Advanced Harmony, Theory and Practice [Paperback]

Robert W. Ottman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 1992 | ISBN-10: 013006016X | ISBN-13: 978-0130060167 | Edition: 4

A companion text to Ottmans Elementary Harmony, 4/e, this volume completes the studies in 18th-19th century harmony and concludes with three chapters designed as an introduction to twentieth century composition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A companion text to Ottman's Elementary Harmony, 4/e, this enlightening volume picks up where the other leaves off, completing the studies in 18th-19th century harmony and concluding with three chapters designed as an introduction to twentieth century composition. Together, these two volumes include materials ranging from music fundamentals through twentieth-century music, covering the needs of the usual two-year college music theory program in the subject areas of harmony, analysis, and the application of these to keyboard harmony.

From the Inside Flap

Preface

Advanced Harmony: Theory and Practice, fifth edition, continues the course of instruction in basic music theory begun in Elementary Harmony: Theory and Practice, fifth edition (Prentice Hall, 1998). These two volumes include materials ranging from music fundamentals through twentieth-century music. The contents cover the needs of the usual two-year college music theory program in the subjects of harmony, melody, and form, with applications to analysis, writing (through both exercises employing figured bass and projects in original composition), and keyboard harmony. In addition, they correlate with the author's texts for sight singing and ear training, the other important aspects of the theory program, as discussed at the end of this preface.

Although the studies of harmonic concepts and structures are presented in a traditional and expected sequence, the order of chapters is not inflexible. Some studies can easily be presented at other points in the curriculum, as desired. Chapter 4, "Binary and Ternary Forms," can be introduced almost anywhere. The opening sections of Chapter 5, "Application of Part-Writing Procedures to Instrumental Music," may be used as correlating material as early as Chapter 1, with the rest of the chapter applicable to most of the remaining chapters of the text. Chapter 6, "Diatonic Seventh Chords," which seemingly appears late in the text, can easily follow Chapter 2.

Theory texts tend to present traditional materials in categories, their uses shown as abstract examples or from simple and uncomplicated excerpts from the works of composers. But there are many passages in music where a number of factors operate simultaneously, requiring the ability to isolate those factors and to study their interrelationships. Chapter 11, "Chords and Progressions in Special Situations," provides instruction in this type of analysis through the use of a number of interesting and challenging examples, from the works of Bach through those of late-nineteenth-century composers.

A survey of twentieth-century music covering three chapters concludes the text. A complete volume or several volumes are necessary for a thorough understanding of the subject, but this overview will be found effective in furnishing a solid foundation for later studies. These studies show how music late in the previous century literally used up its resources while at the same time it prophesied the music of the future. A chapter on the music of Debussy shows that he influenced the radical changes occurring at the turn of that century (1800—1900) by using styles of writing markedly different from those of previous years. For twentieth-century music, included first are studies of music that show evolutionary development from the previous century. These are followed by studies of the development of new and original concepts in music composition.

Revision of the text material has been the principal concern of this fifth edition. Most chapters show numerous improvements, but those concerning diminished seventh harmony and the binary and ternary forms have been copiously rewritten. In addition, all chapters with part-writing exercises include additional exercises with only the bass line given. New examples from music literature include excerpts from works of women composers.

A Workbook is available as a companion to this text. Though its use is not required, many students will find it helpful, not only for the additional exercises and music excerpts, but especially for those exercises in a semiprogrammed format, by which a student can immediately compare the completed answer with the correct answer. Such exercises are identified in the present text with this statement: In the Workbook: Answers are given.

The remaining requirements of the theory program are covered by the author's other titles, Music for Sight Singing, fourth edition, 1996, and Basic Ear Training Skills (with Paul Dworak), 1991, a comprehensive text serving both as a workbook for the student and as a source of dictation materials for the teacher, together with five supplementary computer disks for independent student practice. Both volumes are published by Prentice Hall.

I would like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Professor Alan Swartz of the University of Texas at Tyler in preparing the fifth edition of Advanced Harmony for publication.

Robert W. Ottman --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall College Div; 4 edition (March 12, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013006016X
• ISBN-13: 978-0130060167
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,240,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for those new to music theory., December 3, 1999

By 

John Cordero - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbook for Advanced Harmony, Theory & Practice (Paperback)

As aa former computer science professor who is trying to teach himself the fundamentals of music theory, I have found this book exceedingly easy to read and learn from. Along with his book on Elementary Harmony, I feel I have received a sound and very useful emersion into the world of music harmony.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid and practical guide to the advanced topics of basic harmonic grammar, February 24, 2008

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Advanced Harmony: Theory and Practice with CD Package (5th Edition) (Paperback)

When I was in music school, we used Robert Ottman's Sight Singing book, and I still think the current edition is terrific. He also wrote texts on elementary harmony and this text on advanced harmony. This is an interesting and practical guide to the basics of harmony. The subtitle is "theory and practice" and that is right, but by theory it really means musical grammar and the emphasis in the book is really on practice. What have composers actually done, what to look for, and how to hear it.

The text is concise, without long and labored explanations. However, for those who want detailed explanations of harmony, it might seem terse. The real emphasis in this text is on the rich selection of musical examples. A CD accompanies the text that plays the musical samples so the student can hear them (if you can't hear them by looking at them music or play them on your piano). So, the text is really for a practicing musician who wants to know the steps, say, to a "pivot chord" without an extended explication of the implications of such a thing.

Ottman also deals with aspects of orchestration, figuration, and musical form. Again, his approach is always practical and does not delve into the topics in an extended way. He lets the student examine the musical samples to get the point of what the text says. I think this is the way musicians actually prefer learning about music, anyway. If they wanted to read lots of text they would have pursued a different profession, right? Sure, those of us who study music theory dig into things a bit differently, but it is the music analysis written in some form of notation we always find most compelling.

This book begins with modulation and has chapters on diminished triads, seventh chords, secondary leading tone functions, modulation using diminished seventh chords, binary and ternary forms, extending part-writing to instrumental music, diatonic seventh chords, chromatic chords, augmented sixth chords and their uses, ninth - eleventh & thirteenth chords, special chords and progressions, harmony in the late 19th Century, Debussy and Impressionism, and post Debussy 20th Century music, and ends with a chapter on Serialism.

Appendix A covers conventional procedures for part-writing. Appendix B provides information on orchestration (instrumental ranges and transpositions). There is also an index of compositions, and a subject index.

This is a useful and practical book for the practicing musician wanting to become proficient with the (advanced) basics of harmonic grammar.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Ottman's Elementary Harmony:

Elementary Harmony Theory and Practice

Ottman's Sight Singing 7th edition:

Music for Sight Singing (7th Edition)

14 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars recommended, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Advanced Harmony, Theory and Practice (Paperback)

This book and its companion, the author's "Elementary Harmony", though a bit plodding, are the most practical part-writing texts still available. (Consider, however, that I am familiar only with an earlier edition.)

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by JEFF BURNS.