Courses and subjects

Over the years I’ve taught a broad selection of subjects in conservatoria, colleges and music schools. Here follows a list of courses on offer for vocalists, instrumentalists and composers.

Some subjects are suited to one-off workshops for large or small groups (eg rhythmic training for choirs, or a specialized area like Chord-scale theory). Others, like Aural Training, require the routine of a longer period to build a basic foundation, or profit from a one-to-one situation.

Writing down music/Notational theory

• chords & symbols, scales & modes
• notation, manuscript & part-writing. Computer notation
• rhythmic notation, metric modulation
• instrumentation, transposition & acoustics

Why does a staff have 5 lines? Why not 4 or 6? Why does the first mode start on C and not on A? An understanding of the history of music notation provides an entertaining insight into the underlying musical structures of melody, harmony and rhythm.

Understanding harmonic styles

• functional jazz harmony: classical roots (1920-1950’s)
• blues harmony, stylistic distinctions
• modal harmony (1960-)
• modern jazz/pop harmony & compositional styles. (1970 to now)
• practical applications of chord/scale theory.

Why are 3 chords enough? Enough for what? .. and which 3 chords?
If music can be compared to language, then harmony is the underlying grammar and syntax. Like language, music changes over time and place as composers and improvising musicians adapt harmonic structures to develop their own styles.

Learning to listen/ Solfege and aural training
(1) Tonal recognition & memory

• melodic training: dictation -from ear to page…
• from page to ear: singing exercises
• tonal recognition & chord progressions.
• transcription training.

(2) The Art of Microtiming.

• rhythmic training: reading & timing
• the structures of rhythm
• rhythmic styles: swing, rock & funk, latin & afro, balkan & flamenco…
• rhythmic notation and metric modulation