Music Theory Comprehensive: Part 4 – Modes and Counterpoint

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For years I’ve been teaching Music Theory in the college classroom. These classes I’m making for Slam Academy use the same syllabus I’ve used in my college classes for years, at a fraction of the cost. I believe anyone can learn Music Theory – and cost shouldn’t be a barrier.

Recently I was named as a semi-finalist for the Grammy Foundation’s Music Educator of the Year award because of my in-person university classes. Now I’m taking those classes to Udemy in an online format in order to reach more students, and give them the joy of Music Theory.

My approach to music theory is to minimize the memorization. Most of these concepts you can learn by just understanding why chords behave in certain ways. Once you understand those concepts, you can find any scale, key, or chord that exists. Even invent your own.

This class is a Comprehensive class – it will have many parts, going through my entire annual curriculum.

This class is Part 4: Modes (Musical Modes, AKA The Church Modes) and Counterpoint.

Throughout this class, I’ll be providing you with many worksheets for you to practice the concepts on. If you get stuck, you can review the videos or post a question, and I’ll back to it as fast as possible. Also in this class I have several complete analysis projects that we will complete together – just like in my college classes.

What will I learn in this Course?

  • My approach to Music Theory
  • Tools you will need to learn Music Theory quickly and efficiently
  • How Modes Work
  • The History of Modes
  • Identifying the Musical Modes
  • Incorporating modes into popular music
  • Analysis of popular and classical music, including the Simpsons TV Theme Song, and the Beetles.
  • Interval Exploration
  • Compound Intervals
  • Rules for Inversion
  • Augmented Intervals
  • Diminished Intervals
  • Enharmonic Equivalence
  • Labeling Dissonance
  • Counterpoint in Species
  • The Rules of Counterpoint
  • Compositing with Counterpoint
  • Types of Contrapuntal Motion
  • Creating music with Counterpoint
  • …and much, much more!

About the Instructor

J. Anthony Allen is an Ableton Certified Trainer, and a PhD in Music Composition and master of Electronic Sounds. His music has been heard internationally in film, radio, video games, and industrial sound, as well as the concert hall and theater.

He currently is an adjunct professor of composition at the University of St. Thomas, and is the CEO and co-founder of Slam Academy in Minneapolis.

Praise for classes by J. Anthony Allen

“Without a doubt the best explanation and east of use that one can get. It leaves you enough room to go explore. The classes go by quick, so you can be on your way at being proficient. What are you wait for!”

“Amazing – Seriously Loved It! I took all his courses and have to say I’m so happy! Learnt loads! Jason is an awesome teacher!”

“I have never had any formal training in music at all. Trying to learn all the notes and how everything translated was a serious challenge. After going through this class, Dr. J has totally brought down the barriers. The content was very useful and was easy to grasp for me.”

“I like these courses because you can get up and running quickly without having to spend hours of time wading through TMI (too much information!). Jason hits the high points but shows you what you need to know. Thanks!”

“I’ve watched many other videos on scales and chords before, however, this one has been the best. I now understand minor scales and chords and even how to analyze songs. It really gave me the confidence to start producing music because I feel like I have some structure and guidelines to follow. AWESOME!”

“Clear and Informative – Jason has a clear uncluttered style (with the important dashes of humor) of presentation that is focused on the important key aspects of this course. Recommended for those starting out!”

“Dr. Allen does it again with his music theory series. This course really opened up everything I learned from the 1st section, and now I understand more about the composition side of things for music. I highly highly recommend this course to anyone!!! Really opened my eyes to many things I wasn’t aware of.”

“The Best Teacher Ever, who makes you understand the ins & outs of Music Theory by all means without giving what you don’t want to know.”

Course Information

Estimated Time: 4.25 Hours

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Course Instructor

Jay Allen Author

J. Anthony Allen is an Ableton Certified Trainer, and a PhD in Music Composition and master of Electronic Sounds. His music has been heard internationally in film, radio, video games, and industrial sound, as well as the concert hall and theater. He currently is an adjunct professor of composition at the University of St. Thomas, and is the CEO and co-founder of Slam Academy in Minneapolis.

 

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Welcome & Overview

Overview

Welcome to the class! Lets start with a little overview video of what we will be covering in this class.
Tools We Will Use in This Course

There are 2 tools we will be using throughout this course – and lucky for you, they are both free!
Download: Staff Paper

Print out a few sheets of this, and keep it handy throughout this course!
Review: Major and Minor Scales

Lets do 2 quick review sessions – these topics will be essential moving forward.
Review: Diatonic Chord Progressions

For our second review, lets look one more time at the Diatonic Chord Progression.

