Armonia Por Computadoras para Músicos

Appendix : Practical Harmony
Exercises
As a practical art, you cannot learn harmony by simply reading about it. As well as
studying the available literature, you must also either sit at the keyboard or use your
sequencer to try everything out using your own ear. Without undertaking this practical
process, the study of harmony can be no more than an academic exercise. Harmony is
above all a practical art, and it has a practical use and application.
To assist you with this application, this section of the book contains numerous short
exercises. Each of these exercises addresses a particular topic covered by the book in a
practical way. With each practical exercise, I have provided a MIDI file that will enable
you to sit at your computer, complete the exercise, and hear firsthand the results of your
efforts. Apart from this, no answers are given to these exercises. This is because, ultimately, with practical harmony there are often any number of correct answers and solutions to a given problem. And in many cases it is only your own ear that tells you that
you are on the right track.
Intervals (Chapter 2)
Knowledge of intervals is an important prerequisite for the study of harmony. This
means that ideally you should easily be able to identify the intervals given in Exercise 2.1.
If not, go back to Music Theory for Computer Musicians and re-approach the subject. If
you do not understand intervals and how they are represented, you will have a disadvantage in your studies of harmony. As far as intervals are concerned, you should be
able to easily complete Exercise 2.1. To do so, it is necessary to:
1.
Be able to discern the numerical type of interval (second, third, sixth, and so on)
2.
Know the difference between simple and compound intervals
3.
Be able to distinguish between interval modalitiesthat is diminished, minor,

perfect, major and augmented intervals
Exercise 2.1: Interval Types and Modes

Identify the intervals shown in Figure 23.1. The first interval (a) is a minor second.
Exercise 2.2: Numerical Representation of Intervals and Their Modes

It is also extremely useful to be able to identify each interval in terms of the numerical
symbols often used to represent a particular interval. These symbols have two components:
Harmony for Computer Musicians

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Figure 23.1 Exercise 2.1.
1.
A number that denotes the size of intervalin other words, a third is represented
as 3.
2.
A symbolusually a sharp or flat (or sometimes a plus or a minus)used to

denote the modality of that interval. In other words, a fourth is represented as 4,
while an augmented fourth is represented as ]4. The importance of knowing
these is that it aids in the process of chord recognition. Therefore, given
the chord symbols Cmaj7]9, you would know that these signify a C major
seventh chord, the ninth of which has been chromatically raised by a semitone.
Although the symbols used can vary, once you have a grasp of one set of symbols, the others are easy to interpret. The information you need for this was
covered in Chapter 2. You should ideally be able to identify the intervals shown
in Figure 23.2 using numerical symbolssuch as 3, ]4, [9, and so on. The first
such interval is a 3.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Appendix
Practical Harmony Exercises
Exercise 2.3: Analyzing Intervals in Chords

All chords are composed of intervals. Each of these intervals contributes to the quality,
sound, and color of a given chord. The intervals above the root note are very important
because they determine what kind of chord it is. The intervals above the bass are also
important. For these, determine the position of the chord. You should be able to analyze
these intervals present in a chord. Therefore, you would ideally be able to easily identify
the intervals that each note of the chords given in Figure 23.3 forms with the bass note,
the first of which1ais a major third.
1)
2)
3)
c)
c)
a)
b)
c)
b)
a)
b)
a)
Exercise 2.4: Recognizing Inversions

When the bottom note of a simple interval is placed up an octave, we get the inversion of
that interval. An interval and its inversion are strongly related in harmony because although they are of opposite modalities, they have a similar quality. Therefore, a major
third has a similar quality to its inversiona minor sixth. Ideally, you should know
what the inversion of each interval is. Page 151 of Music Theory for Computer Musicians provides a table of these.
What are the inversions of the following intervals? The first question has already been
answered:
1.
Minor sixth: major third
2.
Perfect fourth
3.
Major seventh
4.
Minor sixth
5.
Octave
6.
Major third
7.
Augmented fourth
8.
Augmented second
9.
Major second
10.
Minor seventh
11.
Diminished seventh
Exercise 2.5: Enharmonically Equivalent Intervals

Many intervals have enharmonic equivalentsin other words, the interval of a minor
third spelled as C/E[ and the interval of an augmented second spelled as C/D]. Although
enharmonically equivalent intervals are produced by striking the same notes on the keyboard, they are spelled differently. This difference in their spelling reflects a difference in
both the context in which they are being used and how they are treated musically.
To make any progress in the study of chromatic harmony, it is useful to know those
intervals that are enharmonically equivalent to one another. Ideally, you should be able
to answer the following questions. The first question has already been answered.
What other intervals are the following intervals enharmonically equivalent to?
1.
Augmented octave is enharmonically equivalent to a minor ninth.
2.
Diminished fifth
3.
Diminished third
4.
Augmented sixth
5.
Diminished fourth
6.
Augmented third
7.
Augmented fourth
8.
Diminished sixth
Tonality and the Key System Exercises (Chapter 3)

The following exercise questions all relate to knowledge and understanding that will
benefit you in your study of harmony. If you can easily answer these questions, your
studies will be much clearer and smoother. If not, revisit Music Theory for Computer
Musicians. The following exercises will you give a good idea of the basic knowledge
needed.
Exercise 3.1: Tonal Functions

What is the first degree of a major or minor scale called in functional harmony?
1.
The root
2.
The tonic
3.
The prime
Appendix
Exercise 3.2: Building Scales

What is the pattern of tones and semitones to make up the major scale?
Exercise 3.3: Understanding Scales

What is the scale that uses all 12 notes in an octave called?
Exercise 3.4: Key Signatures

How many sharps or flats do the key signatures of the following keys have?
1.
A major
2.
G[ major
3.
C minor
4.
G major
5.
B major
6.
E[ major
7.
F] major
8.
B[ minor
9.
F major
Exercise 3.5: Knowing the Scales

Write down the notes used in the following scales. All minor scales are considered to be
in their natural form.
1.
A major
2.
C minor
3.
F major
4.
D major
5.
G minor
6.
B[ minor
7.
F] major
8.
D minor
Exercise 3.6: Key Relationships

What is the relative major key of:
1.
D minor
2.
F minor
3.
C] minor
Exercise 3.7: Key Relationships

What is the relative minor key of:
1.
C major
2.
E[ major
3.
A major
Exercise 3.8: Chords and Scale Degrees

What is:
1.
Chord IV of the key of C major?
2.
Chord VI of the key of C minor?
3.
Chord vi of D major?
4.
Chord iii of E[ major?
5.
Chord vii of F major?
6.
Chord i of E minor?
Exercise 3.9: Chordal Inversions

Name the inversions of the following triads:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
The Principles of Part Writing Exercises (Chapter 4)

Just a few questions to remind you to retain numerous basic points pertaining to this
chapter.
Appendix
Exercise 4.1: General Knowledge of Harmony

A succession of chords in music is called a:
1.
Chord chain
2.
Chord progression
3.
Sequence of chords
4.
Passage of harmony
Exercise 4.2: Part Writing

What are the three kinds of part motion?
Exercise 4.3: Types of Part Motion

Complete this sentence: Contrary motion is where two parts
Exercise 4.4: Consecutive Prohibitions

Which intervals are to be avoided as consecutives between the same parts?
1.
Thirds
2.
Octaves
3.
Sixths
4.
Fifths
5.
Fourths
6.
Tenths
Exercise 4.5: Identifying Consecutives

Circle the consecutive octaves and fifths in this excerpt. There is one instance of consecutive fifths and two of consecutive octaves.
Voicing the Common Triad and Inversions

Exercises (Chapter 5)
Whatever kind of music you are writing, it is likely that you will use common chords
at some time or another. To use a common chord, you need to be able to voice it in
such a way that it forms a full-bodied, balanced harmony. Because each common
chord also has three possible positions, it is necessary to learn to voice chords in all
three positions, which at the same time makes effective use of chordal doubling and
chordal spacing.
For this purpose, there follows a series of exercises through which you can gain the
necessary practical experience required to be able to voice common triads effectively.
I have provided a MIDI file for each exercise.
Exercise 5.1 (MIDI File 0501): Voicing a Major Common Triad

in Four Parts
1.
Import MIDI File 0501 into your sequencer.
2.
Select a suitable patch for that channel. For these purposes, an acoustic piano
patch will be just fine.
3.
In this exercise you will see a series of bass notes all set at note C2. Your task is to
add in those extra notes required to complete a C major root position harmony.
The bass notes are all whole notes, so set the resolution of the Pencil tool to a
whole note. To complete the harmony, you simply fill in the missing notes using
the Pencil tool.
Let us now see what is involved.

