Lesson 10, Root movement by second

Lesson 10 Root movement by Second

Part I - Progressions
Chord Progressions that use root movement by second:

I-ii-V-I                                         I-IV-V-I                                            i-iv-V-i

In each of these progressions, the underlined chords have roots that are a second apart.
Root movement by 2nd is one of the more important types of progressions because it creates the best indicator of key signature. The I-ii-V-I progression.  This will come in handy later when we discuss key change techniques.

You can see that the I and the ii chords have a root separated by a second.

Fig.1 Root movement by second I-ii-V-I

Listen:

Part II - Deceptive cadences
A deceptive cadence is that which ends on the VI chord. The I chord and the VI chords have two common tones  e.g.        C - E - G (I in the key of C)
                                 A - C - E       (vi in the key of C)
Thus, when writing a progression, the vi chord can be a substitute for the I Chord.

Fig.2 Root movement by second I-IV-V-vi

Listen:

This last example is simply root movement by second, not examples of deceptive cadences.

Fig.3 more examples of root movement by second

Listen:

Lesson 9 root movement by 5th

Lesson 9 - Root movement by 5th

Part I- Perfect authentic cadences

These are known as Perfect Authentic Cadences.  They are Authentic cadences because they are V-I, and they are perfect because the root of the chords are in the bass. There are different types of cadences that will be discussed later.

Fig.1 Perfect authentic cadences in C Major.

Listen:

 Fig.2 Lack of common tone in root movement by fifth.

Listen:

Notice that in the previous example there are common notes from chord to chord.  This is good voice leading practices because the singers will be less likely to miss the note. Because they are singing the same tone from chord to chord.

In Fig.2, however, each new chord every voice has a new pitch to sing.

 Fig.3 change of structure from chord to chord 

Listen:

Changing the structure from Chord to chord is useful to avoid awkward leaps and bad voice leading.  as demonstrated above in the first example, the structure is close in the first chord (V) and open in the second (I).  the reverse is shown in the example on the right.  

Part II - Plagal cadences

a plagal cadence is the subdominant (IV) chord leading to the tonic (I) chord

Fig.4 Plagal cadence in C Major

Listen:

 Fig.5 Authentic cadence with plagal extension.

Listen:

As demonstrated in the example above, the plagal cadence is most commonly an extension to the authentic cadence.  And is most commonly found at the end of a piece.

Part III - Half cadences

Fig.6 Half cadences

Listen:

A half cadence is a cadence that ends on the dominant (V) chord

Lesson 8 Part Writing with Root-Position chords.

Lesson 8, Part Writing with Root-Position Chords

In context, the word "voice" does not necessarily mean that the music is to be sung.  It simply means that there are more than one melodic strand, each of which are called a "voice." They fit together to make up pat of a larger texture.The process of creating a multi-voice texture is called part writing.

 Part I-Introduction to part writing.
In general, there are four voices to write for: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass.
In general, the order goes like this: Soprano on top, Alto directly below Soprano, Tenor directly below Alto, and Bass on bottom.

Fig.1 part writing voices

Listen:

Part II-Open and close structure

Close structure, the notes are arranged so that there is not more than a fifth between voices.

Fig.2 Close structure

Listen:

Open structure-  where there is more than a fifth between two or more voices.

The Xs indicate chord tones that have been skipped.

Fig.3 Open structure

Listen:

Part III- Voice Ranges.

In general, voices should stay within these ranges.  Of course there are exceptions.  

Also voices should not cross meaning for example. the Alto is higher than the soprano.  The ranges do overlap quite a bit, however they should not cross.

Fig.4 Vocal ranges

Part IV-Part writing practices.

Parallel intervals of a fifth and octave are frowned upon when part writing.   Here is an example of parallel octaves in part writing

Fig.5 Parallel octaves

Listen:

When writing repeated chords, it is good practice to alternate between close and open structure.

Fig.6 Repeated chords.

Listen:

Lesson 7 The basics of diatonic harmony

Lesson 7- The Basics of Diatonic Harmony

Part I.  Diatonic Chords of the Major Scale

The diatonic chords of the Major scale are as follows:

I: Major, ii: minor, iii: minor, IV: Major, V: Major, vi:minor, vii°:diminished, I: Major

(notice how the Major roman numerals are capital, and minor roman numerals are lower case)

C Major:

Listen:

Part II- Diatonic chords of the minor scale

The diatonic chords pf the minor scale are as follows:

i: minor, ii°: diminished, III: Major, iv: minor (or Major depending on which minor scale is used), 

V: Major, VI: Major, VII:Major (or diminished depending on which minor scale is used), and, i: minor.

Listen:

Part III- Cadences

A cadence is a point of rest within a piece.  This happens at the end of a musical line or idea.  Most melodies within a piece will have a cadence of some sort at the end of them (even if it is not V-I).

