Many of Us Are Familiar with Popular Major Chord Progressions Like I–IV–V–I
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Common Jazz Chord Symbols Here I Use the More Explicit Abbreviation 'Maj7' for Major Seventh
Common jazz chord symbols Here I use the more explicit abbreviation 'maj7' for major seventh. Other common abbreviations include: C² C²7 CMA7 and CM7. Here I use the abbreviation 'm7' for minor seventh. Other common abbreviations include: C- C-7 Cmi7 and Cmin7. The variations given for Major 6th, Major 7th, Dominant 7th, basic altered dominant and minor 7th chords in the first five systems are essentially interchangeable, in other words, the 'color tones' shown added to these chords (9 and 13 on major and dominant seventh chords, 9, 13 and 11 on minor seventh chords) are commonly added even when not included in a chord symbol. For example, a chord notated Cmaj7 is often played with an added 6th and/or 9th, etc. Note that the 11th is not one of the basic color tones added to major and dominant 7th chords. Only #11 is added to these chords, which implies a different scale (lydian rather than major on maj7, lydian dominant rather than the 'seventh scale' on dominant 7th chords.) Although color tones above the seventh are sometimes added to the m7b5 chord, this chord is shown here without color tones, as it is often played without them, especially when a more basic approach is being taken to the minor ii-V-I. Note that the abbreviations Cmaj9, Cmaj13, C9, C13, Cm9 and Cm13 imply that the seventh is included. Major triad Major 6th chords C C6 C% w ww & w w w Major 7th chords (basic structure: root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of root's major scale) 4 CŒ„Š7 CŒ„Š9 CŒ„Š13 w w w w & w w w Dominant seventh chords (basic structure: root, 3rd, 5th and b7 of root's major scale) 7 C7 C9 C13 w bw bw bw & w w w basic altered dominant 7th chords 10 C7(b9) C7(#5) (aka C7+5 or C+7) C7[äÁ] bbw bw b bw & w # w # w Minor 7 flat 5, aka 'half diminished' fully diminished Minor seventh chords (root, b3, b5, b7). -
The Care and Feeding of the WHOLE MUSICAL YOU! Created by the Students and Instructors of the New Trier Jazz Ensembles Program
The Care and Feeding of the WHOLE MUSICAL YOU! Created by the students and instructors of the New Trier Jazz Ensembles Program The many domains of the whole musical you… TECHNICIAN LITERATE JAZZ MUSICIAN COMPOSER/ARRANGER IMPROVISER LISTENER CRITIC HISTORIAN PERFORMER Tools/resources needed to develop the whole musical you… desire goals time space guidance enjoyment DEVELOPING AS A TECHNICIAN Practice with a metronome Track your progress – make your assessment quantitative (numbers) Take small, measured steps Record yourself, and be critical (also be positive) Use SmartMusic as a scale-practicing companion Go bonkers with scales Be creative with scales (play scales in intervals, play scales through the entire range of your instrument, play scales starting on notes other than the tonic, remember that every scale also represents a chord for each note in that scale, find new patterns in your scales Challenge yourself – push your boundaries Use etudes and solo transcriptions to push yourself Use a metronome!!! DEVELOPING AS A LITERATE JAZZ MUSICIAN Practice sight-reading during every session Learn tunes (from the definitive recorded version when possible) Learn vocabulary Learn chords on the piano DEVELOPING AS A COMPOSER/ARRANGER Compose a melody Compose a chord progression Compose a melody on an established chord progression (called a contrafact) Re-harmonize an established melody Write an arrangement of an established melody DEVELOPING AS AN IMPROVISER Transcribe a solo Compose a solo for a tune you’re -
Harmony Crib Sheets
Jazz Harmony Primer General stuff There are two main types of harmony found in modern Western music: 1) Modal 2) Functional Modal harmony generally involves a static drone, riff or chord over which you have melodies with notes chosen from various scales. It’s common in rock, modern jazz and electronic dance music. It predates functional harmony, too. In some types of modal music – for example in jazz - you get different modes/chord scale sounds over the course of a piece. Chords and melodies can be drawn from these scales. This kind of harmony is suited to the guitar due to its open strings and retuning possibilities. We see the guitar take over as a songwriting instrument at about the same time as the modes become popular in pop music. Loop based music also encourages this kind of harmony. It has become very common in all areas of music since the late 20th century under the influence of rock and folk music, composers like Steve Reich, modal jazz pioneered by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and influences from India, the Middle East and pre-classical Western music. Functional harmony is a development of the kind of harmony used by Bach and Mozart. Jazz up to around 1960 was primarily based on this kind of harmony, and jazz improvisation was concerned with the improvising over songs written by the classically trained songwriters and film composers of the era. These composers all played the piano, so in a sense functional harmony is piano harmony. It’s not really guitar shaped. When I talk about functional harmony I’ll mostly be talking about ways we can improvise and compose on pre-existing jazz standards rather than making up new progressions. -
