Tonality Words

Flashcards covering basic music theory including major and minor scales, key signatures, and types of modulation.

Major

Happy key with a structure of TTSTTTS.

Minor

Sad sounding key.

Modulation

Change of key.

Relative Minor

The minor key with the same key signature as a major key (down $3$ semitones).

Relative Major

The major key with the same key signature as a minor key (up $3$ semitones).

Modulation to the Dominant

Changing key from the Tonic ($1\text{st}$) chord to the Dominant chord ($5\text{th}$ chord).

Modulation to the Subdominant

Changing key from the Tonic ($1\text{st}$) chord to the Subdominant chord ($4\text{th}$ chord).

Pentatonic

$5$ note scale.

C Major

No sharps or flats.

F major

$1$ flat (Bb).

Bb Major

$2$ flats (B, E).

Eb Major

$3$ flats (B, E, A).

Ab Major

$4$ flats (B, E, A, D).

G Major

$1$ sharp (F#).

D Major

$2$ sharps (F#, C#).

A Major

$3$ sharps (F#, C#, G#).

E Major

$4$ sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#).

Rule for Sharp keys

Go up one from the last sharp.

Rule for Flat keys

Look at the $2\text{nd}$ to last flat - that's the key (doesn't work for F major - just learn it!).

From Major to relative Minor

Go down $3$ semitones.

From Minor to relative Major

Go up $3$ semitones.

Chromatic

Based on a chromatic scale (semitones).

Whole Tone

Based on a scale made up of whole tones (dreamy).

Blues scale

A major scale in which the $3\text{rd}$, the $7\text{th}$, and sometimes the $5\text{th}$ degrees are lowered (jazzy).