Composition 102: Harmonic Planing
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- Here's another one of my favorite composition techniques - smart and simple!
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0:00 Overview
4:38 Diatonic, Chromatic, and Mixes Planing
6:49 Planing with a Melody - Ravel's Bolero
15:58 Planing to Create an Atmosphere
20:36 Planing in Action Music
22:56 Planing in Scene Transitions
26:55 Conclusion
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I really hope this becomes a regular series. These types of videos are very helpful
This absolutely blew my mind. This is a sound you hear everywhere in music and I never had a way to describe it and implement it in my own writing. I'm really excited to sit down, practice, and start to incorporate it into my music!
Please keep this series up! It's in-depth, with great examples, and easily accessible. Thank you!
Anne, the conclusion section is the most clean and learning point of this video. Aspiring composers tend to jump a few levels by watching some YT tutorials or videos, and they forget that it takes years of practicing to forge new skills or solidify old ones.
As always, you bring wisdom to the table.
Thank you! Always wanna make sure people practice composition like they would practice an instrument. That's only for the aspiring pro crowd of course, hobbyists are free to do however much or little they like since it's just for fun and personal growth.
@@AnneKathrinDernComposer indeed, but I believe that a major of your followers aim to get to a pro level, which is a journey - my point is that you are really great on sharing the focal points on how to practice, and you keep it real transparent and clean.
I've been studying music all my life, and as a performer/musician and mainly as a composer I feel that I'm always learning and forge "new" techniques or how to apply it. So...
I think you should do a live Zoom session with that much wisdom. Would love to talk about all of the aspects around music and composition with you! :)
I was playing around with chromatic mediants and was still a bit uncomfortable now and then, afraid of making a 'mistake' in case I didn't follow 'the rules'. This harmonic planing technique demonstrates I shouldn't be that uptight :) Loved the video, thanks for the help!
One of the BEST videos I've ever seen on CZcams... right up there with the pedal tones video... I am overjoyed for this insight - especially since I'm a huge fan of Stravinsky, Ravel & Debussy. I also suspect Bernard Herrmann used this as well. I'm immediately torn between experimenting with this and going back to listen to music from the aforementioned composers to spot the planing! THANK YOU!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
So glad this is helpful to you! Have fun listening and experimenting! 🙂
I just wanted to say that in my 5+ years of watching music theory videos on CZcams, next to Nahre Sol, you are the only woman I know talking about these topics. And I wanted to tell you how much that means to me! Other than that: this video is fantastic. I love how you explain things and I've never seen a video about this before. THANK YOU!
So many "Oh, THAT'S what that is!" moments on this channel. Thank you!
The thing that got me into orchestral music is ingenious Warcraft's (WoW, WC2) soundtrack, done mostly by Jason Hayes. I'd be listening to it for years even when not playing the game. And then I saw a music theory course which featured chromatic mediants, and I instantly knew that this was it, the "warcraft" sound, so I enrolled instantly.
And now I see that John Williams (I adore SW score too) used it very well and that it doesn't have to be just mediants, so there're possibilities to really explore the feel.
You said well that it's more about the feeling than the emotion, well said. It's a perfect tool to create atmosphere of wonder. Although I'd argue that it is a feeling too, it's just perfect in its subtlety. It doesn't enforce itself onto you like many other scale-based pieces, but rather fills you with the feeling of wonder, true adventure, new beginning, mystery. And because it's so subtle yet so deep, this instantly becomes a musical drug for my soul.
I also love chromatic music in general, it's kind of a cheat how to not use key but still make amazing music.
Also Julius Fucik's "Entry of the Gladiators" is a great example of how chromatic music and harmonic planing can give different emotions and be absolutely memorable.
Damn so much musical love in one video
I’m a big fan of Jason Hayes’ WC work too, especially the early games. I thought I was the only one still listening to those old soundtracks years after having stopped playing.