1.
There are eight bass notes provided to give you the opportunity to explore
different ways of spacing a simple C major triad. So over each bass note, space
the chord in a different way. The first bass note has a harmony already written in
so you can see what is required.
2.
Voice the chord for exactly four partsthat is, only use four notes, including
the bass note. This limitation will impose a necessary discipline upon your chord
voicing, and because the chord has only four notes, it will help to expose any
weaknesses in the chord voicing process.
3.
Ensure that the chord uses all three of the notes of the triad: root, third, and
fifth. If not, the chord will be incomplete. Because you are voicing for four
parts, this means that one note must therefore be doubled. Try not to double
the third of the major triad. The third of the minor triad might be doubled,
though.
Appendix
4.
Keep the chord more or less in the middle registersay, between C1 and G4.
This will help to avoid using extremes of the register where the harmony will
become less effective.
Voicing a Triad in Four Parts

Having said this, let us now go through some of the options available when voicing a
chord. In the case of this particular exercise, the bass note is already given, which means
that the task is to supply three upper parts. The first part to add would be the top,
because after the bass this is the next most important note. It is the note that would be
heard as the lead. Three choices exist herethe root, third, or fifth of the chord may be
selected as the lead note. Having made a choice and written in the upper notein this
case, note C4the next task is to provide the two inner notesthat is, the notes between the top and the bottom. These inner parts need to satisfy numerous conditions.
They need to complete the chord so it is heard as a full C major harmony. They need to
be placed in a way that gives the chord the best possible spacing. And finally, if the
chord is major, we should try to avoid doubling the third. Figure 23.6 presents the
various options available.
Figure 23.6 Chordal spacing options.
In (a) you can see the lead note written in, but without the two inner parts. Because
the lead note is the same as the bassthe root of the chordthis means that to
create a complete harmony, we need to add a third and a fifth in the inner parts. If
not, the chord will be incomplete, which means that the harmony will be
10
unnecessarily sparse. In (b) and (c), you can see what happens when the lower note
E2 is selected. Having selected E2, this forces you to place the G either just above it
or an octave higher. Both types of spacing are ineffective because they are introducing gaps in the chord that are just too wide. However, by placing the note E an
octave higher and the G in between, we find the perfect solution. All three notes of
the chord are present, and the intervals between the chord are nice and even, creating
a balanced and well-blended sonority.
Because there are often so many options with musical harmony, there are not usually
any right or wrong answers to a given problem. There are simply effective or less
effective solutions to that problem. And the only criterion by which the solution can
be properly judged is the ear. So having arrived at a particular solution, audition it
and be sure to listen critically, which means examining both the strengths and the
weaknesses of a given solution. Your ear will soon tell you if you have got something
wrong.
Exercise 5.2 (MIDI File 0502): Voicing a Major Common Triad

in First Inversion
This exercise gives similar practice in finding different ways of spacing a major chord in
first inversion. In this case the triad chosen is again C major. In first inversion the third is
in the bass. And, as it has already been observed that a doubled third tends to stand out
too much, this means that the three upper parts need to be a mix of roots and fifths.
However, as long as the chord is complete, it does not matter which of the two notes
root or fifthis doubled at this stage. For each bass note given, find a different way of
spacing the chord. So that you can see what is required, the three upper parts for the first
chord have already been filled in.
Figure 23.7 Chordal spacing exercise for major triad in first inversion.
Appendix
11
Exercise 5.3 (MIDI File 0503): Voicing a Major Common Triad in

Second Inversion
In this exercise you are required to fill in the three upper partsagain of a chord of C
majorbut this time the chord is in second inversion; in other words, with the fifth in
the bass. Because the fifth is already present in the chord, this means that the three upper
parts must need a third and a root, plus one notein this case, the rootwhich will be
doubled. To give you an example of how it is done, the first chord has already been
filled in.
Figure 23.8 Chordal spacing exercise for major triad in second inversion.
Exercise 5.4 (MIDI File 0504): Voicing a Minor Common Triad

in Root Position
Here you are required to complete an A minor root position harmony by adding three
upper parts to the given root note A1. This is simply to give you equivalent experience of
finding different yet effective ways of spacing a minor chord harmony. Therefore,
again, eight separate bass notes are given. Over each bass note, add three upper parts
using a different way of spacing the chord for each bass note. Follow the same procedure as in the previous exercise. First add the upper part, which will then give you the
lead, and then fill in the two middle parts. With minor triads, a doubled third is not as
intrusive, so feel free to double the third if you think it is the best option for a particular
way of spacing a given chord. After completing each chord, make sure to audition it
press Play and have a listen to ensure that you have effectively voiced the A minor
chord. Your ear will tell you if anything has gone wrong. The first chord has already
12
been completed for you, as you can see in Figure 23.9, which represents an illustration
of the exercise.
Figure 23.9 Chordal spacing exercise for minor triad in root position.
Exercise 5.5 (MIDI File 0505): Voicing a Minor Common Triad

in First Inversion
In Exercise 5.5, you are required to voice a minor triad in first inversion in four parts.
Above each different bass note, place the chord in a different spacing. The first chord
has already been voiced.
Figure 23.10 Chordal spacing exercise for minor triad in first inversion.
Appendix
13
Exercise 5.6 (MIDI File 0506): Voicing a Minor Common Triad in Second
Inversion
Above each different bass note, place the chord in a different spacing. The first chord
has already been voiced.
Figure 23.11 Chordal spacing exercise for minor triad in second inversion.
Tonic and Dominant Harmony Exercises (Chapter 6)

The exercises relating to this chapterthose MIDI files with a prefix of 06build upon
the ability to voice a common chord in a variety of ways. Here, chords will be considered in connection to one another within chord progressions that underpin a given
melodic lead. However, to keep the task simple, only two chords will be usedthe tonic
and the dominant triads of the key. In the minor mode, the major dominant chord will
be used at all times.
The exercises are in a variety of different keys. So I suggest that you use the key signature given to work out the key and then, at the keyboard, if you are not sure of that
key at first, play through the scale of the key to familiarize yourself with it. Having done
so, then work out what the tonic and dominant chords are. Once you know what these
chords are, you will be in a better position to complete the exercise.
All of the exercises will require you to harmonize a given lead in four parts. And as
before, each chord should, if possible, be a complete triad with one note of the triad
necessarily being doubled. If a complete chord is not possible or advantageous, then
omit the fifth of the chord rather than the third. The fifth alone has such a bare sound
that it would tend to stand out from the chord progression and disrupt its continuity.
Harmonizing a Short Melody Line

The aim of the first exercise is to add three parts below the upper part to complete the
harmony. To keep to our present limit of two chords, the chord preceding the dominant
14
will always be the tonic. All chords will be assumed to be in root position. Do not go
below an ordinary bass range with your lowest partin other words, do not go below,
say, C1.
Exercise 6.1 (MIDI File 0601): I-V-I Chord Progressions

