Music Theory - General Info


Meter and Rhythm


    Meter - aka time signature

    Top number → Metric grouping (Duple, triple, etc)

    Bottom → Pulse


        Simple Meter

               -Duple pulse → (Strong - Weak)    

               -Triple pulse → (Strong - Weak - Weak)





Scales


Major Scale

Pattern → W–W–S–W–W–W–S.

  • Consists of a sequence of semitones and whole tones

  • In a major scale, Semitones are located between the 3rd and 4th scale degree, and the 7th and 8th scale degree



Minor Scale(s)




Natural

The natural minor scale has




Key Signatures

Finding key signatures

  • Look at the key signature, and figure out your options

    • ex- one flat means it can be F major or D minor

  • Notice the accidentals in the piece

  • Find the highest and lowest note - This can help guide you, but it doesn’t always mean that the lowest note is the

  • Writing down the notes that you see in the piece, and then putting them in order (building a scale) can help visualize




Intervals (Rewatch videos and update notes)

An Interval = The distance between two notes

    Harmonic interval = Distance between two notes playing at the same time

    Melodic Interval = One note after the other


Simple Intervals = Smaller than an octave (8)

Compound Intervals = Larger than an octave (8)



Interval Quality

  • Major/Minor

    • 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths

  • Minor →

    • The smaller, natural size of intervals given above

  • Major →

    • The larger, natural size of the intervals given above

  • Diminished →

    • If a Minor interval Shrinks by a Semitone/Half step: it becomes Diminished

  • Augmented →

    • If a Major interval expands by a Semitone/Half step: It becomes Augmented    

We focus on 2nds and 3rds!


Seconds: Span two steps between a line and the adjacent space

    m2 = 1 Semitone

    M2 = 2 Semitones

    A2 = 3 Semitones


Thirds: Span three steps

    d3 = 2 Semitones

    m3 = 3 Semitones

    M3 = 4 Semitones

    A3 (rare) = 5 Semitones


Perfect Intervals

  • Unisons, fourths, fifths, octaves, and their compounds are usually perfect!

    • If the shrink by a semitone → They become diminished

    • If they expand by a semitone → They become augmented

      • We focus on 4ths and 5ths

Fourths: Span four steps

    d4 = 4 semitones

    P4 = 5 semitones

    A4 = 6 semitones


Fifths: Span five semitones

    d5 = 6 semitons

    P5 = 7 semitones

    A5 = 8 semitones


Inversion:

  • To invert..

    • Shift the lower note Up an octave

    Or

    • Shift the lower note Down and octave


Impacts of inversions on Size and Quality:


  • Adding a SHARP to the upper note of the interval, or a FLAT to the lower note of the interval causes it to EXPAND

  • Adding a FLAT to the Upper note of the interval, and a SHARP to the lower note of the interval cause is to CONTRACT



Consonant vs Dissonant intervals

  • Consonant

    • Relatively stable

    • Occur in beginnings and endings of pieces

      • Types-

        • Perfect unisons

        • Fifths

        • Octaves

        • Major/Minor thirds

        • Major/Minor sixes

  • Dissonant

    • Seconds

    • Sevenths

    • All diminished intervals

    • All augmented intervals


Intervals in a key

  • In a Major key: The intervals above the tonic are all major or perfect

  • In a Natural minor key: The intervals formed above the tonic are minor or perfect, except for the Major second between the 1st and 2nd scale degree



Review-

4ths, 5ths, and octaves may be Diminished, Augmented, or Perfect



Triads

   Triad = A chord made up of three notes

   There are four qualities - They are determined by the intervals between the triads Root and Third and the interval between the Root and Fifth