Your examples from 17:20 to the end are very instructive and make your explanations very clear ! we could now experiment J.Williams moods ! thank you !
I learnt this under the name parallel harmony about 30 years ago (in jazz studies). Although it can free up a lot of the difficulty the idea of voice leading it still works best when respecting common strong movements or at the very least having strong motive ideas, you can't just throw things in randomly or you risk overwhelming the listener with too little consistency.
Really interesting, as always :-) And well explained with good examples, it's rare to find those kind of videos. Thank you so much, your channel is my favourite!
Thank you for watching the channel and for your continuous support! Really appreciate it!
Thank you for your generous spirit
Fascinating. Ravel's stuff has always baffled me, and this has gone a long way to demystify what's going on.
Thank you for taking the time to present different use cases and matching examples.
As always, thank you so much for the time you take to demonstrate techniques. I have a degree in music, but it's a lifelong process to continue growing as a composer. You are so helpful and honest about this type of work. I not only learn a great deal from you, I enjoy your channel too! Love learning from you. Thank you Anne-Kathrin!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the kind words!
In his Bolero, Ravel doesn't only use harmonic planing, like the parallel ninths in his Pavane or in a lot of Debussy's pieces, but he does play some of the overtone series (e.g. the C in the horn, the G a 12th higher in the piccolo and the E a 17th higher in the piccolo). Thanks to these accentuated overtones, he really emphasizes the horn melody and, in fact, we could call it an orchestral saturator :)
As an organist I exactly know where Ravel got an idea for this technique 😂 With careful registering on the organ you can play all day parallel major chords with just single melody line, right ? Exactly 12 and 17 above. I remember back at school I had Roland Juno 2 with a memory chord. You could play a chord (up to 6 voices of polyphony), capture it with a sustain pedal, and voila ! You could check out various planings and the sound they produce in rapid passages otherwise impossible to play (but possible with careful orchestral arranging). I had a chance to get used to the sound of rapidly changing parallel major, minor, augmented, dominant 7/#10 chords etc. Something like from Debussy’s La Mer... Priceless experience.
Thank you so much for your engaging tutorials, and the touches of wit.
You are kick-ass cool for taking the time to record these composition technique videos! And then to drop the true lesson like an F-bomb in a conversation of you haven't learned until you practice the technique A LOT is your true genius!!!
While I have yet to see ALL your videos, the ones I have seen always open up with gorgeous, peaceful vistas. So thank you for that as well as the incredibly useful content you offer.
"I'd say Ravel, Stravinsky, Debussy are the kings of...." You listed my 3 favorites lol
Edit: since I'm obsessed with electronic music, I'd like to add that a lot of musicians who would never have known the term used this a ton- mainly from the limitations of old gear. For example, synthesizers that had "chord memory" would remember the notes you play in and build the chord over the note you hit completely ignoring key. Also, old samplers with short sample times, you'd sample a chord and play it all over 😋 I love the back and forth of things like this
Your tutorials are one of the best, very educative and professional at the same time, especially by using the visual style instead of just notation. Indeed German standards.. Congrats!
everytime a new video is up there's no hesitating for me, watching instantly!
Thank you, that's great to hear!
This was really great stuff up until 23:43 … at which point you made my brain explode. So many insights in just those next few minutes, all wrapped around a transition mockup that shows exactly why you are so successful in your career. The change of inversion to add greater voice movement to a two half step planing chord … that alone was something that made me want to rush to my piano. Thank you so much for this!
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
That was amazing! I've heard this sound so many times, but just didn't know there was a name for it! Just so amazing, thank you for sharing.
I'm so glad I watched this. I was always amazed by these kind of harmonies and for the first time I was able to see how it works and make some sense out of it. So good! Please keep on making videos like this. Thank you!
It's worth noting that Ravel understood the pipe organ, and in some cases (e.g. horn plus piccolo) he was probably trying to simulate the effect of mutation stops.
