‘Harmonic
Analysis’ Plugin Manual
(version 1.1 BETA for Sibelius 7.1.3 or later versions)
(working from Sibelius 7.1.3 to Sibelius 8.5. In last version of Sibelius (Ultimate), colors are not shown, hope it will be fixed in the next version of the plugin)
For
the installation see:
http://www.sibelius.com/download/plugins/index.html?help=install
This
plugin performs various analyzes regarding the harmony of the music. Lines,
Lyrics, Symbols, Texts, Noteheads and Color of your
original score can be changed. So make a copy of the original score before using
this plugin.
This plugin processes the
entire score, disregarding any selection. Among the most interesting options can
be to color the different tonalities of the score (two methods: by means the
leading-tone or through a ‘tonal weight’ theoretical system). It can also be
interesting the analysis of chords and cadences (tonal or phrygian).
MainDialog:
Scan
value:
the chords and arpeggios are analyzed according to the selected
value.
Ignore:
Ignores notes whose value are equal to or less than the selected one. For
example, if we select semiquavers, the analysis will not take into account
sixteenth notes or smaller division values.
Paint:
Colors
the notes to indicate different harmonic aspects:
Coloreixa tonalitat:
Colors the tonal regions of the work (always using the same color, for example:
the original tone is in black, the modulation to the dominant in red ...). It
does not change color if the tonic note does not change, that is, the color does
not specify the major-minor changes but they are indicated by uppercase and
lowercase letters. Independently of 'Paint' the tonal regions are also specified
above the last staff indicating the tonic. In uppercase if it is major mode and
lowercase if it is minor mode.
We
can also see the function of the modulations by selecting Write tonal functions in 1st
staff
There
are two ways to do the analysis of the tonal regions:
1.
Through
the study of the leading tone (check box 'Tonal regions by
leading-tone')
2.
Through
its own algorithm (designed for more complex works and for works whose notes
have enharmonic notes, wrong or not), see also at the bottom *** Variables
***
Coloreixa
funcions:
Colors the notes according to their 'harmonic function' (Tonic, Dominant,
Subdominant ..., according to the Riemann school and our own theory, see: http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ecap5.htm).
It is convenient at the same time to select the 'Analyze chord function' box
below.
Coloreixa
acords: Colors
chords according to their intervalic structure (e.g.
major triad (black), minor triad (blue-green), 'dominant' chords (red) ...), but
different complex chords may share the same color. This option should be used
together with 'Analyze chord
structure'. See below the correspondence of the chords with the
colors.
None:
Does
not color anything.
Mark
auxiliary/nonchord notes:
Marks with an X the noteheads of the notes that do not
belong to any of the most usual chords: major & minor triads, diminished
triad, dominant seventh, minor seventh & diminished seventh chords
...
Analyse
only ‘downbeats chords’:
only analyzes the chords that are 'found' at the beginning of the scan value
used. For example, if we are in 3/4 and use ‘crotchet’ we will see the symbols
corresponding to the chords that are at the beginning of each of the three
quarter notes of the bar. If we use ‘dotted minim’, only the symbol
corresponding to the chord of the beginning of each measure will be
displayed.
If
several analyzes are done using Paint or Mark, be sure to check Noteheads and Color in Clean score
automatically
Show
tonality changes beyond (number
of chords) or
more consecutive chords:
shows the modulations that, at least, extend the number of chords
specified.
Analyse
chords structure:
shows,
under the last staff, different symbols according to the analyzed chords, in
different lines/rows.