In Figure 23.12, you will see eight three-note figures, each in a different key. Complete
the harmony by adding three parts below the melodic figure given. At this stage, and
until indicated otherwise:
1.
Use note-against-note harmony. This means that every note in the lead is matched by a note of equal length in the harmony parts. Therefore, for this exercise,
because each note in the lead is a half note, set your Pencil tool to a half-note
resolution.
2.
As is the case with nearly all of the exercises in this exercise section, stick to
writing in four parts only.
3.
Avoid consecutive octaves and/or fifths.
Appendix
15
Once you have opened the MIDI file, as you complete each of the eight sections, set it to
loop for the appropriate exercise. This will allow you to continually monitor the chord
progression without running on to the next exercise of the group of eight.
To show what is required, we will now complete the first two of these exercises.
The first exercise (a) is in the key of D major. Knowing this, we can define the notes of
the scale, which are:
Scale of D Major
Degree Number
Function
Note
Tonic
II
Supertonic
III
Mediant
F]
IV
Subdominant
Dominant
VI
Submediant
VII
Leading note
C]
If this is a scale you are not familiar with, then take the opportunity to learn to play it
through on the keyboard. And as you do so, memorize the visual pattern of black and
white keys. This will help you to visualize the various chords of that scale in your mind.
Having a visual map in your mind of chords and scales is extremely useful.
Knowing the scale, we can now work out the notes required for the tonic and the dominant triads. The tonic triad is built on the first degree of the scale. Therefore, the tonic
triad uses notes D (root), F] (third), and A (fifth). The dominant triad is built on the fifth
degree of the scale. Therefore, the dominant triad uses notes A (root), C] (third), and E
(fifth). As both of the chords are being used in root position (with the root of the chord
being in the bass), we can easily work out the bass notes required and fill in the bass notes
when ready, which are D for the first chord and A for the second chord and another D for
the final chord. Figure 23.13 shows the bass notes having been put in this way.
Having filled in the bass, the next task is to fill in the two inner parts. Because the first D
major chord stretches over two octaves between D2 and F]4, we are looking for a nice
widely spaced chord. You can obtain a perfectly spaced chord here by doubling the bass
note an octave higher and putting the fifth of the chord below the lead. You can see this
solution in Figure 23.14.
Having completed the harmony for this first chord, we now need to bear in mind an
important consideration. We have already talked about the need to avoid doubling the
third of the major triad. As far as the dominant triad is concerned, this is especially true.
16
Figure 23.13 Stage one of completing Exercise 6.1a (in D major).
Figure 23.14 Harmonization of first chord of Exercise 6.1a.
Appendix
17
This is because the third of the dominant is the leading note, whose special function it is
to lead upwards to the tonic. And most of the compelling power of the perfect cadence
lies in the way in which the dominant triad offers chordal support for this leading note.
In a perfect cadence, therefore, we would usually expect the leading note to rise up to
the tonic. Therefore, if the leading note were doubled, because the leading note needs to
arise up to the tonic in a perfect cadence, this would invite parallel octaves in the parts
where the leading note was doubled. So when filling in the inner parts, first we need to
make sure that the leading note rises up to the tonic and second, and we need to ensure
that the leading note is not doubled.
Looking at the possibilities for the inner parts of the dominant triad, it becomes
apparent that there are two positions in which the leading note could be placed: in a
higher position a third below the top note or in a lower position a third above the
bass. If used in the higher position as in solution (a) of Figure 23.15, then this would
compel both upper parts to converge onto the same notethe high D. This would
then lead to an incomplete tonic triad. An alternative is to break the rule regarding
the leading note rising to the tonic and allow it to fall to the dominant degree. The
advantage of this is that it allows the creation of a complete harmony on the succeeding tonic chord. If the other option is taken, as in solution (b), the voice leading
implications compel us to use an incomplete final tonic triad. This is because the
a) Solution
b) Solution
Figure 23.15 Two solutions to Exercise 6.1 (a).
18
position of the outer voices is already decidedthe upper part is the melody
to which we wish to add the harmony. Because the harmonies are in root position,
this decides the notes that we can put in the bass. The leading note needs to rise up
to the tonic, which compels us to use a note D in the final triad rather than a note
A, which would complete the harmony. In these circumstances, therefore, an incomplete triad is inevitable. Note that whatever solution is taken represents a compromise between the principles of good voice leading and the need for a full and
complete harmony.
The second exercise, seen in Figure 23.12 (b), is in the key of G minor. As before, if you
are not completely familiar with that key to begin with, you need to remind yourself of
the scale. The notes required for the G minor scale are:
Scale of G Minor
Degree Number
Function
Note
Tonic
II
Supertonic
III
Mediant
B[
IV
Subdominant
Dominant
VI
Submediant
E[
VII
Subtonic
Knowing these notes, we can now work out the tonic and dominant triads. The tonic
triad consists of rootnote Gthirdnote B[and fifthnote D. When working
out the dominant triad, we need to remember that the dominant triad of the minor
scale in its natural form is a minor triad. For a perfect cadence, a major triad is needed. So we need to remember to sharpen the third of the dominant triad. In this case,
the dominant triad of the key of G minor consists of the root note D, a sharp third
the leading note of the scale F]and fifthnote A. As in the previous exercise, because both of the chords are required in root position, we can immediately put the
bass notes in place as follows. And because the first bass note is only an octave below
the lead, we can fill in the required G minor chordal harmony in close position, as
illustrated in Figure 23.16.
The harmonization of the leading note in the exercise is a relatively simple affair considering the voice leading. The solution is to hold the D over from the previous G minor
chord and bring the B[ down to the A. The final chord then implies a return to three
upper notes of the first chord. You can see this solution in Figure 23.17.
Appendix
Figure 23.16 Completed bass and first chord of Exercise 6.1 (b).
Figure 23.17 Solution to Exercise 6.1 (b).
19
20
Exercise 6.2 (MIDI File 0602): Harmonizing a Short Melody Using the Tonic
and Dominant Triads of the Major Key; Use of First Inversion Triad
Having had some practice filling in tonic and dominant harmonies, we can now go on to
slightly longer exercises, although all of the exercises in this chapter only require the use
of two chordstonic and dominant. In Exercise 6.2, you are required to harmonize
the melody shown in Figure 23.18 in four parts. Again, only use note-against-note
harmony. This means that every note in the lead is matched by a note of equal length in
the harmony parts. If you can, try to complete every chordthat is, try to make sure
that the root, third, and fifth are all present. On occasion in harmony, we have to omit
the fifth of a chord. This is usually for one reason only: to avoid consecutives.
The best strategy for this exerciseand all of those of a similar type that followis to
first work out the key from the key signature and the identity of the tonic triadmajor
or minor. You can work out the identity of the tonic triad from the Roman numerals
used to represent it. If it is represented by a Roman numeral I in uppercase, the triad is
major, and therefore the key is a major key. If represented by a Roman numeral i in
lowercase, the triad is minor . This means that the key is therefore minor.
Having worked out the key, work out the notes for the chords. Then fill in the bass line
following the chord symbols. Looking at the symbols, you can see that all chords are in
root position except the penultimate chordVbwhich is in first inversion. This
means that the third of the dominant triad will need to be in the bass at that point.
Having filled in the bass line, then fill in the two inner parts. Having done this, check for
consecutives (octaves and fifths). If you find any, eliminate them and find a better
solution.
Exercise 6.3: Harmonizing a Short Melody Using the Tonic and Dominant
Triads of the Minor Key; Use of Second Inversion Triad
Harmonize the short melody given in MIDI File 0603 in four parts, using note-againstnote harmony. Figure 23.19 illustrates the melody to be harmonized. You can work out
Appendix
21
the key from the given key signature coupled with the identity of the tonic triad. We
know the tonic triad is minor because it is represented by an i (lowercase Roman numerals). Therefore, the key is a minor key.
You can work out the notes for the bass from the chord symbols. Remember that the
dominant triad is a major triad, which means that an E natural is required at certain
pointsas in the penultimate bar.
and Dominant Triads of the Minor Key; Risk of Consecutives
Exercise 6.4 presents more difficulties than previous exercises because of the risk of
consecutive fifths at certain points. To avoid these, it is necessary to have two voices
sounding in unison on occasion. This is fine provided the voices do not move
22
consecutively in unison. On a Piano Roll view, this gives the impression of a threepart harmony because the unison does not showalthough it does on a Staff view,
because the notes concerned have tails pointing in different directions. Three parts is
absolutely fine at certain crucial pointsin other words, to avoid consecutive fifths or
octaves, and so on. At these points the challenge is to complete the harmony so that it
does not sound bare.
and Dominant Triads of the Major Key; the Cadential Six-Four
Exercise 6.5 presents few difficulties that have not come up already. It represents an
example of the use of the cadential six-four formula we talked about in Chapter 6. This
is the tonic triad in second inversion to dominant triad in root position progression seen
in the penultimate bar. You know you have gotten this right if you have the same note in
the bass for both chords Ic and V.
Exercise 6.6: Free Harmonization of a Composed Melody in the Major Key

That Uses Only the Tonic and Dominant Triads in the Harmony
Compose a short melody in any major key of your choice. Use only the first,
second, third, fifth, and seventh degrees of the scale. Harmonize that melody using
only the tonic and dominant triads. End the exercise with a tonic chord in root
position.
Exercise 6.7: Free Harmonization of a Composed Melody in the Minor Key

That Uses Only the Tonic and Dominant Triads in the Harmony
Compose a short melody in any minor key of your choice. Use only the first,
second, third, fifth, and seventh degrees of the scale. Harmonize that melody using
only the tonic and dominant triads. End the exercise with a tonic chord in root
position.
Appendix
23
Exercise 6.8 (MIDI File 0608): Free Harmonization of a Traditional Melody:

