Forget about people saying your videos are too simplistic. I am going on 80 years old, am trying to compose and arrange. I find you videos very helpful. Keep it up!
Having started playing piano at age 7, and now being 76, I can affirm that your method for creating new music works very well. And I can also confirm that having a good grasp of 'traditional' theory can help understand why some things work better than others. But I have to add that having a good grasp of 'the rules' can also suggest ways to 'break' them, which can save some time when you're using the 'every note can be any chord tone' approach. The essential lesson I've learned is that all approaches are good, and can contribute to a successful piece, but in the end, it is your ear that makes the final decisions. Writing music is exploring all the options, and even when you have a 'preferred method', not forgetting to explore a bit more. Nearly seventy years since I began, I'm still learning new things about the old things i began back then. And your videos, with their cheerful iconoclastic approach, add delight to my continuing education. Thanks, and best wishes for much success.
Having just stumbled upon your Videos I’ve just sat for an entire evening glued to the screen. I am 53 and have just started my journey to orchestrate having wanted to for years. I’ve been writing electronic and pop since I was 18 and your videos are a life saver!!! Let me explain. I don’t have time to attend music school and have a good basic knowledge of theory but what I needed was someone who explains things clearly but not so deep I can’t understand. This video for example is quite simply genius and I have always wondered how to harmonise properly as I usually do everything by ear so thank you. Your videos are informative, great pace, perfect delivery and loving the piece of video from your visits to different places all very calm and serene. Thank you thank you.
I’m a classical musician and have always felt like the theory that we’ve been taught has been a way to gatekeep us away from being composers ourselves. I know it’s not intentional per se, but your channel is golden in helping understand a much more intuitive approach to composition.
@@Короткоіясно-ь8р the problem happens when your theory teacher ISNT a composer themself and presents the syllabus like it applies to ALL music with no exceptions. If theory is taught properly with the correct intentions - as a tool to aid composition and to help with appreciation and analysis of common practice works - then you can choose to follow or ignore certain principles depending on your needs
I sincerely appreciate the quiet/slow pace of these examples. It helps students to really hear (or even ‘pre-auralise’) what is going on. All too often teachers just hurry through a bunch of attractive sounding stuff. The used quiet method here also leaves more suggestive space for possible context, the optional coherence of chords, or even silence
Forget the haters! You do incredible work giving so much to the composition community here on UA-cam. Your channel is such a fantastic resource. Please keep going!
I've made music where I haven't overthought why it works, so your 'retrospective' view on 12-tone theory (particularly harmony) rings true to me there. Long term, I've thought to 'theory up' more, to do more intentional work, rather than inspired luck, and I'm in the camp that finds theory is a toolbox rather than a sacred ruleset, which keeps the creativilty open.
Hungarian here haha. Thank you for your videos. You really inspire me. Guys, appreciate the fact that we have people like Anne-Kathrin making content like this for free.
Like most people have written here, I find your lessons very clear and helpful. And they give me tips to make structures for my compositions. You're a good teacher!!! And very generous to pass on all this knowledge to people.
Most "higher learning" teachers don't like simplification bc if it's simple, how are you going to keep the tuition fees coming in? You're a great teacher. Please keep doing it your way
Great video! I am a studied jazz musician who also struggled with theory when creating. Nowadays I think it's important to learn everything about music theory to become conscious about the "rules" of music and how these "rules" create the sound and the emotion of a musical piece. When creating just do it and don't think about it. Like Picasso said: "Learn all the rules and then forget them!"
There's so much to writing a good song. Harmony/harmonizing is just one aspect. I'm trying to figure it out myself.. After understanding simple harmonization, there's the voicing of those chords and how to work them into your song. You can have a chord progression that works, but without the right voicings they might not sound so good in the song. Then there's the idea of how to play those progressions - adding rhythm, etc. Playing block chords - each spanning one bar can get boring. Even just playing the chords out in any sort of way can get boring. Instead, you can have different rhythmic riffs in different instruments playing together that imply a chord progression when combined, but none actually playing out the full chord. I think there's a lot to learn from studying other compositions.
This might be the most practical approach of harmonizing melodies I have ever seen! It's more or less how I approach it myself, but you make it so clear and simple, that it actually ís simple, and why not? Composing can be complicated enough, so it's really great to have some tricks up your sleeve. Very well done, indeed!
Priceless. Love the way you started this one. The level you explain things is pitched just right, and I imagine, at the right level for many others. Please keep them coming
As always, so much practical knowledge and wisdom that comes from experience translated into a 22 min video! Bravisimo Anne, we can’t say thank you enough for your excellent explanation but mostly for your generosity. ❤️ When I started in music some decades ago I couldn’t understand why people with limited musical knowledge composed so easily and people like me trying to study music the “right” way were so blocked and frustrated, you are absolutely right, we have to leave the theory aside initially when composing and use it as a resource to develop the theme, motif, etc, but nobody teaches you that or encourages you to that workflow and for this reason people keep believing that you have to study years to be able to compose something, so many years lost for so many lives. Hope you have a 2024 full of successes, you deserve it!!
Thank you! You just unlocked harmony for me! I was instantly able to apply your tip of making the note the 1, 3 or 5. Great starting point. I always thought one had to “know” all the chords by ear to “know” what chord would work all the time - or use theory like “5 can go to 1” etc.
