Gene S. Trantham1 & Timothy A. Nord2
1Bowling Green State University and 2Ithaca College
gtranth@bgnet.bgsu.edu, nord@ithaca.edu
In the past two decades, we have seen many CAI programs designed to enhance the study of ear training and music fundamentals. However, far fewer programs have been developed to deal with written theory … especially chromatic harmony, part-writing, and reductive analysis. Tonal Harmony Tutor is designed to enhance the study of these areas. This program allows students to spell and identify chords, analyze musical examples, part-write progressions, harmonize melodies, realize figured basses, compose chorales, and create melodic & harmonic reductions. This software features listening opportunities (musical examples for analysis and part-written student answers) and helpful suggestions for the user as they work through reductive analysis and part-writing. The coaching option employs a rule-based structure resulting from a study of part-writing errors completed by the authors.
This paper will begin with a brief explanation of the program design, providing examples of the different activities and features. This discussion will conclude with suggestions for program application to enhance music learning.
Tonal Harmony Tutor is divided into six primary areas:
In "Spelling and Recognition of Chords/Fundamentals," students are able to identify and spell basic elements of music (e.g., key signatures, scales, intervals, triads, and seventh chords), as well as diatonic and chromatic harmonies. Sonorities appear in simple and SATB arrangements (see example 1). In addition to the visual presentation, students can hear requested sonorities as a single chord and in a short harmonic context. For example, a diatonic triad (e.g., ii6) could be heard as an isolated sonority and in a progression (i.e., I ii6 V I).
Example 1: Sample screen, Recognizing chords
A second activity includes short musical examples that are analyzed using conventional (e.g., roman numerals), macro-analytical symbols (i.e., letter names that represent name and quality of chord), and jazz chord symbols. Examples are arranged into various categories that can be chosen as a single category or in combination.
A similar selection approach is used in several other areas (e.g., chord spelling/recognition, two-chord part-writing, melodic harmonization, and figured bass realization). Identification of cadences and non-chords is also requested as they occur in these musical examples.
Voice leading exercises appear in four different activities as listed below:
Sample screens of certain items are included in Examples 2-5.
Example 2: Sample screen, Part-writing: Resolving a given chord
Example 3: Sample screen, Melodic harmonization
Example 4: Sample screen, Figured Bass
Example 5: Sample screen, Creating a Chorale
The evaluation procedure for voice-leading activities and the coaching feature in chorale composition are designed to model human responses in evaluation and suggestion. Knowledge-based programming uses information–often constructed as rules–that is used by the computer to deduce solutions. A mechanism (i.e., inference engine) searches through this factual information in a "human-like" manner that parallels the process used by a music teacher. The evaluation method employed to assess part-written responses is as follows:
Step one: Vertical pass to check chord notation
Step two: Horizontal pass to check voice leading (traditional 18th-century voice leading)
The evaluation procedure involves a two-stage process: notation and voice leading. Chorale composition also includes a mechanism to assess harmonic syntax. These assessment processes focus on common errors that were frequently found during a study of part-writing exercises completed by first- and second-year music students. This knowledge-based procedure is also used to generate helpful suggestions to assist and advise students as they compose chorales. A similar coaching feature is available to students as they construct analytical reductions. This tutorial device is designed to guide students when they are unsure how to proceed with the harmonic progression, voice leading, and/or reduction.
Students can create multi-level reductions of melodies, harmonies, and musical excerpts during reduction analysis exercises (see Example 6). As they work from the surface to the essential background structure, successive levels are created by selecting pitches from the current level and then moving them to the next level. Pitches may be moved only from adjacent levels. Students will be allowed to store their reductions on a floppy disk or print them as a hardcopy.
Example 6: Sample Screen, Melodic Reduction
This software is designed to focus on activities common to first- and second- year music theory courses. However, it can also be used effectively as a supplement to private studio teaching and high school music classes. Beyond the traditional "drill-and-practice" approaches, Tonal Harmony Tutor employs listening examples, assessment procedures, and a coaching feature. It is the hope of the authors that these devices will enhance music learning through "human-like" interaction so the student can strengthen musical skills and explore new areas of study.