Au Claire de la Lune
To learn harmony, it is a good idea to collect as many traditional melodies as you can
and try to harmonize them. Within the range of the use of only two triadstonic and
dominantthere are a fair number of very basic traditional tunes which can provide
valuable experience in harmonization. One such song is the traditional tune Au Claire
de la Lune whose harmony implies only the tonic and dominant triads of the major
key. Have a go at harmonizing this and also scout around for other such two-chord
tunes to harmonize.
Figure 23.22 Au Claire de la Lune.
The Three Primary Triads Exercises (Chapter 7)

All of the exercises for this chapter use only the three primary triads for the key. They
are basically of two kinds. There are exercises that require you to add a three-part harmony over a given bass line and exercises in which you are required to harmonize a
short melody. Some of the exercises involve particular musical situations in which the
harmony is being used. At times, therefore, you will be required to adapt to these situations and create the harmony accordingly.
Exercise 7.1 (MIDI File 0701): Adding Three Parts above a Given Bass Line
in the Major Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads in Root Position
Exercise 7.1 uses a simple but ancient three-note bass line formula known as the
Gregory Walker, over which three parts need to be added.
In all of the exercises that will be given from here on, try to restrict your upper range to
about G4 at the most. This will ensure that you create nice, balanced harmonies that
fully occupy the middle range, where they often sound the best.
All three primary chords are in root position for this exercise. At this stage, follow the
bass with regard to the note values usedin other words, write all of your parts in half
notes to create a note for note kind of harmony style. This will enable you to focus on
the harmony rather than being concerned with melodic embellishment. Dont worry if
24
the result sounds very basic. All of this is laying the groundwork for more advanced
work, which will come later. If youd like, compose the lead first and then add the inner
parts. To achieve good and effective part writing, you might have to backtrack at those
points where your lead makes good part writing impossible. Finally, having written
your harmony, check for consecutives. If you find any, eliminate them by arriving at a
better solution.
in the Minor Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads in Root Position
This exercise is basically the same exercise as the previous one except that it is in a
minor key. As before, follow the bass line in terms of the note values used. Because this
exercise is in the minor key, make sure that you use a major dominant triad to give a
proper leading note up to the tonic.
Add three parts above the bass line given in Figure 23.24.
Appendix
25
in the Major Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads; Use of First and Second Inversion Triads
This exercise is more difficult than the preceding exercises because it uses a couple
of inverted chords. Also watch out for consecutives, as there are certain points where
these could easily sneak into the harmony. Add three parts above the bass line given in
Figure 23.25. Create a note for note harmony.
in the Minor Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads; Use of First and Second Inversion Triads
Again, a note for note harmonization is required here. This exercise in the minor key
also uses a number of inverted chords. There is a first inversion of the D tonic triad in
bar 1 and a first inversion of the subdominant triad in bar 2. Finally, there is a cadential
six-four, which requires resolution to a five-three. Add three parts above the bass line
given in Figure 23.26.
26
Exercise 7.5 (MIDI File 0705): Adding Three Parts above a Given Bass
Line in the Major Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and
Dominant Triads; Use of First and Second Inversion Triads; Use of a
Plagal Cadence
Exercise 7.5 ends with a plagal cadencethat is, a root position subdominant to tonic
chord progression. It also uses a number of inverted chords. The chord to watch out for
is the dominant triad in the second inversion in bar 3. The best way to handle this chord
is to put the other three voices moving in contrary motion with the bassin other
words, rising upward. Revisit Figure 6.9 in Chapter 6 for a discussion of this. Add three
parts above the bass line given in Figure 23.27.
Exercises in Harmonizing a Melodic Line

There now follows some exercises in four-part harmonization using only the three primary triads of the key. The chords required will be given in the case of each exercise.
This will enable you to work out the bass line, from which the other two inner parts can
then be added. Some exercises may also involve a particular musical situation in which
the harmony is being used. This means that the harmony may need to be arranged in
such a way as to suit that instrument and its playing style.
Exercise 7.6 (MIDI File 0706): Adding Three Parts below a Lead in the Major
Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant Triads; Second
Inversion Dominant Triad
The challenge here is to complete the harmony by adding three lower parts to a melody
that is in effect rising up through the D major scale. The chords required are given,
which will enable you to work out the bass line. Once you have worked out the bass,
you can then add the inner parts.
Appendix
27
Exercise 7.7 (MIDI File 0707): Adding Three Parts below a Lead in the
Minor Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant Triads;
Second Inversion Dominant Triad
The task in this case is to add the three lower parts beginning with a suitable bass.
Follow a simple note-against-note harmonizationin other words, repeat the note
values given in the melody in all of the other parts.
Exercise 7.8 (MIDI File 0708): Adding Three Parts below a Lead in the
Minor Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant Triads; Use
of Sus4 Chord; Tierce De Picardie Cadence
Add in the three lower parts. In the penultimate bar, you will see a sus4 chord represented as a five over a four. All that you do here is keep the note B[ over from the
previous chord, and then resolve it down to note A when you hit the dominant chord V.
Watch out for the final chordthe Roman numeral in uppercase shows that it is a
major triad. This ending of a piece in the minor key with a major triad is called a Tierce
de Picardie.
28
Exercise 7.9 (MIDI File 0709): Adding Three Parts below a Lead in the Major
Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant Triads; Cadential
Six-Four; Use of Arpeggiation
Exercise 7.9 will work best with a slow ballad piano kind of style, because it uses a
typical piano arpeggio technique. The task is to fill in the missing notes using the
harmonies indicated. The melody line has been given, and because the chords required are indicated, you can work out the bass accordingly. The arpeggio pattern in
eighth notes is created by rocking between the two inner parts of the harmony
starting with the upper part first. You can readily see this pattern in bar 1. Probably
the best way to do this exercise is to write in the three lower parts as sustained notes
for the duration of the chord, and having done this, then arpeggiate the inner parts
using the pattern indicated.
Appendix
29
Exercise 7.10 (MIDI File 0710): Adding Three Harmony Parts to Complete a
Loop in the Minor Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads; Use of Sus2 and Sus4
Exercise 7.10 takes the form of a two-bar loop. The first bar has already been harmonized. Add a harmony by adding three lower parts to each of the notes given in the
melody line. The chords required are indicated. Because it is intended to be a simple
loop, set it to play in loop fashion to make sure your harmonies all run smoothly into
one another. The sus2 chord of bar 1 is repeated in bar 2. The sus4 chord in the final bar
is where note B from the ic chord is held over.
Loop in the Major Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Triads; Adapting Harmony to an Accompaniment Pattern
Exercise 7.11 also takes the form of a simple two-bar loop. This loop, however, is intended as an accompaniment pattern for pizzicato strings. Pizzicato is the characteristic
sound made when the string of a stringed instrument, such as a violin, is plucked with a
finger rather than played with a bow. This creates a crisp plucking sound that has long
been used to accompany melodies. So find a pizzicato string patch to play this loop. As a
loop, it is intended as a background to something elsein other words, a lead melody.
The purpose of this exercise is to enable you to adapt the harmony to this particular
purpose. An accompaniment pattern is often repeated, the only changes occurring being
in the harmonies. Looking at this pattern, you can see that the three upper parts of the
harmony are used as chords, which are supported by the bass. To complete this exercise,
you need to work out the harmony first and then adapt that harmony to the particular
accompaniment pattern indicated. You can see the pattern in the first bar, so it is simply
a matter of repeating that pattern in subsequent bars, making sure that the relevant
30
notes are changed to account for the chord changes. Set your sequencer to loop, play it
through, and you will soon get the idea.
Choral Harmonization in the Minor Key Using Only the Tonic,
Subdominant, and Dominant Triads; Use of Sustained Tones to Bind the
Harmony; Tierce de Picardie
Exercise 7.12 requires a four-part choral harmonization. Choral harmonies work best
when there is the least possible movement in the voice parts, so use sustained notes
between the chords wherever possible. This is done by exploiting those notes that two
or more chords share in common. Be careful with regard to the chords required. This
exercise uses a mixture of major and minor subdominant harmonies. And although in a
minor key, the final chord is a Tierce de Picardie.
Appendix
31
Harmonization in the Major Key Using Only the Tonic, Subdominant, and
Dominant Triads; Adapting the Harmony to an Arpeggio Pattern
Exercise 7.13 is an exercise in arpeggiation. Your task is to fill in the missing notes of the
arpeggio using the chords indicated. The best approach to this is to first do your fourpart harmony using the notes given in the top part as your lead. Do the harmony initially in sustained notes. Having created the harmony, then break up the harmonies
into arpeggios using the chords given. The arpeggio pattern given in this case is simply a
rising up through the notes of the four-part harmony, beginning with the bass.
Once you have complete these exercises, you will probably feel confident enough to try
to harmonize a melody using the three primary chords without any indications of the
chords required for each note. There is an abundance of material that you can adapt for
this purpose. Simply get hold of a MIDI file of a famous three-chord tune, such as Silent Night or Amazing Grace, and attempt to do your own four-part harmonization. Because these tunes are so well known, your ear will immediately tell you if you
have got the harmony wrong. So keep trying until you get it right!
Secondary Triads Exercises (Chapter 8)

