Harmony on the Inductive Method offers a new system of teaching harmony through inductive learning, not a new theory.
It argues that the true understanding of harmony comes from practice and observation, while the science of acoustics explains sounds but not music itself. This edition aims to make harmony clearer and more memorable, focusing on what has proven useful to skilled composers and teachers alike.
This book presents a practical path for students of music to grasp harmony by building from foundational facts to workable rules. It emphasizes four core ideas and four key departures from traditional pedagogy that help students remember and apply harmony more confidently.
- Four grounding facts: tempered scales, a set of related key signatures, the possible combinations of sounds (chords), and the rules that govern chord progressions.
- A shift away from figured bass, with an emphasis on direct understanding of chords and their functions.
- Four simple, comprehensive rules for modulation that make modulating easier to learn and apply.
- Guidance on how these ideas translate into practical harmony, melody, and form for real musical writing.
Ideal for readers of harmony and composition, especially students seeking a structured, inductive approach that connects theory to practice.