Introduction
Learning to harmonise in the chorale style is beneficial to any composer or music analyst. Whether you are looking to learn from scratch as a hobbyist, alongside your school or university lessons, or for any other reason, I hope the resources on these pages will prove useful.
I have approached these lessons from my own point of view, and although I have suggested some tasks to try along the way, I will always recommend that the best way to put your learning into practice is by taking a melody of an existing chorale and re-harmonising it yourself. For me, there’s no better place to look than Bach – so help yourself to any of his chorales and re-harmonise his melodies for yourself.
A Couple of Notes
Regardless whether you are following a specific qualification or studying independently, it is important to remember a few things:
- Chorales follow strict “rules”, patterns and formulae that define what is “allowed” and what is not. Following these rules allows us to write in the chorale style, however…
- These rules were devised by looking back at how composers wrote their chorales. They might be better described as guidelines that allow us to write in this particular style, as even Bach himself can be found “breaking” the rules on occasion! What we call the “rules” are the particular stylistic traits of chorale writing which were considered good practice by composers of that time.
- Although it is called harmonising, it is not just about the vertical arrangement of chords. The horizontal movement of notes (part-writing) is equally important, and will make the difference between a harmonisation that works and one that doesn’t. It would be beneficial here to also study the basics of counterpoint, as the styles of writing co-existed and relate to each other quite heavily.
- Chorales are not just “following the rules” and “recognising patterns”. Yes, this is part of it especially during the learning process, but harmonisation should be thought of first and foremost as pastiche composition (composing in a particular style). In time and with practice, you can learn to follow the rules and produce unique, creative and interesting work in the style of composers such as Bach.
Several exam boards in the UK cover harmonising chorales, and I’m sure there may be many more if you are abroad. So, if you are specifically studying for a qualification, please do check with the exam board requirements as some can be quite specific about what they like to see.
My Method
There is no one way to write or teach chorales. Everyone will do it a different way and there are several resources out there already that will also be beneficial to anyone learning. However, everyone learns differently and so I have added my own resources to the vast array of online material. I’ve tried to design it so that you can dip in and out of certain subjects, and I’ve tried to keep the explanations clear but detailed. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, whether it be regarding theoretical questions or typos!
Contents
Basic Rules:
3. Basic Non-Harmony (Non-essential) Notes
Cadences:
5. Perfect Cadence Fingerprints
6. Imperfect Cadence Fingerprints
Keys:
7. Identifying Modulations and Cadences
Developing Style:
Disclaimer for Students
If you are studying for a qualification, always check with your exam board before assuming these lessons are 100% correct. Different boards expect different things, so make sure you know what specifically you need to be able to do for your course. Please do let me know if there is anything missing so I can add it for future readers.