The octatonic scale is one of the most commonly-used resources in classic action music. Learn the power of its versatility in these three lessons. Lesson 1 builds a vocabulary of common octatonic chords in action music from the 70s, 80s and 90s, many of which are connected by the “Alpha chord”, a key concept which has never before been applied to film music. Lesson 2 explores techniques for writing octatonic melodies and for stretching chords out into short passages. And Lesson 3 shows how to write longer and more complex passages.
Octatonic Course Breakdown
Lesson 1 – Octatonic Harmonies
- Octatonic Scales
- Overview
- Possible Chords
- Traditional Chords from Octatonic Scales
- Major Chords
- Minor Chords
- The Alpha Chord and Its Dissonant Subsets
- Overview
- Large Subset Chords – 5 or 6 notes
- Major and Minor Subset Chords – with one dissonance
- Atonal Subset Chords – 3 notes
Lesson 2 – Drawing Octatonic Materials Out
- Octatonic Melodies
- The Whole-Tone Octatonic Mode
- The (0134) Chord
- Connective Scale Runs
- Dyads Composed of 3rds
- Drawing Out Octatonic Harmony
- Repeated Chord with Octatonic Melody
- Transposed Chord with Octatonic Melody
- Multiple Octatonic Scales
- Successive Scales
- Simultaneous Scales
Lesson 3 – Advanced Octatonic Techniques
- Combining Octatonic Elements
- Melody/Bass Intervals
- Unmoving Bass
- Moving Bass
- Melodic Bass
- Melody and Accompaniment
- Freely-Written Chords
- Multiple-Strand Accompaniments
- Melody/Bass Intervals
- Varying Octatonic Harmonies
- Through Motives
- Through a Common Subset
- Octatonic Elements at Larger Scales
- Through Returning Music
- Through Returning Intervals
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