The Dominant Seventh Chord Modulation: Appendixes
The Dominant Seventh Chord Modulation: Appendixes
The Dominant Seventh Chord Modulation: Appendixes
Contents vii
Preface
TO THE STUDENT Before you begin your study of music theory, we would like to discuss the subject in gen-
eral and explain what you may expect to gain from its study. You have probably had little
previous experience in music theory, and you may be wondering why you should occupy
your time with it.
If you are typical of most young musicians beginning a serious study of your art, you
already play an instrument or sing well, but you are interested in acquiring further techni-
cal skills and interpretive insights. You probably have been a performer for some years and
have had success in public concerts either as a soloist or as part of a group (band, orches-
tra, or chorus). From these experiences you have developed a keen musical intuition and
want to strengthen it further. Your musical intuition includes a vast storehouse of familiar
sounds, established patterns of melody, harmony, and rhythm, and an artistic conscious-
ness that you draw upon thousands of times in the performance of a single composition,
without conscious remembering or reasoning. You make split-second decisions about the
phrasing of a melody, the application of dynamics (indications of loud and soft), and the
tempo of the music you play. Your musical intuition has become a part of you through your
experience and, indeed, is one of the most valuable gifts in your possession.
The study of music theory interacts with intuition - honing, sharpening, and enhancing
it with further insights and perceptions. Much of what you learn from this book will at first
seem to be simply surface information, but that information will eventually amplify and
broaden your musical intuition.
This book is essentially a study of patterns in music. It looks at music literature as
highly organized tonal designs. With few exceptions, the terms we employ are in com-
mon use, and many of the procedures we use in analysis and composition are standard
practice. The conclusions we reach, however, may differ at times from your judgments or
from those of your professor. As long as your analysis is backed by logical reasoning and
is a true assessment of the sounds you hear, such differences of opinion are healthy and are
positive indications that you are developing your own convictions-certainly one of the
objectives of the course.
Included in the book are a large number of musical examples. Each one illustrates a
point we make in the text, so it is critical that you study the musical examples and, if possi-
ble, play them on the piano. Descriptions and definitions are often explained better through
music illustrations than by long, involved written explanations, so our narrative material is
rather short and to the point. It is vital that you experience musically the materials in this
course. It does not suffice simply to know terms-you must go one step further and make
these terms and ideas a familiar and practical part of your entire approach to music.
There are three types of assignments, and each has its specific purpose:
1. Concentrated drill on a particular musical pattern or patterns. Many patterns do not
occur in sufficient quantity in a single composition to give you enough practice in iden-
tifying them, so these drills contain patterns extracted from their musical setting to let
you work on a large variety in a shorter space of time.
2. A search for patterns and relationships in a music composition. This exploration in-
spects multiple aspects of a work and seeks those components that create musical style.
You will gain skill in analysis, of critical importance to all musicians.
3. Composition. Learning to manipulate musical devices successfully in a composition is
the most important goal of this text.
ix
1. Your musical intuition is a valuable asset. Use it often.
Summary 2. A study of musical theory makes you think consciously about the patterns in music.
3. The study of music theory will enhance and reinforce your musical intuition.
4. Although terms and procedures are objective, conclusions in the analysis of music are
often subjective, and thus differing viewpoints should be expected and accepted.
5. The music illustrations are even more important than textual material. Study the illus-
trations at least as diligently as the written material.
6. Application of terms and concepts to actual musical situations is of the utmost impor-
tance. The memorizing of definitions is in itself of little significance.
7. In the world of music the highest premiums go to those with the most perceptive, imag-
inative, and creative minds. Creativity combined with a thorough knowledge of music
is the best guarantee for a successful career in music.
TO THE In the words of the composer George Crumb, "Music might be defined as a system of pro-
INSTRUCTOR portions in the service of a spiritual impulse." In the same vein, music theory might be
defined as the study of the artful designs, ingenious proportions, and inventive patterns in
music that are transformed by the mind into aesthetic experience. The purpose of this two-
volume text is to present the basic ingredients of the art of music so that structure, design,
and language are made clear and accessible to the student examining the array of tonal con-
figurations found in music literature. The text provides a basis for the integration of the fol-
lowing skills and knowledge, which are important in any undergraduate theory program:
Analysis Skills The ability to discern the design, proportions, and patterns
of music.
Historical Perspective An understanding of the rich heritage of the past and the
styles of music that evolved during the different periods of
musical writing.
Compositional Skills Insight into the ways in which music is put together and into the
forms, elements, and resolutions required of the composer.
A "Seeing" Ear The ability to hear music and determine the nature of the
musical devices, the melody, the harmony, the rhythm,
and the form. Although this book does not address itself
specifically to the topic, the professor may utilize materials
from it for this purpose. (Additional material may be found in
Ear Training: A Technique for Listening by Bruce Benward
and J. Timothy Kolosick.)
A "Hearing" Eye The ability to look at music and determine from sight alone
how it will sound. (Additional material to develop this skill
may be found in Sight Singing Complete by Maureen Carr
and Bruce Benward.)
Performance This book does not address itself specifically to performance;
however, it provides ample opportunity for the developing mu-
sician to improve performance skills while gaining analytical,
historical, and compositional perspectives.
Although this text is written from a traditional point of view, the following features
distinguish it from some other books in music theory:
1. No previous knowledge of music theory is required; however, the ability to read music
and play an instrument or sing is assumed.
2. The fundamentals of music are thoroughly presented.
3. Two-part and four-part voice leading and harmonization are considered important
priorities.
4. A thorough study of melody, rhythm, and texture is included. In this way, the authors
hope to present a more balanced view of the structure of music than those books that
concentrate only on harmony and voice leading.
X Preface