Hi Anne-Kathrin Dern, I am a self-taught orchestral music enthusiast from China because I really enjoy the energy that orchestral music conveys. However, since I am an amateur without professional training, I really need a lot of video tutorials like yours to guide my learning. I have taught myself music theory and am now studying harmony. Although it is not easy, I find it very enjoyable. I have bypassed the internet restrictions to access UA-cam and found your video tutorials, which have been very beneficial. I have learned a lot from your videos. I am very excited and really appreciate that you take the time to create such free tutorials. I am 34 years old and do not have a stable job. Currently, I am learning to be a welder. I spend my spare time learning orchestral composition. I hope that one day, when I have a stable job and income, I can make some donations to support you (like paying tuition). I hope to have more communication with you. I wonder if you would be willing to do so. I hope you can reply and give me your contact information. Thank you again. As a Chinese person, I would like to bless you in the Chinese way: May God and Buddha bless you with peace and health.
Anne-Kathrin this is great and we should teach this way. Your approach opens up to experimentation and to a greater extent improvisation, which really what music is about. When I left Berklee in '90, someone told me it will take 10+ years to forget all the technical stuff and start creating using what you choose to retain. It's really true. Music Theory is about understanding what was done and to give you tools to figure out "why something isn't working," but more importantly give you options to get you out of a jam. >90% trial and error
This is crazy! Every time I would try to write music as Anne suggests here, I would feel like I'm doing something wrong because I'm not using my 6 semesters of music theory to create my chord progressions! Thank you, Anne, for allowing me to put to rest my concerns about how I'm creating my music! You have a marvelous gift for presenting all things music in an easy to understand way.
Thank you so much for everything you share, despite the haters. As someone trying to learn more music theory, I appreciate info like this being presented in a straightforward, understandable way. Please keep the content coming!
It is much more challenging to explain complex issues in a simple way than to make already complex theories even more incomprehensible. You prove once again that you really are a great teacher of the first. Many thanks for this and a happy new year to everyone.
Expressing complex ideas in simple terms is one of the hallmarks of genius. Good work here. I really like that explanation of music theory you start with. It took me a few years to reach that point myself. One thing that a teacher helped me with was understanding that most people really can't hear more that two pitches at once, and one great compositional skill is to write in duets and then fill in harmony (if you want) after the music sounds complete in two voices.
Excellent. Thank you so much. Only half way through your basic but profound demonstration I gained such insight beyond what I only had rudimentarily garnered from music theory and my ear studying film composition. Elements of the sophisticated compositions by Hans Zimmer jumped out at me from the essentially practical fundamentals you presented. Genius tutorial on the intrinsic nature of harmonization in composition. Thanks Again!
"Every note can be the root 3rd or 5th..." this made the sun come out, and the sky cleared for me! Thanx 😁 as just being an amateur tinkering at home, I got stuck in theory just as you explained, the more I tried to apply it, the more boring the piece sounded. No I'm eager to apply this to pieces that I've dropped earlier 👍
Thanks so much for the video, really opened a new door for me. Your videos are immensely helpful to composers at any level and have tremendous clarity. They also help bring new confidence.
Very nice video. I tried a similar approach on some of my tracks. What I also found: the bass can have a very strong impact on the harmony even if the chords are the same. As shown, writing an ascending or descending bass already incorporates the usage of thirds and fifths.
Hello ! I subscribed instantly, I am a self made musician and even though I can find dozens of videos on how to write a bassline or chord progressions, I always felt like I didn't know if it was right or not and eventually, I always believed that it could be done much better but I couldn't grasp it... and then you appeared on my algorithm today and really talked about the core problem I was facing, thank you very much, good luck !!!
Thank you very much! You can explain a complex topic so simply, with a calmness and confidence that is without equal. I look forward to hopefully many more videos from you!
So smart and witty, this non over thinking is a joy to see. I'm late to theory so I compose by instinct. I get it done though my friends don't know how, But I'm always wanting to learn. You are breath of fresh air and an inspiration. You're so gifted and humble and that makes you so special as a person and a composer. God bless and God's speed..
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful and the music is not bad either.............I'm joking of course. Your music is wonderful. I wish you all the best for 2024.
Ms. Dern, wonderful explanation on how to apply harmony. As a composer with similar melodic taste to yours, this video was a revelatory moment for me. When your teacher gave you this framework, you were smart enough to recognize it for what it was: a way to distill a complicated process into an easily graspable form for harmonization. Thanks so much for passing it on.
I'm a career music theorist, and just wanted to say that this is great, and that any theorist who's getting bent out of shape about this method doesn't know what they're talking about! You're 100% right that traditional harmony theory is for analysis, not for composition, and anyone who insists that it's the latter is missing a big crucial thing. I also agree with everyone saying that the concept demonstration already sounds great itself. Do you by any chance know Purcell "Fantasia Upon One Note"? It's actually very similar in concept to your concept demonstration! It doesn't go as far afield tonally as yours does, but it's neat to see such a similar idea existing so many centuries ago.
Thank you so much for this. It’s been 5 years since I set out to try to find which emotions come from which chords. This clearly demonstrates the harmony theory that I thought existed but was so sadly mistaken to see that it didn’t. Like I cannot express my gratitude enough. It finally makes sense in the way it’s supposed to 🥲😭
Just wonderful Anne-Kathrin! As a theory freak myself, but struggling finding spontaneity and originality in my composition, I found your approach to think forward instead of backward very refreshing and helpful. Now I just want to sit and try this out. Thank you very much for all the incredible useful and inspiring videos and your generous contribution to the world of composing! Danke sehr!!!
I graduated Classical Harmony in conservatory, and no, you're not over simplifying. You're great. Being able to see your content for free is a blessing. I'm so greatful I discovered your channel.
I love this recommendation. It is along the lines of how I have been writing recently and I find it leads to significantly better harmonies and I get there a lot quicker
It is noticed: when you look at the work of a master, it seems that it is very easy. Thanks for your clarity of presentation! I'll show your video to my students.
