Harmony basics

Introduction: The following is some information about the basics of harmony, suitable for the introduction of music and harmony, come and learn:

1, major and minor triads, major and minor keys in the major, minor and major keys of the major, minor and major chords chords

The harmonic basis of the Western classical music system is the triad, and the triad is the most basic. Chords are made up of three tones, and a major/minor chord is the most basic of all. The triad is made up of three tones, known as the root, the third and the fifth. The nature of the chord is determined by the distances (and intervals) between the root, the third and the fifth: the major third between the root and the third, and the minor third between the third and the fifth, are called "major triads". A minor third between the root and the third, and a major third between the third and the fifth, is called a minor triad.

Western classical music (from the 16th century onwards) is dominated by major and minor keys. Both major and minor keys have three main triads: the dominant, the dominant and the subordinate chords, which are the i, v and iv of the key. As we have seen, the dominant, dominant and subordinate chords of the major key are major triads.

The dominant, dominant, and subordinate chords in the minor key are minor triads.

The minor genitive chord, which is a minor triad, feels lacking in power when progressed to the dominant chord. The reason for this is that the vii scale in the minor is a major second to the i scale, and there is no strong tendency towards the i scale. In contrast, the major key's vii scale is a minor second to the i scale, with a strong tendency toward the i scale. Traditional Western harmony, therefore, often raises the minor vii by a semitone. The elevated vii and i are in the same minor second relationship as in the major key, and are called "leading tones" (the vii in the major key is also called "leading tones")

This way, the vii in the minor scale is elevated. This minor scale, with an augmented second between the vi and vii steps, is called "harmonic minor".

The vii scale, which is not raised, is called "natural minor".

Both types of minor are widely used in modern popular music, whereas in Western classical music, harmonic minor is overwhelmingly dominant.

Traditional Western harmony is based on a progression that begins with the dominant chord, passes through subordinate chords, to the genitive chord, and finally resolves to the dominant chord.

This progression is the foundation of traditional Western harmony, and all other harmonic progressions are extensions and additions to it. One of the most important principles is that the subordinate cannot follow directly after the genus, which is called a functional inversion.

This is because Western classical music is based on a system of aesthetics, and on the aesthetics of increasing power and final resolution. Directly following a subordinate chord was considered to be a decay of power before the resolution to the main chord, and was therefore not accepted. But in modern pop music, this restriction is completely broken.

Our first harmonic formula: i-v-iv-v, which can be followed by an i-step, or other chords that can be followed by a v-step. (Other chords that can take the v-step will be described later.)

Note 1: "Major/minor chord" refers to the nature of the chord, and what are the characteristics of the chord. The "major, minor and minor chords" refers to the function of the chord and what it does in the major and minor keys. The "i's, v's and iv's" refer to the scale of the root note and its position in the scale.

2. The augmented and diminished triads and the sub-triads in the major key

In the Western harmonic system, besides the major and minor triads, the augmented and diminished triads are also very common. An augmented triad is made by superimposing two major thirds.

The diminished triad is made up of two minor thirds.

In major and minor keys, in addition to the dominant, subdominant and dominant, the sub-triads are also used in other keys. The nature of the sub-triads in major keys are as follows: ii: minor triads, iii: minor triads, vi: minor triads, vii: diminished triads.

The ii triads, because they have two **** homophones with the iv triads, have a subordinate functional tendency and are therefore classified as subordinate harmonic groups.

The vi triad is also categorized as a subordinate harmonic group because it has two *** homophones with the iv triad and has a subordinate functional tendency.

However, the vi triad, which also has two *** homophones with the i triad, also has a dominant tendency, and is therefore sometimes used as a substitute for the dominant chord in the genitive to dominant . This is why it is sometimes used as a substitute for the dominant chord in a progression called "impeded termination" (because it's not really a termination, but feels like it's being blocked by the vi chord in the middle).

The iii triad is a less used chord, it has the double function of the i and v chords (because it has two **** synths between the i and v chords), and it is used as a function of the i chord: i-iii-iv.

