Thank you for reading these notes I am sending to get us off to a confident start in 2015.

In case it seems that we nearly "finished the piece" in class and you're not sure what
more there really is left to do, I want to clarify and explain a bit about what we're doing --this project is intended to be conceptually deeper than just putting in a few notes
that are "correct" more or less... this assignment is about learning to think like a
composer/arranger and "write a Waltz that is well-designed and beautiful.
But, first of all, YES --- you are certainly free to use our ideas from class ... they are for you
and we did that work together to give you a head start, and allow you to focus on
REFINING YOUR PIECE, and presenting it in a knowledgeable way,
as opposed to just figuring out basic spellings of chords.
The various options/suggestions mentioned in class were given out separately, somewhat
disjointed from each other, and while they were not unrelated, they weren't yet fully
integrated across the composition --- so they still lack "unity of intent" ...
Now it is time for you to study each of the suggestions in more depth as representing a
musical/compositional concept, rather than just a "given answer" to this or that bar; you
get to make the final decision about how to apply one idea or another in an organized
pattern ...
For example: take the general suggestion of "flip-flopping" the direction of the chords (PAPA) on beats 2-3, in response to the melody. This is a nice little idea with many many
possible outcomes, and we did not AT ALL exhaust that idea in class, just barely explored
two possible measures.
So, one way you could go beyond "correct" is to scan the piece make note of which
intervals in the chords might be fun to play with in this way (it happened we used tritones
in G#7 and 6ths in C# minor; these fit the hand well, but the inversions of those intervals,
4ths and 3rds, are good too).
If you imagine you really are the COMPOSER OF THIS PIECE and you care about every
single note that goes into it, I think you'll do very well.
***********************
Regarding what standard of neatness and detail I am expecting this term:
For my own part, I will make sure to take a lot of time and care with handouts and
worksheets for you; I do trust and appreciate that you'll do the same with your work
coming in to me.
SPECIFIC POINTS FOR MONDAY:
1. Make sure to use the clean copy I sent. Please do not hand in the copy on which you
took the original class notes.
Make sure to use an adequately sharp pencil or other implement so that your writing of
notes, stemming, rests is your very best.
(If there are erasure marks or it is not neat enough, I'll be asking you to re-submit on
Finale other software.)

2. Provide to the best of your ability a complete analysis of harmonic and melodic features
we have studied so far this year, as well as particular highlights on anything new (i.e. V7
with added 9th, the 9-8 resolution; added 13th, the 13-12)
Indicate important resolutions of leading tones and chord 7ths; this is very important
because it ensures you won't "duplicate jobs" (i.e. create parallel 8ves or end up missing
notes/jobs you intended to include)
3. In particular, consider the separate appearance of these three components or layers of
the Waltz:
i. the given melody (with non-chord tones analyzed)
ii. the "OOM", bass line, in dotted half, half or quarter notes (don't include 8ths or other
patterns to disrupt the flow of the dance, thinking the "variety" would be nice :) )
iii. the "PA-PA" chords --- 2-note or 3-note chords with real VOICE-LEADING between them
Make sure your PA-PA chords are sensitively connected, noting important voice-leading
between them (such as tritones resolving, LTs rising, 7ths falling)
Making sure your "OOM" bass line acts like a melody itself --- either has good step-wise
connections or strong root movement; that any special beat 3 chords at "cadences" or
transitions relate to each other somehow
4. Use this "common-tone dim 7th chord to B7" .... it works in ANY inversion, with 3 notes
sliding UP chromatically and B holding firm as the COMMON TONE...
G# to A
E# to F#
Cx to D#
BB
It is a happy fact that this chord is enharmonically equal to E# o7 which tonicizes F# (ii).
E# o7 is spelled: E#, G#, B and D.

I hope all of this makes sense, and is of some help to you.

Sincerely,
G. McNab