Music F193: Introduction to Music TheoryClass 6

1Wednesday, June 12, 13

Agenda

• Quiz

• Redux on last-class discussions

• Units 13-15

• Questions

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Quiz

3Wednesday, June 12, 13

Last Class...?

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Last Class

• Tuesday, June 4NO: Kirsten, Gretchen (~)

• Wednesday, June 5NO: Kirsten, Bob

• Thursday, June 6NO: Kirsten (~), Gretchen

• Friday, June 7No: Gretchen, Tuesona?

5Wednesday, June 12, 13

Unit 13: Inversions, Figured Bass, etc.

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Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• The “default” state of a triad is as follows:

• Root, third, fifth – two thirds stacked on top of each other

• In C Major, C – E – G

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Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• ...However, a C Major triad is STILL a C Major triad even if its notes (C – E – G) are distributed differently.

• Example one: inversions

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Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• If the root of the triad (in this case, C) is not the lowest note, then the triad is in inversion

• 1st inversion: 3rd is lowest;2nd inversion: 5th is lowest

Root position 1st inversion 2nd inversion9Wednesday, June 12, 13

Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• Another way for the notes of the triad to be distributed? open position

• Again, the “default” state of a triad – in this example, C Major – is as follows; this is close position:

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Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• If more “space” exists between the notes, the triad is in open position

• Example below: close position, open, open (w/ 1st inversion)

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Triads: root position, inversions, Open and CLose Positions

• The same principles – root position/inversions, open and close positions – can apply to more complicated chords, like the V7 (G7, below):

G7 (root) G7 (1st inv.) G7 (2nd inv.) G7 (3rd inv.)

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Triads: Figured Bass

• Rather than always saying “first inversion,” musicians use a shorthand for what type of inversion the chord is in: figured bass

• Figured bass counts upwards from the lowest note, representing the chords with Roman numerals followed by one or more numbers (Arabic numerals), indicating the intervals that occur above the bass

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Triads: Figured Bass

• ...So, for our G7 examples...

• See page 86...

V7 V65 V43 V42

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Unit 14: Minor Details

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Minor Scales: Relative Minor; Natural, Harmonic, Melodic Minor

• A close cousin to major scales: minor scales

• Every major scale has a relative minor – found by going to the sixth scale degree (or submediant!) of the scale

• For C major, the relative minor is A minor

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Minor Scales: Relative Minor; Natural, Harmonic, Melodic Minor

• C major / A minor: same key signature, different tonic notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C major

A minor

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Minor Scales: Relative Minor; Natural, Harmonic, Melodic Minor

• In some ways, minor scales have a bit more variability/flexibility than major scales...

• Example: there are different kinds of minor scales (p. 91)

• natural minor: the scale we just saw (a major scale, but just starting on the sixth scale degree)harmonic minor: leading tone (7) is raisedmelodic minor: 6th and 7th raised on way up, not raised on way down

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Minor Triads

• just like there are major and minor scales, there are also major and minor triads

• major triad vs. minor (C as example):

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Augmented/Diminished Triads

• ...and yes, there are augmented and diminished triads, too...

• once again, C as example:

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Unit 15: Triads by Minor Scale, Modes

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(Back to Unit 12: Triads/Chords)

• again, triads can be built starting on any scale degree

• for example, C major scale and the triads that can be built from each scale degree:

I ii iii IV V vi viio I

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