The way I understood my composition lessons vs theory lessons was the goal of composing vs the goal of theory. Theory is vital when trying to understand what you hear in your head and analyze what you put on paper in terms of function. Compositions is unique as it’s what’s in your mind as an emotion and one’s goal is an attempt to put into writing that emotion as a noise. I was taught certain rules when composing to think about: avoid voice leading that sound contrived, smooth is better than leaping, and tonality/tessitura/timber and overall texture is more important than breaking rules such as parallel 5ths and conventional voice leading. Oh, and oblique motion sounds wonderful. I was told to practice two part, three part, and so on species writing to practice creating smooth voice leading.
Thanks Anne-Kathrin, great video. Music theory is great for explaining why something worked and why something did not work, but don't let it limit your creativity. Having poor keyboard skills I regularly make mistakes playing a melody and harmony into the DAW. 9 out of 10 times is sounds wrong (and music theory explains why), but every now and then the "mistake" is a little gem which I wouldn't have considered originally. Music theory then helps me understand why it worked, but it wouldn't have pointed me in that direction.
This was an excellent explanation and demonstration, and the resulting music was quite moving. I especially enjoyed the A♭-starting version of your fragment.
This is so inspiring! For the last few years, I've been following the usual advice floating arround, writting chord progressions and then coming up with melodies, countermelodies, etc... Since I always had a difficult making melodies that "would go somewhere", so it's been great, but seeing you do this makes me wanna try something different! Thanks for that! Also, I always thought I had to use a pencil tool to write realistic MIDI CCs. Watching your videos and seeing you use broader curves that are not nearly as difficult to write also made me wanna try them. I've been doing lots of fast progress with this approach using modeled virtual libraries! My mock ups never sounded better! You are doing wonders for me!
I have thoroughly ENJOYED this "methodical" approach to exploring possibilities of chords---I LOVE theory. You're presenting the *fruit* of theory. You've truly learned well, girl! Yes, "bend" those rules when you like. The rules work for great reasons, but they're never intended to restrict---only to provide that foundation for GREAT music. And you can't do that well until you've slogged through the theory swamp. Theory Swamp turns our path to the Mountains of Majesty 😊.
Your videos are so inspiring. I am an absolute Amateur and just creating music for fun - could never live from what I am doing and neither intended to do so any time. But it is such an incredible gift that you are presenting in your videos. You know your "tools" (the musical approaches one can use) and you know how to apply them and teach them. Your are the outstanding positive example of the opposite of "a fool with a tool is still a fool"
Thank you for expressing in the first 2.5 minutes what I've always felt since being ostracized and berated by my freshman Music Theory 101 prof ... 54 years ago. ❤
I'm used to classic harmony education, I mean how chords are formed, how they relate, preparation and resolving dissonances, chords functions and so on (still struggling with minor mode functions) but hearing your examples was so nice and enchanting, each of them a different emotion. Thank you so much, it was a catchy different approach!
Tell the haters: "There are too many who appreciate what I do for me to waste time listening to you." Richly satisfying colors in this example » C as #11😀! Many thanks for your valuable contributions; keep up the fine work.
Very good points. Music theory is, to me, the study of how music works. There's more than one way to do that. Music theory at it's most complex can confuse most people, and there's no point in that. I like your approach of teaching the practical applications. In programming, when something is hard, we say "solve a simpler problem." Same idea with music. Simplify it, understand it, move onto more complex theories when and if you need to.
I’m with you on this… I let my ears be the judge. If some elitist says it’s too simple so be it. I like it, the people I play it for like it. Enough said.
ANNE-KATHRIN: I just caught up with this video and I can't emphasize enough the importance of what you are saying. This is exactly how I have been composing. Forgetting theory and just being mindful that, not only the melody note can belong to a chord tone, but knowing any melody note also belongs to a scale, no matter how exotic, and is therefore PLURAL with many CHORDS and SCALES. I may initially start with a series of intervals to create a melody. Of course the ear and what I am hearing in my head is leading all of this, but my formal theoretical training with scales, and chords derived from scales, is necessary to lead and extend melodic possibilities the ear may not anticipate. I too, find myself going back over what I have written to transcribe my work into formal harmonic theory. Finale or Sibelius are part of this process. I also find using a high quality sample library of a violin string section, flute, or other single instrument to do my melodic noodling can really inspire. You are a true beacon of light to all of us! M. Schuster
That was both very helpful and entertaining and delivered in fine style. You had me creased up laughing more than once! You're a gem, Anne-Kathrin Dern, a real gem!
Anne-Kathrin I happened upon this video and your channel by chance and what a lucky find. I love your refreshing approach, learned a lot and my inspiration tank is filled.
Anne, can't even thank you enough for all your videos!! I have an undergrad music degree and, honestly, music theory NEVER made sense to me enough to apply it irl because of how complicated they made it sound. Please don't stop making these videos, you're such an inspiration! Every time I try to compose and feel stuck on something, I'm running to you immediately!😆 Thanks for sharing your knowledge, you are greatly appreciated!
Your videos are incredible and I am so very happy that I have found you! My understanding of music theory and composition has never been better! Vielen vielen Dank!
Holy shit, Anne. That might be the most useful thing I've ever seen on the subject. I'm already writing cool stuff using this method. Thank you so much! The way you described it couldn't be more simple and pragmatic. Being a victim of music theory myself, I tend to block and second guess myself. And your lessons are just so down to Earth and simple to apply. Thanks!
More of this plz. Stumbled on your channel and this video has helped MASSIVELY. This is a topic I’ve always understood the theory of but never been shown examples in such a simple and effective way.
Well I enjoy your work on UA-cam so thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, hater’s will always hate they are probably jealous as they cannot produce anywhere near the quality of your work.
Great video! I really like that when you start a topic, I always think "yes, I probably know what this is going to be like" and it is always much better! :) Even when you explain thinks I know (or I think I know), something new or a new perpective is learned. Thank you for your super helpful work!
