Theory for Today's Musician w/ Musical Example CD-ROM » (1st Edition)

Ralph Turek holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College — Conservatory of Music. He has held teaching posts at George Mason University, the University of Maryland, and The University of Akron, where he is Professor of Music Composition and Coordinator of Graduate Studies. He is the author of The Elements of Music: Concepts and Applications and of Analytical Anthology of Music, both published by McGraw-Hill.

In Theory for Today's Musician, the author brings to bear insights and pedagogy acquired over a long career of teaching music theory, analysis, and composition informed by a background in jazz and arranging; as well as other experience that includes program annotation and fiction writing. The result is a textbook unique in style, tone, and relevance to today’s practicing musician and music educator.

Years of classroom experience and a thoughtful reappraisal of the skills needed in today’s musical world are reflected in Ralph Turek's new theory text. This unique project merges traditional topics such as part writing (pared and prioritized in light of current practice) and harmony (diatonic, chromatic, neotonal and atonal) with less traditional topics such as counterpoint and musical process, and with non-traditional topics such as popular-based song writing and harmonic principles in jazz and the blues.

In a style that reads more like a novel than a textbook, Theory for Today's Musician employs precise and articulate prose seasoned with “a pinch of humor, a sprinkle of analogy, and a dash of vignette.” It considers the classical, folk, popular, and jazz repertoires in equal measure, probing connections among them and offering fresh and unique perspectives. In support of his guiding principle that “If they’re not reachable, they’re not teachable,” the author has scoured the classical literature in search of familiar examples not often included in theory texts and has chosen popular, jazz, TV, and film-score examples for their durability and interest. The single-volume text is packaged with a CD-ROM containing over 350 music examples; a student workbook, and a workbook CD-ROM are available for separate purchase.

UNIT ONE: IN LIEU OF FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1: Assorted Preliminaries

Part One: Matters of Pitch

The staff; Clefs; The grand staff; Solmization; The hexachord system; Accidentals

Part Two: Modes, Scales, and Evolution

Church modes; Evolution of scales; Musica ficta

Part Three: Metric Matters

Meter; The dot; Early meter signatures; Hypermeter

Part Four: Sound

The harmonic series; The Legend of Pythagoras; Equal temperament

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 2: Intervals

Perspective: Five Ways of Looking at an Interval

Part One: White-Key Intervals

Numerical value and quality; Chromatic alteration

Part Two: Intervals of the Major Scale

Part Three: This and That about Intervals

Enharmonic intervals; Inversion; Simple versus compound; Diatonic versus chromatic; Consonance versus dissonance

Drills and Assignments
UNIT TWO: DIATONIC HARMONY
Chapter 3: Basic Harmonic Structures

Part One: Triads

Harmony and chord; The basic triads

Part Two: Inversion

Inversion and bass line; Determining inversion

Part Three: Seventh Chords

Classification; Diatonic seventh-chord types; Inverted seventh chords

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 4: Musical Shorthand: Lead Sheets and Figured Bass

Part One: Lead-Sheet Notation

Lead-sheet and chord symbols; Expanded symbols; Passing tones

Part Two: Figured Bass Notation

The continuo; Figured bass rules

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 5: Harmonies of the Major and Minor Scales

Part One: The Diatonic Chords of a Key

Diatonic triads in major; Diatonic triads in minor; Roman numeral symbols; Roman numerals versus lead sheet symbols; Showing inversion

Part Two: Functional Tonality

Chord stability; The circle of fifths; Harmonic function; Ground bass patterns; Major and minor compared

Part Three: More on Seventh Chords

Symbolizing seventh chords; Half-diminished versus fully-diminished seventh chord

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 6: Cadences/Harmonic Rhythm

Part One: Cadences

Cadences and style; Standard cadences; Cadential variants; Summary of Standard Cadences

Part Two: Harmonic Rhythm

Common patterns; Harmonic syncopation; Metric shift

Drills and Assignments
UNIT THREE: MELODY
Chapter 7: Melodic Pitch and Rhythm

Part One: Range, Interval Structure, and Gesture

Range; Interval structure; Gesture

Part Two: Repetition

Motive; Exact repetition; Sequence

Part Three: Melodic Tonality

Scale and arpeggio; Large-scale events; Recognizing important pitches; Tonic-dominant axis

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 8: Embellishing Tones

Part One: Step-Step Combinations

Passing tone; neighbor tone

Part Two: Step-Leap Combinations

Appoggiatura; incomplete neighbor; escape tone; changing tones

Part Three: Step-Repetition Combinations

Anticipation; suspension; retardation; Rearticulated suspensions; Suspensions over a change of bass; Chain suspension

Part Four: Embellishing Tones and Style

Multiple embellishing tones; Embellishing tones in jazz; Embellishing tones as motives; Pedal point; The embellishing chord tone

Summary of Embellishing Tones

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 9: Melodic Form

Part One: The Phrase

Some definitions; Phrase lengths; The cadence; Phrase relationships

Part Two: Combining and Extending Phrases

The period; The phrase group; The double period; Cadential elision; Phrase extension; Phrasing and style

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 10: Composing Melodies

Part One: Constructing a Melody from a Motive

The initial melodic idea; The harmonic factor; Devising a harmonic plan

Part Two: Composing a Melody to a Harmonic Pattern

Drills and Assignments
UNIT FOUR: VOICE LEADING
Chapter 11: Melodic Principles of Part Writing/ Voicing and Connecting Chords

Perspective: Why Four Parts?

