All Questions
126 questions
2
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Is this a V7sus2/V7 chord in bach?
When i was playing this prelude from bach i came across a new chord that i don't usually see in 18th century pieces
Also another question - in writing counterpoint in bach style it looks like two ...
- 469
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Analyzing harmony
I'm trying to analyze this simple exercise from schubert but i can't really find the harmonic function here beside the satisfying voice leading that i hear when i play it
I wanna write such a piece ...
- 469
3
votes
4
answers
613
views
The relation between voices in piano pieces
I've been trying to understand how to identify the voices within the harmonic progression they form, after learning counterpoint and SATB harmony.
But when I'm investigating the relation between ...
- 469
0
votes
1
answer
91
views
Waltz in e minor by Ferdinando Carulli [closed]
I started learning a bit of classical guitar 2 years back. I only learnt and retained this piece, so forgive me for having no music knowledge, and I apologize if my question is ill phrased but are ...
- 3
1
vote
1
answer
145
views
Why does it sound so weird? (Beethoven quartet)
Why does the first A# of the tetrachord of fugal development in op. 131, no. 7, m. 114 cello sound so weird? Is it because of the false relation with B?
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5
votes
1
answer
160
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How to analyze introduction of Rachmaninoff's Paganini variation?
I'm trying to analyze the introduction of Rachmaninoff's Paganini variations (picture below). I'm thinking the whole thing is a sequence and I only have to analyze the first two measures. The F# makes ...
- 51
4
votes
2
answers
168
views
Voice Leading in Göncz’s completion of Contrapunctus 14
My question relates to the attached extract from Zoltan Göncz’s completion of Bach’s Contrapunctus 14 from The Art of Fugue, and specifically the chord marked with the arrow.
To my mind, it appears to ...
- 41
2
votes
3
answers
152
views
How do I analyse these chords in this chorale?
I’m playing some chorales and I can’t figure out how to analyse these highlighted chords. I think these chords share the characteristics of having adjacent notes and I’m having trouble with that. The ...
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1
vote
3
answers
227
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Harmonic Analysis of Polka, Op. 39, No. 14 by Tchaikovsky
I'm having some trouble identifying what's going on harmonically in this chromatic sections here.
i. Bar 2: What function does the chord spelled [C#EGBb] have? All I can say about it is that it's a ...
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5
votes
2
answers
622
views
How to analyze/spell this chord progression
I generally feel that I have a good intuition for chord naming, but know very few formal rules that apply to chromatic progressions like this one I wrote:
It seems obvious that one should avoid ...
- 2,000
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to analyze this chord in Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement?
In Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement, I'd like to understand the Fx (double sharp) in measure 8.
Measure 8 has a bass of A and an arpeggio with the notes C# E Fx C# which sounds like an A7, ...
- 151
6
votes
1
answer
122
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Roman numeral analysis: how to notate tonic root anticipation / triple suspension V7 I742 I?
Sometimes in a cadence between V7 and I there's a moment when an anticipated tonic root in the bass given on top of suspended 7^2^4^ from the V7 (triple suspension?). Two examples:
Beethoven op 10 no ...
2
votes
1
answer
176
views
Can anyone help me understand F#ø7 - F7 - Asus - AM7 - D7 - Em?
I'm trying to understand what's going on in this small piece written for Genshin Impact game, the song's name is "Pure Sky" is about 1min long and you can listen to it here (the part I'm ...
- 93
4
votes
3
answers
1k
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Opening of Bach's mass in b minor: why does it make sense?
The opening harmonic progression of the B minor mass:
Bm moves to a C# half-diminished 7th — a ii7 chord, nothing unusual yet. To put it in root position is a bit unconventional for the style, but the ...
- 1,636
5
votes
5
answers
369
views
Harmony: why does transforming a ii minor chord into II major chord work?
I accidentally composed a song that uses the same harmony "trick" as the song The Odyssey from Symphony X. Both are in the key of Eb (I know it's C minor, but I like to think major for ...
- 296
1
vote
5
answers
273
views
Ambiguity of Roman numeral analysis of Andalusian cadence
When I write that the Andalusian cadence is the chord progression "Am – G – F – E" then there are no doubts in what it means. (All you need to know is what chords are and how they are named)
...
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4
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Next step on music theory as a guitar player
I've been playing the guitar as a hobby since 2013 and have been gradually gaining familiarity with it by playing all kinds of songs.
At first, I simply tried to remember the fingerings by reading ...