Just found your channel. Super interesting series here, gives an easy on ramp for learning some of this. Really valuable to the self guided amateur. Keep up the great work!
I remember being told early on, probably at the beginning of high school, that it's best to learn as much music theory as you can, and then forget about it. I don't think it was meant as literally erase it from your brain, but it's best to not let it dictate your playing or writing. I've always tried to think of a good analogy for it. I keep wanting to go to baking for some reason, but hand/power tools makes the most sense to me. Think of learning a new theory concept as buying a tool. Let's say we bought a metal file. The analogy would be to not craft someone just because you have a file, or try to use the file out of context. Instead, forget about the file....until you need it. If you sit at a desk, just staring at your tool collection, then you're kind of working backwards, like was mentioned in this video. However, the file is still beneficial. You'll eventually come across an issue in which the metal file is the best tool to use. If you didn't have the file, maybe you'd instead use sandpaper. Point being: bank the music theory in your head. There will probably come a day in which it will help you. In the end, however, a lot of great things can be accomplished with zero tools. If we're talking music, it really comes down to what sounds good. So your greatest and most used tool is ultimately your judgement.
This is a great way to look at it, because it can allow a student to learn the most basic concepts and more easily learn to hear it, possibly, before going onto more complex ideas. Since most people (at least in the West) already hear music that way, whether they realize it or not.
As always, you have managed to pierce the sometimes forbidding walls of theory and reveal something fundamental and so very useful. And for me in this case it may be even more than what you intended. While I’d known I could construct chords like this, I’ve seldom ended up doing it because I didn’t want my chords frantically jumping all over the place. But in listening to the lovely little snippets in the last part of your video, I suddenly realized that I’ve invariably been rushing through the notes of my melodies, with seldom anything longer than a quarter note to be heard. Hearing how the languid dotted half notes of your example melody allowed you to use this approach to building chords that move naturally with each note … well, that was an eye opener for me personally. So, time to get to the keyboard again! Thanks so much.
This was such a great video! Please keep “oversimplifying” as this is so vital to us hobbyists who want to improve on our art. Just having the right mindset (not over thinking it) in approaching this craft helps tremendously!
Music educator here - I teach harmony in the UK gospel scene. I loved this approach. Spot on. I think you’re so right that lots of harmony theory is retrospective and many people are desperate for ways to harmonise on the go.
As a music educator and composer... I have to say that your videos are a perfect reduction to the core matters. I'd rather my students branch out in experimentation from the core matters (and actually create music) than be 'hog-tied' by a set of exceptions and "restrictions" that provide no room for creation. Always great videos!
What a great video! I knew from your opening that we feel about music theory similarly. You example hearing the sounds of the possibilities teaches more than a book ever could. Music is sound and needs to be heard to learn. Theory is just labels to make discussing commonly used sounds easier. Thank you for your videos.
Anne great job!!!. This is my first time watching one of your videos, I just found you looking around, and I´ve just suscribed to your channel. I´ve been teaching music for 30 years. It is amazing how I explained the relation between melody notes and harmony through all this years in my harmony classes, exactly the same way you did it here. I encourage my students to harmonize their own melodies, finding "colors", sensations, LISTENING!! so that combination of music phenomena describes or evokes what their want to express. More intuition to create. Nice!!
👀💥‼️ ...With your PREVIOUS videos you had my Curiosity, but with THIS one you have my ATTENTION 🤩👍 I absolutely LOVED the MAJOR 3RD VARIATION‼️🥳🎉✨️ THANK YOU for this 💞🎶🥰🎵💞
UA-cam needs more music theory like yours! Just the practical…. “So you can basically just do this…..” is really helpful to get you going! Ignore the haters 😂 a lot of academia is just people trying to pull the ladder up behind themselves to self validate their own journey 😂
Forget about people saying your videos are too simplistic. I am going on 80 years old, am trying to compose and arrange. I find you videos very helpful. Keep it up!
hell yeah Ron!
Totally agree!!! Thank you!!!
Yessss - way to go Ron!
Trolls are prolific on this and other social media platforms. Trolls can be pros too.
Sometimes the simplest advice is the most useful.
Having started playing piano at age 7, and now being 76, I can affirm that your method for creating new music works very well. And I can also confirm that having a good grasp of 'traditional' theory can help understand why some things work better than others. But I have to add that having a good grasp of 'the rules' can also suggest ways to 'break' them, which can save some time when you're using the 'every note can be any chord tone' approach. The essential lesson I've learned is that all approaches are good, and can contribute to a successful piece, but in the end, it is your ear that makes the final decisions. Writing music is exploring all the options, and even when you have a 'preferred method', not forgetting to explore a bit more. Nearly seventy years since I began, I'm still learning new things about the old things i began back then. And your videos, with their cheerful iconoclastic approach, add delight to my continuing education. Thanks, and best wishes for much success.
Having just stumbled upon your Videos I’ve just sat for an entire evening glued to the screen. I am 53 and have just started my journey to orchestrate having wanted to for years. I’ve been writing electronic and pop since I was 18 and your videos are a life saver!!! Let me explain. I don’t have time to attend music school and have a good basic knowledge of theory but what I needed was someone who explains things clearly but not so deep I can’t understand. This video for example is quite simply genius and I have always wondered how to harmonise properly as I usually do everything by ear so thank you. Your videos are informative, great pace, perfect delivery and loving the piece of video from your visits to different places all very calm and serene. Thank you thank you.
Harmonization: Each note of the melody is part of a chord. Simple, open to creation, works in practice. It's BRILLIANT! Well done Anna!