Part One: Melodic Principles

Ranges; Interval motion; Leaps; Sensitive tones; Soprano-bass counterpoint

Part Two: Voicing Chords

Spacing; Doubling; Alternative doubling; Incomplete triads

Part Three: Connecting Chords

Consecutive perfect consonances; Voice crossing and overlap; Connecting chords that contain common tones; Connecting chords that do not contain common tones

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 12: The Chorale/Part Writing with Root-Position Triads

Part Writing and Golf

Part One: The Chorale

Perspective on the chorale; Melodic features

Part Two: Part Writing with Root-Position Triads

The "short rule" for connecting chords; Fifth relationship; Third Relationship; Second Relationship; Part writing the deceptive cadence

Expanded Guidelines for Connection Chords

Part Three: Part Writing Suspensions

9-8 Suspension; 4-3 Suspension; 2-3 Retardation

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 13: Part Writing with Triads in Inversion

Perspective

Part One: First Inversion

Inversion and bass line; Doubling; Chord connection; Inversion and harmonic weight; Suspensions; 7-6 suspension; 2-3 suspension

Part Two: Second Inversion

Cadential six-four; Passing six-four chord; Pedal six-four chord; Arpeggiated six-four chord; Six-four chord variants

Voice-Leading Practices: A Summary

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 14: Part Writing Seventh Chords

Perspective

Part One: Dominant-Functioning Seventh Chords

Voice leading in the V7; The seventh as embellishing tone; The unresolved leading tone; The ascending seventh; Delayed resolution; The viiø7 and viio7

Part Two: Non-Dominant Seventh Chords

Function; Resolution; Frequency; Inversion; Incomplete seventh chords; Altered forms; Seventh chords and chainsuspensions; The I7

Drills and Assignments
UNIT FIVE: BASIC CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 15: Secondary Function I

Part One: Secondary Dominants

Tonicization; The V/x; The secondary leading tone; The tonicing tritone; The V7/x; Common musical contexts; Harmonic sequence

Part Two: Secondary Leading-Tone Chords

The viio/x, viio7/x, and viiø7/x

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 16: Secondary Function II

Preliminary Note

Part One: Jazz and Popular Styles

V7/x in barbershop harmony and ragtime; The tonicizing chord group in bop and beyond; viio7/x; bVII as IV/IV

Part Two: Voice Leading and Harmonization

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 17: Modulation I

Perspective: A Preliminary Quiz

Part One: Modulation by Common Chord

The common chord; The pre-dominant in modulation; Multiple common chords; Closely related keys

Part Two: Chromatic Modulation

Common contexts; Types of chromatic modulation; Evaluating multiple accidentals; Modulation of tonicization?

Drills and Assignments
UNIT SIX: COUNTERPOINT
Chapter 18: The Art of Countermelody

Part One: Two-Voice Counterpoint

Motion; 1:1 Counterpoint; Converting 1:1 to 2:1; Essentials of counterpoint; Converting 2:1 to 4:1; Jazz and popular Styles

Part Two: Fun with Counterpoint

Creating a bass; Melodizing the bass; Adding a third voice; Polyphony versus homophony

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 19: J.S. Bach's Two-Part Inventions

Part One: The Invention

Motive and countermotive; Contrapuntal devices

Part Two: Invention No. 6

Analysis; Invertible counterpoint; Tonality; Harmony;Implied harmony; Form

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 20: The Fugue

Part One: The Basics of Fugue

Subject and answer; The exposition; The countersubject; The development; Episodes and entries; The recapitulation; Summary; Stretto; Counterexposition; The coda

Part Two: Analysis

J. S. Bach: Fugue No. 16 (WTC I); Analytic comments; Coda

Drills and Assignments
UNIT SEVEN: ADVANCED CHROMATIC HARMONY
Chapter 21: Mixing Modes

Perspective: Adding to the Palette

Part One: Change of Mode

Change of mode as musical contrast; Mode and mood; Keys related through mode mixture; Enharmonic change of mode

Part Two: Modal Borrowing

Modal borrowing versus change of mode; Common borrowed harmonies; Modal borrowing and style

Part Three: Chromatic-Third Relationships

Diatonic- versus chromatic-third relationships; Common chromatic-third relationships; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 22: Altered Pre-dominants

Perspective

Part One: The Neapolitan Sixth Chord

The Neapolitan chord; The harmonic nature of the Neapolitan; Inserting the cadential six-four chord

Part Two: Augmented Sixth Chords

The augmented sixth interval; Augmented sixth chord types; Constructing an augmented sixth chord; The doubly augmented fourth chord; Voice leading; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 23: Other Chromatic Harmonies