This is the first video I’ve been able to find on planing. There’s so much info on more basic theory widely available, but stuff like this is so hard to find. Thank you!
I remember an article about Glenn Miller who explained his sound in mathematical terms. 'If you have the formulae and understand it, you can make your music sound any way you want.' (Paraphrased). This is gold dust. I have used this not knowing it was even a thing, and had a name. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to this technique.
You just made my day x
Great lesson and use of examples here, it really explains the concept well. I'm excited to play with this a bit and see what I come up with!
26:34 In addition to parallel planing, Anne-Kathrin also uses a very common, and very well working treatment of various triads superimposed on top of each other, but with spread (open) voicings and a register gap. Here you have static C Major triad in upper register, and Db/Ab AMaj AbMaj in lower Strings and brass against it. That creates a very nice tension in scoring suspense, uncertainty etc. Also look at CMaj to DMaj triads shift. It’s not only parallel, but also changing inversion. Same thing happens in brass. Tip : there are two ways of practicing planing on the polyphonic instrument : 1. Parallel as a constant structure 2. Planing with modifying triads inversions. We use that technique in jazz performance all the time 😊
Excellent video Anne, i've listened to Ravel for years and always loved his harmonic depth in his pieces. It was great to hear this piece in particular be dissected. Kudos!
Thanks for sharing and keep on sharing. Stay Happy and Healthy.
Thanks for watching! :-)
I love when you make this videos. The fact that someone inside the industry teach what it goes, and which techniques are used is really enlightening.
Thank you very much!
Hi Ann-Kathrin, Thanks for all your educational videos. I'm learning a lot. This time I really appreciated your 'Call To Action' - so true that only by applying yourself the things you explain and demonstrate, it will become something of yourself. Thanks again and hope to see and especially hear more of you and your work!
thanks Anne-Kathrin for another inspiring video!
Hey, so great that your back and thank you for the tips !
Despite you say this is not an orchestration video, it could help to everyone in that matter anyway. Also, I really like the clarification you made in the conclusión, so nobody can feel dissapointed when try to make it at once and realize it's not that easy. I really thank you, Anne, for sharing it. Grettings.!!
Love this video. Use this technique all the time!
Wow! This really demonstrates that classic Hollywood sound. I love it. Thank you so much, Anne-Kathrin!
I really appreciate you harping on practice and practicality in learning these skills vs "theoretical" knowledge. Thanks as always!
what a great master class!
Thank you for this - and the all important call to action at the end!
Thanks so, so much for these videos! Much appreciated!
Thank you for sharing your ideas, Anne. Love Ravel's Bolero, too!
I love your closing notes on skill, practice and owning shared knowledge. Thank you.
I like that: no rules!:):) Thank you Anne-Kathrin.
Welcome back! I really love these!
Thank you!
I absolutely love this series, you explain this so simply. Please, give us MOAR!!! :)
I try, I try. :-)
Awwwh shucks!! I've been waiting for something like this!! Thank you for sharing these types of techniques and all the knowledge you have of the music industry.
My pleasure! :-)
oh my ! so proud there is another girlz music producer channel!
Hell yeah! Another lady to follow on here is Cato Zane - love her tutorials! And Clairewritesmusic is fantastic too!
Art is always trickery. Trick the eye, trick the mind, trick the hear. Make very simple things look complicated. I understood so much of classical music. (all with counterpoints) I've never understood what happens in the movies when this type of musical movement starts happening. (I've never understood why I hated Bolero, now I do) I'm stunned. So easy. So effective. You make me smile. This knowledge makes me smile.
So glad to hear that!
You are my biggest discovery of this year. Absolutely phenomenal.
Love it! I knew this was a ‘thing’ but I never had a term for it. I really enjoy your examples from the classical world. 🎶😊
Thank you Anne-Kathrin! You are a great teacher. I chuckle when you disparage your mock-ups, they are way more authentic than what I am getting out of Finale/Gariton.
