The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music

2nd Edition by Greg McCandless and Daniel McIntyre

Search

Chapter 3

Introduction to Harmony

This fundamentals chapter initiates a study of harmony that is threaded throughout subsequent composition chapters in Part IIa. In this chapter, you will be introduced to major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, and the concepts of consonance and dissonance before exploring triads and seventh chords in major and minor keys, inverted chords, and related chord symbols. 

Spotify Playlist

open in a new window

Audio Examples

Download all audio files

Figures

Comparison of chromatic and whole tone scales
3.1 Comparison of chromatic and whole tone scales
The intervallic structure of the diatonic collection
3.2 The intervallic structure of the diatonic collection
3.3 The step pattern of the C major scale
The step pattern of the E major scale
3.4 The step pattern of the E major scale
Scale degrees of the major scale
3.5 Scale degrees of the major scale
Explanation of scale degree names
3.6 Explanation of scale degree names
3.7 Scale degree tendencies in major keys
"A Whole New World" theme (Alan Menken)
3.8 “A Whole New World” theme (Alan Menken)
Interval sizes created above middle C in the C major scale
3.9 Interval sizes created above middle C in the C major scale
3.10 Interval qualities and associated interval sizes
Interval qualities and their corresponding half step quantities
3.11 Interval qualities and their corresponding half step quantities
Intervals above tonic in major keys
3.12 Intervals above tonic in major keys
3.13 Intervals below tonic in major keys
Simple intervals related by inversion
3.14 Simple intervals related by inversion
3.15 An interval of second and its related compound interval of a ninth
Common compound intervals and their related simple intervals
3.16 Common compound intervals and their related simple intervals
Consonant and dissonant intervals
3.17 Consonant and dissonant intervals
3.18 Williams, theme from Jurassic Park
Major key signatures and the circle of fifths
3.19 Major key signatures and the circle of fifths
C major and its relative minor, A minor
3.20 C major and its relative minor, A minor
3.21 Relative keys and the circle of fifths
Comparison of parallel keys on the keyboard and staff notation
3.22 Comparison of parallel keys on the keyboard and staff notation
Comparison of scale degree tendencies in parallel keys
3.23 Comparison of scale degree tendencies in parallel keys
The ascending forms of minor
3.24 The ascending forms of minor
Intervals of the natural minor scale above and below tonic
3.25 Intervals of the natural minor scale above and below tonic
The C major triad in three musical contexts
3.26 The C major triad in three musical contexts
The four triad qualities
3.27 The four triad qualities
The diatonic triads of C major and Eb major
3.28 The diatonic triads of C major and Eb major
The diatonic triads in A natural minor
3.29 The diatonic triads in A natural minor
The chromatically-altered minor key triads of common practice tonality compared with the diatonic triads of the relative major
3.30 The chromatically-altered minor key triads of common practice tonality compared with the diatonic triads of the relative major
Root Position, first inversion, and second inversion D major triads
3.31 Root Position, first inversion, and second inversion D major triads
Arrangement of Clarke, Trumpet Voluntary, mm.1-4
3.32 Arrangement of Clarke, Trumpet Voluntary, mm.1-4
Five common seventh chord qualities
3.33 Five common seventh chord qualities
3.34 Diatonic seventh chords in C major
A comparison of seventh chords in A minor
3.35 A comparison of seventh chords in A minor
An A7 chord in root position and all inversions
3.36 An A7 chord in root position and all inversions
Arrangement of Clarke, Trumpet Voluntary, mm.1-8
3.37 Arrangement of Clarke, Trumpet Voluntary, mm.1-8

Flashcards

Click on the word to get the definition

Press Enter or Space to flip the card