Customer Reviews

A Concentrated Course in Traditional Harmony: With Emphasis on Exercises and a Minimum of Rules, Book 1

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In this rather amazing little book, Hindemith takes the reader through all the phases of "modern" tonality with the absolute minimum of text and copious exercises. On one hand, the minimum amount of text means that all but the most exceptional student would, at certain points, require further explanation. That said, there is a tremendous amount of information in what little Hindemith does say. Likewise, for the careful observer, the exercises themselves reveal a huge part of the grammar of tonal music. There is not a dud "academic" exercise in the whole book.

Another reviewer mentions Walter Piston's fine Harmony book. Rightly, the Piston book contains page after page of well-done categorization of the syntax of tonal music and beyond. However, as it points out virtually everything, it is hard for a student to understand what is truly important and what is merely being overexplained or overanalyzed. Likewise, the fairly small amount of exercises - many very average - often cannot reveal what has been so carefully explained in the text; make no mistake, when you study music what you learn gets into your head by working with actual music - very little comes in from reading alone. Hindemith's book is a cure for this, as it gets you writing, and writing a lot. It gives you the chance to grow your own syntax.

In my opinion, the Piston book actually makes a good companion to the Hindemith book, though I think both are best used along with a knowledgeable teacher. If, as a student, you are someone who craves "getting down to business" and doing careful, thoughtful work - the Hindemith book will be an excellent guide.

In this book Hindemith first refers to the core of the classical harmony (I, IV, V chords) and then expands them to the a whole body of amazing possibilities (chord inversions, dominant chord, alteration, modulation , ...). The approach is very interesting and practical and the book provides lots of exercises for hard working readers. Hindemith showed me the right approach to the harmony without memorizing the rules and a way to writing harmony with the minimum material! It is of course for patient and hard working people and you have to feel comfortable with the basic theory to enjoy this book. It is a shame that the book has been out of print for such a long time!

Lots of exercises for the budding composer. Those who wish to write the great art music of the 21st century should try to get a copy. By the end of the book, all the classic rules of harmony are repealed, because one has learned when to break them, and when to follow.

I strongly believe that this book could easily create misunderstandings to a student of Harmony. i found this book almost chaotic when I studied it as a Harmony sudent. In comparison to Walter Piston's Harmony this book has not a straight and organised method of teaching and I only recommend it for advanced students.

This small volume contains a condensed approach to a harmonic view of tonal music. It focuses nearly all of its attention on labeling chords and their inversions. There is nothing on counterpoint and voice leading that would be part of a contemporary music education. However, it does have practical exercises and they can be useful for a student in the hands of a good teacher.

Over the decades since its publication this has been a very popular book and many have gained a great deal from it, but there are nowadays better and more complete texts on the market. However, this was written by an important composer and is therefore interesting beyond a purely pedagogical purpose.