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Showing posts from February, 2014

Chords: What Are Harmonic Subdominant and Dominant Chords?

Harmonic Subdominant and Dominants are chords built by adding extra accidentals that don't exist in the original key. How to find Harmonic Subdominants of a Major Key In a Major key, chord IV , or the triad built on the fourth scale degree, sounds Major. For example in the key of  C Major , chord IV is F Major (triad - F,A,C). By turning this triad into MINOR (F,Ab,C) we get what we call a 'harmonic' subdominant. Chord II (i.e. chord built on the second scale degree) is also a subdominant, therefore can also be 'harmonic'. Let's say we take a seventh chord on the second scale degree (chord II7) in C Major. We have the notes D,F,A,C - which sounds like a minor seventh chord. If you alter the A to an Ab, you'll get a D half-diminished seventh chord, which is your harmonic II7! How to find the Harmonic Dominant of a minor Key In a minor key, chord V , or the triad built on the fifth scale degree sounds minor. For example in the key of  a minor , chor

Modulation: How To Find First Degree Relationship Keys

What are First Degree Relationship Keys? First Degree keys are those that are closely related to the original key. The science of harmony makes thes keys the most natural keys to modulate to! How many First Degree Relationship Keys are there for any given key? Each Major and minor key has six First Degree Relationship Keys they can to modulate to. How do you find First Degree Relationship keys? 1) Parallel Major or minor key, i.e. no difference in key signature 2) Major key with one sharp difference 3) minor key with one sharp difference 4) Major key with one flat difference 5) minor key with one flat difference 6) In a Major key - the  Harmonic Subdominant  built on IV scale degree; In a minor key - the  Harmonic Dominant  built on V. These keys have a difference of 4 key signatures. (What are Harmonic Subdominants/Dominants?) For example, let's take simply take the key of C Major. First Degree Relationship Keys of C Major 1) a minor - 0 2) G Major - 1# 3) e min

Solo Passages in Orchestral Works Part 4 - Strings

STRINGS VIOLIN BRAHMS - Symphony No.1 (ii) LISZT - Hungary RACHMANINOFF - Symphony No.3 (ii) STRAUSS - Ein Heldenleben TCHAIKOVSKY - Suite No.3 For Orchestra (iv - variation X) VIOLA ADAM - Giselle ASAFIEV - Bakhchisarai Fountain DELIBES - Coppelia ELGAR - Enigma Variations ("Dorabella") ENESCO - Romanian Rhapsody No.1 JANACEK - the Makropulos Affair LISZT - Piano Concerto in Es-dur (ii) STRAUSS, R. - Don Quixote STRAVINSKY - Firebird; Capriccio for Piano TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No.1 (iii) WEBER - Freischutz (romance & aria "Annchen") WOLF - Italian Serenade CELLO BRAHMS - Piano Concerto No.2 (iii) GINASTERA - Variaciones Concertantes HAYDN - Symphony No.31 "Hornsignal" (ii,iv) LISZT - Hungary RESPIGHI - Belkis Regina di Saba (i) ROSSINI - William Tell Overture SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphonies No.1 (iii,iv); No.15 (ii) STRAUSS, R. - Don Quixote SUPPE - Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna DOUBLE BASS MAHLER - Symphony No.1 STRA