Rhythmic Foundation and Accompaniment
Introduction To Flamenco: Rhythmic Foundation and Accompaniment by "Flamenco Chuck" Keyser P.O. Box 1292 Santa Barbara, CA 93102 [email protected] http://users.aol.com/BuleriaChk/private/flamenco.html © Charles H. Keyser, Jr. 1993 (Painting by Rowan Hughes) Flamenco Philosophy IA My own view of Flamenco is that it is an artistic expression of an intense awareness of the existential human condition. It is an effort to come to terms with the concept that we are all "strangers and afraid, in a world we never made"; that there is probably no higher being, and that even if there is he/she (or it) is irrelevant to the human condition in the final analysis. The truth in Flamenco is that life must be lived and death must be faced on an individual basis; that it is the fundamental responsibility of each man and woman to come to terms with their own alienation with courage, dignity and humor, and to support others in their efforts. It is an excruciatingly honest art form. For flamencos it is this ever-present consciousness of death that gives life itself its meaning; not only as in the tragedy of a child's death from hunger in a far-off land or a senseless drive-by shooting in a big city, but even more fundamentally in death as a consequence of life itself, and the value that must be placed on life at each moment and on each human being at each point in their journey through it. And it is the intensity of this awareness that gave the Gypsy artists their power of expression. -
Chapter 12 Answer Key.Indd
Chapter 12 Answer Key Applications Exercises 1. Spell and resolve dominant seventh chords in root position. Chord voic- ings should be either complete (C) or incomplete (IN), as indicated below the Roman numerals. © 2019 Taylor & Francis 2 Chapter 12 Answer Key 2. Spell and resolve inverted dominant seventh chords. All chords should be complete. Add any necessary inversion symbol to the tonic chord. 3. Spell and resolve leading-tone seventh chords in root position and inversion. Add any necessary inversion symbol to the tonic chord. © 2019 Taylor & Francis Chapter 12 Answer Key 3 4. Complete the following chord progression in four voices. Provide a syntactic analysis below the Roman numerals. The syntactic analysis is shown below the Roman numerals. The voicing of chords and voice leading between chords is variable. Brain Teaser What triad is shared by V7 and viiØ7? How do these two seventh chords differ in terms of their scale-degree contents? Answer: V7 and viiØ7 share the leading-tone triad (viiO). The two chords differ by 5ˆ (the root of V7) and 6ˆ (the seventh of viiØ7). 5ˆ and 6ˆ are a whole step apart (a half step in minor, where 6ˆ is the seventh of viiO7). Thinking Critically An incomplete triad or seventh chord is missing its fifth. Compared with other chord members (root, third, and seventh), why is it possible to omit the fifth (i.e., why is this particular chord member nonessential)? Discussion The root of a chord is necessary to identify the chord and its function, the third determines the quality of the chord (major or minor), and the seventh must be present for a chord to be an actual seventh chord (rather than a triad). -
Rediscovering Frédéric Chopin's "Trois Nouvelles Études" Qiao-Shuang Xian Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected]
Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2002 Rediscovering Frédéric Chopin's "Trois Nouvelles Études" Qiao-Shuang Xian Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Xian, Qiao-Shuang, "Rediscovering Frédéric Chopin's "Trois Nouvelles Études"" (2002). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2432. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2432 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. REDISCOVERING FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN’S TROIS NOUVELLES ÉTUDES A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Qiao-Shuang Xian B.M., Columbus State University, 1996 M.M., Louisiana State University, 1998 December 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF EXAMPLES ………………………………………………………………………. iii LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………… v ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………………… vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………….. 1 The Rise of Piano Methods …………………………………………………………….. 1 The Méthode des Méthodes de piano of 1840 -
