Customer Reviews

Harmony and Voice Leading

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I was a student at the University of Michigan School of Music in the late seventies and early eighties, we used the then brand new first edition of this book. I thought it was quite good then, and I believe this third edition to be an even better book. It treats the subjects of tonal harmony and voice leading quite well. There have been some solid improvements in the way a few things are explained and some changes in the musical examples. However, it is still fundamentally the same sound course for undergraduate music theory it has been since 1978. However, it now comes in one volume instead of the two volumes of the first edition.

The text begins with a quick review of the basics of musical grammar, a brief introduction of the rudiments of musical notation, intervals, rhythm (and meter), chords, and four-part harmony. Part II talks about the powerful relationship between the tonic and dominant chords, chord progressions elaborating that relationship, and even the dominant as a key area (whether you call it tonicization or modulation is up to you). Part III discusses the implications of root position, first inversion, and second inversion chords in elaborating harmonies and in sequences. Part IV is actually about contrapuntal issues, but is framed in a discussion of melodic figuration. Part V introduces chromaticism, modal mixture, and extends the discussion on uses of seventh chords. Part VI extends the discussion of chromaticism and includes ninth and eleventh chords, Phrygian II (Neapolitan chords), augmented sixths, and more types of mixture. There is also important discussion of the implications all this has for voice leading and modulation to other key areas.

Some might wish that it contained some treatments of graphical (Schenkerian notation), and I am one of them, but that is a quibble compared to this book's many strengths. The counter argument is that until the students really have a handle on the basics of harmony and how voice leading is handled through the music of the early twentieth century, there really isn't a way for them to grasp the meaning of the larger structures Schenker's graphical notation was created to represent. I think that is a fair point, but still think there are some basics in notation that could be introduced early in the process when talking about the basic structure of melodies and supporting harmonies and candential formulas.

The explanations are clear and the musical examples apt. In fact, someone could actually work through this book on his own and grasp what is being presented. Of course, an instructor is helpful to check work and explain things that remain unclear in the student's mind, but that is really true for any book on any subject.

There are some wonderful materials to supplement this text. The most important are the two work books (WB I - ISBN 0-15-506226-3 / WB II - ISBN 0-15-506234-4. They are useful exercises that help the student learn the material by actively working through the application of the materials discussed.

Another resource that should not be overlooked is the two-CD set (ISBN 0-534-52216-5) that contains performances of the hundreds of musical examples in the textbook (not the workbooks). It can really help a student to listen to examples that are unclear. If a student can play them herself or hear them in his head, so much the better, but these discs can enrich reading through the textbook and making sure that you understand what is being presented to you.

Kudos to Professors Aldwell and Schachter for this wonderful text and supporting materials.

One thing to understand about this book - it was not written with amazon.com beginners in mind. It is a college-level theory textbook, and is probably one of the few books that present basic theory concepts in a coherent, unified fashion. The "restrictions" some reviewers complain about, are actually part of a time-honored approach to teaching theory (think "species counterpoint"). To understand the book, a teacher needs to understand something of the ideas and approach of Heinrich Schenker (Schachter was one of Schenker's students). Unlike many theory books, which are into quick summaries and labels, this book is based on a deep understanding of how western tonal music works (at least from the Schenkerian perspective). Even basic concepts like scale degrees, intervals, and triads, are presented in such a way that important relationships among tones become evident. Chords are not merely chunks of notes that deserve a label, but are part of a larger, contrapuntal whole. Sticking with the early chapters, and especially getting a good grasp of the contrapuntal nature of even the most basic chords (insights gained into the similar "passing chord" functions of the V4/3 and viio6 chords, for example) are well worth the effort. Upon successful completion of the first 10 or 11 chapters, a student should have a new understanding of how tonal music works.

I first encountered this book when I already had done my master's thesis in music theory and considered myself as quite competent in the field of tonal harmony. Nevertheless, reading the book produced several experiences of finally apprehending clearly something that earlier had only been more or less vague practical knowledge. For this reason I enjoyed every section of the book, even though it starts from the very basics. Yet, its way of expression is so simple, even artless, that surely nobody will find it hard to follow. In fact, at first I was a little irritated by what seemed to me as somewhat patronizing style of the book - occasionally it seemed to me as being written for schoolchildren rather than adult students - but I soon learnt to ignore this stylistic feature (which seems typical of American textbooks in general). In any case, I think the book is simply the best ever written on tonal harmony, containing practically every harmonic usage of classical tonal music and integrating them to a grand overall view. This is a classic book in its field.