In this example, why does the iii chord have the function of the i chord? Because it can be replaced by a 7th chord of level i (more on 7th chords later), and the effect is similar to that of using a triad of level iii and its similarity.

We can also use the iii as a bridge from the v to the iv, since Western classical music does not allow a direct connection from the v to the iv.

The vii triad has two ****homophones with the v, and it belongs to the harmonic group. vii triads are also called "leading triads" because they are built on a leading tone.

Now let's add the four sub-triads to our i-iv-v progression: i-vi-iv-iii-v-i. This is the most common sequence of chords, and the one that is most familiar to the ear. (One doesn't quite reverse the order of vi and ii in it, even though they both belong to subordinate harmonic groups.) However, this chord progression can be simplified and replaced by: i-vi-iv-v, or i-iv-i-i-v, or the more common i-i-v, or vi-v, i-vi-i-i-i-v, etc., which can be followed by an i-step, or by other possible connections. (Other feasible connections will be described later.)

The v-level in this case can also be replaced by the vii-level or iii-level.

The v level can be followed by an i level, or by a dual-function vi level: i-vi-iv-v-vi. The vi level can be followed by all of the above chordal formulae that can be followed by a vi level. For example, both of these functional connections are good: i-vi-iv-v-vi-v-i, i-iv-v-vi-i-i-v-i.

Note this harmonic formula: i-vi-iv, one of the most commonly used harmonic formulas in Western popular music.

3. Sub-triads in the minor key and the relationship between major and minor keys

The nature of the sub-triads in the natural minor key is as follows: level ii: diminished triad, level iii: major triad, level vi: major triad, level vii: major triad.

The functions of the ii and vi are similar to those of the major chord. vii, being a major triad, does not have the same properties as the i, and is therefore preferred as a genus chord in its relation to the major key. (More on relational major later in this section.) The triad chord, having very strong properties of being oriented to the i's of relational major, is more often used as a transition to relational major. The properties of the sub-triads on harmonic minor are:

Level ii: diminished triad. level iii: augmented triad. level vi: major triad. level vii: diminished triad. level viii: diminished triad. level i: major triad. level ii: major triad. level iii: major triad. level iv: major triad. level vii: major triad.

Level iii is preferred to connect to level i because it has a leading tone to resolve.

These iii steps are less common in popular music.

Level vii is the same as level vii in major keys. Since they are built on a leading tone, they are called: "leading chords" (or leading triads).

Chords in natural and harmonic minor are often mixed.

In popular music, the common minor chords are:

Level i: minor triad, level ii: diminished triad, level iii: major triad, level iv: minor triad, level v: major triad,

Level v: minor triad, level vi: major triad, level vii: major triad, level vii: diminished triad. (There are a few more choices of major and minor chords than in the major key.)

The two most common minor harmonic formulas:

i-vii-vi-v

and i-iv-vi-iii-iii-(v).

The root of each chord in this harmonic formula (before level v) is in a fifth relationship, which is a very powerful harmonic progression in classical music, and instead of letting it pick up directly from level iii to level v, we can continue to derive it in a fifth relationship as: i-iv-vi-vi-i-vi-i-v-i.

This is called a modal progression in harmonic theory.

From the above example, we see that three of the chords, vii-iii-vi, are more appropriately described as v-i-iv in C major rather than A minor. This temporary deviation from the original key is called "out of tune". In the minor key, there are often to the relationship between the major key of the off-key, has made the music richer.

The so-called relationship major and minor, or "parallel major and minor", refers to the same key number of a pair of major and minor keys, they are each other's relationship to the major or minor. For example, c major is the relationship between the major key of a minor, a minor key is the relationship between the minor key of c major.

There is also a major/minor relationship called "major/minor with the same name" or "major/minor with the same dominant", refers to the major and minor keys **** enjoy a dominant, and the key number difference of three ascending and descending, such as c major and c minor.

