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In the process of establishing a symbiotic coexistence between Intuition and Knowledge,
the job of Music understanding (Knowledge, Yang%75%) is to propose (solutions and help), and
the job of artistic creation (Intuition, Yin%25%) is to judge (whether to accept or not).
Intuition
Does our Intuition really need help or can it operate perfectly well all by itself?
The evaluation of works in both popular and classical repertoires exposes certain
problems for which we have prepared suggestions of help.
Melo-Rhythm
Let's start with situations which are already posted and present on the site -
InApplications/Evaluation/Analysis, you will find 3 songs,
Santa Claus is Coming To Town,Joy To The World, andWinter Wonderland,
in which we have detected Melo-Rhythm problems.
Have a look at them, send in your scores, and in a return page,
you will see what suggestions we propose for them.
InRhythm/Preface/The Unknown Container, you will find the Bach fugue in Ebm,
for which we propose a 3/2 meter, rather than the original 4/4.
Listen to both versions and let your intuition decide which you prefer.
Other works have also been examined, but are not yet posted on the site -
In Analysis, we are preparing the following songs -
All The Things You Areby Jerome Kern, 1939
Bye, Bye, Blackbirdby Ray Henderson, 1926
Dianeby Erno Rapee, 1927
Edelweissby Richard Rogers, 1959
Greensleeves, Anon
In A Little Spanish Townby Mabel Wayne, 1926
It's All Right With Meby Cole Porter, 1953
Mack The Knifeby Kurt Weill, 1928
Muskrat Rambleby Kid Ory, 1926
Over The Rainbowby Harold Arlen, 1938
Tres Palabras(Without You) by Osvaldo Farres, 1942
Some classical works have also been examined -
the beginning ofFur Eliseby Beethoven,
theWaltzes in Bm and Amby Chopin.
Melo-Harmony
Already present on the site -
InAnalysis, you will findJoy to the Worldcompletely re-harmonized,
and part of the bridge ofWinter Wonderlandtransposed a half-tone lower.
InHarmony/Basics/4 Strong Modes/Preface, you will find the Bach fugue in Ebm again,
this time with the second entry transposed from Bbm to Abm.
Other works have also been examined -
the beginning of the third movement of theSymphony No.9 in Emby Dvorak,
where he seems to mistake aDominantized
ANTE-3for a TONIC chord.
There are numerous cases of an ANTE-3 (dominantized or not)
acting as shadow of the DOMINANT -
inDianeby Erno Rapee,
inMuscrat Rambleby Kid Ory,
in the2-part Invention in Eby Bach,
in theSymphony No 1/First Movementby Beethoven,
in theEtude No 1by Chopin,
inPetite Suite/En bateauby Debussy.
Melo-Lines
Changes in the Melo-Harmony often provoke changes in the Melo-Lines,
the notes themselves of the Melody -
in Analysis, the notes ofWinter Wonderland
at the beginning of the bridge,
in the Bach fugue in Ebm, the notes of the Soprano and Alto-Tenor voices,
during the two central lines, bars 3-6.
Other works have also been examined for their Melo-Lines.
Back to Rhythm
It is interesting to note that almost all the problems of Melo-Harmony
as well as the problems of Melo-Lines which result from them,
are the result of poor disposition of the chords in TIME,
the chords themselves being perfectly well constructed,
but not at the right place.
In other words, the problem is one of Rhythm,
more specifically, the inability to intuitively perceive the larger levels.
More of this later.
Knowledge
What kind of Music Theory is capable of offering the help which our Intuition seems
to need? We will examine the problems encountered by Intuition in the previous section
and see what is needed to help solve them.
Rhythm
The problem here is invariably the same -
the inability to intuitively perceivealternation(of Beats and Off-Beats) at large levels.
One easily feels the presence of alternation at small levels -
which s are Beats and which are Off-beats,
because the presence of s is quite clear;
whichs are Beats and which are Off-beats,
because the presence of s is quite clear;
and, usually, whichs are Beats and which are Off-beats,
because the presence of s is usually clear;
however, one does not always feel whichs are Beats and which are Off-beats,
because the presence of s is not always sufficiently clear,
as was the case in the Bach fugue in Ebm.
We have two solutions to offer,
a possible development of intuitive capacities,
and a source of knowledge.
1. TheFootsieswill enable anyone, with reasonably little effort,
to actually "feel" the larger levels, one at a time,
in the movements of the body, as they pass through the feet.
No thinking required, guaranteed, certainly worth trying.
2. TheGraphicswill enable anyone, again with reasonably little effort,
to "see" what has previously been felt at every level,
even showing all the levels at the same time.
Not that much thinking required here either.
Harmony
There are 3 problems here -
1. Construction of individual chords,
2. Disposition of chords in Pitch,
3. Disposition of chords in Time.
As solutions we suggest givingMuzikeco(MusicNovatory) a try, and seeing what happens.
1. Construction of individual chords
The "trick" here is changing the order in the approach -
looking at Tetrads first and Triads later.
Tetrads are built in aFRAME, composed of therootand thefifth-
one of which is theCOMMON TONEand
the other being thePROPER TONE,
with aMEDIANnote (thethird) inside theFRAME, and
aMOTRIXnote ( thesixthor theseventh) outside theFRAME.
2. Disposition of chords in Pitch
The "trick" here is placing the chords in the series of fifths -
in what we call the diatonicWindow.
The 3 major chords are together with the tonic in the center, and
the 3 minor chords are together with the tonic in the center.
3. Disposition of chords in Time
Despite the fact that this is a question of Rhythm, usually in its larger
levels,
the disposition of chords, progressions, and cadences
is clearly exposed in theDiatonic Major Mode.
The presence, and precise nature, of 2 Triads within each Tetrad
is also clearly presented on this page.
Melody
Once the Voice-leading Lines of Harmony have been clearly exposed and identified,
their role in the structure of theMelo-lineswill be evident,
and of great help in composing (and correcting) melodies.
Praise of Intuition
There seems to be little doubt that, if a priority must be established between Intuition
and Knowledge, Intuition must be granted this preference, and for several reasons.
Music is, above all else, an art form, and only an intuitive approach can allow the
composer (or performer, for that matter) the appropriate emotional climate. Intuition
is also, in its direction, more reliable than knowledge, as we well know by the numerous
false and detrimental paths taken by the so-called "modern" classical music in the
last century. There seems to be no better solution than to consider Knowledge as Intuition's
"hand-maiden", ready to serve its master as needed, and it is the duty of Knowledge
(Music understanding) to be up to the challenge of offering the required help. MusicNovatory
is proud of its role in establishing the symbiotic coexistence of Intuition and Knowledge,
which should exist in all domains, social, scientific, artistic, not only in Music.
Preface
Philosophical Dichotomies
Music Dichotomies
Melody and Development
Harmony Dichotomies
Rhythmic Containers
Cultural Habits
On to theWelcome page
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