Anne-Kathrin - you are such a wonderful source of knowledge!!! Love all your vids!!
This is awesome. Thanks Anne! I'll be working this today.
Loved the video. Thank you for the in depth explanation and examples
I used to do this on the piano when I was 11 years old. They have a name for everything, it seems.
Thanks for this, I did already know what planing was but its nice to be reminded of these techniques from time to time. Nice examples too.
Thanks, Anne! Very helpful! And inspire me!
This channel is seriously insane! You're an amazing composer and teacher too!
I am so glad I found you. I started out many years ago aspiring to be Liberace lol! (OK. I'm old) But Elvis got us all shook up and the Beatles wanted to hold our hand and so I played along making a fair living along the way. Hard rock, then heavy rock, then blues, then country became what rock used to be, then my heart and life changed and I became a Gospel Music Singer. But now at 77 I no longer tour or perform and I have an incredible studio where I no longer accept commissions to do sound tracks. So basically, other than making vids for youtube, I'm retired. I know music theory from way back, but as you said, knowing theory and making use of it in composition is two different things. I have developed an interest in trying to write back ground music for some of the videos I wish to make that aren't exactly music vids. So I watch a vid or two quite often from youtube to get ideas and different ways of looking at things. You my dear, are special. I have watched several of your vids and your command of various techniques has shown me new ways to approach things. And the way you present your ideas and use of techniques is so very simple to see and understand. Thank you for taking the time to teach us old dogs some new tricks! I'll be poly chording and planing for some time to come now. As you said, the variations are endless. God bless you.
Thank you for very interesting and useful CZcams videos from a very articulate and knowledgeable composer. I hope you will continue to make more of them to give starting points to the most important elements of the composer's toolbox. Also I enjoy your videos of Los Angeles at the start to give a flavour of your local environment. I wish you well in your career. I tried the Leeds Town Hall organ and it was very good, thank you.
So great. Love this material!❤
Super interesting thank you. Now I'm hearing harmonic planing in so much music I know including one of my fav bands. Another example - early rave music using chordy stack samples so playing them back at different pitches = same chord shapes = harmonic planing. All sorts of emotions - happy, cheesy, dark and scary even. Thanks again.
Another fantastic video. Thank you!
Excellent presentation, thank you !
I was taught theory and composition, counterpoint, etc. by my Father, Lee Terry (famous arranger in the 1920s).
Parallelism was for people that didn't know how to change keys correctly, and that was that.
RULES.
Yes, that's how it was back in 'the day'.
I still try to hear these changes using classic counterpoint (I'm 75 years old), rather than just playing the parallel chords.
Thank you again,
Bill P.
Years ago I was writing in a notation program that made harmonic planing easy, so I wrote some jazzy pieces with counter-planing, where one part of a chord stack I’d move up and another part of the stack moved down, to totally change the chords and progression. Then I changed computer, and the program I found lacked a way to harmonic plane fluently. Now I’m back to planing friendly notation software. Of course, it’s always an easy operation in a DAW!
Another excellent video Anne-Kathrin. I was already aware of this technique but the way you explain it and demonstrate it is very useful! Many Thanks :)
Very nice and explanatory installment.
Learning so much from your content.
Thank you!
Excellent examples. Thanks for this.
Not much on the tube regarding this technique, I have been trying to make use of it for some time now in my own comps.
Really enjoyed your share thank you.
Best composing channel on YT!..Thank you! :)
Thank you, that's very kind!
Thanks for the video! As others have mentioned, when I studied this in school they called it parallel harmony. Fun technique, easy way to modulate.
That was fascinating, thanks! I never examined Bolero in that way. That was really intriguing. I heard a conductor once say that Bolero is the longest two minute piece of music ever written. And BTW, great point about skills.
I've heard that Ravel apparently resented how popular 'Bolero' was compared with his other works, since I think he mostly considered it as a technical exercise in stringing out one tune in one key.
Great explanation of this technique - as always.
