Key Signature

The listed sharps (#) or flats (b) that exist in a key. In notation, this goes after the clef on the stave, and is repeated at the beginning of every line. The sharps or flats are always written in the same order, FCGDAEB for the sharps, and BEADGCF for the flats. The sharps or flats in a key signature apply to every note throughout the notation, unless they are cancelled by a natural sign, or a key change.

Antecedent Phrase

The “question” phrase of a melody. Typically ends on a note or harmony that does not sound resolved, or based on the tonic harmony.

Scale Degree

The shorthand way of listing the notes of the diatonic scale. Rather than using “the first note of the scale,” we say the “tonic.”

1 - Tonic

2 - Supertonic

3 - Mediant

4 - Subdominant

5 - Dominant

6 - Submediant

7* - Either Subtonic or Leading Tone - The Subtonic is a whole step lower than the upper tonic. The Leading Tone is a half step lower than the upper tonic.

Stable Scale Degree

Referring to a melody, usually the tonic (1), mediant (3) or dominant (5) note of the scale or key. (Which are also the three notes of the tonic triad). These notes are considered stable as our ears hear them as the tonal “home” of the key.

Unstable Scale Degree

Referring to a melody, can be the supertonic (2), subdominant (4), dominant*(5), submediant (6) or subtonic/leading tone (7) of the scale or key. These notes are considered unstable as they sound unresolved or different than the tonal “home” of the key. (The dominant note can be stable or unstable depending on the chord being used with it. Because the dominant note exists in both the tonic chord and the dominant chord).

Step-wise motion

When notes are moving, step-wise motion refers to notes that move by half or whole step (semitone or tone). Notes that are directly beside each other on the musical staff.

Skip motion or Jumps

When notes are moving, a skip or jump refers to a notes that move by more than a whole step (tone). Notes that jump lines or spaces in the staff are skips or jumps.

Consequent Phrase

The “answer” phrase of a melody. Typically ends on a stable scale degree and is usually similar to the antecedent phrase.

Parallel Period

The first two measures in the antecedent phrase (question phrase) and consequent phrase (answer phrase). Parallel periods are identical in notes, rhythms and harmony. In my example it is the first two measures, however if you have a phrase longer than 4 measures, you could have a period that is also longer.

Chord Quality Symbol

A symbol that goes above the staff to signify the chord being played from the written notes. A capital letter by itself is a major chord, with an “m” is a minor chord, with a small circle or “dim” is a diminished chord, and a plus or “aug” is an augmented chord. These symbols only describe the chord on it’s own, but not how it relates to the notes or harmony of the key. The “chord” is the letter, and the “quality” is what kind of chord it is. (Major, minor, augmented, diminished etc). These symbols are commonly found in many “piano/guitar/vocal books” and are commonly used across different styles of western music.

Functional Chord Symbol

A symbol that goes below the staff to signify the harmony of the chord and how it functions or “fits in” to the key being played. Functional symbols are written with roman numerals, going from I (one) to VII (seven). The “capital” number (I, II, III, IV) describes the harmony as major, and the “lowercase” number (i, ii, iii, iv) describes the harmony as minor. The numerical value relates to what scale degree the chord is based on. A I (one) chord in C major is the chord built upon the first note of the scale or key. The IV (four) chord in the key of C, is built upon the 4th note of the C major scale (F), so a IV chord in C is an F major chord. The small circle signifies a diminished harmony, and the plus sign signifies an augmented harmony. These symbols are commonly found in Baroque music through the use of figured bass, and are more used for music analysis and are less popular among western style music books.

Chord Inversions

Chord inversions are different ways of arranging, or “spelling” the notes of a chord. In the example, a C major chord (CEG) is “respelled” as EGC, and then GCE. The order of the notes from lowest pitch to highest changes, but the letter name of the notes stays the same. In a standard triad (3-note chord) there are 3 types of inversions. Root position has the root note of the chord as the lowest note. First inversion has the middle note of the triad (E) as the lowest note. Second inversion has the top note of the chord (G) or the 5th, as the lowest note.

While inversions are notated the same (see above), the chord quality and functional symbols look different, but mean the same thing. The chord quality symbol uses the root note of the chord as the first letter, and a slash to indicate the inversion. So a C/E chord, is a C major chord in first inversion (E as the lowest pitch). The functional chord symbol uses figures or the interval number to label the inversion. A I64 chord (see above - One 64) is a C major chord in second inversion. The numbers represent the interval from the lowest note in the inversion. GCE - G to C is a 4th, and G to E is a 6th, hence GCE uses the intervals “64” to label the inversion.

Consonant Harmony

A group of pitches in a chord that create a pleasant, or pleasing sound. Referring specifically to melody notes, they are typically chord-tones, or melody notes that are the same as the notes of the chord being played along with it. So if your melody contained an E and G with a C major chord, these two notes are also in the C major chord (CEG) and thus would sound consonant with the harmony of the chord.

