I bought your book Alan, very good recap of what we've done together. Also, now that i've been teaching for five years, i'm beginning to understand the full extent of the things you told me. Being able to apply some things you taught me on the spot inspires my students almost daily. So, thanks for everything you've already done for me!
This is such an interesting comment. I've been reading Alan's book and like the structure with the exercises at each section almost like Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" . What are some things Alan thought you personally that are either from or different from Alan's book?
True , Alan not only has the great knowledge, but also know how to deliver to student in the understandable way. He also choose not to gain any profit from it . It is just a miracle and worth my entire respect
The final fugue very beautiful, but I think most keyboard players would struggle to play bar 17. (Incidentally, anyone want to guess what the final "masterpiece" fugue is going to be? My guess is the Ricercar a 6 from "A Musical Offering".)
@@phamnguyenductin Just looking at the second beat, it looks like there are three notes which need to be articulated at the same time, each of which has more than an octave between them.
@@DeGuerre The interval between the alto and bass part is a 9th which isn't that hard to play; some people with very small hands may struggle with it a bit, but the average keyboardist's hand can actually stretch to a 10th on white keys.
Is it just me or does the dissonance sound weirdly treated at the very beginning? (Armature speaking). I love the detail these videos go into, it’s the first I’ve ever found like this on composition! Very excited to continue watching.
not bad composition, great ending!!! me myself I often just end up attempting a stretto and the first one that works, I take it, I feel like there's so many possible combinations to do in a fugue but any of them are equally valid :) great work in bringing this to us!
I just wrote a short four voice Fugue for a choir. Not sure how to treat the text. The short text (14 words) may sound chaotic since they're not always singing the same text at the same time. Any ideas?
I have been told to do this when I am writing the countersubject and really the rest of the fugue exposition. Iterate, more specifically this: 1) Figure out which triad out of I IV and V in the key fits best into the beat and write down the root only, quarter notes 2) Adjust it so you still have notes from the triad but not all of the notes are the root, quarter notes 3) Add passing tones, neighbor tones, and escape tones, while keeping it harmonically sensible, all note lengths allowed 4)Adjust it if you end up with parallel 5ths, parallel octaves, or tritones and 7ths not resolved. I was wondering, is this a good idea, focusing first on harmony alone, than the melody with that harmony, and then checking it for breaks in counterpoint rules and adjusting if needed?
I notice you do stretto by the half beat in the stretto tables. Is there a deeper reason for it or is it just because the half beat is convenient? Because, I think I have seen strettos at the quarter of a beat between subject entries in a few fugues and fugatos.
When i studied fugue in college my teacher used to say that the theme should have the 3 or 2 of the harmonic functions (tonic, subd and dom) and also be cohesive.
A good fugue theme needs to be memorable. That means not too many different motives, and a distinctive shape. Usually the motive(s) will also be repeated, to make them easier to remember.
That's the most important part and it's not even mentioned on the video. Bach himself said that he would spend most of the time while composing a fuge JUST on the theme alone. That speaks for itself. The fugue is the development of the potential of the theme. If the theme is empty, or not weel heard-though, the fugue will be too, and you'll end up with a barebone composition that may have "structure" but lacks musical sense, direction and purpose... Which, IMO, Is what happened in the fugue that Alan composed (I ultimately don't know how much time he invested in the theme, just the final result)
Thanks Alan! Always enjoy hearing people talk about fugues... such a nerd I am 👓
I bought your book Alan, very good recap of what we've done together. Also, now that i've been teaching for five years, i'm beginning to understand the full extent of the things you told me. Being able to apply some things you taught me on the spot inspires my students almost daily. So, thanks for everything you've already done for me!
This is such an interesting comment. I've been reading Alan's book and like the structure with the exercises at each section almost like Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" . What are some things Alan thought you personally that are either from or different from Alan's book?
I truly believe that you are the best music composing teacher in the world. Thank You. 😎
True , Alan not only has the great knowledge, but also know how to deliver to student in the understandable way. He also choose not to gain any profit from it . It is just a miracle and worth my entire respect
Great lesson!
Thank you Alan! Very helpful.
Really interested in composing my own. Thanks for the awesome lesson. Let’s hope I fugue it up.
I need to get your book!
The final fugue very beautiful, but I think most keyboard players would struggle to play bar 17.
(Incidentally, anyone want to guess what the final "masterpiece" fugue is going to be? My guess is the Ricercar a 6 from "A Musical Offering".)
The middle part of bar 17 is played first by the left hand (C-E-B-E) and then the semiquavers are continued by the right hand.
@@phamnguyenductin Just looking at the second beat, it looks like there are three notes which need to be articulated at the same time, each of which has more than an octave between them.
@@DeGuerre The interval between the alto and bass part is a 9th which isn't that hard to play; some people with very small hands may struggle with it a bit, but the average keyboardist's hand can actually stretch to a 10th on white keys.
Is it just me or does the dissonance sound weirdly treated at the very beginning? (Armature speaking). I love the detail these videos go into, it’s the first I’ve ever found like this on composition! Very excited to continue watching.
Armature speaking
not bad composition, great ending!!! me myself I often just end up attempting a stretto and the first one that works, I take it, I feel like there's so many possible combinations to do in a fugue but any of them are equally valid :) great work in bringing this to us!
Awesome lecture!!!
Great, my kinda language. Loved the way you set the stretti up. I recognised my mental imagery :)
"Applied Belkinpoint"
I just wrote a short four voice Fugue for a choir. Not sure how to treat the text. The short text (14 words) may sound chaotic since they're not always singing the same text at the same time. Any ideas?
I have been told to do this when I am writing the countersubject and really the rest of the fugue exposition. Iterate, more specifically this:
1) Figure out which triad out of I IV and V in the key fits best into the beat and write down the root only, quarter notes
2) Adjust it so you still have notes from the triad but not all of the notes are the root, quarter notes
3) Add passing tones, neighbor tones, and escape tones, while keeping it harmonically sensible, all note lengths allowed
4)Adjust it if you end up with parallel 5ths, parallel octaves, or tritones and 7ths not resolved.
I was wondering, is this a good idea, focusing first on harmony alone, than the melody with that harmony, and then checking it for breaks in counterpoint rules and adjusting if needed?
ua-cam.com/video/0he6O8bFOUc/v-deo.html
I notice you do stretto by the half beat in the stretto tables. Is there a deeper reason for it or is it just because the half beat is convenient? Because, I think I have seen strettos at the quarter of a beat between subject entries in a few fugues and fugatos.
What about writing using modes or other non-tonal devices??
I will talk about that in lesson #22.
But how to write a good theme？
When i studied fugue in college my teacher used to say that the theme should have the 3 or 2 of the harmonic functions (tonic, subd and dom) and also be cohesive.
In the theme you have to expose the key you're in as well as the main intention of the whole piece
A good fugue theme needs to be memorable. That means not too many different motives, and a distinctive shape. Usually the motive(s) will also be repeated, to make them easier to remember.
That's the most important part and it's not even mentioned on the video. Bach himself said that he would spend most of the time while composing a fuge JUST on the theme alone. That speaks for itself. The fugue is the development of the potential of the theme. If the theme is empty, or not weel heard-though, the fugue will be too, and you'll end up with a barebone composition that may have "structure" but lacks musical sense, direction and purpose... Which, IMO, Is what happened in the fugue that Alan composed (I ultimately don't know how much time he invested in the theme, just the final result)
Bach also wrote fantastic fugues on terrible themes though (such as the musical offering).
goood
I enjoyed the lesson, but the harmony of your fugue does not sound 18th century at all.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
put subtitles in Spanish please🙏🙏