AP Music Theory Seventh chords

Seventh Chord

A chord made up of a triad and a note a 7th above the root

Dominant Seventh Chord

Mm7; used for major-minor seventh chord

A Major Triad with a Minor Seventh above the root

Major Seventh Chord

MM or M7; major-major seventh; a major triad with a Major seventh above the root.

Minor Seventh Chord

mm7; minor-minor seventh. A Minor Triad with a minor seventh above the root.

Half-Diminished Seventh Chord

Ø7; diminished triad with a minor seventh above the root.

Fully-Diminished Seventh Chord

o7; diminished triad with a diminished seventh above the root.

First Inversion Seventh Chord

figured bass 6/5; a seventh chord with the third of the chord as the lowest-sounding note.

Second Inversion Seventh Chord

figured bass 4/3; a seventh chord with the fifth of the chord as the lowest-sounding note.

Third Inversion Seventh Chord

figured bass 4/2; a seventh chord with the seventh of the chord as the lowest-sounding note.

Tonic Function

A chord is the I chord in a given key.

Dominant Function

A chord is the V chord in a given key.

Predominant Function

Progression sets up the dominant-tonic tonality. The chords that come before the V Chord.

Deceptive Progression

A chord progression where the last chord is not what you expect; for example, a V chord going to any chord other than I.

Harmonic Rhythm

rate at which chords change

Realization of a figured bass

using figured bass symbols to write out four-part harmony; a bass line, soprano line, tenor line and alto line.

Soprano

The highest voice in four-part harmony.

The highest female singing voice.

Alto

The second-to highest voice in four-part harmony.

The lower female singing voice.

Tenor

The second -to-lowest voice in four-part harmony.

The highest male singing voice.

Bass

The lowest voice in four-part harmony.

The lowest male singing voice.

Arpeggio

the playing of the tones of a chord in rapid succession rather than simultaneously

Chromatic

Chromatic music has many notes that are outside of the given key signature.

Diatonic

Diatonic music does not have many accidentals; most of the notes are within the given key signature.

Doubling

When more than one voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) play or sing the same note in a chord. Mostly the root of a chord is doubled, or the fifth. Do not double the third or the seventh of the chord.

Closed Position Chord

A chord when voiced in four parts is contained within a single octave.

Open Position Chord

A chord with a spread-out voicing. The soprano, alto, tenor and bass are far apart and the entire chord spans more than an octave.

Common Practice Style

compositional techniques and harmonic language of and/or relating to the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. Often thought of as the period from 1700 to 1800.

Figured Bass

form of musical notation in whcih numerals and symbols are used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones in relation to the bass note

Flatted Fifth

diminished fifth, the fifth note in a chord that is lowered by a half step.

Resolution

a chord progression going in the direction the ear wants it to go. For example, a V chord resolves to a I chord. A leading tone resolves up to the tonic.

Compound Intervals

Intervals that span more than an octave, like M9, m9, M10, m10.

Call and Response

musical interaction in which an idea is stated by one voice or instrument and responded to or echoed by others

Dynamics

Degrees of loudness or softness in music.

crescendo

gradually getting louder in volume

decrescendo

gradually getting softer in volume

diminuendo

gradually getting softer in volume; same as decrescendo

terrace dynamics

dynamics that rise or fall in levels in succession.

pianissimo

pp; very soft volume

piano

p; soft volume

mezzo piano

mp; medium-soft volume

mezzo forte

mf; medium-loud volume

forte

f; loud volume

fortissimo

ff; very loud volume

sforzando

sfz; Sudden strong accent

Improvisation

inventing music as you go, but usually following a set chord progression.

phrasing

the way music is clustered into "sentences". Phrases often have 4, 8, or 16 measures.

tempo

how fast or slow the beat of the music is; often measured in beats-per-minute.

adagio

slow tempo

allegro

fast tempo

andante

"walking tempo", on the slower side, but not quite as slow as adagio.

andantino

"walking tempo", a little faster than andante

grave

very slow tempo

largo

slow tempo

lento

slow tempo

moderato

moderate tempo

presto

very quick tempo

vivace

lively and fast tempo

accelerando

gradually getting faster

ritardando

gradually getting slower

ritenuto

Suddenly slower

rubato

"stretching" the tempo; getting faster or slower, usually at the end of a phrase.

Key Signature

A group of sharps or flats appearing at the beginning of a staff to establish the location of Do.

Major

Major tonality means the melody follows the major scale in a given key. Generally associated with happier sounding music.

Minor

Minor tonality means the melody follows the minor scale in a given key. Generally associated with sad or serious sounding music.

tonality

manner in which the key influences the style or character in which a piece is played; relationship between the notes of scale or key