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| Triads | Consist of 2 intervals (a 5th and a 3rd) above the lowest tone (the ROOT)= Because there a different kinds/qualities of 5ths and 3rds, there are different qualities of triads (Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented) |
| Which of the 4 qualities of triads are the most important? | The Major and Minor are the most important= Because they contain only consonant intervals (perfect 5ths, major and minor 3rds), they are CONSONANT chords |
| Describe: Diminished and Augmented Triads | Are DISSONANT because each contains a dissonant interval (a Diminished or Augmented 5th)= Of the 2 dissonant triads, ONLY the DIMINISHED Triad has any importance for the beginning stages of music theory |
| Major Triad: Describe 5th's Quality and 3rd's Quality | [5th: Perfect]; [3rd: Major] |
| Minor Triad: Describe 5th's Quality and 3rd's Quality | [5th: Perfect]; [3rd: Minor] |
| Diminished Triad: Describe 5th's Quality and 3rd's Quality | [5th: Diminished]; [3rd: Minor] |
| Augmented Triad: Describe 5th's Quality and 3rd's Quality | [5th: Augmented]; [3rd: Major] |
| What is the most stable of all chords? | The Major Triad |
| Describe music if it were merely a succession of stable, well-balanced chords | It might well contain nothing but major triads= BUT such a procedure would contradict the unity and continuity that form an essential aspect of musical composition (EX: In D major, if the chords of F# and B were expressed as major triads, they would contain tones A# and D#, tones that don't belong to the D Major Scale and that would conflict with the D-natural and A-natural of the tonic triad |
| What does the basic chordal vocabulary of tonal music confine itself to? | Confines itself to "DIATONIC ELEMENTS" (those belonging to the scale)= |
| What do Roman Numerals designate? | Designate the scale degrees on which the triads are built= These scale degrees are the roots or fundamental tones of the triads (remember that the roman numerals refer to scale degrees only as the roots of chords) |
| Major Scale: Major Triads | I, IV, V |
| Major Scale: Minor Triads | ii, iii, vi |
| Major Scale: Diminished Triads | viiº |
| Natural Minor Scale: Minor Triads | i, iv, v |
| Natural Minor Scale: Major Triads | III, VI, VII |
| Natural Minor Scale: Diminished Triads | iiº |
| What does the characteristic color of each mode (i.e. Major/Minor) come from? | Comes not only from the quality of the Tonic Triad (though that is the MOST important factor) but also from the fact that IV and V, the other major triads in the major mode, are minor triads in the minor mode |
| Natural Minor: Leading Tone | The lack of a leading tone in the Natural Minor makes it necessary to raise scale degree 7 whenever a motion to scale degree 1 is expected |
| Natural Minor: What is the result of raising scale degree 7 | Is often necessary to raise scale degree 6 to avoid the awkward melodic interval of an augmented 2nd |
| When scale degrees 7 and 6 occur as members of chords, what happens when 7 and 6 are raised? | Raising them changes the quality of the chords |
| Harmonic Minor | Is the Natural Minor Scale with raised scale degrees 6 and 7 |
| Harmonic Minor: Augmented | III+ |
| Harmonic Minor: Major | IV, V |
| Harmonic Minor: Diminished | viº, viiº |
| Harmonic Minor: Minor | i, ii |
| Major Scale: Half/Whole Steps | W-W-h-W-W-W-h |
| Natural Minor Scale: Half/Whole Steps | W-h-W-W-h-W-W |
| Harmonic Minor Scale: Half/Whole Steps | W-h-W-W-h-[W + (1/2)]-h |
| Melodic Minor Scale: Half/Whole Steps | ASCENDING: W-h-W-W-W-W-h DESCENDING: W-W-h-W-W-h-W |
| Harmonic Minor: Major Triads | [ASCENDING: V, VI]= [DESCENDING: III, VI, VII] |
| Harmonic Minor: Minor Triads | [ASCENDING: i, iv]= [DESCENDING: i, iv, v] |
| Harmonic Minor: Diminished Triads | [ASCENDING: iiº, viiº]= [DESCENDING: iiº] |
| Harmonic Minor: Augmented Triads | [ASCENDING: III+]= [DESCENDING: none] |
| When should scale degrees 5 and 7 be raised? | RULE: A motion to scale degree 1 (or the expectation of such a motion) requires the raising of scale degree 7 and the accompanying change in the quality of V and VII |
| Root Position | Normal position of a chord (with the root as the lowest tone) |
| Inverted Triads | Like intervals, triads can be INVERTED= A triad is in inversion when a tone other than the root is the lowest |
| First Inversion Triad | If the 3rd of the triad is the lowest tone |
| Second Inversion Triad | If the 5th of the triad is the lowest tone |
