Harmony Department
The Harmony Department provides an essential foundation for every Berklee student. The courses that comprise our curriculum are at the very core of the Berklee experience and are the result of a realization that was revolutionary at the time: that theory can be understood and taught by examining and analyzing contemporary popular music.
The musical world is a much different place than it was when Berklee was founded, but our commitment to giving students the tools to understand and create their music is as strong as ever. The radical increase in stylistic diversity since the 1950s gives us an ever-broader field to survey, but the Berklee harmony program provides the skills you will need to navigate in a changing envirnment.
After learning the basics of music theory, students learn how to analyze the harmony and melody of contemporary music and how to use this knowledge to create their own compositions and performances. In addition to weekly assignments, students will write at least one project a semester that they record with student project bands, collaborating with their fellow students, or at a MIDI workstation.
The core (required) harmony courses cover the spectrum from fundamentals, such as scale knowledge and chord construction, to more specialized topics that pertain to particular styles. Harmonic and melodic analysis, as well as ear training, are an integral part of all the courses. Rather than being dry or abstract, analysis will help students understand and retain the sound of chord progressions and to understand the underlying principles that make them compelling.
First-semester placement is based on music placement test scores, taken during students' initial week at the college. Students who arrive at Berklee with extensive practical experience or study at another music school or a Berklee-affiliated international school may be placed in a higher level of harmony to start, but everyone who attends Berklee will have the benefit of some study in the Harmony Department.
Besides the required four semesters of basic harmony, the department offers electives for those interested in furthering their studies:
- HR-325 Reharmonization Techniques
- HR-231 Harmonic Analysis of Rock Music
- HR-335 Advanced Harmonic Concepts
- HR-345 Advanced Modal Harmon
- HR-241 Harmony in Brazilian Song
- HR-355 The Music of the Yellowjackets
- HR-251 The Blues: Analysis and Application
- HR-361 World Music Elements for the Contemporary Musician
Harmony Department Facilities and Resources
Professional Writing Division MIDI Lab
This lab consists of 12 fully configured workstations and a separate similarly equipped studio for live overdubbing to provide you with hands-on access to professional music technology.
For Further Information
For further information about the Harmony Department, please call 617 747-8468.