Foundations of Harmonic and Form Writing

This unit deepens students’ compositional technique by focusing on harmony, form, instrumental writing, and media-oriented composition. Students practice chord voicings, melodic gestures, classical and popular forms, notation for instruments (including tablature and drum notation), and using digital tools while learning copyright and licensing considerations for distribution.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze chord progressions, voicings, melodic gestures, phrase variation, and classical/popular formal templates to plan and notate cohesive introductions and middle sections (Letters A–C) of short compositions
• Apply transposition rules, instrument pitch ranges, and notation conventions (including guitar tablature and drum notation) to produce accurate, playable parts for transposing and non-transposing instruments
• Demonstrate competency with digital composition workflows and resources — comparing paper vs. software approaches, accessing composition software, using AI tools responsibly, and producing an exported audio/notation cue suitable for games, TV, or ambient contexts
• Evaluate copyright, licensing, and clearance processes and select appropriate distribution or licensing platforms (e.g., Audio Network, Bandcamp), documenting permissions, ownership, and ethical use of source material