If you are learning the concepts of harmony and voice leading for the first time prepare to read the same paragraph over and over and over again. On average it took me between 2-3 hours to read a chapter and fully comprehend it. I found that the writing was a bit difficult to understand and it took me longer that usual to understand all of the concepts. The really good thing about this textbook is the way in which all the information in it is organized. It starts with the most basic information and gets progressivly more difficult, each chapter builds on the preceeding chapter. All the information is delivered in a sequential manner so that each time you grasp a new concept you are a little bit closer to seeing the big picture. I would recommend this textbook to those who already have a solid foundation in basic music concepts, key signatures, intervals, rhythm and meter, triads, chords and figured bass. It is an advanced textbook which would suppliment music lessons or a theory course. I would not however, recommend it to someone who was learning about theory and harmony independantly as some of the concepts are very difficult to fully understand without asking someone else (like a theory teacher) for help.

This book is outstanding! I was a beginning student, and this book really really helped! I would recomend this to anyone who wants to study theory! The only catch is that this book explains things so completly, that if you are a total beginner, and have no instruction, it can be a bit confusing! But treat it like the bible or somthing else that you would read small portions at a time and re-read alot! I belive that once you understand the concepts, that this book explains things very well, in an extremly coherant manner...the only drawback being that if you are a bit confused, reading further doesnt end your confusion, just brings more stuff to the table! Buy this book and take a class or get an instructor or tutor!!!! THIS BOOK IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE THAT IS SERIOUS ABOUT LEARNING BASIC THEORY!!!!!!

I agree with the positive comments in the reviews but no one has mentioned the feature of the book that I like the best...the table of keyboard progressions in the appendix. The progressions increase in difficulty and they illustrate perfectly the concepts presented in the text. The first progression, as you might expect, is I-V-I (all progressions are to be transposed to all 24 major and minor keys). Next are I6, V6 and VII6,and inversions of V7. On the latter, you are encouraged to create your own soprano lines. They progress through such things as 6/3 chord techniques, diatonic modulation, and chromatic voice-leading. Altogether there are 32 four-part exercises to work with, keyed to the units in the text. I am finding the best way to proceed is first to play them and once you have started getting them into your ears and fingers, analyze the details of their voice leading and turn back to the text for a theoretical explanation. Some approaches are said to be deficient in that they teach you not harmony, but the rules of harmony; but with Aldwell/Schachter's hands-on approach you are presumably learning harmony. It might also be said that certain approaches have a tendency to develop "paper musicians" but this book is not one of them. The authors have been influenced by the ideas of Heinrich Schenker and this is probably why they put so much stress on the dominant-tonic relationship as fundamental in Western music. The book has really brought this fact home to me. For something completely different, try A New Approach to Keyboard Harmony

I am an adult beginning keyboard and music student, learning on my own at my own pace. I am in the process of reading this textbook (the first 100 pages or so of more than 400) and have found it most helpful in explaining in detail difficult musical concepts. I also plan to use this book as a reference.

I've yet to find an alternative to the Roger Sessions, HARMONIC PRACTICE, which I believe to be the best theory text ever written. However, the teaching of theory has changed over the past forty years since my first "date" with Sessions and his text... and students have changed as well. Hence, I find Messrs Schachter & Aldwell have done a commendable job (a nearly impossible job, I think) in writing this new, single volume edition. Whilst I never expect to find the perfect text, this one will do nicely.

The text clearly cannot stand apart from a good theory teacher. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), a credible do-it-yourself theory text has yet to be written.

These cd's made it possible to study the examples with out my Piano with me. Summer classes went better because of these cd's!

The main reason that I want to write a review here is on the off-chance that any AP music theory teachers or students are coming across this and are considering buying the book. My teacher made the mistake of using this as our primary textbook for the year, hoping that it would cover the AP curriculum. Well, it doesn't. It only helps on about 20% of the test, and for the rest you will be dead in the water.

That said, it does a pretty good job introducing and expanding the concept of basic four-part voice leading. It doesn't expend very many pages teaching the absolute basics like major and minor chords, so it helps to approach the book with some understanding of chords, intervals, and the like.

The progressions and rules that it allows do seem a little bit stringent and antiquated considering the many changes in classical music over the past century, but at least you can voice-lead like Bach after reading this!