Naming a Chord Once You Know the Common Names of the Intervals, the Naming of Chords Is a Little Less Daunting
Naming a Chord Once you know the common names of the intervals, the naming of chords is a little less daunting. Still, there are a few conventions and short-hand terms that many musicians use, that may be confusing at times. A few terms are used throughout the maze of chord names, and it is good to know what they refer to: Major / Minor – a “minor” note is one half step below the “major.” When naming intervals, all but the “perfect” intervals (1,4, 5, 8) are either major or minor. Generally if neither word is used, major is assumed, unless the situation is obvious. However, when used in naming extended chords, the word “minor” usually is reserved to indicate that the third of the triad is flatted. The word “major” is reserved to designate the major seventh interval as opposed to the minor or dominant seventh. It is assumed that the third is major, unless the word “minor” is said, right after the letter name of the chord. Similarly, in a seventh chord, the seventh interval is assumed to be a minor seventh (aka “dominant seventh), unless the word “major” comes right before the word “seventh.” Thus a common “C7” would mean a C major triad with a dominant seventh (CEGBb) While a “Cmaj7” (or CM7) would mean a C major triad with the major seventh interval added (CEGB), And a “Cmin7” (or Cm7) would mean a C minor triad with a dominant seventh interval added (CEbGBb) The dissonant “Cm(M7)” – “C minor major seventh” is fairly uncommon outside of modern jazz: it would mean a C minor triad with the major seventh interval added (CEbGB) Suspended – To suspend a note would mean to raise it up a half step. -
On Modulation —
— On Modulation — Dean W. Billmeyer University of Minnesota American Guild of Organists National Convention June 25, 2008 Some Definitions • “…modulating [is] going smoothly from one key to another….”1 • “Modulation is the process by which a change of tonality is made in a smooth and convincing way.”2 • “In tonal music, a firmly established change of key, as opposed to a passing reference to another key, known as a ‘tonicization’. The scale or pitch collection and characteristic harmonic progressions of the new key must be present, and there will usually be at least one cadence to the new tonic.”3 Some Considerations • “Smoothness” is not necessarily a requirement for a successful modulation, as much tonal literature will illustrate. A “convincing way” is a better criterion to consider. • A clear establishment of the new key is important, and usually a duration to the modulation of some length is required for this. • Understanding a modulation depends on the aural perception of the listener; hence, some ambiguity is inherent in distinguishing among a mere tonicization, a “false” modulation, and a modulation. • A modulation to a “foreign” key may be easier to accomplish than one to a diatonically related key: the ear is forced to interpret a new key quickly when there is a large change in the number of accidentals (i.e., the set of pitch classes) in the keys used. 1 Max Miller, “A First Step in Keyboard Modulation”, The American Organist, October 1982. 2 Charles S. Brown, CAGO Study Guide, 1981. 3 Janna Saslaw: “Modulation”, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 5 May 2008), http://www.grovemusic.com. -
A Group-Theoretical Classification of Three-Tone and Four-Tone Harmonic Chords3
A GROUP-THEORETICAL CLASSIFICATION OF THREE-TONE AND FOUR-TONE HARMONIC CHORDS JASON K.C. POLAK Abstract. We classify three-tone and four-tone chords based on subgroups of the symmetric group acting on chords contained within a twelve-tone scale. The actions are inversion, major- minor duality, and augmented-diminished duality. These actions correspond to elements of symmetric groups, and also correspond directly to intuitive concepts in the harmony theory of music. We produce a graph of how these actions relate different seventh chords that suggests a concept of distance in the theory of harmony. Contents 1. Introduction 1 Acknowledgements 2 2. Three-tone harmonic chords 2 3. Four-tone harmonic chords 4 4. The chord graph 6 References 8 References 8 1. Introduction Early on in music theory we learn of the harmonic triads: major, minor, augmented, and diminished. Later on we find out about four-note chords such as seventh chords. We wish to describe a classification of these types of chords using the action of the finite symmetric groups. We represent notes by a number in the set Z/12 = {0, 1, 2,..., 10, 11}. Under this scheme, for example, 0 represents C, 1 represents C♯, 2 represents D, and so on. We consider only pitch classes modulo the octave. arXiv:2007.03134v1 [math.GR] 6 Jul 2020 We describe the sounding of simultaneous notes by an ordered increasing list of integers in Z/12 surrounded by parentheses. For example, a major second interval M2 would be repre- sented by (0, 2), and a major chord would be represented by (0, 4, 7). -
