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Music Theory Quick Facts Sheet

Music Theory Quick Facts Sheet

QUICK FACTS SHEET

PART-WRITING RULES NON-CHORD TONES Type Approached By: Left By: Neighbor Tone step step in opposite direction 1. Allow all tendency tones to resolve correctly. Passing Tone step step in the same direction 2. Do not create parallel , fifths, or (by parallel or contrary motion). leap step in the opposite direction 3. If it is possible to keep a note, do so, if not, move Escape Tone step leap in the opposite direction each part by the smallest possible interval. Avoid Suspension same note step down leaping by large, or difficult intervals – especially Retardation same note step up augmented intervals. Anticipation step or leap same note 4. No more than an between SA and AT. Pedal Tone same note same note 5. No crossed voicings or overlapping of voices. 6. When there is a choice of which chord member to double, use the most stable tone present. Usually, TENDENCY TONES • The leading tone in a V or viio chord resolves UP by step this is the , followed by the . Never to the tonic pitch when going to I or vi. double a tendency tone as this will force you to • The 7th of any chord resolves DOWN by step. break rule 1 or 2. • The root of a (lowered 2nd scale degree) 7. Never omit any note of a triad or chord resolves DOWN by diminished 3rd to the leading tone of except the fifth – and only omit the fifth when you a V chord. must do so in order to follow rule 1. • The pitches forming the augmented 6th interval in any of the chords resolve outward by halfstep These principles assume that you have written with the in both directions to the dominant pitch. correct ranges and that all the chords actually contain • Any pitch that is altered usually resolves in the direction the notes you say they do. of its alteration.

CADENCE TYPES Name Identifying Characteristics PAC V or V7 moving to I. Both chords in . Soprano on root of I chord. (Perfect Authentic Cadence) IAC V or V7 moving to I, but with either an inverted chord, or the soprano not finishing on (Imperfect Authentic Cadence) the tonic. HC A cadence that ends on a V chord. The V chord can be approached from a number of (Half Cadence) other chords (I, ii, IV, V/V, etc.) PC IV moving to I. Also known as “” cadence. Named for the “Amen” commonly (Plagal Cadence) used at the end of . DC A cadence that creates the expectation of going to I, but substitutes another chord (Deceptive Cadence) instead. Common substitutes for I are: vi, IV6, VI, and occasionally IV or V/ii.

INVERSION SYMBOLS DIATONIC CHORD QUALITIES NUMBER OF HALFSTEPS st nd rd o Root 1 2 3 Major I ii iii IV V vi vii IN SIMPLE INTERVALS Position Inv. Inv. Inv. V viio 6 o Triad none 6 none Minor i ii III iv VI 4 (v) (VII) o Dim Min Maj Aug Seventh 6 4 4 * In minor the V and the vii require nd 7 2 0 1 2 3 Chord 5 3 2 an accidental to raise the leading tone. 3rd 2 3 4 5 6th 7 8 9 10 th FUNCTIONAL DIATONIC CHORD PROGRESSIONS 7 9 10 11 12 Rule of Thumb Diagram of Common Functional Progressions

Root Typical Dim Per Aug movement by: Direction th nd 4 4 5 6 2 Ascending th rd 5 6 7 8 3 Descending th th 8 11 12 13 5 Descending

CHROMATIC CHORDS Type Distinguishing Features Any dominant-functioning chromatic chord that leads (by falling 5th or rising halfstep root Secondary V/ii movement) to a diatonic pitch. The chord on the top can be any of the following (in any Chord viio7/V inversion): V, V7, viio, viio7, viiø7. The chord on the bottom can be any diatonic or that is major or minor. Borrowed see borrowed Any chromatic triad or that is “borrowed” from the parallel minor (or the parallel Chord major if the original key is minor). All notes in the chord must exist in the to qualify. nd Neapolitan 6 triad in with a lowered 2 scale degree as its root. This chord functions as th N 6 6 Chord a pre-dominant chord, usually coming before a V or a I 4. It+6 Augmented Any of three specific chords which contain the interval of an augmented sixth resolving outward Fr+6 6th Chord by half-steps in both directions to the dominant pitch. See chart. Ger+6

AUGMENTED 6TH CHORDS BORROWED CHORDS Example Notes Present (Mode Mixture) (Key of C) Triads – Major Key Three pitches only. The Diatonic +6 I ii iii IV V vi viio It characteristic augmented interval, and the tonic pitch. Borrowed o Chord i ii III iv v VI VII The characteristic augmented +6 The only triads commonly borrowed in Fr sixth interval, the tonic pitch, minor keys are the I and the IV and the second scale degree. The characteristic Chords – Major Key +6 sixth interval, the tonic pitch, Ger and the lowered (or the Diatonic M7 7 7 M7 7 7 ø7 Chord I ii iii IV V vi vii regular third in minor). *The “characteristic augmented sixth interval” consists of two 7 Borrowed 7 ø7 M7 7 7 M7 VII pitches, an augmented sixth apart, that resolve outward by i ii III iv v VI o7 halfsteps to the dominant pitch. Chord vii

SCALES

Major

Natural Minor

Harmonic Minor

Melodic Minor

Pentatonic

Whole Tone

Blues

Octatonic (H-W) Octatonic (W-H)

CHORD QUALITIES Triads Bottom Top Outside Roman Example Chord Type Interval Interval Interval Numeral Symbol (key of F)

Major Triad M3 m3 P5 IV B

Dm, Dmi, Minor Triad m3 M3 P5 vi Dmin, D-

Augmented Triad M3 M3 A5 V+ C+, Caug

Diminished Triad m3 m3 d5 viio Eo, Edim

Seventh Chords Chord Common Bottom Middle Top Outside Roman Jazz Example Type Name Interval Interval Interval Interval Numeral Symbol (key of G) Am7, Ami7, Minor-minor 7th Minor 7th m3 M3 m3 m7 ii7 A-7

th th M7 GM7, Gma7, Major-major 7 Major 7 M3 m3 M3 M7 I Gmaj7, G∆7

th th 7 Major-minor 7 Dominant 7 M3 m3 m3 m7 V D7

F#o7, Fully diminished 7th Diminished 7th m3 m3 m3 d7 viio7 F#dim7

Half diminished 7th Half diminished 7th m3 m3 m3 M3 iiø7 Am7( 5)

th th (maj7) Minor-major 7 Minor-major 7 m3 M3 M3 M7 n/a Em

SAMPLE ANALYSIS Jazz Chords Above Non-Chord Tones Labeled

7( 5) 7( 5) E B /D E E /D A /C B B E /G A Am B 7 E

PT UNT SUS

E : I V6 I V4 /IV IV6 Fr+6 V I6 IV viiø7/V V7 I 2 Key Identified HC IAC

Roman Numerals and Figures Below Labeled

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