Functional Harmony - Complementary and Principal

it's a bit like asking what the difference is between impressionism, literature, and history... the first is a system of procedures developed from the birth of tonality to its dissolution, the others are school subjects... complementary being that studied as a complement to an instrument and principal being that studied by composition students.

Crisantemi wrote:

it's a bit like asking what the difference is between impressionism, literature, and history... the first is a system of procedures developed from the birth of tonality to its dissolution, the others are school subjects... complementary is that studied as a complement to an instrument and principal is that studied by composition students.

thousand thanks

but I don't understand the difference between the harmony that aspiring composers study and the one studied for the instrument, do you know if the program is the same?

The program, in the case of the complementary course, is very limited, a mere smattering of four-part writing, triads, seventh chords, at most dominant ninths, at least in my day... the composition course, on the other hand, must give you the tools to analyze and understand what has been written from Monteverdi (and even before) to today. Some more up-to-date users (Frank?) could correct and integrate...

Crisantemi wrote:

The program, in the case of the complementary course, is very limited, a mere smattering of four-part writing, triads, seventh chords, at most dominant ninths, at least in my day... the composition course program, on the other hand, must give you the tools to analyze and understand what has been written from Monteverdi (and even before) to today. Some more up-to-date users (Frank?) might correct and integrate...

thanks Crisantemi, now my ideas are clearer

I think Crisantemi has already been quite clear. Once, there existed a two-year course called complementary harmony dedicated to instrumentalists to deepen their knowledge of harmony and analysis. How far the course could go depended on the ability of the teacher and the students.

Currently, these courses are submerged (or drowned?) in various disciplines within pre-academic and academic courses; to give you an idea, here is a topic that deals with (for example) the exam given in the fifth year of high school

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/4946-la-seconda-prova-nei-licei-musicali/

A parallelism that can provide clarity is the study of the piano. A pianist reaches a level of playing pieces that are prohibitive for someone studying complementary piano... the same applies to harmony, which can be known at different levels of depth.

Regarding analysis techniques, you can comb through some old topics:

www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/632-contraccordo

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/3330-la-cifratura-ideale-degli-accordi

www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/1574-analisi-musicale

Frank wrote:

I think Crisantemi has already been quite clear. Once, there existed a two-year course called complementary harmony dedicated to instrumentalists to deepen their knowledge of harmony and analysis. How far the course could go depended on the ability of the teacher and the students.

Currently, these subjects are drowned (or submerged?) in various disciplines within pre-academic and academic courses; to give you an idea, here is a topic that deals with (for example) the exam given in the fifth year of high school

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/4946-la-seconda-prova-nei-licei-musicali/

An analogy that can provide clarity is the study of the piano. A pianist reaches a level of playing pieces that are prohibitive for someone studying complementary piano... the same applies to harmony, which can be known at different levels of depth.

Regarding analysis techniques, you can comb through some old topics:

www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/632-contraccordo

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/3330-la-cifratura-ideale-degli-accordi

www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/1574-analisi-musicale

Many thanks, I will read everything carefully