Modes (The Musical Modes, AKA The Church Modes)

Overview of Modes: New Harmonic Territory

Welcome to Modes! These are scales that we can use to create a wider palette of musical emotions.
How Modes Work

There are a few tricks to modes. In this video I’ll walk you through how they work.
The History of Modes

Modes of a rich and wild history. In this video we take a little break from theory for a quick history lesson.
The Ionian Mode

Mode number 1: The Ionian Mode.
The Dorian Mode

The second mode: Dorian.
The Phyrgian Mode

The third mode: Phrygian.
The Lydian Mode

Mode number 4, and my personal favorite, is Lydian.
The Mixolydian Mode

The fifth mode: Mixolydian.
The Aeolian Mode

The 6th mode: Aeolian.
The Locrian Mode

The 7th (and weirdest) mode: Locrian.
Worksheet No. 1

Here is a worksheet for you to download and use to practice. The answers are at the bottom, so check your work – and make sure you are understanding the concepts so far.

Using Modes

From Old to New Again: Modern Uses of Modes

While modes are older than most musical concepts, composers have been using them again in pop songs, modern orchestra and chamber music, and even TV shows again.
Analysis: The Simpsons (TV Theme Song)

If you’ve ever watched The Simpsons, you might have noticed that the theme song as something a little quirky to it.
Download: The Simpsons (TV Theme Song) Sheet Music

Here is the sheet music I used in the previous analysis.
Analysis: Missa Pange Lingua (Choir)

A beautiful piece of vocal music – using this, we will examine another way to spot modes.
Download: Missa Pange Lingua (Choir)

Here is the sheet music I used in the previous analysis.
Analysis: Eleanor Rigby (The Beetles)

Listening to this iconic Beetles song, there is something a little odd in the melody. It is something that makes the song very memorable, and it is a mode.
Download: Eleanor Rigby (The Beetles) Sheet Music

Here is the sheet music I used in the previous analysis.

Deeper Into Intervals

Melodic Vs. Harmonic Intervals

Melodic and harmonic intervals are the same notes, laid out a little different.
Using Visual Landmarks to Quickly Identify Intervals

In this video, a few tricks for spotting intervals quickly.
Compound and Simple Intervals

A compound interval is any interval larger than an octave.
Major/Minor/Perfect Intervals

A little review here on what we know so far about major, minor, and perfect intervals.
Rules for Inversions of Intervals

Remember inversions? In this video we will talk about the rules around inversions.
Summary of Intervals So Far

Before we get into the new intervals, lets run through everything we know about intervals so far.
Augmented and Diminished Intervals

Two new interval types: The Augmented and Diminished intervals.
The Tritone

The Tritone is a nasty little interval that we tend to avoid, although it has some useful properties.
Enharmonic Equivalence

This is a fancy term for saying “it sounds the same, but is written differently”.
Worksheet No. 2

Here is a worksheet for you to download and use to practice. The answers are at the bottom, so check your work – and make sure you are understanding the concepts so far.

Consonance and Dissonance in Intervals

Consonance and Dissonance

When we start working with counterpoint, these classifications will become important.
Resolution

Dissonant intervals are on their way to someplace else. A Resolution is where they want to go.
Interval Classes

A broad term for intervals without quality.
Analyzing Intervals

In this video we will look at how to analyze intervals in a piece of music.
Download: Bach 2-Part Invention No. 8

Here is the sheet music I used in the previous analysis.
Worksheet No. 3

Here is a worksheet for you to download and use to practice. The answers are at the bottom, so check your work – and make sure you are understanding the concepts so far.

Introduction to Counterpoint

What is Counterpoint?

Simply put: Counterpoint is connecting notes both melodically and harmonically.
The Different Species of Counterpoint

Species, in this case, just means “type”.
Connecting Melodic Intervals

Here come the rules! Counterpoint has a lot of rules.
First Species Counterpoint – Melodic Rules

And now for some melodic rules.
Connecting Harmonic Intervals

Some rules (and techniques) for connecting harmonic intervals.
The 4 Types of Contrapuntal Motion

There are only 4 ways we can connect notes – some are good, some are less good.
Download: Example Analysis Files

Here is the sheet music I used in the previous analysis.
Parallel Fifths and Octaves

The biggest rule of them all: Creating parallels.
Worksheet No. 4

Here is a worksheet for you to download and use to practice. The answers are at the bottom, so check your work – and make sure you are understanding the concepts so far.

Writing Note-To-Note Counterpoint in Strict Style

The Beginning and the End

The best place to start on a counterpoint like this is the first note, and the last 2 notes.
The Middle

Once we have our first few notes done, we need to fill in the middle. This takes a little more time.
The Riemenschneider

One of my favorite places to find practice material for this kind of thing.
The Rules – All Wrapped Up
Worksheet No. 5

Here is a worksheet for you to download and use to practice. The answers are at the bottom, so check your work – and make sure you are understanding the concepts so far.

Wrap Up

What Next?

You’ve come so far in music theory – but there is still more to come!
Thanks for Watching!

That’s it for now!

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