Music F193: Introduction to Music TheoryClass 5

1Wednesday, June 12, 13

Agenda

• NO quiz

• Q & A time throughout

• Building upwards from a scale – connecting the dots

• Basics of Unit 12

• Triads! Listening examples of I-IV-V-(and vi)

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Starting with a scale...

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Basic Scale

• Starting with a scale – this is C Major...

• ...but what we’ll be talking about works with any scale.

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Basic Scale

• For each note, we can add numbers – scale degrees

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Basic Scale

• In place of numbers, we can use solfege syllables instead...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do

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Basic Scale

• ...BUT, scale degrees also have a THIRD system of naming...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti DoI ii iii IV V vi vii I

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Scale Degree Names

• Each scale degree (1 – 8) has a name:

• 1: tonic2: supertonic3: mediant4: subdominant5: dominant6: submediant7: leading tone(8: tonic, again)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Scale degrees & Intervals

• We’ll come back to scale degree names in a moment, but first, intervals (again)

• Not all intervals are equal in frequency

• Even though we learned about augmented and diminished intervals last week, major and minor intervals are more common and more fundamental to most music theory applications

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Scale degrees & Intervals

• As a reminder:

• If an interval happens between two distinct notes, one after another – such as in a melody – it is a melodic interval

• If an interval happens between two simultaneous notes, it is a harmonic interval

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Scale Degrees & Intervals

• we saw this graphic last week; these are all harmonic intervals, and they are the basis for chords and triads (which we’ll get to later)

P1 M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7 P8

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Scale Degrees & Intervals

• each harmonic interval not only sounds unique: it also behaves uniquely, too

P1 M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7 P8

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Unit 12: Triads, V7, Scale Degree Names

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Unit 12: Triads/Chords

• chord: three or more notes, sounding together

• triad: a specific type of chord:

• ROOT, 3rd, 5th

• again, think about scale degrees: 1-3-5

• sounded together, any 1-3-5 combo is a triad

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Unit 12: Triads/Chords

• triads can be built starting on any scale degree

• the triads built in 1, 4, and 5 (I, IV, V) are what the book calls primary triads

• a triad is called a major triad if it contains the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a major scale

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Unit 12: Triads/Chords

• a triad is two harmonic intervals stacked on top of each other

• for a major triad, first interval is a major third; second interval is a minor third

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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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Unit 12: Triads/Chords

• as the book notes, I, IV and V are especially important

• the video we saw on day 1 used these chords (I-IV-V), plus vi

I ii iii IV V vi viio I

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Examples of songs with I-IV-V

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