| What determines what inversion a triad is in? | Whether a triad is in Root Position or one of the inversions depends SOLELY on which tone is the lowest= **The upper tones can be in ANY position |
| Similarities between an Intervals (and their inversions) and Triads (and their inversions) | Just as the 3rd G-B and its inversion (the 6th B-G) form a pair of related intervals, so do the triad G-B-D and its inversions (B-D-G and D-G-B) form a group of related chords= And just as a 3rd and a 6th (though related) are not completely equivalent (i.e. the 6th is less stable), so, too, a root-position triad and its inversions are not completely equivalent |
| Root Position Triad | Five-Three Chord (written [5/3])= Typically, is not written with [5/3] because the root position triad is so common= Also, [5/3] is also frequently shortened to 6 |
| First Inversion Triad | Six-Three Chord (written [6/3]) |
| Second Inversion Triad | Six-Four Chord (written [6/4]) |
| Figured Bass: Key Signatures | Key signatures apply to figures as well as to notes |
| Figured Bass: Modifications of Key Signatures (accidentals) | Modifications of key signatures (accidentals) are indicated by the appropriate sign (#, b, etc.) NEXT to the figure= (EX: [6#/4]) |
| Figured Bass: An accidental standing alone (not next to a figure) | An accidental standing alone (not next to a figure) ALWAYS affects the THIRD above the bass |
| Figured Bass: Raising of a tone | Sometimes, the raising of a tone is indicated by a slash through the figure or a little vertical line rather than by a [#, b, etc.] |
| Figured Bass: What do figures specify | Figures do NOT specify the arrangement of the upper voices= Thus, a [6/4] chord can be played with either the 6th or the 4th on top= The choice is the accompanists |
| [6/3] and [6/4] Chords | Although it is easy to think that these chords are simply inversions of root-position triads, these chords can be derived from [5/3] chords through MELODIC MOTION above a STATIONARY BASS as well as through inversion |
| Inversions through Melodic Motion | ([5-6], [6-5]) and ([5/3], [6/4], [5/3]) are normally executed by keeping the melodic motions in the same voice or pair of voices |
| When is a chord truly in First or Second inversion? | Only when the new inverted chord is the product of inversion, not when it comes from melodic activity |
| Roman Numerals | Indicate the ROOTS of chords and the SCALE DEGREES on which they fall |
| Figured-Bass Symbols | Are calculated from the BASS TONES, not the roots, so that we do not need to think of the chord roots to realize a figured bass |
| Harmonic Analysis: What does it mean if there is a Roman Numeral under each chord? | Implies that all of [6/3] and [6/4] chords are the products of inversion |
| How many combinations of letter names form the intervals of a 5th and a 3rd? What are they? | Only 7 combinations of letter names form the intervals of a 5th and a 3rd (thus, only these 7 groups form triads)= [C-E-G], [D-F-A], [E-G-B], [F-A-C], [G-B-D], [A-C-E], [B-D-F] |
| Describe the consonant chords of tonal music | All the consonant chords of tonal music are triads in root position or inversion (though not all triads are consonant [some {6/4} chords and ALL diminished and augmented ones are not]) |
| Describe the dissonant chords of tonal music | Most of the dissonant chords used in tonal music belong to the category of SEVENTH CHORDS |
| Seventh Chords | Chords that contain the interval of a 7th above the root |
| Resolution of 7th Chords | (That the dissonant 7th still represents a PASSING TONE is indicated by the basic rule governing the use of Seventh Chords) The dissonance moves down by step to resolve (just as it would if it were a normal passing tone) |
| Describe Seventh Chords | Every Seventh Chord consists of a triad plus the interval of a 7th |
| Seventh Chord: Stable vs. Unstable | The TRIAD (especially if it is a major/minor one) is the STABLE part of the chord= The 7th is the ACTIVE/unstable/dissonant element that MUST RESOLVE BY STEPWISE DESCENT |
| Quality of a Seventh Chord | The quality of a Seventh Chord depends on the qualities of the triad and 7th it comprises= Also, since all Seventh Chords are UNSTABLE and all follow the same rule of resolution (the 7th moves DOWN by STEP), the quality of a Seventh Chord has less influence on its function than is the case with triads |
