Music Theory Concepts

TRIADS

  • Triads serve as the fundamental building blocks in harmony.
  • Types of triads: major, minor, augmented, diminished.
  • Use tonic triad as anchor notes in compositions.

SEQUENTIAL MOTION

  • Involves the repetition of a musical motif or phrase at different pitches.
  • Common in melodic development to create continuity and progression.

MELODIC DICTATION

  • Focuses on capturing the melody through notation.
  • Important for developing skills in transcription and ear training.

TONIC, SUBDOMINANT, and DOMINANT

  • Tonic (I): The home chord, or the first degree of the scale.
  • Subdominant (IV): The fourth scale degree.
  • Dominant (V): The fifth scale degree; crucial for resolution back to tonic.

HARMONIC INTERVALS

  • Consonant intervals:
    • Unison (P1), Perfect Fourth (P4), Perfect Fifth (P5), Perfect Octave (P8)
    • Minor Third (m3), Major Third (M3), Minor Sixth (m6), Major Sixth (M6)
  • Dissonant intervals:
    • Minor Second (m2), Major Second (M2), Tritone (Tt), Minor Seventh (m7), Major Seventh (M7)

7TH CHORDS

  • Major 7: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh
  • Minor 7: Root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh
  • Half Diminished 7 (ø7): Root, minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh

HARMONIC DICTATION

  • Practice identifying and writing harmonic progressions.
  • Listening to the first three notes for recognition.

ROMAN NUMERAL ANALYSIS

  • Major Key:
    • I (tonic), ii (supertonic), iii (mediant), IV (subdominant), V (dominant), vi (submediant), viio (diminished seventh)
  • Minor Key:
    • i (tonic), ii (supertonic), III (mediant), iv (subdominant), v (dominant), VI (submediant), VII (diminished seventh)

MINOR SOLFEGE

  • Natural Minor Scale:
    • Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Te, Do
  • Harmonic Scale:
    • Do, Re, Me, Fa, Sol, Le, Ti, Do

ADDITIONAL CONCEPTS

  • Contour: The overall shape or outline of a melody.
  • Passing and Neighboring Motion: Techniques for connecting notes melodically with steps and skips effectively.

METERS

  • Understanding compound meter; characterized by beats that are divisible into three parts (e.g., 6/8, 9/8).

SIGHT SINGING

  • Developing skill to sing notes at sight by applying solfège practices like the natural and harmonic scales.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCALES

  • Relationship between notes in major and minor scales. Example: D# as the 1 (Do) of minor corresponds to the 3 (Mi) of major scale.