Theory Courses

Theory and Composition Maestro Kamran Khacheh

Course I (Beginners and Intermediates)

1. Materials of Music

  • Basic properties of sound
  • Classification of intervals and scales
  • Inversions of intervals and scales

2. Triads

  • Chord components
  • Triad types based on individual scale degrees
  • Inversions
  • Consonant and dissonant intervals
  • Duplets and quadruplets
  • Chord disposition: closed and open
  • Movement of individual voices

3 . Connections of Primary Triads

4. First Inversion

  • Notation with numbers
  • Nature of first inversion

5. Dominant Seventh Chord

  • Origin of harmonic dissonance
  • Natural resolution
  • The three inversions

6. Ninth and Thirteenth Chords

  • Seventh chord
  • Inversions

7. Notes Unrelated to Harmony (la fioritura melodica)

  • Ornamentation and passing tones
  • Retardation
  • Anticipation
  • Appoggiatura

All topics will be supported by examples and practical exercises

Course II (Advanced Students)

1. Tonality and Mode

  • Tonal functions of scale degrees
  • Modal scales
  • Tonal strength of chords
  • Sixth, seventh and third degrees
  • Realization of bass at the fundamental stage of first and second inversion

2. Cadences

  • Authentic, perfect and imperfect cadences
  • Half, plagal and deceptive cadences
  • Phrygiancadence

3. "Artificial" Secondary Seventh

  • Function of the dissonant chords which are different from dominant seventh chords
  • Seventh chords types

4. Special Sequences

  • Possible special resolutions (tonal and modal)
  • Secondary dominants

5. Modulation

  • Psychological need of tonality changes
  • Modulations from close and distant keys

6. Progression

  • Initial mode
  • Tone progression
  • Function of secondary dominants
  • Modulating progression

7. Chromatic (altered) chords

  • Raised IV° degree and lowered V° and VI° degree
  • Augmented sixth and Neapolitan sixth chords

8. Analysis

  • Harmonic analysis
  • Formal analysis

Course III (Advanced Students)

For the very advanced student; work in polyphony, counterpoint and analysis (20th century works: Bartok, Webern, Spanish composers from De Falla onward).

Texts

Course I

La nuova scuola di teoria e lettura musicale, Carlo Delfrati e Rita Ferri(ed. Curci, Milano)
Il Libro delle letture, Carlo Delfrati e Rita Ferri (ed. Curci, Milano)
Armonia tradizionale (vol. 1), Paul Hindemith(ed. Curci, Milano)
Cento Solfeggi Cantanti, Luigi Cornago (Carisch, Milano)

Course II

Lezioni di armonia, R. Dionisi e M. Toffoletti (ed. Curci, Milano)
Quaderno di esercitazioni, R. Dionisi e M. Toffoletti (ed. Curci, Milano)
Appunti di analisi formale, R. Dionisi e M. Toffoletti (ed. Curci, Milano)
Harmony, Walter Piston (Norton, New York)