Theory Placement Examination (D
SAMPLE Placement Exam for Incoming Grads Name: _______________________ (Compiled by David Bashwiner, University of New Mexico, June 2013) WRITTEN EXAM I. Scales Notate the following scales using accidentals but no key signatures. Write the scale in both ascending and descending forms only if they differ. B major F melodic minor C-sharp harmonic minor II. Key Signatures Notate the following key signatures on both staves. E-flat minor F-sharp major Sample Graduate Theory Placement Examination (D. Bashwiner, UNM, 2013) III. Intervals Identify the specific interval between the given pitches (e.g., m2, M2, d5, P5, A5). Interval: ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Note: the sharp is on the A, not the G. Interval: ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ IV. Rhythm and Meter Write the following rhythmic series first in 3/4 and then in 6/8. You may have to break larger durations into smaller ones connected by ties. Make sure to use beams and ties to clarify the meter (i.e. divide six-eight bars into two, and divide three-four bars into three). 2 Sample Graduate Theory Placement Examination (D. Bashwiner, UNM, 2013) V. Triads and Seventh Chords A. For each of the following sonorities, indicate the root of the chord, its quality, and its figured bass (being sure to include any necessary accidentals in the figures). For quality of chord use the following abbreviations: M=major, m=minor, d=diminished, A=augmented, MM=major-major (major triad with a major seventh), Mm=major-minor, mm=minor-minor, dm=diminished-minor (half-diminished), dd=fully diminished. Root: Quality: Figured Bass: B. -
Cadence in Music Version 1.9: Oct 4, 2007 12:24 Pm GMT-5
Connexions module: m12402 1 Cadence in Music Version 1.9: Oct 4, 2007 12:24 pm GMT-5 Catherine Schmidt-Jones This work is produced by The Connexions Project and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License ∗ Abstract A cadence is a place in a piece of music that feels like a stopping or resting point. In tonal music, cadences are classied by their chord progressions. Cadence in Music A cadence is any place in a piece of music that has the feel of an ending point. This can be either a strong, denite stopping point - the end of the piece, for example, or the end of a movement or a verse - but it also refers to the "temporary-resting-place" pauses that round o the ends of musical ideas within each larger section. A musical phrase1, like a sentence, usually contains an understandable idea, and then pauses before the next idea starts. Some of these musical pauses are simply take-a-breath- type pauses, and don't really give an "ending" feeling. In fact, like questions that need answers, many phrases leave the listener with a strong expectation of hearing the next, "answering", phrase. Other phrases, though, end with a more denite "we've arrived where we were going" feeling. The composer's expert control over such feelings of expectation and arrival are one of the main sources of the listener's enjoyment of the music. Like a story, a piece of music can come to an end by simply stopping, but most listeners will react to such abruptness with dissatisfaction: the story or music simply "stopped" instead of "ending" properly. -
Chapter 21 on Modal Mixture
CHAPTER21 Modal Mixture Much music of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries commonly employs a type of chromaticism that cannot be said to derive from applied functions and tonicization. In fact, the chromaticism often appears to be nonfunctional-a mere coloring of the melodic and harmonic surface of the music. Listen to the two phrases of Example 21.1. The first phrase (mm. 1-8) contains exclusively diatonic harmonies, but the second phrase (mm. 11-21) is full of chromaticism. This creates sonorities, such as the A~-major chord in m. 15, which appear to be distant from the underlying F-major tonic. The chromatic harmonies in mm. 11-20 have been labeled with letter names that indicate the root and quality of the chord. EXAMPLE 21.1 Mascagni, "A casa amici" ("Homeward, friends"), Cavalleria Rusticana, scene 9 418 CHAPTER 21 MODAL MIXTURE 419 These sonorities share an important feature: All but the cadential V-I are members of the parallel mode, F minor. Viewing this progression through the lens of F minor reveals a simple bass arpeggiation that briefly tonicizes 420 THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN III (A~), then moves to PD and D, followed by a final resolution to major tonic in the major mode. The Mascagni excerpt is quite remarkable in its tonal plan. Although it begins and ends in F major, a significant portion of the music behaves as though written in F minor. This technique of borrowing harmonies from the parallel mode is called modal mixture (sometimes known simply as mixture). We have already encountered two instances of modal mixture.