Ervin Colebrooke's Music Front Room

Continuing with Modulation        Modulating to a relative minor , Dominant or Subdominant , Secondary Dominants or using leading tone chords are all a part of composing successfully. Here’s a tip on  identifying  Chords  and analysis of music . Writing like Schubert…..More a about composing like this composer below. Hats of to the owner of this YouTube video Mr .Alex Pool Here are some interesting finds in Franz Shuberts fantasy in C Major  The  first movement is in Binary form  having two distinct parts .The first section especially is developed mainly based on variations around  the beginning “Warrior motif”  and the arpeggiated chords with many unexpected transitions . The Key changes from C to the Dominant ,to the mediant Key E Major is ingenious . The devices Schubert uses are interesting .He uses chromatic chords and arpeggiation with one note strategies to modulate to closely related Keys .Then finally to section B in ...

            Secondary Leading Tone Chords  Secondary leading tone chords ,play an important role in Composition. Composers use these to modulate to comfortable keys that are compatible with the chosen key .     A Secondary Leading tone chords  starts by using  the secondary chosen chord then placing a dominant V7th chord from that chord  .here is a video that explains this :     Here I am demonstrating a chord progression with a Secondary Dominant included :

Voice leading  🔗 Voice leading ,   is the same as part writing , refers to how melodic voices move   in harmonic progressions. This includes Chords and Chord progressions  , Rules and S A T B part writing . Here is a video Defining and showing Voice leading  7th Chords 4 Part harmony ,while it can be made of root and inverted chords  .7th chords enhance the musical experience and are largely included . See more about 7th Chords in the videos below : 🔗 “SATB” voice leading refers to four-part chords used or written for soprano (S), alto (A), tenor (T), and bass (B) voices. SATB voice leading will also be referred to as “chorale-style” voice leading. 🔗 like in the Hymnal 😀 Advancing in Harmony playing and writing demands a use of 7th chords .      The main ones are  the:    Major 7th,  The Dominant 7th ,The Minor 7th The Half Diminished  7th      and  The Fully Diminished Chord Well let’s hear so...

      MODULATION    What is Modulation ? Modulation is the movement from one key to another .  A song can be modulated smoothly to its relative minor ,parallel keys and near by keys (Mostly using Pivot chords .) For example.    *****************  Here’s a Mozart Modulation to the Dominant . Video by Mr.Pluto ,  Carl Oliver not    C MAJOR can modulate well to A MINOR it’s relative minor . C MAJOR can modulate well to. G Major the Dominant key  a one more sharp key and perfect 5th . C MAJOR can modulate well to F Major  the Sub Dominant key, a one  flat  key  or perfect 4th. Here is a video demonstrating  modulation . Original YouTube content belongs to Mr. Published by Garrett Green .  Ahh !!!!    Up next :   How to use them with Jazz 

         Secondary Dominants are chords that are the fifth chord from another chord .Often it’s a  dominant of a dominant thus getting  name secondary dominants . For example d      Here are examples of secondary dominants          This one will show you how Secondary dominants are used to enhance jazz harmony .       This video is from  “Jazz Piano series  owner of this video is Mr. Assaf, the developer of the mangold project  channel on Youtube .     This Video shows you how to construct or build  a Secondary dominant chord on he keyboard  and also how to use secondary dominants to enhance a gospel song . This video is owned and created by Mr Jeff Schneider  Jens Larson is the creator of this next video .He talks about the use of secondary dominant chords in improvising. Here we have a video that is showing the power to enhance your ear playing ...

Motifs and Sequences  What is a Motif ?      A Motif  is a musical idea in a piece of music that is developed  further often by Diatonic Sequences in a musical composition. Below is a piece of music with a famous Motif : Watch and see if you can identify the Motif  and sequences in this famous  piece of music . The above Content owned by Mgill Symphony Orchestra : this video was used from their public YouTube channel  What is a Sequence ?                    A sequence is a  Repeated Pattern  in the music  that changes key .. It’s  consists of repeated motives repeated motive   Diantonic Patterns /Sequences      Means it’s staying in the  chosen Key that you are in  . 🤩.  ❤️. Descending 5ths are the most common  They can repeat in a circle of Fifths  and whenever you are ready you Chan get off the train and end  it  😀...

