The Dynamics of Harmony: Principles and Practice

by George Pratt

This is a readable and imaginative book presenting, with infectious enthusiasm, a sensible simplification of the main processes of classical harmony in the Bach-Schubert period. Pratt's explanations of concepts such as "real" and "substitute" chords, of false distinctions between "major" and "minor" and of the simple basis of seemingly complex chromatic harmony enables readers to grasp the principles of harmonic progression, and to see most progressions as a form of "dominant-powered" movement. He focuses his study on Bach chorales, Mozart piano sonatas, and a Schubert song cycle, thereby providing depth, variety, and a realistic sense of a context of "real music" to his explanations and to the exercises. But he also offers the reader an immediate invitation to apply the same principles to an immense range of musical literature from Monteverdi to Scott Joplin.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

162 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 1984

Reviews

[minhhai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I am not a musician so please don't take my review too seriously. There are many more things the book offers that are beyond my comprehension.

I found the book very helpful for me to understand the chord progressions (which I had been looking for) and their underlying mechanisms. This book is definitely a good first step for that. It discusses the main themes of chord progressions in classical music from Bach to Schubert's era. Of course, there are other themes in that time period, as well as the later time, that are not included in the book.

The book is very concise, written in "bullet-point" format. A summary is given after each chapter. There are many exercises in each chapter which I did not do (read the disclaimer above).

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible, clearly structured, and suitable for beginners to undergrads. Will definitely be dipping back into this for an almost entirely comprehensive analysis of classical (and by extension baroque) harmony. A nice allusion to Schenkerian analysis with the fundamental bass structures used in the analyses without shoehorning it in unexplainedly. Perhaps the best text on classical harmony going around.