Chapter 8 looked at the resources of all of the possible triads of a given major or minor
scalein other words, the primary and the secondary chords of a key. In this section I
will introduce some exercises whose purpose is to give you practice in adding harmonies
that also involve the use of secondary triads over a given bass line. Each note of the bass
will require a separate chord. The particular chords required will be indicated with each
exercise.
32
Exercise 8.1 (MIDI File 0801): Adding Three Harmony Parts above a Given
Bass Line; Use of Secondary Triads
Add three harmony parts above the given bass line. Produce a note for note harmony.
You have a choice of two chords for IIIan augmented triad belonging to the B harmonic minor mode or a major triadpresent in the natural minor mode. Either will
work; just remember to use a major dominant triad.
Walking Bass Line; Use of Secondary Triads
This exercise uses a walking bass as in Bachs Air on a G String. And it has a clear
two-chords-per-bar harmonic rhythm. This exercise would therefore suggest three
upper parts filled in using half notes.
Appendix
33
Bass Line; Use of Secondary Triads; Chordal Borrowing from Melodic
Minor Scale
Add three upper parts to the following bass using note-against-note harmonization.
Watch out for the C major chord, which has been borrowed from the melodic minor
scale.
Bass Line; Use of Secondary Triads Including Subtonic
This exercise requires the use of both the subtonic (note C) for chord VII and the leading
note (note C]) to accompany the dominant triad in the penultimate bar.
Harmonization of Melodic Leads

There follows some exercises in harmonizing leads. To complete these exercises, add
three parts below the given lead and observe any indications of style required.
34
Exercise 8.5 (MIDI File 0805): Harmonizing a Lead in the Minor Key;
Use of Secondary Triad
Harmonize the lead given in Figure 23.40 for four parts. The only secondary triad is the
supertonic triad in first inversion.
Exercise 8.6 (MIDI File 0806): Harmonizing a Lead in the Major Key;
Use of Secondary Triads
This lead uses the secondary triads on the second and sixth degrees of the major scale. It
is particularly challenging in terms of avoiding consecutives in the part writing.
Exercise 8.7 (MIDI File 0807): Harmonizing a Lead in the Minor Key;
Use of Secondary Triads; Tierce de Picardie
This tune is an excerpt from the Coventry Carola 16th-century British Christmas
carol. It uses a colorful mix of triads from all three forms of minor scale. Watch out for
the major subdominant triad in bar 6 and the Tierce de Picardie ending. Harmonize in
four parts.
Appendix
35
Exercise 8.8 (MIDI File 0808): Harmonizing a Lead in the Major Key; Use of
Secondary Triads; Arpeggio Notes
In this exercise there are a few decorative notes in the lead that are based on arpeggios of
the implied chords. As such, these notes do not need a separate harmony. They are
indicated with an A.
Exercise 8.9 (MIDI File 0809): Harmonizing a Lead in the Minor Key; Use of
Secondary Triads; Use of Arpeggio Techniques
Exercise 8.9 presents two tasks. First, work out the harmony notes to be used in the
four-bar loop and note them down as whole notes. And then apply the arpeggio pattern
indicated by the first bar.
Exercise 8.10: Composing Chord Progressions in the Major Key

As well as adding harmonies to bass lines and melodies, it is also vital to spend time
composing your own chord progressions. Probably the best way to do this is at the
keyboard, if your keyboard skills are sufficient. If not, use your sequencer. The task is to
36
compose an eight-bar chord progression in the major key that uses both primary and
secondary triads. Begin and end with a root position tonic triad.
Exercise 8.11: Composing Chord Progressions in the Minor Key

Compose an eight-bar chord progression in the minor key that uses both primary and
secondary triads. Begin and end with a root position tonic triad.
Exercise 8.12: Free Harmonization of Traditional Tunes

Having knowledge of the use of both primary and secondary triads means that you now
have all of the materials with which to harmonize many traditional tunes. Here it is very
good experience to download MIDI files of some of these traditional tunes and try to
harmonize them in four parts yourself. There are many sources of MIDI files of traditional tunes on the Internet that you can easily download (for example, www.contempl
ator.com/tunebook). Bear in mind that some notes of the tune might be decorativein
other words, passing notes and so on. So look for the main harmony points in the tune
first.
Repetition, Arpeggiation, and Melodic Decoration

Exercises (Chapter 9)
This chapter looked at techniques of repetition, arpeggiation, and the use of embellishments commonly used to give the melodic parts of a harmony more interest and
Appendix
37
variety. When harmonizing a tune, we always need to bear in mind that numerous notes
of that tune may best be treated as embellishments rather than as main harmony notes.
Exercise 9.1 (MIDI File 0901): Patterns of Chordal Repetition

Turn the eight-bar chord progression indicated in Figure 23.45 into a series of repeated
four-part chords. The bass notes have already been written for you in MIDI File 0901.
Figure 23.45 Eight-bar chord progression.
Procedure:
1.
Write the top part in whole notes above the bass.
2.
Fill in the two middle parts. This should give you eight bars of whole notes following the above chord progression.
3.
Set the first bar on a loop.
4.
Develop an effective rhythmic pattern with which to repeat the chord. (See
Figure 9.1 for further guidance on this.)
5.
Write the chord for that bar following your rhythmic pattern.
6.
Go on to the next bar and repeat the procedure.
7.
Continue with this until the entire eight-bar chord progression has been converted into a series of regularly repeating chords.
8.
Consult Figure 9.1 for an illustration of a repeated chord pattern.
Exercise 9.2 (MIDI File 0902): Embellishing a Two-Part Harmony with

Melodic Auxiliaries
This exercise is only in two-part harmony. This is so that you can concentrate on
the process of embellishment. Embellishing a melody line is pretty straightforward
once you understand the principle. Look, for example, at the two-part excerpt given in
Figure 23.46.
Here we are going to embellish the top line with melodic auxiliary figures. The time
signature of 6/8 suggests a rhythm of embellishment based on six eighth notes per bar.
To create a melodic auxiliary within each group of three eighths, we simply take each
dotted quarter note of the lead (see Figure 23.47 (a)), divide it into three eighth notes
(b), and then move the central eighth note up or down to the next step of the scale to
create the auxiliary figure (c).
38
Figure 23.46 Two-part harmony to be embellished.
a)
b)
c)
Figure 23.47 Embellishing a dotted eighth melodic note.
By then applying this technique to each dotted quarter note, we end up with a fluid
eighth-note melody over a dotted quarter-note bass, as you can see in Figure 23.48.
Looking at this, you can see how the essential harmony remains the same. This is because the auxiliary figure occurs on a weak beat of the bar and is nestled between two
harmony notes. You can also see some of the advantages of the melodic minor scale.
With the auxiliary figures turning upon the notes C] in bars 3 and 4, the B natural works
better melodically than the B[. To use the B[ would be to introduce an augmented second melodic figure, which does not sound as smooth.
Here now is the exercise: Embellish both the upper and lower parts of the two-part
harmony shown in Figure 23.49 with diatonic melodic auxiliaries. Do not feel it is
Appendix
39
Figure 23.48 Lead embellished with auxiliary figures.
necessary to place an auxiliary on every note. Just put them where you feel they would
work well.
Because the time signature is six eighth notes to the bar, this means that the auxiliary
can be placed conveniently on the middle eighth note of each group of three eighth notes
40
(as in the example shown in Figure 23.48). A pattern that would work well here is to
give an auxiliary to the top note while leaving the bottom note as a dotted quarter and
then swap them around, giving the auxiliary to the bottom note and leaving the top
quarter. This sets up a question-and-answer type of pattern.
Exercise 9.3 (MIDI File 0903): Embellishing a Two-Part Harmony with

