at the top. Another exercise might be to put the chromatic scales in the bass. These could now become exercises for the viewer! Make it even more challenging - try having one scale going up and another going down - simultaneously in contrary motion!

[@MusicMattersGB]

The possibilities are many and varied

[@simongross3122]

Very interesting. You probably need the B natural in the second last chord to be notated as such. As usual good voice leading wins the day. I think this would be interesting doing a chromatic descending line in the bass. I might give that a try.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Go for it

[@DanDanDan-c2w]

Isn't that first German 6 chord just an Ab dominant in root position?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely sounds the same but it uses F# rather than Gb so the voice leading is different

[@martinbennett2228]

Interesting - as a follow up, could you show how to create harmonisations (with a melodic line) based on chromatic base (descending might work better than ascending)?

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@dimitrisxanthos7473]

The only downside (for me) of this beautiful harmonization is that .... at the end of the chromatic sequence I feel that we were moving around the F major and not C major . At the last C major chord I hear the Dominant of F major .....not the tonic C. Gareth we thank you for the best music lessons ....!

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Ravel34]

What app are you using for visualising piano?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Synthesia Piano

[@stefanodigarbo4735]

Hi Gareth, greatly interesting and superbly presented as usual, thanks for that. One question: the Alto F#-Bb and Bass G-Db leaps are diminished, would you allow them in an exam? Wouldn't they be among "mistakes" that give you no chance of passing the test? Thanks a lot, cheers!

[@MusicMattersGB]

If the voice leading works you have to do what will work for a chromatic context

[@anshulyadav-ve3nx]

Thanks for the dedication gramps!!!!

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Mazurking]

Downwards I go: C G A#dim Dm G#dim C F#7(trit. Sub) F Am D#dim G Db7(trit. Sub) C How do you like that or dp you have any suggestions? It's quite tricky to harmonize a downwards chromatic scale.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It works well. You’re right. It’s a challenge.