Piano Pandemictivities: What is Partimento?
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- Опубликовано: 15 ноя 2024
- Dr. John Mortensen explains partimento. At length. Because you have nothing to do. In the musical example, the alto in m. 6 should be natural.
Partimento Resources:
Learn historic improvisation online with Dr. Mortensen:
improvplanet.t...
The Art of Partimento (book):
global.oup.com...
Music in the Galant Style (book):
global.oup.com...
Child Composers in the Old Conservatories (book):
global.oup.com...
The Pianist's Guide to Historic Improvisation (book):
global.oup.com...
Peter Van Tour (a guy):
www.vantour.se
We will exit quarantine and enter a world filled with thoughtful and intelligent improvisers.
Hi John, thanks for you mentioning my book, and for your wishes. We are actually quite good here, already into the fourth week of quarantine, but this gives the opportunity to work intensively. Congratulations for your wonderful introduction to partimenti!
Thank you, Giorgio. So glad you are OK! When will we see the new version of Art of Partimento? Will it be delayed by Oxford's temporary closing of their shipping facilities?
@@cedarvillemusic I am currently working at a book for the Beethoven year to be published within the year, then I'll work at a chapter on partimento for the Geschichte der Musiktheorie that will keep me busy for the rest of the year; after that, I'll start working at the revision of the book.
This is a great way for classically oriented musicians to begin to access the process of jazz improvisation.
Also classical improvisation which is sadly not popular anymore
A lot of bass lines and harmonic structures can be "stolen" from Classical pieces and then modified for improvisation. One of my favorites is measure 34 and onward of Beethoven's first piano sonata 4th movement. I like to improvise over Cm - G7/D - Cm/Eb - (C7/E and/or E°7) - Fm - F#°7 - Cm/G - G7 - Cm. Another personal favorite is Cm - Fm/Ab - Bb (mixolydian) - Eb/G - AbMaj7 (lydian) - D°7/F - Cm/G - Ab7 - F#°7 - G7. I actually loop that one rather endlessly, and in various keys depending on the day or moment, and applying different rhythmic and harmonic motifs. Because that progression is almost entirely circle progression moving in fourths (and bass line bouncing up and down), it has the feeling of both simultaneously always moving and yet always resolving/being fulfilled. I hope this helps someone.
That's a very nice progression, thanks!
Thanks. I love playing that piece. I'll check it out!
Your first example contains textbook moves of the partimento. It follows precisely the Rule of the Octave, from scale degrees 1 through 5, with two chromatic ascents (common in partimento) added for color. Learning partimento allows one to improvise these on the fly.
thanks for the recomendation!
What of the older modal systems ? Is there a RO for a phrygian cantus firmus? These are the cases that keep me up at night....
Woow, a new amazing univers. So captivating to learn about it and so frustrating to think I have waste my life until now not having any idea about it... Thank you so much!
Taking time to recognize and sharpen our insights. Improv. tips yes! Thank you John.
Great roadmap, appreciate all the info!
Thank you so much for your proactive approach and encouraging all musicians at this time!so inspiring,thank you
Tell me where does study of species counterpoint fit in? Eg. The youtube tutorials of Dr Jacob Gran. Do aspects of partimento cover this?
Wow again, heading to description box! 😃❤️🙏🏻
amazing series! printed the cimarosa sonatas and the Bach/siloti and followed along. you give clear insights on how to approach and comprehend the raw material in order to better interpret the piece as a whole.Thank you! looking forward to get started on some Partimento during this time
love the video!! Really excited to start learning Partimento :)
I watched this again after 6 weeks. I'm a keyboard novice and have been practicing ROTO but travel in the circle of fifths every day. Only learn it in one key? Much easier. I've only been doing it in Major keys, only dabbling in minor. I'll change and get better at one thing instead of mediocre at many.
I've belonged to the Patreon group since the beginning and this is the clearest explanation of ROTO you've given yet, bravo!
You still recommend the patreon group? I'm thinking of joining but I'm total novice improviser however I do have decent theory.
This is so cool. Absolutely my favorite channel on RUclips, currently :)
Mine too.
