The Language of Music
Everything what we play happens in 12-tone octave(s) system. As we know, the vast majority of pieces we play (and classical pieces especially) are laid on 7-tone diatonic scales. Although there are 12 diatonic scales (formally more, but there are some sound identical ones like Gb and F#), they are functionaly equivalent. There are the same relations/intervals among their 7 tones for all of them. To 'understand' music means to distinguish roles of individual tones within diatonic scale - melodicaly and harmonicaly, and to start recognizing and appreciating them (and then not only the basic 7, but also the remaining 5). There are many levels of understanding and there is always something to learn, but we should start working on our 'diatonic awareness' as soon as we have free capacity for it. In our course we use such a method, that first there is ability to play some piece from memory/by heart. Then we can take such a piece as an object of investigation of it's diatonic structure.
Before we dive into the detailed analysis of individual pieces, let's summarize necessary musical rudiments we will build on.
First a more general view. The most important aspects of music we will concentrate at are melody and harmony (although tempo and rhythm are important too, of course). Melody is a sequece of tones expressing a musical idea. Harmony is a group of (different) tones sounding simultanesously (or close behind). In musical notation melody is a characteristics perceived horizontaly (tones next to each other), harmony is perceived verticaly (tones above each other). It is important to know that both these two aspects are in the music interwined. And it is not only that there is one melody on the top and accompanyment harmony chords below, but there are more simultaneous melody lines - voices - what is the case especially in polyphonic music (baroque music like Bach's), but not only there. Even in modern music built on chords accompanyment we can recognize individual voices. Definitely there is a second most important voice at the bottom - the bass line.
Now let's take a look at the basic elements of music that we'll be working with:
Harmonic Structures in a Diatonic Context
In our course we will use following process: We will take pieces/compositions loaded into PianoTrainer application, present their fragments in diatonic view window and discuss some of their musical features. To have them mastered by memory first is good, if not necessary first step and an assumption of further progress. The main intention is to work systematicaly and repetitively with diatonic structure view on a selected piece until understanding of it's diatonic strucure become a natural part of our knowledge of the piece. From the beginning such a process can seem unusual and difficult. But the longer you do it, the easier and more natural it gets. Benefits of such an activity are more. First, you get logical insight into the piece you play and your knowledge of such a piece will be expanded to a new level. Second, you build your inner database of harmonic procedures that happen and repeat in many compositions. The third, your ability to analyze new pieces from a diatonic perspective, no matter the key they are written in, will grow, ideally you should aim for the ability to analyze them by ear.
The proces of such a study is similar to common piano practicing. The difference is it's filling. You play individual fragments, observe it's diatonic structure, realize the melody characteristics, bass line, harmony characteristics and try to understand and learn them. Not all at once, but gradually. Good mid-term goal is the ability to realize all these aspects when you play whole piece from memory (not necessarily all simultaneously, but every single one of them).
It is even good to learn new pieces all at once with realizing their's diatonic shape from the very beginning. According our further experience this becomes quite a natural need after a short time of applying this approach, what we find quite positive.
Examples of analysed pieces can be found here: