Do I have to prepare and resolve non-chord tones in certain ways?

Question

I keep getting feedback from certain people on a classical music forum that I prepare and resolve my dissonances wrongly and that my counterpoint is off. And this is regardless of what type of classical music I am writing.\n\nIt is almost as though I am being told by Bach "these are all wrong, didn't you learn anything about this from your music theory studies?" as if I have to stick to baroque rules, even when writing a sonata or a waltz. This really frustrates me and I am thinking of not being on that forum anymore because of this. I mean, really, my style is neo-classicism and neo-romanticism. And my main composer influencer is Beethoven who I know broke the rules and pushed the boundaries a lot. \n\nAnd yet I keep being told that I resolve and prepare my non-chord tones wrong(such as for example doubling the chordal seventh). And really, does it matter how I resolve it if the notes are 16th notes or faster? Do I have to stick to the rules of Bach and Mozart when it comes to preparation and resolution of non-chord tones in my classical music compositions?\n\nI can't afford a music theory teacher which is why I have been watching videos online about music theory and more specifically classical harmony. But do I really have to stick to the rules of Bach and Mozart for preparations and resolutions of non-chord tones? Because that really restricts me away from Beethoven's style in my compositions and I can't do that.

Answer 1

This is an older question, but I just wanted to add my own thoughts. I believe this is less an issue of whether it is okay to break "rules" or not, but rather what are your goals and intentions. If you are trying to master traditional harmony and counterpoint, then the comments on that forum could be helpful. It can be informative to compose with the boundaries of traditional rules, just to understand the aesthetic they created and promoted.

BUT if you are just trying to compose your own music, then the rules do not need to be closely followed. Truthfully, I think compositions that closely follow all the "rules" of music theory can be boring. But breaking the rules creates interest, and composers have been doing it for hundreds of years, including Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, and especially modern day composers like Philip Glass and John Williams. So ask yourself: are you trying to learn how to follow the rules? Or are you trying to compose your own music?

Answer 2

OK. Forget the notion of "rules". Tradition is not a straitjacket --- it's there for guidance and inspiration. But there are no rules. If it sounds good to you, then do it. But I hope you have done enough Bach style chorale harmonizations to get a sense of how he deals with such issues. I can find any number of chorales where at one or two points he goes against the guidelines in harmony books, or even against his own usual practices. And when he does this it is usually just marvelous. I think if often is suggested by something in the text, or the subject matter. Listen --- this is not a topic that can be exhausted in a short answer. I would be happy to reduce my usual rate to something you can afford, and work with you.