Bach's Counterpoint Applied to Slayer's Raining Blood | Music Theory Analysis

Serialism emerged around 1900 as a response to chromaticism breaking down the major-minor key system in works by Wagner and Liszt. The Second Viennese School (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern) developed the twelve-tone system, which gives equal rights to all twelve notes of the octave. Composers organize these semitones in a chosen order called a 'note row,' ensuring no note repeats until all twelve have sounded. This system represents a fundamental shift from key-based organization to pitch-class equality, providing equal creative freedom across all twelve pitches.

The retrograde series reverses the order of the original series, starting from the last note and proceeding backward. The inverse series reverses the direction of all intervals while maintaining the same starting note. Dodecaphonic notation uses numerical values (1-12) representing the chromatic scale: 1=C, 2=C#, 3=D, 4=D#, 5=E, 6=F, 7=F#, 8=G, 9=G#, 10=A, 11=A#, 12=B. These four series (original, retrograde, inverse, retrograde of inverse) provide the foundational materials for dodecaphonic composition, though composers can begin working with just the original and inverse series.

Twelve-tone serialism is a compositional technique that uses an ordered series of all twelve chromatic pitches (called a 'row') to generate musical material, employing four transformations—prime (original), retrograde (reversed), inversion (intervals reversed in direction), and retrograde inversion—to create harmonic unity without emphasizing any single pitch, and organizing these transformations into a 12x12 matrix for systematic analysis and composition.

A twelve-tone matrix is a 12x12 grid that organizes all 48 possible transformations of a twelve-tone row (prime, inversion, transposition, retrograde, and retrograde inversion), enabling composers to systematically explore and apply these transformations in their compositions; the matrix uses numerical notation (0-11) instead of traditional note names to represent pitches, where each number indicates the half-step distance from C, allowing for easier interval visualization and manipulation in atonal composition.

Dodecaphony (dodecaphonism) is a musical composition method developed by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg in the 1920s, where all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are organized into a specific sequence called a 'tone row,' and composers must use each note exactly once before repeating any, with freedom to vary duration, timbre, and intensity but not to repeat notes before completing the sequence.

Simple four-part chorale settings allowed musicians considerable freedom in harmonization, as long as the chorale remained prominent. Osiander developed Kantionalsatz, prioritizing full harmony over strict counterpoint rules—having sopranos descend and tenors ascend to create fuller chords. By 1640, Johann Crüger introduced basso continuo notation with chorale and figured bass lines, enabling organists to realize inner voices. Almost 100 years later, Bach created multiple homophonic harmonizations. This evolution shows how chorale settings progressed from purely contrapuntal exercises to practical tools for congregational worship with flexible harmonic interpretation.

The instructor demonstrates practical application of contrapuntal techniques using specific melodic examples. The process involves analyzing the harmonic structure, selecting appropriate contrapuntal figures, and combining them with the melody. The instructor shows how to create figures that either maintain harmony or introduce changes, depending on the harmonic context. The demonstration includes both simple and complex passages, showing how to progress from basic to advanced contrapuntal techniques. The instructor emphasizes that successful polyphony requires understanding the relationship between harmonic structure and contrapuntal motion.

Contemporary four-part arrangements are created by taking a three-part arrangement and adding a fourth voice that sings an octave of one of the existing voices. The presenter demonstrates this by choosing the top voice and octaving it down, creating a richer, fuller sound. Any voice can be chosen for octaving—top, bottom, or middle voices can all be duplicated an octave higher or lower. The fourth voice generally doesn't sing different notes than the three-part arrangement because having four different notes throughout the melody would be too much information for listeners to process.

This comprehensive section covers the complete methodology for harmonizing Bach chorales in four parts. The foundational knowledge includes counterpoint, basso continuo, voice leading, and tessitura as essential skills. The cycle of fifths explains chord relationships, with major and minor keys having distinct harmonic fields. Essential rules include always beginning and ending with the tonic, using the fifth degree in the penultimate chord, and avoiding parallel fifths and octaves. The systematic procedure involves: establishing the first degree as the starting chord, using the fifth degree in the penultimate chord, analyzing each melodic note as a potential tonic, third, or fifth, and using the chord progression table method where each chord choice eliminates certain options for the next chord. Voice doubling rules include doubling the root only in root position, doubling the third when the soprano sings it, and avoiding parallel fifths and octaves.

Four-voice chorales represent complex contrapuntal music with varied rhythms and simultaneous independent voices, often moving in contrary motion. The technique of independent melodic lines harmonizing simultaneously represents a major discovery in Western music. Even pieces without obvious multiple voices often apply contrapuntal principles for fluidity and naturalness. The video demonstrates how voices enter sequentially, creating layered musical textures that define Western musical tradition.

Neoclassical metal instrumentals follow unconventional structures inspired by classical music rather than standard verse-chorus formats. Sections have less clear function, relying heavily on themes introduced and then developed or varied throughout the piece, leading to through-composed structures where each section flows into the next without strict repetition. Harmonically, the genre uses functional harmony focusing on chord function and resolution to the tonic. The most common chord movement alternates between tonic and dominant chords in minor keys, creating static harmony that enables the harmonic minor scale. Circular fifths progressions add directional motion, while secondary dominance creates chromatic movements with strong pull toward resolution. The Phrygian dominant scale provides an exotic alternative. Most neoclassical metal draws from Baroque music with fast runs, arpeggios, and counterpoint rooted in composers like Bach and Vivaldi, with additional influences from classical and romantic periods.

Neoclassical metal incorporates classical music elements, melodies, and techniques into metal music. Cliff Burton, Metallica's bassist, was responsible for many of these elements, having formal musical education. Examples include the 'Anesthesia' bass solo, which has classical influences, and the 'Fight Fire with Fire' intro, which incorporates a 17th-century melody.

Neoclassical metal is basically classical music but played with metal guitars—think of someone playing a metal version of Beethoven or something. It typically has a sound similar to the new wave of British heavy metal bands but with much more technicality since classical is rather intricate in complex music. Vocals are rare and this is one of the few metal genres where instead of a band name the artist will usually just use his own name as this genre is mostly about flaunting guitar virtuosity above all else. Yngwie Malmsteen is the definitive artist of the genre.

In the mid-1990s, new bands emerged that contributed to progressive metal's evolution. Nevermore, originally a thrash groove metal band, evolved toward progressive metal, releasing excellent works like 'The Politics of Ecstasy' and 'Dreaming Neon Black'. Symphony X opened another front for progressive metal by mixing it with neoclassical metal and power metal, releasing 'Divine Wings of Tragedy' and 'Twilight in Olympus'. Tool debuted in the mid-1990s with a more alternative approach to progressive metal, being heirs to King Crimson's classic sound while including influences from Indian music known for its rhythmic complexity, as shown in their early 1990s albums 'Undertow' and 'Ænima'.

Neoclassical metal incorporates classical composition techniques including the harmonic minor scale (which creates stronger resolutions through its raised 7th degree), secondary dominants (such as the five-of-five chord), neapolitan chords (built a half step above the root), augmented sixth chords (dominant seventh chords on the minor sixth degree), secondary diminished seventh chords, phrygian dominant mode, and cadential 6/4 chords, allowing guitarists to adapt Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart's harmonic innovations into powerful metal riffs.