POSTLUDE: Fundamentals of Music (Review – From “Open Music Theory”)
24 American Standard Pitch Notation (ASPN)
Chelsey Hamm and Bryn Hughes
Key Takeaways
- American Standard Pitch Notation (ASPN) provides labels for specific musical frequencies by combining a note name (such as C) with a subscript octave designation (such as 4).
- A pitch is a discrete tone with an individual frequency (e.g. C4), while a pitch class is less specific (e.g., C in general).
- ASPN differentiates between octaves, from C to B. The octaves are labeled from lowest to highest, beginning with 0 and continuing in ascending numerical order (1, 2, etc.).
- A piano keyboard primarily uses the ASPN octave designations 1 through 7, although small portions of octaves 0 and 8 are included.
- Middle C is C4 in ASPN. It is helpful to memorize the ASPN label of this note as a starting point.
American Standard Pitch Notation and Pitch versus Pitch Class
In order to discuss specific notes, or pitches, we will use American Standard Pitch Notation, abbreviated ASPN. ASPN designates specific musical pitches by combining a note name (such as C) with a subscript octave designation (such as 4), creating a bipartite label (for example, C4). ASPN labels are very useful, since they can identify every possible musical note within human hearing range, from the lowest pitches to the highest.
The Reading Clefs chapter introduced octave equivalence, the concept that explains why notes one or more octaves apart have the same letter name. Music theorists distinguish between a pitch, a discrete tone with an individual frequency (e.g. C4 using ASPN), versus a pitch class, which is less specific (e.g., C in general). A pitch class includes all the pitches with the same letter name, in any octave, along with their enharmonic equivalents. For example, all Cs are the same pitch class, and the enharmonically equivalent notes D𝄫 and B♯ are also part of the C pitch class. In this chapter we are naming specific pitches with ASPN.
ASPN and Octave Designations
ASPN differentiates between octaves, beginning with the pitch C and ending with the pitch B. This means that each new octave designation begins on the note C, as seen in Example 1. The octaves are labeled from lowest to highest, beginning with 0 and continuing in numerical order (1, 2, 3, etc.). The pitch middle C is C4, which is useful to memorize.
All letter names within an octave (below the C of the next octave) receive the same octave designation. For example, all of the notes in Example 2 would be designated in the 4 octave, because they are above C4 but below C5. Accidentals applied to a note do not have an effect on its ASPN number. For example, B♯3 and C4 have different octave numbers despite being enharmonically equivalent, because the B♯ is still considered part of the lower octave.
ASPN and the Keyboard
ASPN labels are very helpful for finding specific notes on the piano keyboard. Example 3 depicts a piano keyboard with each octave labeled using ASPN notation. As you can see, the piano keyboard spans the full octaves 1 to 7. It also contains a small part of both octaves 0 and 8. ASPN labels are the same regardless of instrument or voice type. In other words, a C4 will always be labeled as such regardless of whether it is produced with a flute, trombone, violin, or voice.
ASPN and Staff Notation
Example 4 shows ASPN labels for common notes in the treble, bass, alto, and tenor clefs. Memorizing the location of C4 in each clef can make finding ASPN labels quicker and easier.
https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/8395191/s/5sFqPN/embed
Example 4. ASPN labels for notes in four clefs.
- “Pitches, Pitch Classes, Octave Designation, Enharmonic Equivalence” (YouTube)
- Tutorial on ASPN Octave Labels (liveabout.com)
- Tutorial on ASPN Octave Labels (flutopedia.com)
- Helpful Graphic with ASPN Labels on the Grand Staff and Piano (Music Theory Tips)
- Flash Cards with ASPN Labels in Treble and Bass Clefs (quizlet.com)
Key Points
In this chapter we learn about the minor mode, how it evolved in tonal music and how we might best use it.
