Chromatic Harmony – Film Music Notes

Expression with Chromatic Harmony and Modulation in Film

Tailor your use of chromatic chords and modulations to your expressive needs.

Lifetime Access

No need to rush through the course. Take the time you need to learn the material thoroughly.

Composition Exercises

On every section of the course with answers. Files in MIDI, MusicXML, and PDF formats.

Quick References

Review courses quickly and easily with summary notes on key points and details.

$125 USD
Duration: 6 Hrs 28 Min

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Watch Overview

Learn how film themes express certain emotions with chromatic chords and changes of key. We cover emotional expressions, voice leading, and harmonic progressions for a wide range of harmonies and modulations, focusing on their film-specific uses. We also explore many uses that are not covered in other sources, like deceptive leading-tone dominants, tritone-polyrooted chords, and modulation cycles. Tailor your use of chromatic chords and modulations to your expressive needs.

Included in the course is a set of composition exercises (with answers) on every concept in the course, provided in MIDI for DAWs, MusicXML for notation software, and PDF for pencil and paper. Get the instructor’s feedback on your work by posting in the site forums, and easily review course material with the Quick Reference sections.

Lesson 1 – Using Secondary Dominants, Augmented 6ths, and Common-Tone Chords

Secondary Dominants
- Signaling the Classical Tradition – Using Secondary Dominants
- An Unexpected Moment – Elision
- Love or Sweetness – Deceptive Leading-Tone Dominants
- Longing or Aspiring – V#5(add9)
- Soothing, Lamentful, or Serious – Chromatically Descending Lines
Augmented 6ths
- Overview and Notation
- Foreboding or Parody – Resolving to V or Cadential 6/4
- Love – Resolving to Major I
Common-Tone Chords
- Common-Tone Diminished 7ths – Overview and Notation
- Innocence, Benevolence – Common-Tone Diminished 7th to Major I or V
- Mystery, Danger – Common-Tone Augmented 6th to I or i
- Composition

Lesson 2 – Mixing Modes and Harmonic Styles

Refining Expression with Dominant Substitutes
- Beauty, Buoyancy, or Heroism – Sus-Type and Quartal Dominants in Major
- Extraordinary, Supernatural – Tritone-Polyrooted Chords
Modal Mixture – Threats, Tragedy, Parody, or Wonder
- Minor-Based Mode in Major
- Phrygian bII in Minor
Other Chromatic and Dissonant Chords
- Whimsical, Magical, Mysterious – Chromatic Planing in Diatonic Settings
- More Beauty, Buoyancy, or Heroism – Other Quartal, Sus, and Added-Note Chords
- Compositions

Lesson 3 – Expression with Modulation

Overview of Modulation
- Techniques of Modulation
- How Modulation Creates Expression
- Modulation vs. Chromaticized Half Cadence
- Varying Modulation Models
Modulations from Major Keys
- To V – Uplifting, Optimistic
- To iii – Amazement from Magic or the Supernatural
- To VII – Tenderness
- To III – Awe, Wonder
- Modulation Cycles
Modulations from Minor Keys
- To bIII or biii – High-Energy or Action Themes
- To iv – Fateful, Tragic
- To bvii – Fearsome (and Its Parody)
Using Chromatic Chords to Modulate
- Enharmonic Modulation
- Triadic Transformation
- Composition

“I so appreciate how for any harmonic move you describe its expressive quality but also analyze why it might work that way … as well as give historical references. Nobody does that!“

Josh Lucan

“I loved it, I especially like a lot when you relate techniques to emotions, it helps me in building a toolset I can use while I’m composing without getting lost in hundreds of theory rules.“

Daniele Garuglieri

“I believe I own every single one of your courses and this is my favourite so far! Unlocks so many excellent compositional devices! Bravo!“

James Semple

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