Theory I Test Prep (copy)

C major/A minor key signature

No sharps or flats

G major/E minor key signature

1 sharp (F#)

D major/B minor key signature

2 sharps (F#, C#)

A major/F# minor key signature

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

E major/C minor key signature

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

B/Cb major and G#/Ab minor key signature

5 sharps for the sharp version (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#) or 7 flats for the flat version (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb)

Gb/F# major and Eb/D# minor key signature

6 flats for the flat version (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb) or 6 sharps for the sharp version (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#)

F major/D minor key signature

1 flat (B♭)

Bb major/D minor key signature

2 flats (B♭, E♭)

Eb major/C minor key signature

3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭)

Ab major/F minor key signature

4 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db)

Db/C# major and Bb/A# minor key signature

5 flats for the flat version (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) or 7 sharps for the sharp version (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#)

Order of adding sharps (go in reverse order for adding flats)

F C G D A E B

Fancy name for scale degree 1

Tonic

Fancy name for scale degree 2

Supertonic (because it’s right above the tonic)

Fancy name for scale degree 3

Mediant

Fancy name for scale degree 4

Subdominant (because it’s right below dominant)

Fancy name for scale degree 5

Dominant

Fancy name for scale degree 6

Submediant (because normal mediant means add 3, the “sub” means subtract 3 from the tonic)

Fancy name for scale degree b7 (7 in a natural minor key)

Subtonic (because it’s below the tonic without the yearning of a leading tone)

Fancy name for scale degree 7 (in major or harmonic minor)

Leading tone (because it’s only a half-step to the tonic, meaning it’s leading there)

Quality of a 1 (Tonic) triad in a major key

I (Major)

Quality of a 2 (Supertonic) triad in a major key

ii (minor)

Quality of a 3 (Mediant) triad in a major key

iii (minor)

Quality of a 4 (Subdominant) triad in a major key

IV (major)

Quality of a 5 (Dominant) TRIAD in a major key

V (Major)

Quality of a 5 (Dominant) SEVENTH CHORD in a major key

V7 (Dominant)

Quality of a 6 (Submediant) triad in a major key

vi (minor)

Quality of a 7 (leading tone) TRIAD in a major key

viiº (Diminished)

Quality of a 7 (leading tone) SEVENTH CHORD in a major key (you probably don’t need to know this, but just in case)

vii⌀ (Half-diminished)

Quality of a 1 (Tonic) triad in a minor key

i (minor)

Quality of a 2 (Supertonic) TRIAD in a minor key

iiº (Diminished)

Quality of a 2 (Supertonic) SEVENTH CHORD in a minor key (Probably don’t need to know this, just in case)

ii⌀ (Half-diminished)

Quality of a 3 (Mediant) triad in a natural minor key

III (Major)

Quality of a 3 (Mediant) triad in a harmonic minor key (You almost never see this, just in case)

III+ (Augmented)

Quality of a 4 (Subdominant) triad in a minor key

iv (Minor)

Quality of a 5 (Dominant) triad in a natural minor key

v (minor)

Quality of a 5 (Dominant) TRIAD in a harmonic minor key

V (Major)

Quality of a 5 (Dominant) SEVENTH CHORD in a harmonic minor key

V7 (Dominant)

Quality of a 6 (Submediant) triad in a minor key

VI (Major)

Quality of a 7 (Subtonic) triad in a natural minor key

VII (Major)

Quality of a 7 (Leading Tone) TRIAD in a harmonic minor key

viiº (Diminished)

Quality of a 7 (Leading Tone) SEVENTH CHORD in a harmonic minor key

viiº7 (Fully Diminished)

Major Triad

Major 3rd plus minor 3rd (also Major 3rd and Perfect 5th)

Minor Triad

Minor 3rd plus Major 3rd (also Minor 3rd and Perfect 5th)

Augmented Triad

Major 3rd plus Major 3rd (also Major 3rd plus Augmented 5th)

Diminished Triad

Minor 3rd plus Minor 3rd (Also Minor 3rd plus Tritone/Diminished 5th)

Major Seventh Chord

Major Triad plus Major 7th

Dominant Seventh Chord (Major-Minor 7th)

Major Triad plus Minor 7th)

