Category: Analysis
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Analyzing Melody
Range Distance from highest to lowest pitch Smaller ranges generally easier to sing Interval Structure Conjunct– mostly stepwise Disjunct– mostly leaps Gesture Shape of smaller pitch/rhythm patterns Ascending, descending Arch, inverted arch Stationary Repetition Composer choices: repeat, vary, something new Can be exact or varied Promotes a sense of unity Motive-short musical figure Rule of…
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Embellishing Tones
Non-harmonic tones – don’t fit in chord structures To analyze, circle and identify embellishment. Embellishing tones are classified by their approach, resolution, and melodic direction. They can also be described by their metric placement as accented or unaccented. Passing Tone (PT) Approach: Step Resolution: Step Direction: Same Neighbor Tone (NT) Approach: Step Resolution: Step Direction:…
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Figured Bass
Inversions Inversions occur when a tone other than the root is the lowest sounding voice in a chord. Figured Bass Shorthand dating back to the Baroque era. Performers were expected to improvise a harmony above a written figured bass note. The notation describes diatonic (or chromatic) intervals above a given bass note. “Realizing” A Figured…
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Roman Numeral Analysis
Roman Numeral Analysis (RNA) is very efficient as it shows many things at once in your analysis: Chord quality Chord function Scale degree RNA is written under the staff The following would be a more common progression: Chord Functions The same chord can often be analyzed in multiple keys. Its true function will depend on…
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Modulation Basics
Modulation is the process by which a new tonal center is created. There is a bit of a grey area between secondary chord function, tonicization, and modulation. Tonicization tends to be a temporary twisting of the ear toward a tonic, but in a modulation the tonicization is often more well-established by persistent accidentals or through…
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Closely Related Keys
Closely related keys can be found by looking at the circle of fourths. The three adjacent keys and their relative minors are the keys with the most in common, and modulated to most often because of this. Common Chords Among Closely Related Keys The following charts show the relationships of common chords among closely related…
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Seventh Chords
Common Seventh Chords Seventh chords are named by the quality of the triad and the quality from the root to the seventh. Major-major seventh MM7 Major triad + major seventh Major-minor seventh Mm7 Major triad + minor seventh Minor-minor seventh mm7 Minor triad + minor seventh Minor-major seventh mM7 Minor triad + major seventh Other…
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Theory 103 Notes from Fall 2017
These will eventually be built into the site. For now, following the links to download pdfs:
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