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:
