Music Theory Chapter 4

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Harmony

The vertical dimension of music resulting from simultaneous tones.

Chord

Any harmonic unit containing at least three different simultaneous pitches.

Triad

A tertian three-tone chord built in superposed thirds (Root, Third, Fifth)

Major Triad

Major 3rd + Perfect 5th

Minor Triad

Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th

Diminished Triad

Minor 3rd + Diminished 5th

Augmented Triad

Major 3rd + Augmented 5th

Stability

Major and minor triads are the most stable due to the presence of the stable perfect fifth

Primary Triads

The triads built on the tonic (1), subdominant (4), and dominant (5)

Root Position

 The root of the triad is the lowest-sounding pitch

First Inversion

The third factor is in the bass

Second Inversion

The fifth factor is in the bass

Seventh Chords

Tertian chords formed by adding another third above the fifth of a triad (most notably the dominant seventh chord V7).

Roman Numeral Analysis

Uses uppercase numerals for major triads, lowercase for minor, lowercase with ° for diminished, and uppercase with ⁺ for augmented, with superscript figures for inversions.

Figured Bass

Baroque shorthand using a bass line and numbers (intervals above the bass) for keyboard continuo realization.

Macro Analysis

A panoramic analytical system using letter root names with quality symbols and slurs to reveal large-scale harmonic motion.