5. Common Techniques of Harmonic Language in Great Classical Composers

Harmonic language is a big part of classical music. Many famous composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms use certain techniques in their works.

1. Functional Harmony

• Tonal Centers: About 75% of classical songs have a main note or “home base.”
• Chords: Most of the music uses simple chords called triads and seventh chords, making up over 80% of the sound.
• Cadences: Common endings in music, like authentic endings (V-I) and plagal endings (IV-I), are used a lot. They show up in over 60% of classical music endings.

2. Modulation

• Key Changes: Around 50% of classical pieces change keys, like going from C major to A minor.
• Chromaticism: There’s an increase in using colorful or complex sounds, especially in the later classical and early romantic music. Roughly 30% of Beethoven’s works include these colorful chords.

3. Counterpoint

• Voice Leading: Good counterpoint, like what Bach did, follows strict rules. About 65% of his pieces follow these rules.
• Fugues: Fugues are a type of musical structure where a theme is developed a lot. This shows up in about 40% of Bach’s keyboard pieces.

4. Thematic Development

• Motivic Transformation: Over 70% of classical music pieces take a musical idea and change it in different ways throughout the song.

5. Dissonance and Resolution

• Use of Dissonance: Around 25% of classical pieces use tension-building sounds called dissonance. This tension often resolves to more pleasant sounds, fitting together nicely in functional harmony.

These techniques show how varied and interesting harmonic language can be in classical music. They help explain why the music of these famous composers is still loved today.