I’m a classical musician and have always felt like the theory that we’ve been taught has been a way to gatekeep us away from being composers ourselves. I know it’s not intentional per se, but your channel is golden in helping understand a much more intuitive approach to composition.
100% Breakdown the Walls
Using theory gatekeeps you no more than drawing with black pencil restricts you from become a great painter.
@@Короткоіясно-ь8рThank you Confucius for negating my experience by superimposing yours
@@Короткоіясно-ь8р Nice try framing the issue as "using theory" in that manner.
@@Короткоіясно-ь8р the problem happens when your theory teacher ISNT a composer themself and presents the syllabus like it applies to ALL music with no exceptions.
If theory is taught properly with the correct intentions - as a tool to aid composition and to help with appreciation and analysis of common practice works - then you can choose to follow or ignore certain principles depending on your needs
I sincerely appreciate the quiet/slow pace of these examples. It helps students to really hear (or even ‘pre-auralise’) what is going on.
All too often teachers just hurry through a bunch of attractive sounding stuff.
The used quiet method here also leaves more suggestive space for possible context, the optional coherence of chords, or even silence
Forget the haters! You do incredible work giving so much to the composition community here on UA-cam. Your channel is such a fantastic resource. Please keep going!
This is harmonic ASMR. That sequence of chords is hypnotising. Thanks Anne-Kathrin.
No fr tho. Not me falling asleep halfway through
Yes! Very yes! Thank you!
The way this vid builds to round 19:00 to showcase the compositional tool is amazing! Thanks. Another fun tool for any creative block. Limitless fun
I've made music where I haven't overthought why it works, so your 'retrospective' view on 12-tone theory (particularly harmony) rings true to me there. Long term, I've thought to 'theory up' more, to do more intentional work, rather than inspired luck, and I'm in the camp that finds theory is a toolbox rather than a sacred ruleset, which keeps the creativilty open.
Hungarian here haha. Thank you for your videos. You really inspire me. Guys, appreciate the fact that we have people like Anne-Kathrin making content like this for free.
Like most people have written here, I find your lessons very clear and helpful. And they give me tips to make structures for my compositions. You're a good teacher!!! And very generous to pass on all this knowledge to people.
Most "higher learning" teachers don't like simplification bc if it's simple, how are you going to keep the tuition fees coming in?
You're a great teacher. Please keep doing it your way
Great video! I am a studied jazz musician who also struggled with theory when creating. Nowadays I think it's important to learn everything about music theory to become conscious about the "rules" of music and how these "rules" create the sound and the emotion of a musical piece. When creating just do it and don't think about it. Like Picasso said: "Learn all the rules and then forget them!"
There's so much to writing a good song. Harmony/harmonizing is just one aspect. I'm trying to figure it out myself..
After understanding simple harmonization, there's the voicing of those chords and how to work them into your song. You can have a chord progression that works, but without the right voicings they might not sound so good in the song.
Then there's the idea of how to play those progressions - adding rhythm, etc. Playing block chords - each spanning one bar can get boring. Even just playing the chords out in any sort of way can get boring. Instead, you can have different rhythmic riffs in different instruments playing together that imply a chord progression when combined, but none actually playing out the full chord.
I think there's a lot to learn from studying other compositions.
This might be the most practical approach of harmonizing melodies I have ever seen! It's more or less how I approach it myself, but you make it so clear and simple, that it actually ís simple, and why not? Composing can be complicated enough, so it's really great to have some tricks up your sleeve. Very well done, indeed!
I’m also 80. Love your videos. Child is father .. er mother of the man .. thanks 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 lesson in overcoming doubt in one’s intuition ❤️ from 🇿🇦
Priceless. Love the way you started this one. The level you explain things is pitched just right, and I imagine, at the right level for many others. Please keep them coming
Didn't expect the "concept demonstration" to have such an emotional impact. Fantastic work!
I just said it sounds good all by itself.
As always, so much practical knowledge and wisdom that comes from experience translated into a 22 min video! Bravisimo Anne, we can’t say thank you enough for your excellent explanation but mostly for your generosity. ❤️
When I started in music some decades ago I couldn’t understand why people with limited musical knowledge composed so easily and people like me trying to study music the “right” way were so blocked and frustrated, you are absolutely right, we have to leave the theory aside initially when composing and use it as a resource to develop the theme, motif, etc, but nobody teaches you that or encourages you to that workflow and for this reason people keep believing that you have to study years to be able to compose something, so many years lost for so many lives.
Hope you have a 2024 full of successes, you deserve it!!
Thank you! You just unlocked harmony for me! I was instantly able to apply your tip of making the note the 1, 3 or 5. Great starting point. I always thought one had to “know” all the chords by ear to “know” what chord would work all the time - or use theory like “5 can go to 1” etc.
Hi Anne-Kathrin Dern, I am a self-taught orchestral music enthusiast from China because I really enjoy the energy that orchestral music conveys. However, since I am an amateur without professional training, I really need a lot of video tutorials like yours to guide my learning. I have taught myself music theory and am now studying harmony. Although it is not easy, I find it very enjoyable. I have bypassed the internet restrictions to access UA-cam and found your video tutorials, which have been very beneficial. I have learned a lot from your videos. I am very excited and really appreciate that you take the time to create such free tutorials. I am 34 years old and do not have a stable job. Currently, I am learning to be a welder. I spend my spare time learning orchestral composition. I hope that one day, when I have a stable job and income, I can make some donations to support you (like paying tuition). I hope to have more communication with you. I wonder if you would be willing to do so. I hope you can reply and give me your contact information. Thank you again. As a Chinese person, I would like to bless you in the Chinese way: May God and Buddha bless you with peace and health.
