Advanced Higher Music

Advanced Higher Music

Literacy

Advanced Higher Music: Harmony

The new Advanced Higher has a greater focus on literacy and harmony than in previous years. The key points of harmony you need to know are:

-Naming chords I, II, IV, V and VI in major keys

-Naming chords I, IV, V and vi in minor keys

-Understanding chords in root position, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion

-Recognising (by ear and at sight) different types of chords (major, dominant 7thetc)

-Understanding chords in cadences

1. Naming chords I, II, IV, V and VI in major keys

Each chord is built on that degree of the scale – chord I is built on the 1st note of the scale, chord II on the 2nd and so on.

Below is a scale of C with chords built on I, II, IV, V and VI. The chords and named and their notes written underneath.

Do the same for the scale of D. Watch out for the key signature when naming the notes.

Now do the same for your other major keys: F, G and Bb. Remember to include a key signature.

2. Naming chords I, IV, V and VI in minor keys

The chords you need to know in minor keys are slightly different:

You don’t need to know chord II. Chords I and IV are minor and V and VI are major. Remember to include the accidental – the 7th degree of the scale is sharp, including in chord V. Write in the note names, chords and notes of the chords as you did for the major scales.

Write out your other minor scales (E minor and D minor) in the same way.

3. Understanding chords in root position, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion

The notes of a chord can appear in any order as long as the letter names do not change. When we rearrange the notes of a chord, it is called an inversion. Major and minor chords have 3 different arrangements called root position, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion.

Root position: the arrangement you already know. The root is at the base of the chord.

1st inversion: the 3rd is the lowest note in the chord; the C has been inverted to the top.

2nd inversion: the 5th is the lowest note in the chord.

The following chords are in root position. Next to them, write their inversions.

Now that you understand about chord inversions, you need to be able to recognise chords which are played over the bass and treble clef. Below is a chord of C, in root position each time, but written in different ways. What is important is that the notes are always C E G and the C is always the lowest note.

Remember, every chord must have a root, a 3rd and a 5th. The bass note may not give you the name of the chord – you need to work out which is the root.

/ This is not a chord of D. The notes are D, G and B. If we rearrange them into a root-3rd-5th pattern, the only order which works is G B D. Therefore, it is a chord of G. The 5th is the bottom note, so it is in 2nd inversion.
Chord: G 2nd inversion

Write the name and inversion of the chords in the example below. You may find it easiest if you write the letter names of all the notes below the chord then rearrange them until you can work out what the name of the chord it. When working out the inversion, look at the lowest note overall (ie not just the lowest in the treble clef).

Using the rhythm provided and the chord information printed below, complete the bass line.

4. Recognising different types of chord

Major and minor:

Major and minor chords have the same root and 5th but the 3rd is a semitone lower in a minor chord. The major 3rd is 4 semitones above the root and the minor 3rd is 3 semitones above the root.

Write out the following chords, remembering to include accidentals where needed:

/ Added 6th chords, as you would expect, add the 6th to a major chord.
/ Dominant 7th chords add a 7th to the major chord.
/ Augmented chords raise the 5th of the major chord by a semitone.
/ Diminshed 7th chords are made up of minor 3rds.

Write down the types of chords below:

5. Understanding chords in cadences

A perfect cadence is always chord V to chord I. In the key of C, this would be G to C. In the key of D, this would be A to D. In the key of E minor, this would be B to Em. Chord V will often be a dominant 7th in a perfect cadence.

An imperfect cadence ends on chord V. It is often preceded by chord I or chord II. Again, chord V might be a dominant 7th in this cadence.

A plagal cadence is chord IV to chord I.

An interrupted cadence is chord V to chord VI. Once again, chord V could be a dominant 7th.

Name the chords and cadence at the end of each example. Write in the chords if it helps. Remember to look at the key the piece is in so that you know what chords I, IV, V etc will be.