Lesson 12
Harmony II

Assignments

Creative
Project

Sample Exam
SampleFinalA
SampleFinalAKey
SampleFinalB
SampleFinalBKey
SampleFinalC
SampleFinalCKey

 

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Creative Project D

Compose a melody and add your own accompaniment

For this project, you will compose your own melody and create an accompaniment for it.

Following are the given parameters for the melody:

  • It must be 8-16 measures long.
  • You can use the meter of your choice.
  • It can be based on one of the melodies you composed for an earlier project, or be completely new.
  • The melody needs to be tonal--based on either the major or minor scale of your choice.
  • Your melody needs to end on tonic.
  • All notes of your melody need to be accounted for--either as a member of the accompanying chord, or a nonharmonic tone.

Following are the given parameters for the accompaniment:

  • You may use any diatonic (within the scale) triad or 7th chord, in root position or in inversion.
  • Primary triads will probably dominate your accompaniment, but at least one chord that is not a primary triad must be used.
  • At least one 7th chord must be used. (The dominant 7th is the most commonly used.)
  • Your last two chords should be dominant to tonic.
  • Your accompaniment cannot consist of simple block chords as it was in Project C. You may use one of the accompanimental patterns found in Lesson 12, Topic 5 ("Accompanimental Patterns"), or you can create your own (better yet!). Keep in mind that the patterns provided in Lesson 12 include only the primary chords. You need to add at least one additional chord to your accompaniment.

Timbre

The instrumentation you use for this project is entirely up to you. It can be written for solo piano or for an ensemble of instruments (perhaps even including percussion). The melody could be written on a single staff, or perhaps written for several instruments. The same is true of the accompaniment.

 
General directions
  • Title this "Project D."
  • Your name,of course, should be the composer's name.
  • Include a tempo marking.
  • Include articulation (staccato/slur).
  • Include various dynamic markings.
  • LISTEN to what you have composed. Do not submit your creation until you are satisfied with the way it sounds.
  • Be CREATIVE and have FUN!
 
Submit

When you have completed this project, save it as a Finale NotePad file and send it to the instructor as an e-mail attachment. Name each file by the project name and your name. Include both your first and last names with your last name first. Please follow the example for uppercase/lowercase letters:

Example: CPD LastFirst

Your instructor may wish for you to print your project and submit a hard copy.

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