ATS1900

Week 1 Introduction & Review: The Primary Chords

Contacts
Associate Professor Thomas Reiner
thomas.reiner@monash.edu

Tavis Ashton-Bell Marc Hannaford

tavis.ashton-bell@monash.edu

marc.hannaford@monash.edu

See Unit guide for more details

Introduction of Unit
Objectives

Areas of study: Identifying and understanding chords and their function Voice-leading Melody harmonization Phrase structure

Week Ear Training Unit

Activities Music Theory Unit

Introduction and Review: The Primary Chords Melodic Considerations: Phrase Structure and Grouping, Simple Forms Leading to the Dominant: Subdominant and Supertonic Triads

1 2

Revision, tonal organisation (Roberta Radley walkthrough) Seventh Chords Internal intervals of chords Melodys position in tonality pt. 2 (diatonic/modulation/chromatic) (Gorow p 132-135)

3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Sequences, contour (Gorow p 136-137)

Harmony, tonal organisation, texture (Gorow p 142-143) Types of tonal organisation, western/eastern (Gorow p 144146) Perceiving and remembering phrases (Gorow p 147-149) Introduction to rhythm studies: Subjective/objective time, terms, Subdivision and accurate rhythms, (compare Nancarrow piano studies and DAngelo) exercises Quaver, crotchet and minum triplets Exercises combining kinds of triplets/syncopations Revision/exercises Revision/exercises

Focusing on the Dominant: Dominant Seventh and Leading Tone Triads

Diminished and Sevenths: Half-, Full-Diminished Chords, Other Seventh Chords Prolonging the Dominant: The Cadential 64 Linear / Embellishing 64 Chords Widening the Tonal Palette: Submediant, Mediant and Subtonic Triads Tonicization and Modulation I: Secondary Dominant Chords Tonicization and Modulation II: Diatonic Modulation Harmony with Melody: Diatonic Sequences and Voice-Leading Techniques

Revision/exercises/survey Exam

Revision/exercises/survey Exam

Assessment

Group Assignment:
Harmonically analyse a selected section from Franz Schuberts Die Winterreise. Harmonise a given melodic phrase using conventional diatonic harmony.
Both due in week 8 lecture

Examination Task:
Harmonisation from a bass line.
Exams will be held in week 12

Introduction of Lecture Objectives

By the end of this lecture, students should be able to: Identify and understand the construction and musical functions of the tonic, dominant and subdominant triads in root position. Discuss the manners in which the tonic and dominant triads support melody through harmonization. Identify and replicate three main cadences: Perfect (V-I), Plagal (IV-I) and Imperfect (I-V). Identify and discuss the appropriate musical contexts and situations in which the primary triads can be applied.

Discussion

What do you already know about this topic? In what positions of the scale do the tonic, supertonic and dominant appear? In which musical contexts are you familiar with the use of the primary triads?

Revision

A quick review to get the brains into gear What was taught last semester? What were the main concepts? Do you feel confident in what you know? Where are the troublesome spots? How can you work to fix them?

The Primary Triads

Overview of Topics

Construction and Identification

The Triads Themselves Aspects of Harmony Introduction to Roman Numeral analysis

Theoretical Features: Diatonic Chords: I IV V V6 V7

Example 1
XXIII. Die Nebensonnen

Modulation Techniques:
Applied Chords Pivot Chords Modulation to the vi , bIII , i Tonal Ambiguity: Tonicization to vi via i V6 Linear Embellishment: Neighbouring, Passing Suspensions Cadential 64

Partwriting Connections

Chordal Spacing (Open Closed Structure) Fifth-related Chords (I IV , I V and vice versa) Connecting IV and V P.130

Cadences

Perfect, Plagal & Imperfect

Introducing formal closure designs (cadences)

what purposes do these serve? Perfect / Imperfect Authentic Cadence (V-I) Half Cadence (I-V) Plagal Cadence (IV-I)

P.133

The important points of the lecture

Content Recapitulation

Food for Thought

Primary chords in root position; tonic and subdominant triads in first inversion: melodic support a chord can come in different harmonic contexts. Make sure you understand whether a particular chord has a structural, cadential, or embellishing role within the music.

Cadences Perfect (V-I); Imperfect (I-V); Plagal (IV-I); Phrygian (iv6-V). Make certain that you understand the melodic devices that work well over these cadential areas, and take note of the musical effect of each.
Harmonic Analysis is a system of understanding the connections between musical devices. Roman numerals are used to denote an important correlation: that of scale and chord, which in turn shows relationships between melody and harmony. Be guaranteed that you will have to use analysis skills in your musical career.

Suggested Exercises

Figure 11.1 p.173 Replicate this table, using all the chords you know, not just the ones shown p.140-142 Harmonizing Melodies

p.142-143 Elaborating Harmonic Models

p.137-140 Voice-leading Reduction