George Frederick McKay · section 55 of 111

Project 12

Read and hear this section in the playable edition →

Write examples in reduced scoring which illustrate the clarifying effect of vividness of timbre. Speculate into the nature of the "attributes of tone" and try out some contrasts that come to mind. Contrast of any kind will be increasingly recognized as a central orchestral resource almost as fruitful as orderly design in ensuring clarity.

The world of percussion sound, in particular, has a wealth of fascinating timbres that invite exploration. After hearing some percussion works of composers such as Chávez and Varèse, make experiments of your own in use of percussion timbre. Increase your knowledge about the percussive "attributes of tone" by trying out various opposites. Use duo combinations of pure percussion, or duo combinations which combine percussive and sustained timbres.

More Playable Books

Sanganeria, ArrivalBuild jazz lines that land, with 30 original playable examples.
Fux, Gradus ad ParnassumLearn how independent voices work together, one species at a time.
Goetschius, Exercises in Elementary CounterpointBuild independent melodies through graded exercises, with 471 recorded examples.
Goetschius, Counterpoint AppliedStudy imitation, canon, and fugue with 393 recorded examples.
Kitson, Counterpoint for BeginnersStrict counterpoint in two and three parts, species by species, with every example playable.
Prout, Analysis of J. S. Bach’s Forty-Eight FuguesFollow Prout through all 48 fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier, every example playable.
Rameau, Treatise on HarmonyExplore the foundations of harmony, composition, and accompaniment.
Rimsky-Korsakov, Practical Manual of HarmonyThe classic harmony course, newly translated from the 1910 French edition, with all 640 examples playable.
Tchaikovsky, Guide to the Practical Study of HarmonyTchaikovsky’s Moscow Conservatory harmony course, with playable examples.
Fenaroli, PartimentiSix books of partimenti, with playable basses, contrapuntal exercises, and bilingual rules.
Reger, Supplement to the Theory of ModulationExplore Reger’s modulation method with 100 analyses and 102 playable examples.
Cutter, Harmonic AnalysisLearn to name every chord and non-harmonic tone in real music, from Bach to Wagner, with the passages playable.
Schoenberg, Theory of HarmonyRead all 22 chapters, with the original German beside a new English translation.
Rimsky-Korsakov, Principles of OrchestrationDiscover instrumental colors through scores and orchestral recordings.
Forsyth, OrchestrationA witty, thorough guide to every orchestral instrument, with the original pages.
Forsyth, Choral OrchestrationA whole Te Deum orchestrated bar by bar, with Forsyth’s reasons, the full score and the vocal score playable.
Berlioz, Treatise on InstrumentationBerlioz’s treatise on the orchestra, revised by Richard Strauss, with the original pages.
Bona, Complete Method for Rhythmical ArticulationPractice rhythm through 120 graded studies, with playable notation and original scans.
Hanon, The Virtuoso-PianistPractise all 60 exercises with playable notation, original scans and supplied Mutopia playback.
Mathews, Standard Graded Course of Studies, Grade IA first year of piano: 136 short pieces by many composers, every one playable, with Mathews’s teaching notes.
Goetschius, Lessons in Music FormHear how figures become phrases, periods, rondos and sonata forms, with the printed examples beside their playable notation.

← All Playable Books