Learning Resources/Basic Chromatic Harmony
Basic Chromatic Harmony
Discover the chromatic harmony found in Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, and Richard Strauss, which stands as the foundation of modern film music. Chromatic harmony has been used extensively throughout the history of music, from Baroque music to the rich, expressive harmonic colors of Romanticism and Impressionism. Its influence has been heard in the works of prominent Hollywood composers such as John Williams, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, and many others.
Robert Davis
Instructor
5 modules · 21 video lessons
Intermediate
What you will learn
A study of chromatic harmony and examining various harmonic progressions used to make a smooth transition from one chord to another. Learn various chord types for tonicization: secondary dominants, diminished, half-diminished, augmented, augmented sixth, and Neapolitan sixth chords.
- Dominant chains
- Common resolutions
- Chromatic sequences
- Chromatic modulation
- Parallel chord sequences
- Chromatic mediants
Course Content
Previews Available- Course Materials
- General Course Information
- Notes on Opening Music
General course information
- All lessons are video-based and supplemental study material is available in PDF format.
- Progression examples are provided as separate downloadable course materials (PDFs).
Instructor
Robert Davis
Composer & Music Theory Educator
Robert Davis is a composer who specializes in diversity. He has no particular style that he sticks to. Having spent most of his study in his early years trying to understand the complex chromatic harmony of Wagner and Mahler, he wrote his first symphonic poem at age 19 in a harmonic style similar to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.
This landed him a big job in the sample library industry when very few "big" computer libraries existed. Here he was a consultant as well as a Demo creator for Garritan Orchestral Libraries. Eventually, he worked for MakeMusic (the creators of Finale notation software) creating demos and consulting, before branching out on his own.
Currently, he has dedicated the last two years honing his harmonic language by consistently and religiously learning new styles. As it stands, Robert feels just at home creating a Piano Concerto that sounds like it could have been created by a Late Romantic composer, or writing a Ragtime piece. His pursuit is musical mastery of many styles.
Other students also viewed
Applying Modal Color to Your Music
This course is a practical guide designed for media composers looking to infuse their music with rich, cinematic textures. By diving deep into six essential musical modes, you will discover how to instantly evoke specific emotions and vivid musical atmospheres. Through detailed score analysis and orchestral examples, you will master the distinct colors and mood of each mode. Elevate your storytelling and unlock a whole new palette of melodic and harmonic possibilities for your next score.
$59.99
Practical Application of Genre & Styles
Bridge the gap between music theory and real-world media scoring. designed for media composers of all levels, this practical course guides you through a diverse range of dramatic scenarios, teaching you how to adapt your musical toolkit to deliver high-impact cues for film, games, and modern media.
$62.99
_80b1c45c.png&w=3840&q=75)
Master Music Modulation
Become a master of modulation! Topics discussed in the course include common functional harmony modulation, pivot modulation, closely related major chord modulation, and just about everything you need to know to master the most fundamental and commonly encountered modulation skills. In Part 1 of the series, we emphasize "Pivot chord modulation" using common chords, whereas in later episodes we will apply the same technique, but move from mode to mode.
$64.99