        What is Phrase structure ? A Phrase in music is a place of a breath in music  like a sentence in  speaking . A Motif   Is the smallest identifiable melody in music . Motifs can be modified in ways such as   Dynamics , Modulations, Adding Notes, inverting chords  and rhythmic like the amount of rests in between motives 🙂Musical Sentences ,We end a musical phrase usually with a Half  Cadence( chord V ) The Paragraph will end on a Perfect Authentic Cadence  (V7- 1 )or PAC A diagram would be  Like.                   A.                            A1 ————————-HC————————PAC 🎻A Question is called an 🧐Antecedent  🎻 and the answer is called a  👨🏼‍🌾 Consequent                   Me Playing a piece with a motif          ...

            Voice Leading Continued   ***************************************** Remember Dominant 7th chords  consist of a Triton which resolves  notes inward or a outward depending on where they are. So in the key of C Major ,  a dominant 7th chord , which is G B D F the  7th  degree of he C a major scale  B resolves to the 8th degree C  and the 4th degree of a C Major Scale which is F resolves downward to the 3rd which is E. Note 💚that they form Tritons’ …B to F natural is a Tritone. Which notes resolve . If your lost on What a tritone is this video should help you discover its significance  and the beauty in its resolving . Questions  for You  #1.  If a 1st Inversion Dominant 7th chord doesn’t have the Bass note can the Tritone still be heard ? #2.  What are the Tritone notes of a Dominant 7th chord in the key of  G Major ? #3 How do those Notes Resolve ? What are the Tritone n...

Embellishing  tones  Embellishment in music can take place in a number of ways .. some are ,by using :. None Chord Tones as  Passing tones or notes  Neighboring tones or notes  Appoggiaturas Suspensions  and more  Here we will demonstrate  None Chord Tones  added to embellish a portion of a song by Johann Sebastian Bach  Watch the videos I’ve recorded below  One without the embellishments so you can here the difference and one with the NCTs               And with the Embellishments  Here’s more yummy information on the Appoggiatura Embellishments Suspensions are also Vital here’s more  information on Suspensions 

                     COMPOSING FOR   S,A,T, & B         SO,  WHAT IS   S,A,T, & B   ?                    SATB   STANDS FOR       Soprano , Alto , Tenor  And  Bass This is writing for 4 part harmony or 4 different pitch voices .It is mostly used in choral music but the fundamentals for composing in four part is beneficial to all types of Composing. Note Great musicians Studied Composition and harmony and used them in their instrumental composing as well . 1. When Composing a Song with SATB, A Soprano Part is usually the first to be written, which is the melody line. 2. Next it's good to add the Bass Part . 3.Thirdly the inside Parts.   Either the Alto than the Bass or vice-versa. Here is a Composition of SATB Harmonizing a familiar Tune or melody line given : Me Playing this Co...

                4th and 5th  Species Counterpoints              Well, What is the 4th Species Counterpoint?  Fourth Species Counterpoint is a piece of music with a  Melody Line called a Counterpoint and a bass line called a Cantus furmus . The main difference from other counterpoints is its main feature is the fact that it is built with Suspensions of dissonances. And What is a Dissonance? A Dissonance is when 2 notes clash in sound like they were not really meant to be played together . The opposite would be called Consonance. That is when the notes sound Harmonious or Good when played together.  Now, To write a suspension you must have a  :              1. Consonant interval     flowed by a               2. Dissonant interval      on the Down Beat, followed by a      ...

          2nd and 3rd Species Counterpoint                                           What is that ?        ........ 2nd Species Counterpoint  is a composition which requires two counterpoint notes to one Cantus firmus note , This method allows consonant harmony on the strong beat and disonance on the weak ones , it may be accomplished by step wise motion               Octaves may be approached by Oblique motions   ( That is when the bottom notes repeat and the top notes move).                  Me playing my second Species Counterpoint to a given  composition :        *****************************************       th THIRD SPECIES COUNTERPOINT What is that?        ........ 3rd Species Co...

  Spring  2021 Lesson 1          First Species Counterpoint  Lesson 1   Counterpoint involves a melody written against an existing  one  .The existing melody is called  Cantus Firmus       A Cantus Furmus  I Composed                                                                  Me Playing  My Composed Counterpoint with a given Cantus Furmus           Against  this type of Melody a counterpoint is written .