A Method of Teaching Harmony, Vol. 1: Based Upon Systematic Ear-Training and Upon the Harmonization of Unfigured Basses, Figured Basses and Melodies, and the Construction of Harmonic Progressions by the Pupil; Diatonic Harmony (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from A Method of Teaching Harmony, Vol. 1: Based Upon Systematic Ear-Training and Upon the Harmonization of Unfigured Basses, Figured Basses and Melodies, and the Construction of Harmonic Progressions by the Pupil; Diatonic Harmony

Two of the chief objectives which this method has in view, then, are, (i) the imparting of a knowledge of chords based primarily upon their sound, and (2) a study of their nature and function, first, individually, and then, joined with others to form progressions. If, however, we claim to teach these aspects of the various chords, it is necessary that the exercrses given upon each chord Should test the pupil's knowledge, and exercise his powers in these special directions. That is, the working of the Exercises, given in connection with the various chords, must reveal, at least to some extent, how far the pupil can hear, mentally, the sound of the chords he has written down, and, by his ability to frame satisfactory progressions of them, how far be under stands their individual nature and function. Hitherto, in most Harmony text books, the Exercises employed have been principally, if not entirely, in the form of Figured basses, but it only requires a brief consideration of the nature of such exercises, and of the directions in which they furnish no test whatever, to Show, that, for the above mentioned purposes, exercises of this kind are quite useless. First of all, the filling up of Figured basses cannot test the pupil's power of hearing. Mentally, what he is writing down, for it is quite possible to correctly fill up the parts of an exercise in accordance with the figures, without having any idea of the musical effect of the resulting harmonic progressions. Secondly, the filling up of Figured basses neither exercises nor tests in the slightest degree the pupil's knowledge of the function of the individual chords, nor his power of selecting chords, which shall be suitable to join with others, for the formation of satisfactory harmonic progressions, for all such matters are decided for him. In these two most essential matters, exercises in the form of Figured basses supply no test whatever, and, therefore, although the Figured bass has hitherto been the time-honoured servant, or back, of every harmony teacher, yet in this book such exercises have been relegated to a position, more, we think, in accordance with the small intrinsic value which they possess as instruments for the teaching of Harmony, than they have hitherto held.

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