Grade 7 theory

Key Music ConceptsHarmony:

• Definition: Types of chords used

• Identify whether extract is in major or minor key.

• Diatonic: Chords within the home key

• Chromatic: Chords outside the home key, leading to a complex sound

• Dissonance: New combinations that sound strange.

Texture:

• Heavy vs. Light: How much is going on in the music

• Types of Texture:

  • Homophonic: Melody with accompaniment

  • Polyphonic: Multiple independent lines or voices.

Music Periods OverviewBaroque (c.1600 – 1750)

• Main Composers: Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Vivaldi

• Characteristics:

  • Melody: Clear phrases, continuous flow, seamless cadences

  • Texture: Predominantly polyphonic

  • Harmony: Simple but complex with polyphonic texture

  • Dynamics: Sudden volume changes, rare dynamics indication

  • Ornamentation: Extensive use of trills, mordents, turns

Classical (c.1750 – 1830)

• Main Composers: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert

• Characteristics:

  • Melody: Elegant and balanced, question-and-answer phrasing

  • Texture: Light and clear, usually homophonic

  • Harmony: Simple diatonic passages, common use of Alberti Bass

  • Dynamics: More dynamic range; sudden contrasts

  • Keyboard Range: Wider than Baroque, focus on treble

Romantic (c.1830 – 1910)

• Main Composers: Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky

• Characteristics:

  • Melody: Longer, expressive

  • Texture: Homophonic, thick textures with arpeggios

  • Harmony: Rich and chromatic

  • Dynamics: Wide range with abrupt contrasts

  • Keyboard Range: Full modern piano range

Twentieth Century

• Main Composers: Stravinsky, Schönberg, Bartok, Prokofiev

• Characteristics:

  • Melody: Short fragments instead of long melodies

  • Texture: Varied, sometimes dense

  • Harmony: Atonality and dissonance

  • Rhythm: Highly variable with frequent changes

  • Dynamics: Sudden dramatic contrasts