ESSENTIAL COMPOSER
TRAINING: FOUNDATIONS
REFERENCE GUIDE
“
It’s not because you see it
that you can do it”
*Click the titles to be directed to the videos
From Part I - “Voicing
& Voice-Leading”
From Part I “Subdominant”
The harmonic series:
A group of notes naturally
occurring from a
fundamental.
Harmonic Minor Scale:
Raising the leading tone (7th
scale degree) when
harmonising.
Voice-Leading:
The concept of going to the
next logical note.
(Motions: Parallel, Similar,
Oblique, Contrary)
Voicing:
SATB (Chorale) & Keyboard
writing.
Grouping (or Gestalt).
Doubling concepts.
Cadences:
Group of chords happening at
the end of a musical phrase.
(Perfect, Imperfect, Plagal, Deceptive)
From Part I - “Mediant
& Dominant 7”
Root Progression:
How the root tone of each
chord progresses from one
chord to another (descending 5th,
From Part II “Figuration”
Figuration:
Decoration of a musical line
(Passing Tone, Neighbour Tone,
Arpeggiation, etc.).
From Part II “Composing Out”
Composing Out:
Expanding homorhythmic
SATB writing using simple
arranging techniques like
repeated notes, pulses,
octaves, rests...
3rd, etc.).
From Part I - “Tonic &
Dominant”
7-1 Rule:
The 7th scale degree
should always resolve to
the Tonic.
ff
Chord Functions:
Tonic Pre-Dominant
Dominant.
4-3 Rule:
The 4th scale degree will
resolve to the 3rd scale degree
on a dominant 7th-chord.
From Part II - “Inversions”
Inversions:
Voicing your chords di erently
than with the tonic in the bass
(Beware of the cadential 6/4).
From Part II - “7th
Chords”
7th Chords:
Adding the 7th to our triads.
Tertian harmony: harmony
based on stacking 3rds.
Shell Voicing:
A chord containing only the
Root, 3rd, and 7th.