Thank you!
lovely setting
This is a great! I love how practical your expositions are. The clear, varied examples really help too.
Glad to hear that!
Thanks for sharing your tips :). You named some technics that i frequently use in my own compositions. Ravel is one of my biggest inspirations :).
This is some of the greatest music content on all of CZcams.
Thank you!
I love planing! One if the first harmonic/melodic techniques I fell in love with when I started exploring harmony and theory a long time ago, and an integral part of cinema (e.g. JW) as well as early 1900 composers 🤩 As always, great video, clear explanations, and excellent examples 😊👌 You have become one of my favourite YT'ers with your non-nonsense, to the point videos about the business, craft and philosophies on the subject of film composing👏👏
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support and the kind words!
Thanks, been looking for a series on composition planning
Thanks Anne-Kathrin, this is really great! 😀
Great video. Thank you so much!
This and the pedal point video were amazing! They helped greatly! The examples were clear with the midi. Guitarist getting into film scores so my music reading isn't great yet!
Thanks for your videos. I don’t have any pretense to being a composer, but I enjoy learning about the techniques that real composers use. Concluding remarks were spot on! Thanks!
Thank you for this very timely video. I was working on a composition today that I've been stuck on for a while and this gives me lots of ideas. It's already non-diatonic by design and now I'm going all in with planing chords! Functional harmony need not apply.
You're the GOAT. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this. It may be bare min techniques but your videos help to open my brain cells! Welcome back--off to go experiment now. THANK YOU!
Have fun! 🙂
Hallelujah. You teach so similarly to the way I think. I’ve always taken it for granted that I have to translate the structure and style of people’s tutorials. With you it’s like hearing future Me explain something I am about to learn to current Me (albeit with a 100x nicer voice).
Great video. I would love to see more like this.
Maravillosa técnica Anne! Gracias!
28:26 You don’t need to go to formal training in order to master it, but... You need to sit down, get in front of your DAW, create a template, get a printed score of anything Ravel, Mahler, Stravinsky, Bartok, Williams etc. and sequence it staff-by-staff, line-by-line ENTIRE passage (NOT only a short excerpt ! ENTIRE thing !!!). Only then you can tell you’ve actually learned something solid. By doing it 10 times with various contrasting pieces, you can learn the craft of composition/Orchestration etc. It took me 2 months to sequence entire Daphnis & Chloe 2nd Suite. That alone teaches you basically everything you need to learn about various techniques... 😊
Thanks very much for this video, it's really helpful and your examples are inspiring.
Well that will become very useful very soon for me, with the whole magic-y vibes. Great thanks!
Glad to hear that!
The thing is that I joined the composing game late (3 yrs exp. only) and I am 43 yrs old now. Seriously, if I just can go 13 yrs back in time, I'd literally study composing/orchestration officially and analyze most of the great scores. However, I am so grateful that my skills improved and have 6 tracks accepted by a music library in such short time. Mixing/Mastering? Yeah, I'll get there soon lol
Great topic Anne, keep it up :)
Welcome back! Hope you had a great time off and are recharged :-) Thanks for a great video. As a member of your audience and being so absolutely new to trying to compose, I for one don't think of the information you are imparting as tools added to the tool bag but concepts you are introducing to me and your message...that it is up to me to go out and really learn how to apply those concepts is well received and in progress. I do very much appreciate though that you cover the subject with a great explanation and EXAMPLES both from other works and your own work. My ear isn't very good (yet) but Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand is something I heard live recently on a trip to Gdansk Poland and it was astonishing and another good example I think of the Harmonic Planing you describe. I don't know if Chopin's Piano Concerto in F Minor is a great example but I think I'm hearing it in the strings under the piano melody and even if it isn't planing...my god...it is mesmerizing...absolutely and hypnotically beautiful.
Love that there is Bolero playing subtly in the background 😂
First one of your videos I have come across. Liked it a lot, subscribed