1st Edition
Bending the Rules of Music Theory Lessons from Great Composers
For students learning the principles of music theory, it can often seem as though the tradition of tonal harmony is governed by immutable rules that define which chords, tones, and intervals can be used where. Yet even within the classical canon, there are innumerable examples of composers diverging from these foundational "rules." Drawing on examples from composers including J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, and more, Bending the Rules of Music Theory seeks to take readers beyond the basics of music theory and help them to understand the inherent flexibility in the system of tonal music. Chapters explore the use of different rule-breaking elements in practice and why they work, introducing students to a more nuanced understanding of music theory.
Chapter 1: "Rules" / Chapter 2: Consonance and Dissonance / Chapter 3: Chord Construction / Chapter 4: Voice Leading I: Parallel Fifths / Chapter 5: Voice Leading II: Parallel Octaves and Other Procedures / Chapter 6: Harmonic Syntax I: Contrapuntal Chord Function / Chapter 7: Harmonic Syntax II: More Unorthodox Progressions / Chapter 8: Deviant Harmonies I: Forbidden and Functionally Flexible Chords / Chapter 9: Deviant Harmonies II: 6/4 Triads / Chapter 10: Aberrant Nonharmonic Tones I: Analytical Conundrums / Chapter 11: Aberrant Nonharmonic Tones II: Textbook Deviations / Chapter 12: Tonal Transgressions I: Beginnings and Endings / Chapter 13: Tonal Transgressions II: Plurality and Implication / Chapter 14: Oddities and Ends
Biography
Timothy Cutler is Instructor and Chair of Music Theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