Solo Passages in Orchestral Works Part 3 - Percussion

DEFINITE PITCH TIMPANI GLINKA - Ruslan and Lyudmilla Overture SHOSTAKOVICH -  Symphony No.1 TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No.1 (iii) GLOCKENSPIEL DELIBES - Lakme DUKAS - Sorcerer's Apprentice HINDEMITH - Clarinet Concerto MOZART - Die Zauberflote TCHAIKOVSKY - Capriccio Italien XYLOPHONE BRITTEN - Young Person's Guide to Orchestra GERSHWIN - Porgy and Bess KODALY - Hary Janos SAINT SAENS - Danse macabre; Carnival of the Animals (xii  - Fossils) STRAVINSKY - Firebird MARIMBA SCHEDRIN - Carmen Suite VIBRAPHONE BRITTEN - Cello Symphony (adagio) SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphonies No.14; 15 WALTON - Cello Concerto TUBULAR BELLS BERLIOZ - Symphonie Fantastique SCHEDRIN - Carmen Suite TCHAIKOVSKY - Manfred VERDI - Rigoletto INDEFINITE PITCH SNARE DRUM NIELSEN - Clarinet Concerto PROKOFIEV - Lieutentant Kije RAVEL - Bolero RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Scheherezade (iii,iv) SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony No.7 (i) BASS DRUM MAHLER - Symphony No.3 (i) STRAVINSKY - Rite of Spri

Harmony and Solfeggio - the St Petersburg School System

For anyone interested in studying at the St Petersburg Conservatory, it helps to know the solfeggio system used here beforehand. In my audition, the judging panel gave me ear-training quizes and my problem was not only being unable to identify chords that were played to me - but how to describe them! Firstly, they played a chord and I had to guess what it was - without being given a 'starting note' or anything to relate to - testing to see if I have perfect pitch. Fail! Then they gave me the answer, then played another chord - it was A minor, but Russians don't call it that! I wish I had prepared better for the audition by being familiar with their solfeggio system. Oh well, in the end they managed to let me in to the course only on the condition that I rapidly improve my aural skills. Luckily, a conductor from the Mariinsky Theatre, who also studied the Petersburg Con, kindly explained it all to me before I commenced my studies!  PITCH/LETTER NOTATION We use

Solo Passages in Orchestral Works Part 2 - Brass

BRASS HORN GRIEG - Peer Gynt Suite No.1 (Morning Mood - 3rd horn) LISZT - Les Preludes (w/2nd violins; allegretto pastorale) STRAUSS, R. - Till Eulenspiegel TRUMPET BACH, J.S. - Cantata BWV 51 (Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen) BEETHOVEN - Leonore Ovetures Nos.2 & 3 HANDEL - Messiah (the Trumpet Shall Sound); Samson (Let the Bright Seraphim) MAHLER - Symphony No.5 (i) MUSSORGSKY - Pictures from an Exhibition (Promenade; Samuel Goldenburg and Schmuyle) RAVEL - Piano Concerto in G (i) SHOSTAKOVICH - Piano Concerto No.1; Symphonies No.1 (i,iii); No.5 (iv); No.8; No.9 (iii); No.11 STRAVINSKY - Petrushka WAGNER - Parsifal TROMBONE MAHLER - Symphonies No.2; No.3 MOZART - Requiem (Tuba Mirum) RAVEL - Bolero RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Scheherezade (2nd Trombone) SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphonies No 4; No.12; No.15 TUBA HOLST - The Planets Suite (Mars, Uranus) MAHLER - Symphony No.1 (iii) MUSSORGSKY - Pictures from an Exhibition (Bydlo) SCHNITTKE - Gogol Suite (vii) STRAVINSKY - P

Solo Passages in Orchestral Works Part 1 - Woodwinds

Our end-of-year exam for the subject  Score Reading will include random questions about any given orchestral instrument such as its range, technique, history of the instrument, etc. and will ask us to name and/or play (on the piano from memory) any examples of solos for that instrument in orchestral repertoire. So - here I've started compiling a list, to which I will gradually keep adding more so by the end of the academic year I will have a rich bank of orchestral solo examples to pull out for the exam. The aim is to come up with a wide range of various solos to avoid the 'black list' examples of common answers such as the violin solos from Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherezade , or the horn solo from the 2nd movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony . WOODWINDS PICCOLO BARTOK - Romanian Folk Dances SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphonies No.7; No.8 (ii); No.9 (ii) FLUTE BACH - St Mathew Passion (aus liebe) BEETHOVEN - Leonore DEBUSSY - Prelude to Afternoon of Faun GRIEG