| Dominant Seventh | Reflects the fact that this chord appears on the 5th scale degree (Dominant) of the major and inflected minor scales= It is the MOST important of all the Seventh Chords |
| Seventh Chord: Major | [Triad Quality: Major]= [7th Quality: Major] |
| Seventh Chord: Minor | [Triad Quality: Minor]= [7th Quality: Minor] |
| Seventh Chord: Dominant (a.k.a. Major-Minor) | ***(Is called "MAJOR-MINOR" when it occurs on Scale Degrees other than 5)*** [Triad Quality: Major]= [7th Quality: Minor] |
| Seventh Chord: Diminished | [Triad Quality: Diminished]= [7th Quality: Diminished] |
| Seventh Chord: Half-Diminished | [Triad Quality: Diminished]= [7th Quality: Minor] |
| Seventh Chord: Augmented (Major) | [Triad Quality: Augmented]= [7th Quality: Major] |
| Seventh Chord: Augmented Seventh | [Triad Quality: Augmented]= [7th Quality: Minor] |
| Seventh Chord: Minor-Major | [Triad Quality: Minor]= [7th Quality: Major] |
| Major Scale: Seventh Chords | [I^7]-[ii^7]-[iii^7]-[IV^7]-[dominant V^7]-[vi^7]-[vii^ø7] |
| Natural Minor Scale: Seventh Chords | [i^7]-[ii^ø7]-[III^7]-[iv^7]-[dominant V^7]-[VI^7]- { [vii^º7] OR SOMETIMES [Mm VII^7] } |
| Seventh Chords: Figured-Bass Symbols | Root Position= [7/5/3]; First Inversion= [6/5/3]; Second Inversion [6/4/3]; Third Inversion [6/4/2]= Typically abbreviated to... Root Position= [7 or 7/5 or 7/3]; First Inversion= [6/5]; Second Inversion= [4/3]; Third Inversion= [4/2 or 2] |
| Seventh Chords: Memorizing the Figured Bass | 7-[6/5]-[4/3]-[4/2] |
| Seventh Chords: When might the figured bass appear in complete rather than abbreviated form? | If, for example, one of the numbers is modified by a sharp or flat |
| Seventh Chords: Roman Numerals/Figured Bass | Roman Numerals indicate the roots of Seventh Chords= Figured-Bass symbols indicate the root position/inversion of the Seventh Chord |
| How many combinations of letter names form Seventh Chords? What are they? | Only 7 combinations of letter names form Seventh Chords= [C-E-G-B], [D-F-A-C], [E-G-B-D], [F-A-C-E], [G-B-D-F], [A-C-E-G], [B-D-F-A] |
| Note-Against-Note Texture | Music in a simply chordal style usually proceeds in a "Note-Against-Note" Texture= All the voices or parts maintain the same rhythm= In the simplest form of this style, only tones that are chord members will appear |
| Figuration | Is a more entertaining/enlivened texture that has quicker notes in one ore more of the parts= These quicker notes sometimes arpeggiate the chord that is sounding at the time (i.e. they leap from one chord tone to another)= At other times, the play of figuration introduces tones that do NOT form part of the chord against which they sound |
| Figuration Tones | (Sometimes, the play of figuration introduces tones that do not form part of the chord against which they sound) The most important of these figuration tones are: The Passing Tone, Neighboring Tone (complete and incomplete), Suspension, Anticipation, and Appoggiatura |
| Harmony | The aspect of music concerned with relationships among chords |
| Voice Leading | The aspect of music concerned with the simultaneous motion of 2 or more parts |
| What is the unit of HARMONY? | The Chord |
| What is the unit of VOICE LEADING? | The Melodic Line= However, the simultaneous motion of several lines necessarily creates chords |
| Tonal Music: How is Harmonic Progression organized? | By the "5th Relationship" |
| What does the 5th do? | The 5th forms the basis of organization not only of elements within a single chord but also of movement from one chord to another |
| How is the fact that the interval of the 5th dominates Harmonic Progression reflected? | Reflected in the use of the term DOMINANT to denote the scale degree a 5th above the tonic and the chords built on that degree |
| What are relationships in tonal music organized around? Result? | Organized around the tonic= So, the basic harmonic relationship is that between Tonic and Dominant (between the chord built on the central tone and the one built on its upper 5th) |
| What do many chord progressions of tonal music arise out of? | Arise out of Voice Leading (or COUNTERPOINT)= MEANING: The chords result from the simultaneous motion of several melodic lines |
| What is the basis of Harmonic Progression? | Motion by 5th |
| What is the basis of Melodic Progression? | Motion by STEP |
| Contrapuntal Progressions | Successions of chords controlled by Voice Leading |
| Contrapuntal Progressions: What predominates? | In succession of chords controlled by voice leading, STEPWISE MOTION predominates |