- 143
9
votes
3
answers
726
views
How would you identify the root of a non-standard chord / cluster?
What are some ways to identify the root of a chord? I know Hindemith has a treatise on this, but are there any other convincing ones?
For instance, what would be the root of these chords?
FBC
CDE
BCD
...
6
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Jarring F natural in Bartok's "Former Friends"
I'm trying to wrap my head around the awfully jarring - it hurts my ears so bad, I literally can't bring myself to play it - F natural in m16 of Bartok's "Former Friends" from his Book 1 for ...
- 3,054
0
votes
3
answers
135
views
Is the chord progression of this short piece C-G7-C?
Is the chord progression of this short piece C-G7-C? I'm new to music theory and want to confirm my understanding.
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2
votes
1
answer
203
views
Harmonic Voices Alongside Counterpoint
I'm writing a piece for a rather large ensemble:
full string section
SATB choir plus soloists
2 of oboe, bassoon, and trombone
c-g timpani
In one of the sections, the chorus sings a fugato while the ...
- 1,636
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Harmonic analysis of J.S. Bach's Prelude in Cm (BWV 847)
I sometimes try to analyze the harmony of a Bach prelude to understand how chords change, and how he manages to shift from one key to another. Here is the prelude in Cm BWV 847 (source image, MP3 here)...
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6
votes
1
answer
301
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Seems to fit all 3 PAC criteria and yet I'm told it's a root position IAC?
So, as I have been looking for examples of the 3 different types of IAC(Imperfect Authentic Cadence), I run into this:
A cadence that looks like a PAC(Perfect Authentic Cadence) on paper, but which I'...
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4
votes
2
answers
585
views
What is the theoretical explanation of D/F# chord in this turnaround?
Here is the sequence in harmonic Am. What is the function of D/F# in terms of tonal harmony. Borrowed chord from parallel major? Chromatic inflection?
Am-D/F#-F-E-A
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
361
views
Harmonic Analysis: How would you interpret these 4 bars? Var. 18 Rhapsody by Rach
Great community I've stumbled upon. It's been some time since I've done harmonic analysis and I'd appreciate some thoughts about these four bars towards the end of the 18th Variation.
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1
vote
2
answers
141
views
What is the function of this diminished 7th chord in KV 332? [duplicate]
Consider the following cadence from the 3rd movement of Mozart's piano sonata KV 332:
What is the function of the diminished 7th chord B D F Ab?
- 1,607
2
votes
1
answer
108
views
How to write a chord analysis when tonicizing vi
I wanted to write a short harmony exercise in 4 parts where there is a brief tonicization or modulation to the relative minor and then back to the original major key. I am not sure if I have labelled ...
user35708
3
votes
2
answers
229
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VImaj7-V7-i What is the role of the VIth?
I'm analyzing the first movement of "Suite del Plata Nº1" by Máximo Diego Pujol called "Preludio" that it's on D minor, I have encountered the following progression i-VImaj7-V7, I'...
user85162
6
votes
6
answers
878
views
Analysis of a jazz chord progression
Can you please explain the role of that Em7b5 in the following jazz progression in terms of functional harmony?
| Cm7 | Em7b5 | Bbmaj7 | G7 |
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7
votes
1
answer
990
views
What do these up arrows/chevrons over numbers mean?
I've occasionaly seen these arrows over numbers, but I don't know what they're called or exactly what they mean.
I'm assuming they have something to do with the motion, but I'm not sure.
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3
votes
1
answer
574
views
Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 1 in F minor: What are the first 2 chords of the transition?
So, I'm in the middle of orchestrating Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 1 in F minor and I'm at the transition in the recapitulation of the first movement. In order to fill in that bass register that ...
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14
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Is this chord from Bach's C major Prelude G+ or Cm?
So I'm analyzing the harmony in Bach's C major Prelude from the Well Tempered Clavier, and it all goes smoothly until I reach this chord:
Now, most editions I see of this Prelude don't have this ...
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1
vote
1
answer
157
views
formal and harmonic analysis : Bortkiewicz op.40 n.4
I am trying to analyze a Bortkiewicz prelude, op. 40 n.4 in F# major, but I have some doubts.
I divided the prelude into three parts:
part A (bars 1-11)
part B (bars 12-20)
part A' (bar 21-29)
coda (...
- 119
3
votes
2
answers
110
views
Doubts about some harmonic passages in Bortkiewicz's prelude op. 40 n.3
I am trying to analyze the harmony in Bortkiewicz prelude, op. 40 n.3 in E major, but I have some doubts.