Passing Notes
Decorate both of the melodic lines of the two-part harmony given in Figure 23.50 using
passing notes.
Because passing notes often fill in the gap between two notes a third apart, spotting
potential places to insert passing notes is fairly easy.
Exercise 9.4 (MIDI File 0904): Use of Suspensions

Convert the upper line of the three-part chord progression given in Figure 23.51 into a
chain of 7-6 suspensions.
Strategy: The 7-6 suspension is where a seventh resolves downward to a sixth. To begin
this exercise, therefore, the first upper note needs to be extended into a dotted half note
so that it carries on into the next chord. Thus, carrying it on forms an interval of a
seventh with the bass. This seventh then needs to fall to the sixth. Treat the next note of
the lead in the same way, and so on.
Exercise 9.5
Take your solutions to the exercises given in Chapter 8or at least those that use a
note-against-note harmonyand rework them, introducing as many decorative notes
as you can.
Appendix
41
The Chord of the Dominant Seventh Exercises

(Chapter 10)
Love it or hate it, the dominant seventh chord has been one of the most important and
influential chords used in musical history. This is probably due to the way in which it
resolves so perfectly to the tonic chord. To get a grasp on the chord of the dominant
seventh, it is probably best to begin by learning how it was used in a traditional sense.
And that is the purpose behind these exercises.
Exercise 10.1 (MIDI File 1001): Realizing a Harmony in Four Parts above a
Bass Line; Dominant Seventh to Tonic Progressions
In Figure 23.52, you will see four mini exercises, each in a different key involving a V7-I
chord progression. Complete each of the four by adding three upper parts to the given bass.
42
Reminders:
1.
Do not double the third or seventh of the dominant seventh chord.
2.
Make sure the third rises up to the tonic while the seventh falls to the third of the
tonic triad.
Exercise 10.2 (MIDI File 1002): Harmonizing a Lead in Four Parts; Dominant
Seventh to Tonic Progressions
Here again are four mini exercises that use the dominant seventh chord, each in a different key. Set each on a loop while you complete it.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Exercise 10.3 (MIDI File 1003): The ii-V-I Cadence

Chord ii is a classic pre-dominant chord. In these exercises, you have the opportunity to
discover just why.
1.
Complete the two separate chord progressions in Figure 23.54 by adding three
upper parts in half notes to the given bass line.
2.
Having completed the harmony, introduce any melodic embellishments that you
think would work well, such as auxiliaries, passing notes, suspensions, and so
on.
Appendix
43
Exercise 10.4 (MIDI File 1004): Harmonizing a Lead Line; Use of Dominant
Seventh Chord; Use of Suspensions
Harmonize the lead given in four parts. The lead uses two suspensions, which are indicated by a small s.
S
S
Exercise 10.5 (MIDI File 1005): Irregular Progression of Dominant Seventh

to Chord VI
1.
Add three parts in half notes above the bass line shown in Figure 23.56.
2.
Introduce as many embellishments to the upper parts as you feel are appropriate.
Exercise 10.6 (MIDI File 1006): Dealing with Embellishments

Add three upper parts to the bass given in Figure 23.57. Use a quarter-note repeated
pattern in the upper partsthis has already been started off for you so you can see what
is requiredon the MIDI file. This exercise looks more difficult than it is because the
bass is embellished with passing notes. When adding a harmony to an ornate bass like
44
this, we ignore the embellishments and focus on the main harmony notes. The main
harmony notes have been indicated on the staff below the Piano Roll view. If you can,
try also to introduce the suspensions indicated below the staffa 5-4 suspension in the
second half of bar 2, a 9-8 suspension at the beginning of bar 4, and a final 5-4 suspension in the second half of bar 4.
Exercise 10.7 (MIDI File 1007): Fluctuating Harmonic Rhythm, V7-I Cadence
Harmonize the lead shown in Figure 23.58 in four parts. There is a fairly rapid harmonic rhythm at points. This is because the tempo is assumed to be slow.
Appendix
45
Exercise 10.8: Developing Chord Progressions

Develop chord progressions that fulfill the following criteria.
1.
Develop a chord progression in F major that uses a V7-I perfect cadence.
2.
Develop a chord progression in G minor that ends with a deceptive cadence.
Seventh Chord Harmony Exercises (Chapters 11

through 13)
There are two main approaches to seventh chord harmonytraditional and modern.
The traditional approach stems from classical music times, where the seventh was
usually prepared and resolved. The modern approach, typified by a lot of popular and
jazz harmony, uses the seventh as a stable chord in its own right. You need to be aware
and able to use both approaches as and where appropriate. When harmonizing a traditional melody, for example, you would expect to use a more traditional type of approach. When writing some music with a more contemporary feel, you would probably
use sevenths freely, without concern for the seventh being either prepared or resolved.
These exercises start you off with the traditional approach to seventh chord harmony.
Exercise 11.1 (MIDI File 1101): Voicing and Spacing of a Seventh Chord
1.
In Figure 11.1, you will see the four positions of a Cmaj7 chord: root position,
first inversion, second inversion, and third inversion. Voice each position in four
parts in as many different ways as you can. The aim of this exercise is to explore
the different ways in which a seventh chord can be spaced.
2.
Repeat the exercise with the fifth omitted (inapplicable to I7c).
3.
Repeat the exercise with the third omitted (inapplicable to I7b).
46
Exercise 11.2: Regular Stepwise Resolution of the Seventh

In Figure 23.60, you will see eight separate seventh chord progressions, each in a different major key. Complete the harmony by adding three lower parts. You can work out
the bass from the fact that the chords required are indicated. So work out the bass and
then add the two inner parts. Make sure that the seventh resolves stepwise. And watch
out for consecutive fifths. Sometimes you may have to omit the fifth of a seventh chord
in order to avoid these.
Exercise 11.3 (MIDI File 1103): The Major Sequential Cycle; Root
Movement of Seventh Chords by Rising Fourths
Complete a four-part harmony above the bass notes given in Figure 23.61, which move
through the sequential cycle of fourths in the key of G major. Ensure that the seventh of
each chord resolves stepwise in the next chord.
Exercise 11.4 (MIDI File 1104): Harmonizing a Lead in the Major Key in Four
Parts; Use of Primary and Secondary Seventh Chords
Harmonize the lead given in four parts.
Exercise 11.5 (MIDI File 1105): Seventh Chords; Arpeggiation

Techniques
Carry on the arpeggio pattern using the chords indicated in the boxes. Each box represents one bar. The first two boxes represent the first two bars shown.
Appendix
47
48
Exercise 11.6 (MIDI File 1106): Seventh Chord Harmony; Use of Chromatic
Alteration; Unresolved Sevenths
In a lot of modern music, there is often no concern over whether or not the seventh
resolves. This exercise represents an example of this use of unresolved sevenths. So
dont even bother trying to resolve the seventh unless you feel it sounds like the best
option. Also, dont worry about consecutive fifths for this particular exercise, because
they are commonly used in a lot of modern music to good effect. The application of this
Appendix
49
rule all depends upon context. In a traditional context where triadic harmony is prevalent, consecutive fifths sound terrible. But when using more complex chords, such as
sevenths and ninthsin a more modern contextthey can sound good. In other exercises, though, unless I indicate otherwise, you should avoid consecutives.
Seventh chords and other such extensions are also chromatically altered on occasion to
improve their sound, color, and quality. The first chord of bar 3 represents an example
of this. Rather than using the regular dominant seventh at this point, I want you to
sharpen the seventh to turn it into a major seventh chord. Harmonize the given lead
excerpt in four parts.
Exercise 11.7 (MIDI File 1107): Loop Creation Using Seventh Chords
Harmonize this two-bar loop in four parts.
50
Exercise 11.8: The Minor Sequential Cycle

Sequence in four parts the chord progression given in Figure 23.66, which runs through
the sequential cycle of fourths in the key of A minor. The notes for the bass are already
indicated by the chords that are given. So put these in first and then sequence the upper
parts. Each box represents one bar of whatever meter you care to write in.
Exercise 11.9: Compose a Four-Chord Progression That Uses All Seventh

Chords
1.
In the key of F minor
2.
In the key of G major
3.
In the key of D minor
Do not repeat the same progression twice. Allow your ear to guide you as to the choice
of chords.
Exercise 11.10
Arrange the four seventh chords shown into a four-chord progression in which, apart
from the first seventh chord, each seventh is both prepared and resolved. Write for four
parts. With the last chord, it is only possible to prepare the seventh.
Appendix
51
Modulation Exercises (Chapter 14)

