A Triple Time Rule Breaker - Inside the Mind of Bach
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Date: 2022-04-22
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Comments and reviews: 6
Calebe
When I follow the rules my harmonies sound good, but somewhat boring, predictable, because I follow the guide lines on Tonal Harmony (the book, but Bach manages to give to each voice a nice melody even to the tenor and the alto, the inner voices. His chorals sound lively and mine doesn't. My harmonies sound like exercises lol
There was this time when I saw Bach using 8-7-9-3 between the bass and tenor, he did not resolve the seventh and went to a second, but it sounded good!
When I first started I did not use similar motion into a perfect fifth or octave between the bass and one of the inner voices, but after seeing that even Bach does that I started doing as well. He doesn't use similar motion between the bass and the soprano when going into a perfect fifth or octave, but he does use between the bass and some other inner voice.
I guess it's ok to use similar motion between the bass and some inner voice when going to a perfect fifth or octave, but doing that with the bass and soprano is a no no.
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When I follow the rules my harmonies sound good, but somewhat boring, predictable, because I follow the guide lines on Tonal Harmony (the book, but Bach manages to give to each voice a nice melody even to the tenor and the alto, the inner voices. His chorals sound lively and mine doesn't. My harmonies sound like exercises lol
There was this time when I saw Bach using 8-7-9-3 between the bass and tenor, he did not resolve the seventh and went to a second, but it sounded good!
When I first started I did not use similar motion into a perfect fifth or octave between the bass and one of the inner voices, but after seeing that even Bach does that I started doing as well. He doesn't use similar motion between the bass and the soprano when going into a perfect fifth or octave, but he does use between the bass and some other inner voice.
I guess it's ok to use similar motion between the bass and some inner voice when going to a perfect fifth or octave, but doing that with the bass and soprano is a no no.
reply
George
I don't really believe Bach was composing by thinking rules. Or even felt bad when he was breaking those rules. I think Bach (and other composers of that era) were composing by what sounded right to their ears, based on their taste. We (in the future) took what Bach composed, and translated it into rules statistically, for our baroque harmony exercises. For example, if Bach had tritones in 1% of his pieces, then a tritone is a mistake. If he had doubled thirds on only 10-20% of his pieces, then its a better avoid rule, etc.
That's just my theory ofc, I cant prove or disprove it. Composing with rules sounds exhausting, so I think Bach just didn't like what we today consider rules.
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I don't really believe Bach was composing by thinking rules. Or even felt bad when he was breaking those rules. I think Bach (and other composers of that era) were composing by what sounded right to their ears, based on their taste. We (in the future) took what Bach composed, and translated it into rules statistically, for our baroque harmony exercises. For example, if Bach had tritones in 1% of his pieces, then a tritone is a mistake. If he had doubled thirds on only 10-20% of his pieces, then its a better avoid rule, etc.
That's just my theory ofc, I cant prove or disprove it. Composing with rules sounds exhausting, so I think Bach just didn't like what we today consider rules.
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NidusFormicarum
bar 4: I think there might be a third reason in that he wants the cadence to settle down a little bit. bar 9: He breaks another rule: all four voices move in the same direction. But of course, when the third in the dominant falls to the fifth in the tonic, our ears peceive it as if it was going to the tonic scale degree instead.
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bar 4: I think there might be a third reason in that he wants the cadence to settle down a little bit. bar 9: He breaks another rule: all four voices move in the same direction. But of course, when the third in the dominant falls to the fifth in the tonic, our ears peceive it as if it was going to the tonic scale degree instead.
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Benjy
In my opinion, the 4th and 8th bars seem to be Bach's musical way of putting his foot on the brake at the end of the 2 phrases. The listener automatically knows that the end of the phrase has arrived. J. S. is known for doing this in many of his works, especially when he uses hemiolas.
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In my opinion, the 4th and 8th bars seem to be Bach's musical way of putting his foot on the brake at the end of the 2 phrases. The listener automatically knows that the end of the phrase has arrived. J. S. is known for doing this in many of his works, especially when he uses hemiolas.
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Martin
Interesting. - A question: are harmony rules more tolerant of crossed parts and doubled thirds in contrapuntal writing?
In this example I could not see how to avoid doubled thirds and parallel fifths or octaves, while sticking to the same progressions.
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Interesting. - A question: are harmony rules more tolerant of crossed parts and doubled thirds in contrapuntal writing?
In this example I could not see how to avoid doubled thirds and parallel fifths or octaves, while sticking to the same progressions.
reply
Calebe
Guys, imagine how Heaven will be like! Bach will be there! We will be able to talk to him! Maybe even have some lessons with the guy! We will have eternity to talk about music and play! It will be so awesome, guys! I hope we all get to be there!
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Guys, imagine how Heaven will be like! Bach will be there! We will be able to talk to him! Maybe even have some lessons with the guy! We will have eternity to talk about music and play! It will be so awesome, guys! I hope we all get to be there!
reply
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