# Books Modal melody



## gsilbers (May 13, 2009)

maybe youd be interested in this book

http://www.berkleepress.com/catalog/product?product_id=58600&category_id=7 (http://www.berkleepress.com/catalog/pro ... egory_id=7)


some modal too


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## bryla (May 14, 2009)

I can recommend Hindemith's musical composition volume 2! Important not one.


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## om30tools (May 14, 2009)

Funny enough, I've already got Re-harmonization Techniques and when I looked at that, I knew its going to be really great when I get to the harmony side of music , but still lacks theory on modes when it comes to the melody aspects of music.

The Hindemith one seems tied to genre, any other reccommendations?

- Thanks


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## bdr (May 14, 2009)

Not about melody writing per se, but lots of great info about using modes. Persichetti 20Century Harmony, Ch.2. And read all the other chapters also


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## om30tools (May 16, 2009)

Hey, speaking of harmony, and indeed, the book 'Twentieth Century Harmony', 
I've heard that this book is very good, but I'm wondering if I need any pre-requisites before I'm able to understand such a book?

Also, will this book teach how to make interesting modulations, via secondary dominants, but also how to move between keys that are connected by simply one note, but not necessarily a stable/perfect note e.g. possibly the subtonic (7th degree) in the home key, that turns into an say an augmented 4th in the next key?


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## bdr (May 18, 2009)

It's not a book on tonal harmony, so only touches on those sort of modulations you're talking about tangentially. It covers many interesting aspects of modern harmony, primarily from around 1900-50. Well worth having.


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## om30tools (May 19, 2009)

Okay, so do I need to have any theory pre-requisites or can I dive in? (its my first harmony book)

And regarding the type of modulations I was asking about, what kind of harmony book covers that at length?

I'm basically trying to look for an all-rounder harmony book thats easy to understand, if not possible then I'd settle for two harmony books, not too many?


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## mducharme (Jun 11, 2009)

I suggest Kostka/Payne "Tonal Harmony" for Harmony studies. "Twentieth Century Harmony" is going to skip right over the stuff you are asking about.

More expensive but even better for self-study than "Tonal Harmony" is the two part "Harmonic Materials in Tonal Music" by Harder/Steinke. If you can afford it I would suggest that, otherwise "Tonal Harmony" is probably the best book for that price.


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## om30tools (Jun 14, 2009)

I've read reviews and turns out the hindemith course is geared towards bach chorales. I've done bach chorale stuff at A Levels. 

But what I'm gearing towards (like most people on this site) is the really exciting stuff that happens in film scoring, hence the question about modulating, modes, and a solid foundation.

Btw, as I said earlier, I'm studying harmony from 'Melody in songwriting', so I'm not starting from zero. 

Despite that, do I need to study or in my case re-study bach chorales in order to get a solid foundation in harmony. 

If not, should I look at kostka, or is there another book i should look at, like say Peter Alexander's Applied Harmony 101&102?


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## bryla (Jun 14, 2009)

You have probably read reviews about Hindemiths Books on Traditional Harmony. The one that I'm recommending is Exercises in Musical Composition volume 2. It is really not necessary to go through volume 1 IMO.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Musical-Composition-Exercises-Writing/dp/0901938416/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244986284&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Musical-C ... 284&amp;sr=1-3)


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## om30tools (Jun 15, 2009)

Aah, I see. Sorry to be so fussy, but I cant tell anything by looking at its contents, it looks like it doesnt focus on hamony, can I ask you why this book is better than kostka please?


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## bryla (Jun 15, 2009)

I am not saying any of these two things.... you weren't even asking them.

You asked for a book about modal melody.... There you have it.

Kostka? I've never spoken about it.

Just wanted you to consider Hindemiths


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## om30tools (Jun 15, 2009)

lol, oh i get it now. I mixed the suggestions up lol, thanks for the recomendation!


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## jsaras (Jun 15, 2009)

Perhaps you are overthinking the whole proposition. Why not take an existing thing you've written in a standard major or minor key signature and change the underlying scale to a major with a b6 or a raised 4th or phrygian or locrian minor mode and see what happens?


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## caseyjames (Jul 2, 2009)

This thread has sparked my interest. After a little poking around I think I have a grasp on their application.

Say over a C chord, my primary options are to play modally in F, C, G or (C ionian, C lydian, or C mixolydian); is this correct?

Past that, if I say introduced the a D major scale or a C dorian i would be introducing a clashing C# which may or may not be desirable.

Is this the general gist?


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## om30tools (Jul 3, 2009)

For me I've realised that what I was asking about was the pivotal chord, and how to introduce it and how to know, where I should go from there in order to keep it sounding logical.

Not sure the C# would go in that respect, atleast not until after the new Tonic in the new key is introduced.

Maybe I am over thinking it lol. But I bought, Twentieth century harmony & Tonal Harmony. I'll work through them when I get time. But after a quick flick, I think mò«   §K«   §L«   §M«   §N«   §O«   §P«   §


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