Anne-Kathrin this is great and we should teach this way. Your approach opens up to experimentation and to a greater extent improvisation, which really what music is about. When I left Berklee in '90, someone told me it will take 10+ years to forget all the technical stuff and start creating using what you choose to retain. It's really true. Music Theory is about understanding what was done and to give you tools to figure out "why something isn't working," but more importantly give you options to get you out of a jam. >90% trial and error
This is crazy! Every time I would try to write music as Anne suggests here, I would feel like I'm doing something wrong because I'm not using my 6 semesters of music theory to create my chord progressions! Thank you, Anne, for allowing me to put to rest my concerns about how I'm creating my music! You have a marvelous gift for presenting all things music in an easy to understand way.
Thank you so much for everything you share, despite the haters. As someone trying to learn more music theory, I appreciate info like this being presented in a straightforward, understandable way. Please keep the content coming!
It is much more challenging to explain complex issues in a simple way than to make already complex theories even more incomprehensible. You prove once again that you really are a great teacher of the first. Many thanks for this and a happy new year to everyone.
Expressing complex ideas in simple terms is one of the hallmarks of genius. Good work here. I really like that explanation of music theory you start with. It took me a few years to reach that point myself. One thing that a teacher helped me with was understanding that most people really can't hear more that two pitches at once, and one great compositional skill is to write in duets and then fill in harmony (if you want) after the music sounds complete in two voices.
To your point: what Thomas Newman can do with THREE simultaneous notes sounds like otherworldly genius! I mean, it IS genius!
Excellent. Thank you so much. Only half way through your basic but profound demonstration I gained such insight beyond what I only had rudimentarily garnered from music theory and my ear studying film composition. Elements of the sophisticated compositions by Hans Zimmer jumped out at me from the essentially practical fundamentals you presented. Genius tutorial on the intrinsic nature of harmonization in composition. Thanks Again!
"Every note can be the root 3rd or 5th..." this made the sun come out, and the sky cleared for me!
Thanx 😁 as just being an amateur tinkering at home, I got stuck in theory just as you explained, the more I tried to apply it, the more boring the piece sounded. No I'm eager to apply this to pieces that I've dropped earlier 👍
Thanks so much for the video, really opened a new door for me. Your videos are immensely helpful to composers at any level and have tremendous clarity. They also help bring new confidence.
You’re opening the doors for us to become good song writers. Thank you. You are a gem. ❤️
Very nice video. I tried a similar approach on some of my tracks. What I also found: the bass can have a very strong impact on the harmony even if the chords are the same. As shown, writing an ascending or descending bass already incorporates the usage of thirds and fifths.
Hello ! I subscribed instantly, I am a self made musician and even though I can find dozens of videos on how to write a bassline or chord progressions, I always felt like I didn't know if it was right or not and eventually, I always believed that it could be done much better but I couldn't grasp it... and then you appeared on my algorithm today and really talked about the core problem I was facing, thank you very much, good luck !!!
Welcome to the madness! 😄
Thank you very much! You can explain a complex topic so simply, with a calmness and confidence that is without equal. I look forward to hopefully many more videos from you!
So smart and witty, this non over thinking is a joy to see. I'm late to theory so I compose by instinct. I get it done though my friends don't know how, But I'm always wanting to learn. You are breath of fresh air and an inspiration. You're so gifted and humble and that makes you so special as a person and a composer. God bless and God's speed..
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful and the music is not bad either.............I'm joking of course. Your music is wonderful. I wish you all the best for 2024.
Ms. Dern, wonderful explanation on how to apply harmony. As a composer with similar melodic taste to yours, this video was a revelatory moment for me. When your teacher gave you this framework, you were smart enough to recognize it for what it was: a way to distill a complicated process into an easily graspable form for harmonization. Thanks so much for passing it on.
In my opinion this video should be the first stop in anyone’s journey towards understanding harmony. It is so helpful, thank you.
🙏
I'm a career music theorist, and just wanted to say that this is great, and that any theorist who's getting bent out of shape about this method doesn't know what they're talking about! You're 100% right that traditional harmony theory is for analysis, not for composition, and anyone who insists that it's the latter is missing a big crucial thing. I also agree with everyone saying that the concept demonstration already sounds great itself. Do you by any chance know Purcell "Fantasia Upon One Note"? It's actually very similar in concept to your concept demonstration! It doesn't go as far afield tonally as yours does, but it's neat to see such a similar idea existing so many centuries ago.
Really enjoyed this one. Somehow inspirational as well. Thanks for sharing your talent and expertise. Don't ever change! 🤟
Thank you so much for this. It’s been 5 years since I set out to try to find which emotions come from which chords.
This clearly demonstrates the harmony theory that I thought existed but was so sadly mistaken to see that it didn’t.
Like I cannot express my gratitude enough. It finally makes sense in the way it’s supposed to 🥲😭
Brilliant Anne - This is what I will be practicing this weekend 🙂Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all....have a great weekend
Just wonderful Anne-Kathrin! As a theory freak myself, but struggling finding spontaneity and originality in my composition, I found your approach to think forward instead of backward very refreshing and helpful. Now I just want to sit and try this out. Thank you very much for all the incredible useful and inspiring videos and your generous contribution to the world of composing! Danke sehr!!!
Have fun experimenting! ❤
This video, needs to be saved, and played in every single Harmony’s classroom. ❤. Insbesondere in jedem deutschen Konservatorium.
I graduated Classical Harmony in conservatory, and no, you're not over simplifying. You're great. Being able to see your content for free is a blessing. I'm so greatful I discovered your channel.
I love this recommendation. It is along the lines of how I have been writing recently and I find it leads to significantly better harmonies and I get there a lot quicker
It is noticed: when you look at the work of a master, it seems that it is very easy. Thanks for your clarity of presentation! I'll show your video to my students.
You just inadvertently (or on purpose idk bro) created a whole bunch of really cool atmospheres and textures. This was amazing!