First
row:
Shows the symbology of the fundamental(s) of the
chords as described in the book 'The foundations of harmonic tensions' (see
specifically http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ecap3.htm
). Summing up: it decomposes the chords according to the structure of the
first seven harmonics (the first 4 prime (2:3:5:7) harmonics: C:G:E:Bb)
Basic
(harmonic) chords (also their inversions):
Examples
of complex chords, separated into basic (harmonic) chords:
The
software analyzes all the fundamentals of the chord according to the basic
(harmonic) chords found, so many can be shown, but not all have the same
importance. The program still does not make a selection of the most important
but it gives us an idea of the tensions of the chord. Capital notes letters or
having a 7 possess a greater functional importance. An improvement of the
program is pending in order to eliminate the small fundamentals that in fact are
not very useful to show the harmonic tensions and in order that the symbols
coincide with the tables of chords realized in http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/etables.htm,
where the main fundamentals are shown (eliminating the secondary ones, which are
already deduced from the main ones). In bold appear the fundamentals that have
their fifth. For example, if we see C (in uppercase) it means that we have found
the interval C:E/E:C, if we see C (in bold) it means that we have found
C:E:G (in the book a point is used instead of bold), if we see c (in bold lower case), we have only
found the fifth C:G. As Sibelius code does not allow to use the / symbol on the
note, for the virtual fundamentals, the underline symbol (C) is used. Something similar
happens with the superscripts and subscripts, which are put to the side by the
software (For example, C7 means that the structure E:G:Bb has been found in the chord).
Second
row:
It is dedicated to cadences, even internal ones. The signs **, *, o, a, ^
appear:
**:
the plugin finds a V7-I (or V7-i) (D7-T) cadence, also as a secondary dominant
(in perfect triadic chords without added notes)
*:
the plugin finds a V-I (or V-i) (D-T) cadence, also as
a secondary dominant (as in the previous case, but without the minor
seventh)
o:
internal cadence, as in the previous cases, but in chords with added notes (the
plugin finds an upper fourth or lower fifth jump between fundamentals, the first
fundamental must be in uppercase -it must have its major
third-)
a:
Phrygian cadence or Phrygian succession between
fundamentals (lower minor second jump between fundamentals -the first,
uppercase)
^:
‘locrian’ relaxion between
fundamentals (see http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ecap4.htm)
Third
row:
Indicates the type of chord, mostly using symbols similar to those currently
used in jazz/modern theory (on the fourth row the root are placed according to the standard
theory):
Major
triad (CEG): M (notes in black color)
Minor
triad (CEbG): m (notes in blue-green color)
Diminished
triad (EGBb): o (notes in violet
color)
Augmented
triad (CEG#): M#5 (notes in green color)
Dominant
seventh (CEGBb): M7 (notes in
red color)
Minor
seventh (ACEG): m7 (notes in orange
color)
Major
seventh (CEGB): M#7 (notes in olive
color)
Minor
major seventh (ACEG#): m#7 (notes in lime
color)
Augmented
major seventh (CEG#B): M#7#5 (notes in green color)
Augmented
seventh (CEG#Bb): M7#5 (notes in
red color)
Dominant
seventh flat five (CEGbBb)(Simetrical chord): M7b5(Sim)
(notes in brown color)
Half-diminished
seventh (EGBbD)(inversión of Tristan chord): m7b5(T) (notes in brown color)
Diminished
seventh (EGBbDb): °7 (notes in
pink color)
Dominant
ninth (CEGBbD): M9 (notes in red
color)
Dominant
minor ninth (CEGBbDb): Mb9 (notes in red color)
Major
ninth (CEGBD): M9#7 (notes in olive
color)
Minor
ninth (ACEGB): m9 (notes in orange
color)
Augmented
major ninth (CEG#BD): M9#7#5 (notes in green color)
Augmented
dominanth ninth (CEG#BbD):
M9#5 (notes in red color)
Suspended
second (CDG)(quartal 3
notes): 4ª2 (notes in blue
color)
Suspended
fourth (CFG)(quartal 3
notes): 4ª2 (notes in blue
color)
Added
second (or added nine)(CDEG): M9(7) (notes in red color)
Added
fourth (or added eleven)(CEFG) (fundamental F): ()9#7
(notes in lime color)
Six-nine
(4 notes)(CEAD): ()9 (notes in
red color)
Six-nine
(5 notes)(CEGAD)(quartal 5
notes): 4º4 (notes in blue
color)
Quartal/Quintal
(4 notes)(ADGC): 4º3 (notes in
blue color)
Quartal/Quintal
(5 notes)(ADGCF): 4º4 (notes in
blue color)
Blue
chord (CEGEb): Blue
Elektra
chord (CEGBbEb)(also used in
Blues playing C in the bass)(inversion of original EBDbFAb): Elek
Mompou
chord (CEGbBbDb)(inversión of original F#CEbAbD)(also metallic chord):
Mb9b5(Mom)
Fourth
row:
The chord root is specified according to classical theory. If the chord is an
inversion a slash is written and afterwards the bass (as used in jazz). For
example (FGDB): G/F
Show
chords ID:
If we consider the inversions of the chords to be the same type of chord, then
there are relatively few different chords (chord classes) (see http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ean1.htm).
