Analyzing Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2

[ranjit]

I've recently learned Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2. I know basic chords, and chord progressions (diatonic). Can someone explain how the chords in the left hand work? Surely Chopin must have had something in mind while composing this piece. I can not seem to find the analysis of the chords in the piece (i.e., why he had used the chords where he had used them and how one chord is "leading" to another) anywhere.

Suggestions for books are also welcome.

[brogers70]

Here's a youtube playing the piece (mechanically) while showing the score marked up with all the chords.

Here's an article analysing the piece in detail.

https://resoundforever.tumblr.com/post/2376850291/analysis-of-frederic-chopins-op-9-no-2

They showed up in a Google search of "chopin nocturne op 9 no 2 harmonic analysis," along with lots of other links that might be interesting to you.

[ranjit]

Thanks for the links! They are quite useful.

I was wondering if I could use these chord structures for composition/improvisation, but I could not make much sense out of the chord progressions. (As a side question, is the term 'chord progression' used for classical music?) Are such chord progressions studied in music theory? If so, can you suggest some good resources (books, webpages) which teach these?
Thanks.

[brogers70]

You might enjoy this free course on Coursera. It's called "Write like Mozart," but it's really a course on standard harmonies in common period classical music (Baroque, Classical, Early Romantic) more than a course about composing in Mozart's style. The course just started today, so you won't have any catching up to do.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/classical-composition

Also, you can browse around the course list of references to find other material on music theory and chord progressions.

[ranjit]

Wow! That's exactly what I needed!
The course looks absolutely fantastic!

P.S. What do you think about Schoenberg Theory of Harmony?

[brogers70]

I haven't read Scoenberg's Theory of Harmony. My impression is that it is, for example, quite a bit more difficult than that course I recommended. You can get a used reprint on Amazon for not much more than $10, so it would not be a great loss if you had to put off using it until you worked through something more introductory.

[athrun200]

You might enjoy this free course on Coursera. It's called "Write like Mozart," but it's really a course on standard harmonies in common period classical music (Baroque, Classical, Early Romantic) more than a course about composing in Mozart's style. The course just started today, so you won't have any catching up to do.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/classical-composition

Wow. This course is what I need too.
Thanks for the recommandation

[ranjit]

Sorry for reviving this thread, but this post seems most appropriate here, since it is a follow-up to the previous posts.

I have completed the Coursera course. However, it does not go into enough detail for me to analyze this Chopin Nocturne. I still do not get how Chopin makes the harmonies work, in music theoretic terms. He uses half-diminished chords and whatnot, and I can not make sense of them in context. How do I approach learning this?

[adodd81802]