One of the best ways to learn about modulation is to study some of the songs you like
that modulate. Get hold of the score if you can and then undertake an analysis of the
chord progressions used in them. Even if you dont read music very well, a lot of songbooks give the chords in jazz notation, which you are now familiar with. Examine the
chord progressions closely and try to see how the music modulates. What kind of
modulation is it? Is it abrupt or diatonic? If it is diatonic, what pivot chords are being
used? The following exercises will get you thinking about these types of questions.
Exercise 14.1: Use of Pivot Chords

Compose a chord progression that modulates from F major to D minor using a pivot
chord or chords. End the progression with a V7 to I cadence into the new key. To do this:
1.
The first task is to discover all of the possible pivot chords.
2.
The second task is to direct the progression toward those pivot chords.
3.
The chord progression will need to be heading toward the dominant seventh of the
new key rather than the tonic. The new tonic chord will be announced through the
resolution of the dominant seventh. The approach to the dominant seventh chord
of the new key will be by way of those chords that tend to progress toward it.
Example:
Figure 23.68 Example of chord progression that uses pivot chords.
Exercise 14.2 (MIDI File 1402): Abrupt Modulation

Harmonize the melodic line given in Figure 23.69 in four parts. There is an abrupt
modulation here by way of the submediant seventh of the key of destinationwhich is
C minor, announced by chord V of that key. The P above certain notes indicates that
they are to be treated as passing notes.
Exercise 14.3 (MIDI File 1403): Pivot Chord Modulation

The given bass line is in two phrases. The first is stable with regard to the key. The
second phrase uses pivot chords to modulate to the relative minor key. Add three parts
above the bass line.
52
Exercise 14.4 (MIDI File 1404): Transitory Modulation

Transitory modulations are extremely common. They usually occur by way of reference
to the dominant seventh of the implied new tonic chord. In this four-bar loop, there is a
transitory modulation to the supertonic key by way of its dominant seventh chord.
Harmonize in four parts.
Exercise 14.5 (MIDI File 1405): Chromatic Modulation

Chromatic modulation occurs by way of chromatic alterations applied to chords of
the home key. These chromatic alterations are introduced to create the dominant seventh or leading note seventh of the new key. These are then usuallyalthough not
alwaysfollowed by the new tonic chord. Fill in the harmony of these eight short examples in four parts. The initial key (major or minor) can be worked out from the
chords required. Therefore, we know that the first example is in C major and not C
minor because the tonic chord of C major is a major triad. It is therefore indicated by a
Roman numeral in uppercase. In the case of the second example, the tonic seventh is
Appendix
53
major. So we know the key is F major rather than D minor. The bass can also be worked
out from the chords given.
Exercise 14.6 (MIDI File 1406): Chromatic Modulation to the Dominant Key
This example uses chromatic modulation to enter into the dominant key. Add three
parts above the given bass line.
54
Exercise 14.7: Chromatic Modulation

Work out which chords of the major key could be chromatically altered and how, to
provide a dominant or leading note seventh into the following keys.
1.
The dominant key
2.
The subdominant key
3.
The relative minor key
4.
The supertonic key
Compose a chord progression for each that uses this chromatically altered chord to
cadence on to the new tonic. End the chord progression with the new tonic chord.
Exercise 14.8: Chromatic Modulation

Work out which chords of the minor key could be chromatically altered and how, to
provide a dominant or leading note seventh into the following keys.
1.
The subdominant key
2.
The submediant key
3.
The subtonic key
Compose a chord progression for each that uses this chromatically altered chord to
cadence on to the new tonic. End the chord progression with the new tonic chord.
Exercise 14.9: Enharmonic Modulation

Enharmonic modulation occurs by way of the enharmonic respelling of the notes of
certain chordsin particular, the diminished seventh and sometimes the augmented
Appendix
55
triad. Enharmonically respell the following chords in as many different ways as you can
think of.
1.
The diminished seventh chord: G] B D F
2.
The augmented triad: E[ G B
Having done this, take each enharmonic respelling and name the key that the enharmonically respelled chord belongs to.
Exercise 14.10 (MIDI File 1410): Enharmonic Modulation

These three mini-progressions involve the enharmonic respelling of the diminished
seventh chord. Fill in the harmony in four parts.
Exercise 14.11 (MIDI File 1411): Modulation; Free Harmonization; La Folia

The following melodic formulaLa Foliabegins in the minor key, modulates to the
relative major, and then returns to the minor key. Harmonize in four parts. The chords
have not been given, so you need to work them out. Each note marked with an E is an
echapeea decorative note that does not affect the main harmony.
Suspended and Added Note Chords Exercises

(Chapter 15)
Once you have a basic grasp of triadic and seventh chord harmony, any further progress
is often a matter of finding the kind of harmony and sound that suits you. As such, the
exercises from this point on will simply point out directions and possibilities with which
you might like to experiment. Also bear in mind that the further we go into extended
harmony in a modern sensethat is, the use of chords of the seventh, ninth, eleventh,
and thirteenththe more the traditional rules of harmony tend to break down. And in
their place there is just our ear to tell us what sounds right.
56
These exercises are designed to familiarize you with suspended and added note
chordsvery much a feature of modern harmony today.
Exercise 15.1: Spacing; Suspended Chords

Write the following chords in four parts in as many different ways as you can think of.
This is an exercise that examines suspended chords with regard to register and spacing.
1.
Csus2
2.
Fsus9
3.
Bbsus4
4.
G7sus4
Exercise 15.2
Compose a chord progression using simple common triads. Exchange one of those
common triads for a suspended chord.
Appendix
57
Exercise 15.3 (MIDI File 1503): Use of Suspended Chords

Harmonize the three following mini-progressions in four parts. Each is in a different
key.
Exercise 15.4 (MIDI File 1504): Scoring of Suspended and Added Note
Chords; Five-Part Writing
Score each of the chords indicated in Figure 23.77 for five parts, including the bass note
that has already been given. The limit of four voice parts has been extended for this
exercise so that you can write full harmonies in all cases.
Exercise 15.5 (MIDI File 1505): Variation on the IV-V-I Cadence

Here the added sixth chord is being used instead of the regular subdominant triad or
seventh in a cadence to the tonic seventh chord. Harmonize in four parts.
58
Exercise 15.6 (MIDI File 1506): Unresolved Ninths

Leaving the ninths of added ninth chords unresolved is typical of a lot of modern harmony. Harmonize the following four-bar loop in four parts and do not try to resolve the
ninths. And dont worry about parallel ninths being used, either.
Chords of the Ninth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Exercises

(Chapters 16 through 18)
With chords of the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth, we firmly enter into the era of
modern harmony.
Here the important feature is not learning any codes of practice, such as those that
surround the traditional use of triadic harmony, but becoming familiar with the resources that are available to you and selecting from those what you need for your own
music. These exercises will help to give you that familiarity.
Exercise 16.1 (MIDI File 1601): Voicing Ninth Chords

Write the following ninth chords for four parts. The bass note has already been given.
Appendix
59
Exercise 16.2 (MIDI File 1602): Cadences Involving the Dominant Ninth in
Both Major and Minor Keys
Add three lower parts to complete the harmony in these ii (or IV )-V9-I cadences.
The first is in C major, the second is in E minor, the third is in G major, and the fourth is
in A minor.
Exercise 16.3 (MIDI File 1603): Use of Various Ninth Chords; Repetitive
Chord Patterns
Continue the repetitive chord pattern in the vein indicated, following the chord progression given.
Exercise 16.4: Ninth Chords; Developing Chord Progressions

1.
Compose a chord progression in the minor key that uses both a secondary and a
dominant ninth.
2.
Sequence the chord progression for four parts.
60
Exercise 16.5 (MIDI File 1605): Eleventh Chords; Split Chords

Both of the eleventh chords shown could also be used as split chords. Write in the notes
needed for the split chords indicated in Figure 23.83.
Exercise 16.6 (MIDI File 1606): Voicing Eleventh Chords

With this exercise, the issue is which notes to leave out of a six-note chord, because we
only have four voices available to us. Complete the harmony indicated in Figure 23.84
by adding three upper parts.
Exercise 16.7 (MIDI File 1607): Dominant Eleventh Cadential Formula

Here are some typical dominant eleventh cadential formulas to work on. Add three
parts above the bass line to complete the harmony. Because the harmony is mostly
triadicin other words, without extensionstake a more traditional approach and
prepare and resolve any dissonances.
Appendix
61
Exercise 16.8: Dominant Eleventh Resolution; Developing Chord