I put under the arpeggios the romanic numbers of the harmonies.
In the first part, even if ...
- 119
6
votes
1
answer
319
views
Doubts about a diminished fourth - op. 40 Bortkiewicz
I have a doubt about a musical analysis that I found on an italian book. The author wrote that in the final part of the Prelude n.2 op. 40 by Sergej Bortkiewicz, there is a repetition of the tonic ...
- 119
2
votes
1
answer
124
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Schumann posthumous variation V's choice on descending the semitone or whole tone
Here is the starting part of Schumann posthumous variation V,
I am interested in knowing the "logic" or the "reasoning" why and how Schumann chose the descending tones of the ...
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7
votes
1
answer
351
views
What harmonic idea is being used in Measures 9-12 and 17-19 in "Recuerdos De La Alhambra? "
I have done some harmonic analysis on Francisco Tárrega's “Recuerdos De La Alhambra”, as you can see below. Most of it makes sense to me, but there are sections in measures 9-12 and 17-19 that the ...
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5
votes
1
answer
369
views
Help me figure out the mode of this Howard Shore piece
I have been trying to harmonically analyse this piece by Howard Shore called “Beyond the Forest”, an Elvish song from the Hobbit. I have included the sheet music below (page two is linked) and you can ...
4
votes
3
answers
146
views
On Schumann posthumous variation V's note on a natural G or a flat G
This shows the first two bars of Schumann posthumous variations V.
Look at this music note (red-squared), I am curious to know why Schumann chose a natural G instead of the original flat G in this ...
- 921
6
votes
2
answers
310
views
Naming a chord in the first movement of Mozart's K. 331?
How could one name the first chord in measure three in Mozart's A-major piano sonata K.331, first movement?
It looks like a F#-minor-7th-chord without the fifth, i.e. something like a substitution of ...
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1
vote
1
answer
71
views
When does this extract change key? (Roman Numeral Analysis of Greene: 'Ode on St Cecilia's Day')
Quick question regarding bar 3 in this figured bass exercise. We start off in D minor. The introduction of C naturals in bar 3, along with the fact we finish the piece in the relative FM, seems to ...
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2
votes
2
answers
464
views
Four part Writing: When must a perfect fourth be resolved?
A bit confused at the moment regarding when a perfect fourth is classed as a consonance, and when it is classed as a dissonance. I have read here on Stack Exchange, that perfect fourth intervals are ...
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3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Inversions of diminished 7th chords
I have the following passage in D minor which features two diminished 7th chords:
I have labelled most of the chords, but I am at a loss of how to label these two diminished 7th chords.
If I could ...
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5
votes
3
answers
399
views
Roman Numeral Analysis - Tonicization of relative major key in minor key
I have a passage that I am trying to analyse with roman numerals:
The passage is in B minor, but the section in question briefly tonicizes D major - the relative major key.
My question is, how can ...
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3
votes
1
answer
611
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Harmonic Analysis of C. M. von Weber Clarinet Concerto No.1
My question is regarding this passage from C. M. von Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1. The passage is taken from the exposition of the first movement and has so far been established in F minor.
Bars 20 ...
3
votes
3
answers
563
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Four part writing: How to voice diminished 7th chords?
I am currently doing part writing, and have come into a bit of a conundrum. I want to use a sharp 4 dim 7 (Fsharpdim7), to link up my IV chord (FM) to my V7 chord (G7).
I know that 7ths should usually ...
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6
votes
2
answers
966
views
Four part writing problem: tripled root solution. what is best practice here?
I have hit a problem with this chord change in my four part writing. We are in A minor.
The VI chord is in first inversion, so A must be in the bass. (I have made a mistake in the figure. the VI ...
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3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Interpolated chords: How do they work?
Recently, I studied the tune 'Misty' by Eroll Garner. I was slightly confused as to the middle section of the piece, as it involves a passage with some delayed resolutions. I have come across three ...
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1
vote
1
answer
96
views
How does Modulation in Spirited Away - Name of Life work?
I was wondering if there is any harmonic reasoning and mechanism in play with the modulation from C major to Eb major in measure 103? The only "logic" that I can think of is that in previous ...
- 233
3
votes
1
answer
216
views
what is the method behind naming jazz chords? [closed]
I have recently become confused about how to name chords in jazz.
This is my current understanding:
Add chords (without 7th)- chord that contains the root, third, (optional 5th) and one or more ...
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