Vielen Dank, das ist hilfreich und beeindruckend, wie klar und verständlich alles erklärt wird!
Great approach…creativity without boundaries. I enjoy your humor and honesty as well. 👌
The way I understood my composition lessons vs theory lessons was the goal of composing vs the goal of theory.
Theory is vital when trying to understand what you hear in your head and analyze what you put on paper in terms of function.
Compositions is unique as it’s what’s in your mind as an emotion and one’s goal is an attempt to put into writing that emotion as a noise.
I was taught certain rules when composing to think about: avoid voice leading that sound contrived, smooth is better than leaping, and tonality/tessitura/timber and overall texture is more important than breaking rules such as parallel 5ths and conventional voice leading. Oh, and oblique motion sounds wonderful.
I was told to practice two part, three part, and so on species writing to practice creating smooth voice leading.
Thanks Anne-Kathrin, great video. Music theory is great for explaining why something worked and why something did not work, but don't let it limit your creativity. Having poor keyboard skills I regularly make mistakes playing a melody and harmony into the DAW. 9 out of 10 times is sounds wrong (and music theory explains why), but every now and then the "mistake" is a little gem which I wouldn't have considered originally. Music theory then helps me understand why it worked, but it wouldn't have pointed me in that direction.
This was an excellent explanation and demonstration, and the resulting music was quite moving. I especially enjoyed the A♭-starting version of your fragment.
This is so inspiring! For the last few years, I've been following the usual advice floating arround, writting chord progressions and then coming up with melodies, countermelodies, etc... Since I always had a difficult making melodies that "would go somewhere", so it's been great, but seeing you do this makes me wanna try something different! Thanks for that!
Also, I always thought I had to use a pencil tool to write realistic MIDI CCs. Watching your videos and seeing you use broader curves that are not nearly as difficult to write also made me wanna try them. I've been doing lots of fast progress with this approach using modeled virtual libraries! My mock ups never sounded better! You are doing wonders for me!
I have thoroughly ENJOYED this "methodical" approach to exploring possibilities of chords---I LOVE theory. You're presenting the *fruit* of theory. You've truly learned well, girl! Yes, "bend" those rules when you like. The rules work for great reasons, but they're never intended to restrict---only to provide that foundation for GREAT music. And you can't do that well until you've slogged through the theory swamp. Theory Swamp turns our path to the Mountains of Majesty 😊.
Your videos are so inspiring. I am an absolute Amateur and just creating music for fun - could never live from what I am doing and neither intended to do so any time. But it is such an incredible gift that you are presenting in your videos. You know your "tools" (the musical approaches one can use) and you know how to apply them and teach them. Your are the outstanding positive example of the opposite of "a fool with a tool is still a fool"
Thank you for expressing in the first 2.5 minutes what I've always felt since being ostracized and berated by my freshman Music Theory 101 prof ... 54 years ago. ❤
I'm used to classic harmony education, I mean how chords are formed, how they relate, preparation and resolving dissonances, chords functions and so on (still struggling with minor mode functions) but hearing your examples was so nice and enchanting, each of them a different emotion. Thank you so much, it was a catchy different approach!
Tell the haters: "There are too many who appreciate what I do for me to waste time listening to you." Richly satisfying colors in this example » C as #11😀! Many thanks for your valuable contributions; keep up the fine work.
Very good points. Music theory is, to me, the study of how music works. There's more than one way to do that. Music theory at it's most complex can confuse most people, and there's no point in that. I like your approach of teaching the practical applications. In programming, when something is hard, we say "solve a simpler problem." Same idea with music. Simplify it, understand it, move onto more complex theories when and if you need to.
I’m with you on this… I let my ears be the judge. If some elitist says it’s too simple so be it. I like it, the people I play it for like it. Enough said.
Oversimplifying things is a great and unique talent, only marvellous teachers have. Thank you for your videos!!
That’s great… this is exactly what I was looking for to learn! Great job! 😊
Great exercise to open your ear to the possibilities of a melody. Thank you
The most inspiration of harmonize video on the Internet！
ANNE-KATHRIN: I just caught up with this video and I can't emphasize enough the importance of what you are saying. This is exactly how I have been composing. Forgetting theory and just being mindful that, not only the melody note can belong to a chord tone, but knowing any melody note also belongs to a scale, no matter how exotic, and is therefore PLURAL with many CHORDS and SCALES. I may initially start with a series of intervals to create a melody. Of course the ear and what I am hearing in my head is leading all of this, but my formal theoretical training with scales, and chords derived from scales, is necessary to lead and extend melodic possibilities the ear may not anticipate. I too, find myself going back over what I have written to transcribe my work into formal harmonic theory. Finale or Sibelius are part of this process. I also find using a high quality sample library of a violin string section, flute, or other single instrument to do my melodic noodling can really inspire. You are a true beacon of light to all of us!
M. Schuster
I absolutely love your Composition series. Such a good material. And the way you present it is adorable
Thank you ! I watched it all the way through. Thank you for all the golden knowledge you are sharing. Greetings from a pianist in Norway
Thanks for making the harmonizing simple & sweet ❤
That was both very helpful and entertaining and delivered in fine style. You had me creased up laughing more than once! You're a gem, Anne-Kathrin Dern, a real gem!
Wow, this video is incredibly informative! Thank you for breaking down complex concepts in such a clear and understandable way. I learned a lot!
Anne-Kathrin I happened upon this video and your channel by chance and what a lucky find. I love your refreshing approach, learned a lot and my inspiration tank is filled.
Beautiful and refreshing! Thanks Anne-Kathrin!
