Harmony help
Hey there! I have just finished my first complete 4 part TTBB harmony. I would like to get some feedback on what I did good and what I should improve, either harmonically or structurally or with voice leading, you name it. I would like to make clear that I wrote the piece in the limits of each voice range which me and my other guys can sing. Also, I wrote the piece on a different stave for each voice to make it easier for me to listen to each voice individually.
Any help, suggestions or ideas are welcome.
Also please keep in mind that I am still a beginner, don't be rude please!
Thank you!
| Attachment | Size |
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| 4parttest.mscz | 44.27 KB |
Comments
Nice job.
My only thought is about the notation. Starting in measure 14. All those beat one things feel like pickups to me. A little re-write putting them on beat 4, plus using holds and breath marks and you wouldn't need the 5/4 measures, also.
In reply to Nice job. My only thought is… by bobjp
Thank you for your answer! Aside from that, is there a problem that I started the piece in G major and modulated and finished in D major? And also, is the voicing of the voices good?
So you're still a beginner? Wow! Quite impressive work!
A few pointers:
On notation--as @bobjp mentioned, mm. 14-25 seem to off by a beat; best to fix that. Also, the B-flat and D-flat in m. 4 would be better notated at A-sharp and C-sharp, respectively ("chromatic leading tones," if you want to impress your theory prof.)
On voice-leading--since you're writing in a traditional tonal style, best to follow good voice-leading. For the most part you do that very well--much better than most beginners, and quite a few non-beginners:-).
The only obvious gaffe I hear is the parallel octaves between T1 and B2 in mm. 27-28. Also, in m. 17 T1, the G feels like it wants to go up to A (which would also make a nice climax to the melodic line), and in m. 20 B2, the G feels like it wants to resolve down to an F-sharp.
Here are some suggestions for those spots--listen and see if you like them.
Keep up the good work!
In reply to So you're still a beginner?… by wfazekas1
Thank you for the kind words! I fixed these things, thank you so much for the suggestions. Only in measure 17 I left it as it was. I wanted the Tenor 1 to have the melody, T2 and Baritone to be harmony and bass to reinforce the start of the melodic line an octave lower so that's why it was written like it was. Aside from that, I applied what you've said. Again, thank you so much for the suggestions and also for the kind words!
In reply to So you're still a beginner?… by wfazekas1
"Only in measure 17 I left it as it was. I wanted the Tenor 1 to have the melody, T2 and Baritone to be harmony and bass to reinforce the start of the melodic line an octave lower"
I sort thought that might be your idea, and a very good one it is. This is one case in which parallel octaves are not only allowed, but needed. But my ear seems to want one (and only one) "A" in the T1 sometime before the end, just to put a crest on the melodic line. (and should not be out the range of good tenor.)
A note on the Rules of Harmony/Voice-leading/Counterpoint--they are not "laws"--the FBI doesn't come knocking at your door if you write parallel fifths (at least not in the USA, where I am, and not yet.). Rather they are summations of what composers over the ages have found attractive and interesting writing. Nothing wrong with "breaking" them, but best to learn them before you break them. (This is meant to supplement, not contradict, what @bobjp said below.)
In reply to "Only in measure 17 I left… by wfazekas1
Thank you for making it clear! I usually try to avoid parallel fifths and octaves, but sometimes I may miss some things because I do not have much experience yet. Thank you for pointing these things out, I will be aware of them from now on!
These are more style comments than anything else, but in a few measures you use slurs in an unusual fashion. My recommendations:
M.11: flip the D and extend a single slur over the entire measure below.
M.14: extend a single slur over all three notes.
M.15: flip the D and place the slur below.
M.23: as m.15.
M.27: as m.11.
(All comments apply to the bass part.)
Finally, in m.29 (the final measure), it would be most correct to place fermatas over the dotted half in each stave.
Nice piece and very well-done harmonies. Quite spectacular for a beginner: better than many pieces I've seen by experienced composers! Good job and keep it up!!!
FYI: We have a sub-forum specifically for this sort of post: Take a look at Made with MuseScore (https://musescore.org/en/forum/159)
In reply to These are more style… by TheHutch
Thank you for answering! I did everything you said, thank you for helping me, and the kind words are greatly appreciated!
Here's the thing. You are the composer. Music theory is just that. It is a collection of way way things have been done. They make Western music sound different from Japanese music. And so on. Parallel octaves and fifths have been generally avoided. But not always. Composers have always broken the "rules" if they felt they needed to. But they tend to know what the "rules" are. Yes, you are only supposed to modulate to certain keys. And do so using a particular progression.
The final for the 16th century counterpoint class was to sit at our desks and write several measures of 4 part harmony. There were so many rules to follow that we really didn't need to hear what we were writing. For every note there was a set of rules that determined what the next note would be. All x 4. And we had to follow all of them to pass. The results actually sounded good. And yet I would never call writing that way "composing". That's not what music is about, to me.
But...you are the composer. Within reason, you need to do what makes musical sense to you. You must be true to your needs.
I compose as a hobby. Loud or soft. Fast or slow. Music must reach inside me, grab and rip out my guts, jump up and down on them and stuff them back inside me. All so that I know I've listened to something. Good luck. And have fun.
In reply to Here's the thing. You are… by bobjp
+++++
Bravo, sirrah!!! Bravissimo!!!
In reply to Here's the thing. You are… by bobjp
You are right! Thank you!