Transposition

Rewriting, or reformatting notes from one key into another. The pattern of intervals and distances between the notes stays the same, but are all shifted up or down by a specific interval. If you were to transpose a melody from C major to F major, the tonic note of C to F is the distance of a perfect 4th. So every note in the melody would be shifted up a perfect 4th. So the melody CDGEC, would become FGCAF.

Examples of Common Chords

These are 4 common three note chords (triads). In order from left to right there is C augmented, C major, C minor, and C diminished. The chord quality symbol uses a plus (+) for augmented, a capital letter (C) for major, a Capital letter with lowercase m (Cm) for minor, and a small circle or “dim” (Cdim) for diminished.

An augmented triad (CEG#) can be identified by the distance between the root note of the chord, and the notes above it. (Also known as the interval). C to E is a major 3rd interval, and C to G# is an augmented 5th.

In a major triad, C to E is a major 3rd, and C to G is a perfect 5th interval.

In a minor triad, C to Eb is a minor 3rd, and C to G is a perfect 5th interval.

In a diminished triad, C to Eb is a minor 3rd, and C to Gb is a diminished 5th interval.

Notice that the letter name, and physical notation positions on the staff are identical. So any type of C triad will be made of some version of a C E and G. Those letter names are being adjusted or altered by accidentals but the letter name remains the same.

These are 6 common four note chords. In order from left to right there is C augmented, C major, C major 7th, C 7th (dominant 7th), C minor 7th, and C diminished 7th. The major 7th chord, adds a note a major 7th interval above the root (C to B). The 7th chord (also called the dominant 7th), adds a minor 7th interval above the root of a chord.

Dissonant Harmony

A group of pitches that generally sound harsh, or “crunchy” against each other. A dissonance is not inherently a “bad” sound, but rather one that our ear’s tell us is discordant, or unresolved. Melody notes that exist outside of the chord harmony are called “non-chord tones,” and come in a variety of forms such as passing tones, and neighbour tones.

C Major Scale

A very common scale for piano players. It is also an example of the solfege scale in both Western music, and as I learned from one of my students, these can also be labelled “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa.” This is just an example of one major scale in Western music theory, it follows the standard major scale pattern of “whole step-whole step-half step-whole step-whole step-whole step-half step,” (tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone).

Accidentals

The symbols that alter a specific note’s pitch within a measure. Accidentals affect only the note it is attached to, for the duration of the measure, and is cancelled out by the bar-line starting a new measure or bar. The double sharp raises the pitch by 2 half steps, the sharp raises the pitch by 1 half step, the flat lowers the pitch by 1 half step, and the double flat lowers the pitch by 2 half steps. The natural sign, cancels a previous accidental to return the pitch to it’s original place on the staff.

Modulation

When a piece changes key, shifting the tonal centre into a different scale or key. If a piece starts in the key of C, and then modulates to D, it is changing the key during the piece from C (with no sharps or flats) to the key of D major (with 2 sharps).

Diatonic Scale

A type of musical scale that consists of 7 tones, in some combination of 5 whole steps and 2 half steps. A major scale is a type of diatonic scale. All 7 tones have one specific letter name. So the diatonic scale of A major has 7 unique letters (AB C# DE F# G#). Notice that the F# is not called a G flat, because then there would be a Gflat and G#, and no F labelled.

Descending Baseline

A form of harmonization that has the lowest note or pitch in a chord, getting lower by step-wise motion with each chord change. The chord itself can be inverted, it is only the lowest pitch of the harmony that needs to make this kind of movement.

Applied Harmony

A type of harmonization, in which the harmony temporarily shifts or modulates into a closely related key. In the above example, the first chord is the tonic chord of C, in the key of C (CEG). The second chord (ADF#) is functioning as a secondary dominant leading into the dominant of C on the third chord (BDG). In other words, the addition of the F#, which does not naturally occur in the key of C major, leads the listener to hear the tonal centre shift temporarily to G (the key with an F# in it’s key signature). A secondary dominant, is the dominant of the dominant. So the dominant note of C is G, and the dominant note of G is D, so the secondary dominant of C is D. Keep in mind, applied harmony looks at not only the notes themselves, but also how they are interacting with the notes around them and what function they are serving in the harmony. Not all accidentals mean applied harmony.

Contrary Motion

A type of harmonization, where the different “voices” or pitches of a chord are moving in opposite directions as the chords are changing. Can also refer to the melody and baseline, with opposite motion between the parts as they move forward. If the melody pitch was going higher, the baseline moving lower would be contrary motion.

Similar Motion

A type of harmonization, where the different “voices” or pitches of a chord are moving in the same direction as the chords change. If the melody pitch was going lower, the baseline also moving lower would be similar motion.

Open Voiced and Closed Voiced Chords

The “voicing,” of a chord refers to how the different pitches are “spelled.” Think back to chord inversions, if you invert a C major chord, you are changing the “spelling” from the lowest note to highest note. In reference to positions or chords like the above example, the closed voice chord, is a C major chord where all of the pitches are as close together as possible. The open voiced chord, has the same notes (CEG), but have been spaced apart and spelled differently so that they are not directly beside each other. Open voiced chords are often described as sounding more “full,” or having more “texture.”

Musical Terms and Definitions