Each chord, according to its number of different notes, has a number (ID) that
identifies it. These are the numbers that appear in http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/etables.htm.
If
selected, the ID numbers of the chords that have up to a maximum of six notes
are shown. The first digit indicates the number of notes of the chord and after
the hyphen, its identification number in this group (not to be confused with the
PC Set numbers of Set Theory, see http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ean4.htm)
Analyse
chords function:
Shows the harmonic function of chords. Always according
to derivations of tonic, dominant and subdominant functions. It is an integrated
theory of the theories of functional harmony by Riemann, Lendvai and ours. For more details
see http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/ecap5.htm
From global tone: Selecting
this box the functional analysis is done ignoring the modulations, from the
general tonality of the work deduced by the software. For example, the tonic
chord (T) in a modulation to the dominant would be written D (dominant) instead
of T (tonic). This is intended for the case of transient
modulations.
Force to be (1-12): You can
specify the reference tone for doing the functional analysis (C=1, Db=2, D=3,
etc.. B=12)
Show
only main fundamentals:
We recommend that this box be selected. Anyway, as we have said before, an
improvement is pending so as not to show fundamentals that are already deducted
from the main ones and to match them with http://www.lamadeguido.com/fundamentos/etables.htm
Don’t
repeat symbols:
If the symbol is exactly the same as the previous chord then it is not
shown.
Clean
score automatically:
For the symbols used in the analysis to be seen more clearly it is advisable to
'clean' parts of the score that are not useful for the harmonic analysis and
will be the variables selected in Clean. If an analysis is repeated it is
advisable to use at least Text, Noteheads and
Color.
You
can also use this plugin simply as a 'cleaner' of the score. In this case press
Clean score and then Cancel. If OK is pressed, the cleaning is performed
automatically before the analysis.
Do
only fundamentals and cadences (ignore Paint):
If the score has many measures, the execution of the plugin can be quite slow.
If you only need to know the fundamentals and the cadences, click on this box.
The program will do the analysis more quickly.
***Variables***
(default values advised)
Only
in the case that the analysis of the tonalities and modulations is not done
through the leading tone (uncheck 'tonal regions by leading tone') the plugin
has an algorithm with the weight of its variables modifiable. It is advisable to
use the default values. But next we explain briefly the meaning of
them:
Memory
subtraction:
Higher values will give more importance to the ‘tonal memory’ of previous
chords.
#4th
& m7 sub:
that a tone has its augmented 4th and its minor seventh goes against its
alternative as a tonic. Higher values increase this
drawback.
Augm
5th & incorrect leading tone: as
in the previous case this also reduces the chances of a tone becoming tonic.
Higher values amplify it.
Cadence
sum:
the localization of tonal cadences gives 'points' to its
tonic.
Internal
cadence sum:
same as the previous case but now with internal cadences between
fundamentals.
Coefficient
for 5th, l-tone, 4th:
The notes that support a tone to become a tonic are (in the chord or in the
previous chords) its 5th, its 4th and its leading tone (7M3 structure).
Increasing the coefficient increases their 'weight' of
support.
Default
values:
check this box to use the algorithm's default values (respectively 19, 70, 80,
85, 40 // 100, 110, 90)
Llorenç Balsach