Part One: Altered Dominants

Part Two: Embellishing Diminished Seventh Chords

Functional versus embellishing o7; Spelling the embellishing o7; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 24: Modulation II

Perspective: In Search of the Harmonic Truth

Part One: Recognizing Signals: The Three Cs

The tell-tale tones; Clue chords; Cadences; Thinking through a modulation

Part Two: Back to the Tonal Border

Common chord modulation; Chromatic modulation; Chromatic pivot; Enharmonic pivot

Part Three: The Secret Lives of Chords

The enharmonic German sixth chord; The enharmonic diminished seventh chord; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 25: Selected Harmonic Structures and Techniques

Part One: Triadic Extensions

Dominant ninth chords; Secondary dominant ninth chords; Other ninth chords; The dominant eleventh chord; The minor eleventh chord; Thirteenth chords

Part Two: Linear Chromaticism

Chord mutation

Part Three: Harmonic Sequence

Drills and Assignments
UNIT EIGHT: ARRANGING,COMPOSING, AND ANALYSIS
Chapter 26: Harmonic Principles in Jazz

Perspective: What's the Difference?

Part One: Extending the Triad

Basic seventh chords and their extensions; Voicing; Template 1 and Template 2

Part Two: Chord Substitution

Origins; Simple tonicization; The turnaround; Tritone substitution in the turnaround; Extended tonicization; Tritone-related chords; Substitution guideline; Expanded tritone substitution

Part Three: Implied Lines

Reading between the chords; Auxiliary chords, Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 27: The Blues

Perspective

Part One: Blues Form and Harmonic Practice

Early blues; Twelve-bar blues; The basic blues today; Substitute harmonies; Minor blues

Part Two: Blues Melodic Practice

Blue notes; Blue-note scales; Blue-note scales in minor blues

Part Three: Blues Variants

Sixteen-bar blues; Accompaniment styles; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 28: Form, Process, and Drama

Part One: An Experiment

Part Two: Three Ways of Looking at Form

Visual versus aural symmetry; Motivic analysis; Musical processes; Similarity and contrast

Part Three: Dramatic Shape

Shape; Creating musical tension; Texture; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 29: Binary and Ternary Forms

Perspective

Part One: Statement-Restatement

Chopin: Prelude, Op. 28, No. 7; Clementi: Sonatina, Op. 31, No. 1 (Vivace); The coda

Part Two: Statement-Contrast

Bach: French Suite No. 5 (Gavotte); Asymmetric binary form

Part Three: Statement-Contrast-Restatement

Beethoven: Sonata, Op. 14, No. 2 (Second Movement); Desmond: Take Five; The bridge; Schumann: Kinderscenen, Op.15, No. 6; Rounded binary versus ternary form; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 30: Shaping a Song

Perspective

Part One: Text

Text and lyrics; Text setting; Form; Text/melody relationship; Text painting

Part Two: Accompaniment

Piano styles; Prelude, postlude, and interlude

Part Three: Composing a Song

Text scansion;"Rhythmicizing" the text; Constructing the melody; The accompaniment

Drills and Assignments
UNIT NINE: TWENTIETH-CENTURY TECHNIQUES
Chapter 31: Syntax and Vocabulary

Part One: Syntax

Non-functional tonality; Planing; The augmented triad; Modality; Modal cadences

Part Two: New Melodic and Harmonic Structures

Pentatonic scales; Quartal and quintal harmonies; Whole-tone scale; Other scales

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 32: Neotonality

Perspective

Part One: New Tonal Adventures

Quartal harmonies; Polychords; Polytonality; Bimodality; Pandiatonicism

Part Two: Stravinsky and Bartók

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Bartók: “Boating” (from Mikrokosmos, Vol. V)

Drills and Assignments
Chapter 33: Atonality and Twelve-Tonality

Perspective

Part One: Atonality

Cell; Enharmonic equivalence; Pitch class; Interval class; Set; Set type; Normal order; Analytical hints

Part Two: Twelve-Tonality

The twelve-tone method; Row forms; Index numbers and order numbers; Segmentation; Choosing a row; Findingthe row; Coda

Drills and Assignments
Appendix A: Pitch

Part One: Pitch and its Notation

Pitch and frequency; The staff and clefs; Notating pitches above and below the staff; Half steps and whole steps; Chromatic alteration; Accidentals; Enharmonic equivalents; Diatonic versus chromatic half steps

Part Two: Scales and Keys

The chromatic scale; The major scale; Transposition; Key signatures; The circle of fifths; Relative major and minor keys; The minor scale forms; Parallel major and minor keys

Drills and Assignments
Appendix B: Rhythm

Part One: Elements of the Proportional System

Rhythm defined; The tie and dot; Accent

Part Two: Meter and Measure

Meter and measure defined; Barlines; Simple meter signatures; Compound meter signatures; Borrowed divisions of the beat; Syncopation and hemiola

Part Three: Notating Rhythm

Dots and ties; Beams; Notating rests

Drills and Assignments
Appendix C: Basic Lead-Sheet Chord Symbols
Appendix D: Part-Writing Guidelines
Glossary
Index