We will discuss cadences more in a later lesson

Listen:

Part IV- Major chord progressions

The most common chord progression is the circle of fifths progression  It is as follows 

I-iii-vi-ii-V-I

Listen:

Part V- minor chord progressions

The most common chord progression in the minor scale is:

i-VII-III-VI-ii-V-i

(recall that the 6 after the ii means that it is in first inversion because the third of the chord is in the bass)

Listen:

Lesson 6 Melody and counterpoint

Lesson 6 Melody and counterpoint

Melody and counterpoint

Part I-Texture

Melody-A succession on pitches that create a distinct sence of orginization and a logical whole

Textures:

Monophonic-Literally 'One sound.'  texture where only one note is sung or played at a time in unison or octaves.  An example is Gregorian Chant.

Notice how all of the voices are singing the same pitch at the same time.  This is monophony 

Homophonic-Several lines of notes moving together on the same rhythm.  One voice will have the melody and the others will be accompniment. An example is a Hymn

Notice how one voice has the melody for the majority of the piece.  While the other voices are accompaniment 

Polyphonic-Several lines each of the same musical importance that move indipendantly of each other to create a musical wholean example is a fugue

See how once all of the voices are playing, they seem to move completely independent of each other?

(Fugues are an extremely complex musical form and we will discuss all of the different elements of a fugue in that lesson).

Part II-Melody

Melodic movement

In general, when writing a melody it is prefered to continuue movement in the same direction.

Fig.1 Melodic movement.

As a simple example, think of the melody of "Mary Has a Little Lamb"  The melody follows stepwise motion.

Lesson 5, Triads and Figured Bass

Lesson 5 Triads and Figured Bass.

Part I. Triads and Figured bass

 Fig.1 Triads

•Triads are three or more pitches associated together  in some way.  

•pitches where the intervals are stacked in thirds are called triads as demonstrated on the left.

•Other chords with three pitches that are not stacked in thirds are called trichords

 Fig.2 Chord Qualities

•To make a major chord, play the first, third and fifth note of the major scale.

•To make a minor chord, do the same with the minor scale

•To create a diminished chord, Lower the fifth of a minor chord one-half step.

•To Create an augmented chord, raise the fifth of a major chord one-half step.

Fig.3 chord qualities and scales

 Fig.4 Examples of chords

 Fig.5 Inverting triads

when the root of the chord is not on the bottom, the chord is said to be inverted

 Fig.6 Open and closed spacing

 Fig.7 Figured bass

The figured bass give the intervals to be played above the given bass note.

 Fig.8 Most commonly used figured bass

Fig.9 examples of figured bass.

Lesson 4. Minor Key Signatures.

Lesson 4 Minor scales and Key signatures

Part 1.  identifying minor scales.

Fig.1 Identifying minor Key signatures

To identify a minor scale, count down three half steps (a minor third from the relative Major 

Part II. types of minor scales

Natural minor scales do not have any accidentals outside of the key signature.  Here are three examples.

Fig.2 Natural minor scales

 Fig.3 Harmonic minor Scale

The Harmonic minor has a raised seventh scale degree (Leading tone)

 Fig.4 C harmonic minor scale

Fig.5. D# Harmonic minor

 Fig.6 Melodic minor

To create the melodic minor scale, the 6th and 7th scale degrees are raised ascending the scale and lowered  Descending the scale.

 Fig.7 C melodic minor

Fig.8 D# Melodic minor.

Fig.9 Key relationships.

Lesson 3. Intervals

Lesson 3 Intervals

Part I. names and qualities of intervals

Like key signatures, intervals can also me major and minor.

M1
M2
M3
P4
P5
M6
M7
P8

Here, you can see the steps to calculating intervals
F-C is a P5th.  E-G is a M3rd, G-C is a P4th
A-B is a M2nd. B-G is a M6th.  C-B is a M7th.  and A-A, is a P 8ve(Octave)

Fig1.calculating intervals

Fig.2 Making a Major interval minor.

To make a major interval minor, all you need to do is lower the upper note one half-step.

Fig.3 Further altering intervals

to make an interval diminished, lower the upper note of a PERFECT interval.  

To make an interval Augmented, raise the upper note of any major or perfect interval.

Fig.4 Inverting intervals

Inverting intervals changes their name AND quality

Major intervals become minor and vice versa.  Perfect intervals are still perfect.  And diminished intervals become augmented and vice versa.

Fig.5 Interval inversions

Here are the interval inversions and Qualities. 

Lesson 2. Major Scales and Key Signatures

Lesson 2. Major Scales and Key signatures

Part I.
simple introduction to intervals

Steps are the distance between two pitches.  We will learn intervals in the next lesson.  For now, all that you need to know is that there are HALF steps, and WHOLE steps

Fig.1 Scale

As demonstrated here, the steps of the major scale are Whole, Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half

Part II. Key signatures

Fig.2 Sharp key signatures

As seen above, the order of Sharps are F, C, G, D, A, E, B.  And the key signatures are C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#.

Fig.3 Flat Key signatures

Here you can see the flat key signatures.  They are: C,F,Bb,Eb,Ab,Gb,Cb.  And the order of flats is reverse that of sharps. B, E, A, D, G, C, F.

Part III. Naming key signatures.

Fig.4 The Circle of fifths

This is used to calculate the Scales and key signatures.  going clockwise, the distance between the notes is a fifth.

C (D E F) G

1  ( 2 3 4)   5

Also useful right now is a third

C (D) E

1  2  3