  • Diminished

    • Major/Minor chord between Root and third

    • They get their quality from the root and fifth


  • Augmented

    • Major/Minor chord between Root and third

    • They get their quality from the root and fifth

  • Minor

    • A P5 (Perfect fifth) Between the Root and the Fifth

  • Major

    • A P5 (Perfect fifth) Between the Root and the Fifth


How to determine

    1) Determine the Quality of the Fifth

            -If the 5th is augmented, the triad is

            -If the 5th is Diminished, the triad is

            -If the 5th is Perfect, the triad is Major or minor

2) If the 5th is perfect…

       You must determine the quality of the third to determine Major/Minor

             If the Third is Major, the Triad is

             If the Third is minor, the Triad is



Triad Inversions

A triad contains

      Root

      3rd

      5th         

  • Any one of these tones can be the Bass note (The lowest note in the triad)


Recognizing Inverted Triads-

    Method 1:

  • Rearrange the notes

  • Identify position of the bass note

    Method 2:

  • Identify the intervals



Figured Bass Symbol

  • Intervals above the bass






Chord Qualities

    Seventh Chord Qualities

    Made up of four notes stacked in thirds / A triad with a added seventh above the root

  • The quality of the chord is determined by

    • The quality of the Triad

    • The quality of the Seventh

Major - MM→ Major Triad + Major 7th (Shorthand: CM7)

Dominant/Major Minor - Mm → Major Triad + minor 7th (Shorthand: C7)

Minor - mm → Minor Triad + minor 7th (Shorthand: Cm7)

Half-diminished - dm → Diminished Triad + Minor 7th (Shorthand: C#ø7)

Fully diminished - dd → Diminished Triad + Diminished 7th (Shorthand: C#°7)

How to write a root position 7th chord from a chord symbol

  • This is the Chord: F#°7

    • This is a Fully Diminished (°) F# Major chord

    • It has a fully diminished triad, and a diminished 7th

      • To build, start with an F# and stack thirds on top. Then adjust the pitches to make it diminished

        • F#AC → This triad already contains a minor 3rd and diminished 5th, therefore it is already diminished!

        • Next, add a diminished 7th on top

          • F#AC +Eb = F#ACEb


7th Chord inversions

  When the _ is the lowest note in the chord…

Root → Bass position (fb: 7)

Third → First Inversion (fb: 6/5)

Fifth → 2nd inversion (fb: 4/3)

Seventh → 3rd Inversion (fb: 4/2)


Figured Bass- Intervals above the bass


Recognizing Seventh Inversions

There are 2 ways to find the inversion!


1) Rearrange the notes and identify the chords root position

  • Once you have arranged the chord, figure out where the inverted bass note lies in the root position chord. This will allow you to figure out what the inversion is!


2) Identify Intervals

  • In this example, the inverted chord has a 2nd, a 4th, and a 6th above the bass

  • This means that it is in 6-4-2 Position, abbreviated as 4-2. Meaning this is a third inversion seventh chord



Writing Inverted Seventh chords from a chord symbol

   Lets write an A7 in 4-3 (2nd inversion

  • A7 means Major minor 7th chord and 2nd inversion means the 5th of the chord is in the bass

    • First, spell an A7 chord using letter names

      • A C# E G#

    • Next, determine what note is going to be in the bass

      • In this case, the 5th of our chord is going to be in the bass. So E will be the lowest note in this chord

    • Arrange the chord tones so that E is in the bass, and the rest are above

      • To check your work, count the interval


Chords in a key





Class notes

    Triads

  • Three notes spelled of skips - FAC -BDF - EGB - etc

  • Accidentals change quality but not the fact that it is a triad

  • Major - About the distance between the bottom and middle note distinguish a major from a minor -

    

    Bottom to middle note → 3rd

        Minor triad = Minor third

Key signature gives you the major triad → to make it minor, flatten the middle note (3rd)

You can also use the the minor key signature to build the minor triad → And then move


                    Major

Root →5th | P5 (7 semi


Chords in a key:

I, iv, V, and vi, (1, 4, 5, and 6)


Triads in minor keys

    In every minor key, there are three major triads (III, VI,VII), three minor triads (i, iv, v) and one diminished triad (ii°)

(Get chart from paper notes!!)