I’ve been away from this blog for an extended hiatus. Since I’ve been away I have been practicing the guitar regularly. Below is a rough (incomplete) outline of a section of Van Eps’s Harmonic Mechanisms I am working on. My impression is that the end result of these exercises should be to be able to keep melodic lines moving within a harmonic context.

It’s all about moving lines baby!

George Van Eps, Harmonic Mechanisms for Guitar, Super and Sub Series: 160-256

  1. 1st inversion triads: 166-222
  • Major
    • Upper voice super: 166-68
    • Middle voice super: 169-71
    • Lower voice super: 172-74
    • Upper voice sub: 176-78
    • Middle voice sub: 179-81
    • Lower voice sub: 182-84
  • Harmonic minor
    • Upper voice super: 187-89
    • Middle voice super: 190-92
    • Lower voice super: 193-95
    • Upper voice sub: 196-98
    • Middle voice sub: 199-201
    • Lower voice sub: 202-04
  • Melodic minor
    • Upper voice super: 205-07
    • Middle voice super: 208-10
    • Lower voice super: 211-13
    • Upper voice sub: 214-16
    • Middle voice sub: 217-19
    • Lower voice sub: 220-22
  1. 2nd inversion triads: 223-38
  • Major
    • Upper voice super: 224
    • Middle voice super: 225
    • Lower voice super: 226
    • Upper voice sub: 227
    • Middle voice sub: 227
    • Lower voice sub: 228
  • Harmonic minor
    • Upper voice super: 229
    • Middle voice super: 229-30
    • Lower voice super: 230-31
    • Upper voice sub: 232
    • Middle voice sub: 232
    • Lower voice sub: 233
  • Melodic minor
    • Upper voice super: 234-35
    • Middle voice super: 235
    • Lower voice super: 236
    • Upper voice sub: 237
    • Middle voice sub: 237
    • Lower voice sub: 238
  1. Root position triads: 239-43
  • Major
    • Upper voice super: 241
    • Middle voice super: 241
    • Lower voice super: 241
    • Upper voice sub: 242
    • Middle voice sub: 242
    • Lower voice sub: 242
  • Harmonic minor

  • Melodic minor
  1. Open voiced triads: 244-48
    • NOTE: Van Eps only writes out C major and C harmonic minor for super and sub. Transpose to all other keys and for melodic minor
  2. Multi-voice movement: 249-56