Minor Seventh Chord

Minor Triad plus Minor 7th

Half-Diminished Seventh Chord (aka Minor with b5)

Diminished Triad plus Minor 7th

Fully Diminished Seventh Chord

Diminished Triad plus Diminished 7th (or, 3 stacked Minor 3rds)

Minor-Major Seventh Chord

Minor Triad plus Major seventh (This doesn’t occur naturally and sounds BAD)

Augmented Seventh Chord (Hopefully less of a priority to know this)

Augmented Triad plus Minor 7th

Augmented Major Seventh Chord (Hopefully less of a priority to know this)

Augmented Triad plus Major 7th

Unpacking the Inversion Hotline

6: for triads, means the 3rd is the lowest pitched note (bass)

64: for triads, means the 5th is in the bass

7: for seventh chords, it’s in root position (meaning the root is the bass), this is just to clarify that the chord is in fact a seventh chord

65: for seventh chords, means the 3rd is in the bass

43: for seventh chords, means the 5th is in the bass

42: for seventh chords, means the 7th is in the bass

First inversion for triads

Figured Bass: 6

Means the 3rd is the lowest pitched note (bass)

Second inversion for triads

Figured Bass: 64

Means the 5th is in the bass

First inversion for seventh chords

Figured Bass: 65

Means the 3rd is in the bass

Second inversion for seventh chords

Figured Bass: 43

Means the 5th is in the bass

Third inversion for seventh chords

Figured Bass: 42

Means the 7th is in the bass

How to write inversions in lead sheet/pop chord notation

Write the name of the chord first, then slash symbol, then the letter of the bass note. For example, if you have a D major chord but A is on the bottom (2nd inversion), it would look like D/A.

How to write a major seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Chord name, triangle, 7. For example, G▵7

How to write a dominant seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Just have chord name plus 7. For example, A7

How to write a minor seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Chord name, “min”, 7. For example, Cmin7

How to write a half-diminished seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Chord name, circle with slash, 7. for example, Bb⌀7

OR chord name, min b5, 7. For example, F#min b5

Both mean the same quality

How to write a fully-diminished seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Chord name, circle, 7. For example, Eº7

How to write an augmented seventh chord in lead sheet notation

Chord name, plus sign, 7. For example, Db+7

Tendency tones

Stable tones (they want to stay where they are): 1, 3, and sometimes 5

7 goes to 1

2 goes to 1

4 goes to 3

6 goes to 5 or 1

b6 goes to 5

5 can go to 1

in minor, 2 can go to b3

b7 goes to 1 but not as much draw as normal 7

Ionian Mode

Normal major scale

Lydian Mode

Major scale with raised 4

Mixolydian Mode

Major scale with lowered 7

Aeolian Mode

Normal natural minor scale

Dorian Mode

Natural minor with raised 6

Phrygian Mode

Natural minor with lowered 2

Locrian Mode

Natural minor with lowered 5 (and 2)

How to build a chord from just figured bass

1. Look at the bass note

2. Look at the inversion. Say it’s 64, that means the bass is the 5th. If it’s 65, that means it’s a seventh chord and the bass is the 3rd

3. Once you know what place the bass has in the chord, fill in the blanks from there

To fill in notes, you can also just add in notes at the written intervals. this means, if the symbol is 42 and your bass is C, add a 4th (F) and 2nd (D) above that (can be in different octaves)

Relative major/minor keys

They have the same key signature, but not the same tonic note

Parallel major/minor keys

They have the same tonic note, but not the same key signature

How to go from a major key to its parallel minor (like D major to D minor)

Add 3 flats. Any sharps that are there are cancelled out per flat. If you have 2 sharps, the new key signature would now be 1 flat.

How to go from a minor key to its parallel major (Like F minor to F major)

Add 3 sharps. For example, f you have 4 flats in your minor key, it cancels out to end up becoming 1 flat for the new major key.

Major Pentatonic Scale

123 56

Minor Pentatonic Scale

1 345 7

Blues Scale

Minor Pentatonic Scale plus b5/#4

1 3 4 4.5 5 7

Whole tone scale

Each step up/down is by whole step

Octatonic scale

Alternate half and whole steps (H-W or W-H). This results in an 8-note scale