Thursday, October 13, 2011
 Music
Sharing: Mitchell & Hunter K. (CHS)
 Let’s review…
• Triads (and inversions)
• 7th Chords (and inversions)
• Figured Bass
 What’s
new?
• Major chord progressions
• The wonderful world of minor!
 In
order to figure out triads & 7th chords, you
MUST know your key signatures and major
scales.
 STEP
1: Always look at what key you are in.
 STEP
2: Write out the major scale and scale
degrees for that key if necessary.
 STEP
3: Apply the scale degrees that are
necessary to build your triad or 7th chord.
 STEP
4: Create and inversion of that chord if
necessary.


Root, 3rd, 5th
Root position
• Stacked in thirds
• Root on the bottom

1st inversion – 6/3 (C/E)
• 3rd on the bottom
• Interval of a 3rd between the bottom note & the middle note
• Interval of a 6th between the bottom note & the top note

2nd inversion – 6/4 (C/G)
• 5th on the bottom
• Interval of a 4th between the bottom note & the middle note
• Interval of a 6th between the bottom note & the top note
 Root,

 Root
3rd, 5th, 7th
position – 7 (C7)
• Stacked in thirds
• Root on the bottom
 1st
inversion – 6/5 (C7/E)
• 3rd on the bottom
• Interval of a 3rd between the bottom note & the 2nd
note
• Interval of a 5th between the bottom note & the 3rd
note
• Interval of a 6th between the bottom note & the
highest note

2nd inversion – 4/3 (C7/G)
•
•
•
•

3rd inversion – 4/2 (C7/Bb)
•
•
•
•

5th on the bottom
Interval of a 3rd between the bottom note & 2nd note
Interval of a 4th between the bottom note & 3rd note
Interval of a 6th between the bottom note & the highest note
7th on the bottom
Interval of a 2nd between the bottom note & the 2nd note
Interval of a 4th between the bottom note & the 3rd note
Interval of a 6th between the bottom note & the highest note
What’s the difference between 7th chords and V7
chords?



Because the I, IV, & V chords contain all the notes in a
given major scale, they can be used to accompany
simple melodies.
The V7 chord is often substituted for the V chord.
In order to avoid a “choppy” chord progression, the
most common major chord progression is:
•
•
•
•
•

I – IV6/4 – I – V6 or V6/5 – I
C – F/C – C – G/B or G7/B – C
G – C/G – G – D/F# or D7/F# - G
F – Bb/F – F – C/E or C7/E – F
Octave displacement is sometime necessary!
There are 15 major keys, each with a
unique key signature.
 For every major key, there is a RELATIVE
minor key that has the same key
signature.
 Each relative minor scale begins on the
6th note (scale degree) of the relative
major scale.
 The 6th scale degree is the keynote/tonic
of the minor scale and the note from
which that scale gets its name.

 The
tonic of a relative minor scale may
also be found by descending a minor 3rd
or ascending a major 6th from the tonic of
the major scale.
 The tonic of the relative major scale can
be found by ascending a minor 3rd or
descending a major 6th from the tonic of
the minor scale.
C
major / a minor = relative
C
major / c minor = parallel
 Uses
only the tones of the relative major
scale.
 Ascending: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
 Descending: A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A
 Raises
the 7th scale degree by a half step
when ascending and descending.
 The most frequently used of the three
types of minor scales.
 Ascending: A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A
 Descending: A, G#, F, E, D, C, B, A
 Raises
the 6th and 7th scale degrees by a
half step when ascending.
 Descends just like the natural minor
scale.
 Ascending: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#, A
 Descending: A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A
 For
all harmonic minor intervals, the
following is true:
 P1, M2, m3, P4, P5, m6, M7, P8
 Compared
to all harmonic major
intervals:
 P1, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7, P8
 MAJOR
= Major 3rd + minor 3rd (on top)
 MINOR = minor 3rd + Major 3rd (on top)
 AUGMENTED = both 3rds are Major
• Raise the 5th by a half step
 DIMINISHED
= both 3rds are minor
• Lower the 5th by a half step
• Remember, the 3rd should already be
lowered (made minor)
MINOR:
• i, ii∘, III,
iv, V, VI, vii∘, I
MAJOR:
• I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii∘, I