Have you ever seen the book "Improvisation Thru Keyboard Harmony" by the late Sol Berkowitz? While the method is different, the idea of learning harmony in all keys as the basis for improvising pieces is similar. He was such a great teacher.
Thanks for putting out this content. Really helpful!
Hi John,
Looking forward to the new book on fugue improvisation next year!
One thing that has always vexed me about the rule of the octave is the issue of parallel intervals. There is a slightly different version of the ascending major where on the 6th and 7th degrees the top two parts have a parallel 5th (CG-DA), which surprisingly seems to be universally accepted as a solution. Interestingly, to my ears at least, it's one of those situations where what offends the eyes doesn't offend the ear - it sounds well enough. Is there some explanation, historical or otherwise, as to why that fifth is allowed?
I remember reading somewhere in Arnold's great tome on through-bass (it may have been a quote from Heinichen, but I'm not certain...) that when accompanying or indeed improvising using many parts, that it is only parallel intervals between the extreme parts that should be avoided as they can't be avoided in the inner parts. Seems fair enough! But here, where there are just four parts being used, I struggle to understand how that fifth in question is allowed. My harmony teacher of years ago would have shrieked with glee, reaching for her red pen to circle this one!
Would love to know your thoughts about it, John.
Because parallels involving inner voices on keyboard instruments are rarely audible, they were permitted in the Italian tradition. They didn't care if something offended the eye.
@@cedarvillemusic Thanks John! 👍
What was the word for 'chord' in 1700 ? Did it mean the same as today?
Fenaroli, Durante, Provenzale, top of composer of Scuola Musicale Napoletana they used Partimenti like music method. Today all best Partimento are in the San Pietro a Majella Conservatorio in Naples
Hi John, thank you for your video. As a beginner going into music, I am very excited at the prospect of one day getting into partimento, I was influenced very much by classical music growing up and the prospect of learning the blueprints is incredible. I am however as a beginner, very daunted by the inumerable terminology and the vastness within music theory. Could you point me in the right topics I need to cover on music theory before I can actually get into partimenti? Not knowing what needs to be covered makes the task somewhat difficult. I appreciate your input into this.
Thanks for a very interesting intro to Partimento. I've designed and written a couple of music theory apps for iPhone e.g. cadences, interval training, chord identification etc. I'm thinking to design one to allow musicians to study and practice Partimento. The nice thing about running music theory apps on a phone is the software can both show (on a staff) and play (with good quality audio) the various notes, chords, and harmonies. Apps can be certainly used for music theory multi-media instruction (e.g. with audio). But then using adaptive learning techniques, they can quiz the student dynamically adjusting the quiz topics and levels as the student demonstrates proficiency. This type of learning really helps keep the student engaged.
Dear friend, some of us might want to try your apps. Mind to mention their names?
David Murphy I agree with MrVatov. Do tell us the name of your apps! :)
Why were we NOT taught this in Music School??
So how is this any different from general bass or from basic counterpoint?
Read Sanguinetti and you will understand.
Does Sanguinetti's book teach exercises and theory, or is it history only?
Do you recommend beginning with learning figured bass, then move on to partimento, or just start with partimento?
Good question! I suspect that whichever way you go, the other will become a part of what you will also study. I have learned a very small amount of figured bass and up until now, had never heard of partimento. I cannot wait to get into it now! :)
6th bar. I'm guessing there should be natural E in upper line (alto). Otherwise you get disaltered harmony.
Yes, that is a typo.
Great!
In the sheet with the rule of the octave, there is a parallel oktave 2nd measure beat one on two...
Is that ok when playing partimento?
And in measure 6 on beat 2 I think there's missing an accidental in the treble clef. Sorry for being nit-picky :)
Really enjoy your pandemictivities btw. And I'm a big fan of your improvisations! An artform that's kind of forgotten on piano...
Ok should've watched the whole video before asking the question :)
@@m4rlon97 That was good spotting. To say parallel octaves and fifths don't matter in the inner voices is incorrect. I'd take that with a pinch of salt. They stick out and disturb the balance for one thing. Also it was very good to spot the missing accidental in measure 6. This bass note with the accidental, as well, should not be doubled.
One more thing. If you play the progression on the piano you will hear how ugly the parallel octaves sound.
Haha pandemictivities. Haven't heard that one before.