Progressions
1.
Compose an extended chord progression in either the major or minor key that
ends with a V11-V7-I cadence.
2.
Sequence that chord progression in four parts.
3.
Develop the three lower parts into a pattern of chord repetition.
4.
Decorate the melodic lead.
Exercise 16.9 (MIDI File 1609): Dominant Thirteenth to Tonic Progressions

Remember that the dominant thirteenth chord has a very simple essenceroot plus
seventh plus thirteenth. Anything else is extra. Complete the harmony by adding four
parts below the top line of each of these mini-progressions showing the typical resolution of the dominant thirteenth chord.
62
Exercise 16.10: Improvisation over Prolonged Dominant

The best way to get a grasp on the dominant eleventh and thirteenth chords is to improvise a melody over a sustained dominant seventh. All you need is the root and seventh in the left hand, while the right hand improvises a melody within the scale of the
major or minor key in which you are playing. This will give you a good feeling for the
age-old technique of prolonging the feeling of dominant tension for as long as possible.
And it will cause you to continually touch upon those melody notes that are the ninth,
eleventh, and thirteenth of the dominant.
Chromatic Alteration Exercises (Chapters 19 through 21)

You can always rely upon chromatic alteration to introduce a fresh sense of color into
chord progressions. In the exercises that follow, we will go through the various aspects
of chromatic alteration that we looked at in the text of the booknamely modal interchange, secondary dominant harmony, and true chromatic chords.
Exercise 19.1 (MIDI File 1901): Modal Interchange; Arpeggiation

Techniques
1.
Compose a chord progression that uses a mixture of chords from the major and
minor scales of a particular key.
2.
Arpeggiate that pattern.
In MIDI File 1901, you will find such a progression that has already been arpeggiated.
This particular arpeggiated sequence follows the chord progression you can see in
Figure 23.87. This uses a mix of chords from the C major and C minor modes.
Figure 23.87 Modal interchange chord progression.
Exercise 19.2 (MIDI File 1902): Modal Interchange

Figure 23.88 shows two examples of modal interchange, the first in the major key and
the second in the minor key. Add three parts above the bass to complete the harmony.
Roman numeral notation for the chords has not been used because jazz notationin
this case, anywayoffers a much simpler way of representation.
Exercise 19.3: Modal Interchange; Chromatic Basses

Sequence the chord progression shown in Figure 23.89 using a harmonic rhythm of a
half notethat is, two chords for a bar of 4/4.
Appendix
63
1.
Sequence the chromatic bass line.
2.
Add the three upper parts to the harmony.
3.
Decorate the lead.
Figure 23.89 Chord progression for Exercise 19.3.
Exercise 19.4 (MIDI File 1904): Secondary Dominants; Irregular Progression

In this exercise, some four secondary dominants are used to spice up what would
otherwise be an ordinary chord progression in C major. Each secondary dominant is
defined by the degree of the scale to which it acts as dominant. So V7 of [VII means the
dominant seventh of the flat seventh degree of C, which is B[. By preceding the chord of
B[ major seventh with its own dominant seventh, the chord does not sound out of the
ordinary in the chord progressioneven though the key is C major. Hence the advantage of using secondary dominants . . . With V7 of vi at the beginning of bar 3, the
dominant seventh progresses irregularly in that the leading note does not rise upward to
the vi. Instead, it falls to the seventh of vi, which is G. Harmonize this top line by adding
three lower parts to it.
Exercise 19.5: Secondary Dominants; Developing Chord Progressions

1.
Compose a chord progression in the minor key that uses at least one secondary
dominant chord.
2.
Sequence the chord progression for four parts.
64
Exercise 19.6: Secondary Dominants; Developing Chord Progressions

Taking the major sequential cycle of seventh chords in the key of G major:
1.
Substitute two of the seventh chords for secondary dominantsin other words,
rather than have Am7 as ii7, insert A7.
2.
Insert as many secondary dominant chords as you can in between the regular
diatonic chords of the major sequential cycle. There are five places where this is
possible.
Figure 23.91 The major sequential cycle in G major.
Exercise 19.7 (MIDI File 1907): Chromatic Alteration; the French, German,
and Italian Sixth
This exercise looks at the three traditional forms of augmented sixth chord. The German sixth is represented by a G, the French by an F, and the Italian by an I. Harmonize
the three examples following the chords indicated. Of the three, the Italian sixth gives
Appendix
65
the most problems with regard to the voice leading because it only has three notes
therefore, one of the notes must be doubled. Here, the third is the best option in terms of
doubling.
Exercise 19.8
1.
Find at least five ways of chromatically altering a diminished seventh chord to

produce an augmented sixth chord.
2.
Take each of these five and examine how the alterations affect both the color of
the chord and its tendencies in terms of implied progression toward other
chords. Here it is assumed that in terms of regular progression, notes of the original chord that are chromatically raised will tend to rise upward; while if the
notes are chromatically lowered, they will tend to fall downward.
3.
Sequence each chord for four parts and find a chord that leads into it and a
suitable chord to which it can progress.
Exercise 19.9: Tritone Substitution

Take the minor sequential of the key of F minor and:
1.
Find as many ways of introducing a tritone substitution as you can.
2.
Find ways of inserting tritone substitute chords between other chords of the
cycle.
Figure 23.93 The minor sequential cycle.
Exercise 19.10: Chromatically Altered Secondary Chords

Beginning with the secondary ninth chords of the major key:
1.
Examine ways in which they can be chromatically altered.
2.
Listen to how these alterations affect the color of the chord.
3.
Study the way in which these alterations affect the regular pathways of progression of that chord.
4.
Compose a chord progression that uses at least one chromatically altered ninth
chord.
Exercise 19.11: Free Harmonization

On the CD you will find a folder entitled Melodies and Basses for Harmonization.
Work your way through these, harmonizing each in four parts.

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Appendix : Practical Harmony

Know the difference between simple and compound intervals

Be able to distinguish between interval modalitiesthat is diminished, minor,

Exercise 2.1: Interval Types and Modes

Exercise 2.2: Numerical Representation of Intervals and Their Modes

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Figure 23.1 Exercise 2.1.

A symbolusually a sharp or flat (or sometimes a plus or a minus)used to

Figure 23.2 Exercise 2.2.

Practical Harmony Exercises

Exercise 2.3: Analyzing Intervals in Chords

Figure 23.3 Exercise 2.3.

Exercise 2.4: Recognizing Inversions

Minor sixth: major third

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Exercise 2.5: Enharmonically Equivalent Intervals

Augmented octave is enharmonically equivalent to a minor ninth.

Tonality and the Key System Exercises (Chapter 3)

Exercise 3.1: Tonal Functions

Practical Harmony Exercises

Exercise 3.2: Building Scales

Exercise 3.3: Understanding Scales

Exercise 3.4: Key Signatures

Exercise 3.5: Knowing the Scales

Exercise 3.6: Key Relationships

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Exercise 3.7: Key Relationships

Exercise 3.8: Chords and Scale Degrees

Chord IV of the key of C major?

Chord VI of the key of C minor?

Chord iii of E[ major?

Chord vii of F major?

Exercise 3.9: Chordal Inversions

Figure 23.4 Exercise 3.9.

The Principles of Part Writing Exercises (Chapter 4)

Practical Harmony Exercises

Exercise 4.1: General Knowledge of Harmony

Exercise 4.2: Part Writing

Exercise 4.3: Types of Part Motion

Exercise 4.4: Consecutive Prohibitions

Exercise 4.5: Identifying Consecutives

Figure 23.5 Exercise 4.5.

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Voicing the Common Triad and Inversions

Exercise 5.1 (MIDI File 0501): Voicing a Major Common Triad

Import MIDI File 0501 into your sequencer.

Let us now see what is involved.

Practical Harmony Exercises

Voicing a Triad in Four Parts

Figure 23.6 Chordal spacing options.

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Exercise 5.2 (MIDI File 0502): Voicing a Major Common Triad

Practical Harmony Exercises

Exercise 5.3 (MIDI File 0503): Voicing a Major Common Triad in

Exercise 5.4 (MIDI File 0504): Voicing a Minor Common Triad

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Exercise 5.5 (MIDI File 0505): Voicing a Minor Common Triad

Practical Harmony Exercises

Tonic and Dominant Harmony Exercises (Chapter 6)

Harmonizing a Short Melody Line

Harmony for Computer Musicians

Exercise 6.1 (MIDI File 0601): I-V-I Chord Progressions

Figure 23.12 Exercise 6.1.