In contrast, relational major and minor keys do not **** share a dominant, and the difference between the dominant keys is a minor third. In Western classical music, same dominant major is closer and more naturally transposed than relational major. In modern popular music, it's the opposite, the relationship size is closer.

4. Melodic minor and harmonic, and melodic major; chord inversions

As we have seen, there is an augmented second between the vi and vii levels in harmonic minor, and this great second makes it feel unnatural if the two levels are used in a melody. If we use the reduced vii scale, and the natural minor scale, we don't have this augmented second, but if we need a big v chord in the harmony, we have to use the elevated vii scale, or else the chord and the melody will be in conflict. Another solution is to raise the vii scale as well, and the augmented second becomes a major second. This kind of minor is called a "melodic minor".

The melodic minor scale has only the vi and vii levels raised on the way up, and then they are restored on the way down, the same as on the way down in the natural minor. But we don't have to stick to the upward and downward rules of music theory, we can be completely flexible when we use them.

As we can see, the melodic minor upward scale of A, elevated by the vi and vii steps, is very similar to the A major scale, the only difference being the iii step, which is c and c#. From this we derive the important concept that the only criterion for distinguishing between major and minor scales is whether the intervals between steps i and iii are major or minor thirds, and that no other steps can be used to determine whether a scale is major or minor.

So far, we have talked about the major and minor system of three kinds of minor: natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor; and major, in fact, also divided into three kinds of major: natural major, harmonic major, and melodic major, except that the latter two are not as commonly used as the two kinds of minor.

In harmonic major, the vi note is lowered, and the subordinate (iv) chord formed by this note is a minor triad.

This chord has a stronger tendency towards the i-step than the iv-step of the major triad.

The progression to the i chord, either as a major triad in the iv chord or as a minor triad in the iv chord, is called an "altered progression"; if it is in the termination, it is called an "altered termination". This kind of progression is usually used at the end of a piece or a passage, as a complement, or a continuation of the main chord, to enhance the feeling of termination. An example of such a harmonic progression is i-vi-iv-i-i-v-i-iv-i.

The i-v-i is called a "fretted progression" or "fretted termination," and i-iv(iv)-v-i in a termination is called a full termination. In termination, i-iv(iv)-v-i is called full termination.

Until now, the lowest note of all our chords has been the root note, called the "in-place chord". If the root of the chord goes up one or more octaves and is no longer the lowest note of the chord, we call the chord "inversion". The triads always **** have two inversions, known as the sixth and the fourth-sixth chords:

Most of the chords in their original position can be replaced by their inversions. However, it is customary to begin and end a piece more often with the i's in the original position (and a lot of weak starting bars with the v's in the original or inverted position).

In classical harmony, inverted chords are often used as transitions between inversions.

The fourth-sixth chord is often used as a transition between the original chord and the sixth chord.

In classical music, in terminations and semi-terminations (pauses in phrases are called "terminations" and often end with a dominant chord, and pauses in phrases are called "semi-terminations" and often end with a dominant chord), we often see a dominant chord (v-step) preceded by a dominant 4/6 chord (v-step). We often see a dominant 4/6 chord on a strong beat before a dominant chord (v scale), this chord is called a "terminating 4/6 chord".

The use of inversions and inversions does not have a fixed pattern. Since the bass position of a chord (and whether it's in the original position or inversion) is really the note that the chord uses for the bass, the main thing is to get a good bass line, which is the backbone of a good bass part in popular music. In most cases, the bass line is what determines whether the chord is played in its original position or in which inversion.

I'm afraid the most important rule in classical music is that you can't have octave parallelism and fifth parallelism.

Octave parallelism is considered to suddenly reduce the harmonic progression by one voice.

The fifth, on the other hand, is considered in classical music to be the second most harmonic interval after the octave, and it is so harmonic that a parallel fifth feels like it is missing a part.

The rule of parallel fifths was broken by Debussy, and it is no longer a problem in modern serious music, or in popular music.