Questions and Answers
What is the purpose of a pre-dominant chord in a chord progression?
What is the term for the vertical aspect of music, referring to multiple pitches sounding simultaneously?
What is the term for a short, recurring melodic pattern?
What is the purpose of a dominant chord in a chord progression?
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What is the term for the type of harmony that follows the rules of chord functions?
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Study Notes
Notation Systems
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Staff Notation:
- Consists of five lines and four spaces
- Each line and space represents a different pitch
- Lines are E, G, B, D, F (Every Good Boy Does Fine)
- Spaces are F, A, C, E (FACE)
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Pitch:
- Letters A-G, with A being the lowest and G being the highest
- Sharps (#) raise the pitch, flats (b) lower the pitch
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Rhythm:
- Note lengths: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, etc.
- Rest lengths: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, etc.
- Dotted notes: add half the note length to the original note
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Articulation:
- Legato: smooth, connected playing
- Staccato: short and detached playing
- Accent: emphasis on a particular note
Chord Progressions
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Chord Functions:
- Tonic (I): the key's "home" chord
- Dominant (V): creates tension, leads to tonic
- Subdominant (IV): adds variety, leads to dominant
- Pre-dominant (ii, iii, vi, etc.): leads to dominant
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Chord Progressions:
- I-IV-V: the most common progression
- ii-V-I: a common progression in jazz and pop
- I-V-vi-IV: a common progression in pop music
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Chord Qualities:
- Major: happy, uplifting
- Minor: sad, melancholic
- Diminished: tense, unstable
- Augmented: bright, expansive
Harmony And Progression
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Harmony:
- Vertical aspect of music: multiple pitches sounding simultaneously
- Can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
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Progression:
- Horizontal aspect of music: the order of chords
- Creates a sense of direction and resolution
-
Functional Harmony:
- Chords progress in a logical, functional manner
- Typically follows the rules of chord functions (tonic, dominant, etc.)
-
Non-Functional Harmony:
- Chords progress in a non-traditional, non-functional manner
- Often used in contemporary and experimental music
Melody Writing
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Melodic Contour:
- The shape of a melody
- Can be ascending, descending, or a combination of both
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Melodic Motifs:
- Short, recurring melodic patterns
- Often used to create unity and coherence
-
Melodic Rhythm:
- The rhythm of a melody
- Can be syncopated (emphasizing off-beat rhythms) or non-syncopated
-
Melodic Intervals:
- The distance between two pitches
- Can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
Notation Systems
- A staff consists of five lines and four spaces, each representing a different pitch
- The lines on a staff are E, G, B, D, F, which can be remembered using the phrase "Every Good Boy Does Fine"
- The spaces on a staff are F, A, C, E, which can be remembered using the phrase "FACE"
Pitch
- Pitch is represented by the letters A-G, with A being the lowest and G being the highest
- Sharps (#) raise the pitch of a note, while flats (b) lower the pitch
Rhythm
- Note lengths include whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes
- Rest lengths also include whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth rests
- Dotted notes add half the note length to the original note
Articulation
- Legato is a smooth, connected playing style
- Staccato is a short and detached playing style
- Accent involves emphasizing a particular note
Chord Progressions
- The tonic (I) is the "home" chord of a key
- The dominant (V) creates tension and leads to the tonic
- The subdominant (IV) adds variety and leads to the dominant
- Pre-dominant chords (ii, iii, vi, etc.) lead to the dominant
Chord Progressions
- The I-IV-V progression is the most common chord progression
- The ii-V-I progression is commonly used in jazz and pop music
- The I-V-vi-IV progression is commonly used in pop music
Chord Qualities
- Major chords have a happy, uplifting quality
- Minor chords have a sad, melancholic quality
- Diminished chords have a tense, unstable quality
- Augmented chords have a bright, expansive quality
Harmony And Progression
- Harmony refers to the vertical aspect of music, involving multiple pitches sounding simultaneously
- Harmony can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
- Progression refers to the horizontal aspect of music, involving the order of chords
- Progression creates a sense of direction and resolution
Functional Harmony
- Functional harmony involves chords progressing in a logical, functional manner
- Functional harmony typically follows the rules of chord functions (tonic, dominant, etc.)
Non-Functional Harmony
- Non-functional harmony involves chords progressing in a non-traditional, non-functional manner
- Non-functional harmony is often used in contemporary and experimental music
Melody Writing
- Melodic contour refers to the shape of a melody
- Melodic motifs are short, recurring melodic patterns
- Melodic rhythm refers to the rhythm of a melody
- Melodic intervals refer to the distance between two pitches, which can be consonant (pleasing) or dissonant (unpleasing)
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Description
Learn the fundamentals of music notation, including staff notation, pitch, and rhythm. Understand the basics of reading and writing music.