CHOPIN and the Rule of the Octave

#Chopin #Composition #ruleoftheoctave

00:00 Intro
00:36 1st original example
01:21 quick analysis
01:45 harmonic reduction
02:10 2nd original example
02:23 quick analysis
02:35 functional equivalence of V7 and vii7
03:07 what this is all about – historical background and context of this bassline
03:48 a figured bass bestseller by D. Kellner
04:14 RO after David Kellner
04:53 Chopin’s lessons with J. Elsner
05:20 prevalent misunderstanding about the RO
05:51 two examples in 18th-century-styles on Chopin’s bass
06:03 1st example: “classical slow movement”
06:28 2nd example: “Allemande”
06:45 integrating a digression to the III
07:17 example as “Schumanesque album-leaf”
07:42 confirming a modulation via cadence
08:06 same modulation in Chopin’s etude

Concept, realization and piano playing by Michael Koch.

Background music: Chopin's Etude E flat major Op. 10, 11 played by my good buddy Payam Pahlevanian, Link:

[en-blanc-et-noir]

Hey people! Thanks for watching and comments...
I somehow forgot to mention a thing that I probably just demonstrated implicitly: this bassline is an excellent tool for jamming on! (don't forget to transpose lol) if you combine both - so plus the version that does the modulation - you have a clean CHOPIN-APPROVED 16-bar phrase that's worth to put in your pocket! Couldn't be better than this, right?

[alessandrodacconti]

You and the way you show connections between to
Romantic and baroque style are amazing. You're a great source of inspiration. Thank you very much

[JoeLinux]

Another mind blowing video. I can assure you that whatever institution you are working at is not paying you enough. I wish they would bring you in as a guest lecturer at the Lamont School of Music at Denver University.

[kristiankumpumaki]

This is not mainstream as well so more credit to you, underrated channel

[bornaerceg]

Every time I watch your video I get urge to practice and practice. Thank you, truly inspirational channel!

[fparto]

Thank you for teaching the real musicianship.

[eltonwild]

This video is awesome. So fresh compared to regular music theory seen on YouTube. Love that has a practical side and I can explore that on the piano.
Do you have any tips or will you upload videos with exercises or suggestions so we can have more composition tools like this?

[monsieurbrochant]

This channel is a gem, thank you Reddit. i think i'll binge all your content

[kaptnkirk]

Dein letztes Versprechen stimmt mich sehr hoffnungsvoll. Erst seit ich die Oktavregel nach Dandrieux geübt habe, wird mir so vieles aus der klassischen Musik klar. Man spart sich so viel Denkarbeit, wenn man nicht alles in "Harmonielehre" (Terzschichtungen, Grundtonbewegung) umdenken muss.

[junwuwang]

An exquisitely lucid video. Sometimes one does feel that while the "modern" theories of harmony and counterpoint accomodate a wide variety of phenomena, they are rather removed from the dynamism of musical practice and stylistic idioms. To put it simply, in an attempt to teach the most general idioms, they often fail to teach anything at all. Pedagogical techniques and rules of thumb originating from the contemporaneous and living music scene may not have the rigorous definitions and fancy terms, and may only apply to a certain style, but they are hugely beneficial to composers of that associated style. In other words, at least when composition is concerned, practicality is prioritised over theoretical rigour.

This is of course not to suggest that composers merely permute and arrange a set of idioms they have learnt: artists do not follow rules, they play with rules. The example of the detour to Ab major at 7:17 demonstrates this rather nicely (I would not be surprised if someone were to tell me it comes directly from Schumann or Schubert!).

[pablofeynman]

Thanks for making this video about my favorite composer !

[kristiankumpumaki]

You have an intellectual clarity mixed with humour which is very nice. Leaves the watcher with a lot of food of thought. Thumbs up! (Btw as a Swede the German accent makes all difference =) ) ps. very well researched, another thumbs up! ds.

[joebutler]

Ok, so the "rule of the octave" is like a default set of voicings, with the bass part walking up and down the scale? Is that a fair description? I think I understand, but I will need to watch and study this more.

I took theory in college for a year, but I've actually never heard of this!

Anyway, great video! Actually, it's one of the best theory videos I've ever seen 👏🙏

[juliendespois]

Great video once again! And super excited to have more videos on RO!

[JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Kellner! Holy shit I just learned one of his pieces.

[eydiguttason]

Very good thanks may God bless this idea

[martinschulze]

Tolles Video, vielen Dank fur den "Produktionsaufwand". Ich finde besonders die historische Einordnung (z. B. dass Chopin sie ausgiebig rauf und runter laiern musste [vermutlich]) fur mich als Laien hilfreich. Ansonsten erscheinen Dinge wie die Oktavregel wie vom Himmel gefallen. Aus dem Video hier kann ich fur mich z. B. schon ableiten in welche Richtung meine naechsten Ubungen gehen (ich spendiere ca. 1-1.5 Stunden pro Werktag dafur, bin beruflich Informatiker xD )

[RaptorTV]

Шопен -- тот, благодаря которому начался мой путь в музыке.
Никто, кроме тебя, так хорошо его не разбирал на составляющие. Браво!

[MusicaAngela]

I love your content and humorous presentation. If you are thinking of joining Patreon as a creator, I will support you! I wish my music theory professors from the 1970's could have given me even a 10th of what you offer us. I learned very little counterpoint and harmony and would love to understand more.

[lawrencetaylor]

I've got a lot to learn since I'm not smarter than an Italian 6 year old orphan.
But I was born with two left ears and just started piano at 65 yoa, and have learned the Rule of the Octave this week.