Anne, can't even thank you enough for all your videos!! I have an undergrad music degree and, honestly, music theory NEVER made sense to me enough to apply it irl because of how complicated they made it sound. Please don't stop making these videos, you're such an inspiration! Every time I try to compose and feel stuck on something, I'm running to you immediately!😆 Thanks for sharing your knowledge, you are greatly appreciated!
Your videos are incredible and I am so very happy that I have found you! My understanding of music theory and composition has never been better! Vielen vielen Dank!
Holy shit, Anne. That might be the most useful thing I've ever seen on the subject. I'm already writing cool stuff using this method. Thank you so much! The way you described it couldn't be more simple and pragmatic. Being a victim of music theory myself, I tend to block and second guess myself. And your lessons are just so down to Earth and simple to apply. Thanks!
More of this plz. Stumbled on your channel and this video has helped MASSIVELY. This is a topic I’ve always understood the theory of but never been shown examples in such a simple and effective way.
Well I enjoy your work on UA-cam so thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, hater’s will always hate they are probably jealous as they cannot produce anywhere near the quality of your work.
Great video! I really like that when you start a topic, I always think "yes, I probably know what this is going to be like" and it is always much better! :) Even when you explain thinks I know (or I think I know), something new or a new perpective is learned. Thank you for your super helpful work!
Again, a very nice video and explanation. I've learned a lot on this channel, and often even more than paid courses. Waiting for Composition 108 😀
Just found your channel. Super interesting series here, gives an easy on ramp for learning some of this. Really valuable to the self guided amateur. Keep up the great work!
I remember being told early on, probably at the beginning of high school, that it's best to learn as much music theory as you can, and then forget about it.
I don't think it was meant as literally erase it from your brain, but it's best to not let it dictate your playing or writing.
I've always tried to think of a good analogy for it. I keep wanting to go to baking for some reason, but hand/power tools makes the most sense to me. Think of learning a new theory concept as buying a tool. Let's say we bought a metal file. The analogy would be to not craft someone just because you have a file, or try to use the file out of context. Instead, forget about the file....until you need it. If you sit at a desk, just staring at your tool collection, then you're kind of working backwards, like was mentioned in this video. However, the file is still beneficial. You'll eventually come across an issue in which the metal file is the best tool to use. If you didn't have the file, maybe you'd instead use sandpaper.
Point being: bank the music theory in your head. There will probably come a day in which it will help you. In the end, however, a lot of great things can be accomplished with zero tools. If we're talking music, it really comes down to what sounds good. So your greatest and most used tool is ultimately your judgement.
This is a great way to look at it, because it can allow a student to learn the most basic concepts and more easily learn to hear it, possibly, before going onto more complex ideas. Since most people (at least in the West) already hear music that way, whether they realize it or not.
Great and at the same time simple approach, Anne! Thanks for posting!
This is the kind of fundamental work I wrongfully think I can skip sometimes. Thanks for putting in the time for this.
As always, you have managed to pierce the sometimes forbidding walls of theory and reveal something fundamental and so very useful. And for me in this case it may be even more than what you intended. While I’d known I could construct chords like this, I’ve seldom ended up doing it because I didn’t want my chords frantically jumping all over the place. But in listening to the lovely little snippets in the last part of your video, I suddenly realized that I’ve invariably been rushing through the notes of my melodies, with seldom anything longer than a quarter note to be heard. Hearing how the languid dotted half notes of your example melody allowed you to use this approach to building chords that move naturally with each note … well, that was an eye opener for me personally. So, time to get to the keyboard again! Thanks so much.
This was such a great video! Please keep “oversimplifying” as this is so vital to us hobbyists who want to improve on our art. Just having the right mindset (not over thinking it) in approaching this craft helps tremendously!
Who would have figured your examples would be so beautiful and emotional. Damn.
Music educator here - I teach harmony in the UK gospel scene.
I loved this approach. Spot on.
I think you’re so right that lots of harmony theory is retrospective and many people are desperate for ways to harmonise on the go.
Vielen dank. I am a guitarist and trying to start writing rags and cakewalks. Lots to learn and this helped.
As a music educator and composer... I have to say that your videos are a perfect reduction to the core matters. I'd rather my students branch out in experimentation from the core matters (and actually create music) than be 'hog-tied' by a set of exceptions and "restrictions" that provide no room for creation. Always great videos!
LOL... just a minute into the video and I knew I was gonna love this. Just love it when you speak your mind.
What a great video! I knew from your opening that we feel about music theory similarly. You example hearing the sounds of the possibilities teaches more than a book ever could. Music is sound and needs to be heard to learn. Theory is just labels to make discussing commonly used sounds easier. Thank you for your videos.
Thank a lot for sharing your experience.This is soooo precious
Anne great job!!!. This is my first time watching one of your videos, I just found you looking around, and I´ve just suscribed to your channel. I´ve been teaching music for 30 years. It is amazing how I explained the relation between melody notes and harmony through all this years in my harmony classes, exactly the same way you did it here. I encourage my students to harmonize their own melodies, finding "colors", sensations, LISTENING!! so that combination of music phenomena describes or evokes what their want to express. More intuition to create. Nice!!
Great work! This is the greatest video on harmonization I have ever seen!❤😊
👀💥‼️ ...With your PREVIOUS videos you had my Curiosity, but with THIS one you have my ATTENTION 🤩👍
I absolutely LOVED the MAJOR 3RD VARIATION‼️🥳🎉✨️
THANK YOU for this 💞🎶🥰🎵💞
UA-cam needs more music theory like yours! Just the practical…. “So you can basically just do this…..” is really helpful to get you going! Ignore the haters 😂 a lot of academia is just people trying to pull the ladder up behind themselves to self validate their own journey 😂
I've been writing songs for decades and harmonising by ear and guesswork. Finally decided to learn about it. This was really helpful, thanks!