We will cover the following:
- Seventh Chords in the Major Mode
- Preparation and Resolution of the Dissonance and the Chord Progression Schema for Seventh Chords
- Inversions of the Seventh Chord
- Connecting Seventh Chords to One Another
Until now, our study of tonal music has focused on materials and techniques using only one of the seven diatonic modes: the major mode. However, in tonal music, we also have another mode available to us: the minor mode. The modern, tonal minor mode slowly evolved through compositional and performance practices, using the Aeolian mode as a foundation, borrowing elements from the other two minor-like diatonic modes of Dorian and Phrygian. One might reasonably ask why it was necessary to wait until now to begin our study of the minor mode but, as you will see, because it shares characteristics of all the diatonic minor-like modes, it contains peculiar features and characteristics which need more care and attention in practice to use and understand the mode effectively, and to obtain the unique sound and flavor of minor to which it offers.
The Three "Flavors" of Tonal Minor
As mentioned above, the modern, tonal minor mode evolved through compositional and performance practice over several centuries in Western music to incorporate aspects of each of the diatonic minor-like modes. As you may recall from your fundamentals study, there are three possible configurations of the tonal minor mode: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic. These three terms refer to the ways in which each variation is deployed within a musical setting. First, let us first quickly review each one.
Natural Minor (Aeolian)
So-called "natural" minor is simply the unaltered version of the diatonic Aeolian mode.
Figure 1. Natural Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
Harmonic Minor
The first variation of natural minor is known as "Harmonic" minor. It is the natural minor mode with a raised seventh scale degree.
Figure 2. Harmonic Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
As you likely learned in your study of music fundamentals, the natural minor mode does not contain a leading tone but rather a subtonic with [latex](\hat7)[/latex] a whole step below the tonic. This is one of a few important differences between the major mode and the minor mode. In Harmonic minor, the [latex](\hat7)[/latex] is raised by a half-step, creating an artificial leading tone which then gives us the ability to have a strong tonal harmonic progression in cadences, similarly to how the major mode behaves intrinsically (as we will learn more about shortly). It this use of the artificially created leading tone in harmonic progressions that give this variation its name ("harmonic").
Melodic Minor
The second variation of natural minor is known as "Melodic" minor. It is the natural minor mode with a raised seventh scale degree, just as we have in Harmonic minor, but also contains a raised sixth scale degree.
Figure 3. Melodic Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
Like Harmonic minor shown above, Melodic minor also contains an artificial leading tone by way of a raised [latex](\hat7)[/latex] for the purpose of strong tonal cadential progressions. However, unlike Harmonic minor, the Melodic minor variation adds a raised [latex](\hat6)[/latex] which now smooths out the awkward interval of an augmented second (A2) between [latex]\uparrow\hat6[/latex] and [latex]\uparrow\hat6[/latex] that we find in Harmonic minor[1]. Now, instead of the augmented second between 6 and 7, we have a smoother melodic interval of a whole step. Hence, the name "melodic" simply refers to this smoothing out of the augmented second we find in Harmonic minor.
As with triads, seventh chords are labeled with both a Roman numeral analysis designation and a lead-sheet chord symbol. For scale degrees [latex](\hat1)[/latex] through [latex](\hat6)[/latex] we use upper and lower case to denote major or minor quality, and place a superscript figure number 7 to the right to indicate that the chord is a seventh chord. The differentiation of specific seventh quality is inferred by context and no further information is necessary. However, some texts try to differentiate a major-major seventh with a superscript "MA" versus a major-minor seventh, the "Dominant" seventh which often only contains the number. For scale degree [latex](\hat7)[/latex], the Roman numeral label will have a circle with a diagonal slash , the sign for "half" diminished which is a very specific type of seventh chord: a diminished triad with a minor seventh as a chord tone in relationship to the root. In all cases, the figure number will change with inversions, explained a bit more below.
Lead sheet chord symbols are a bit more specific with regard to specifying the quality of the seventh chord. First, as we would do with a triad, the pitch class of the chord's root is written. This is then followed by a triangle and a superscript seven 7 for a major-major seventh chord, a minus sign with a superscript 7 for a minor-minor seventh chord, a superscript 7 alone for a major-minor seventh chord (also called the "Dominant Seventh"), and a half-diminished sign with a superscript 7. to indicate the half-diminished seventh chord. This particular quality of seventh chord is also referred to as a "minor seven, flat five", particularly in the world of jazz and pop music, and is sometimes preferred. To label in this manner we write the lead sheet symbol the same way as we would a minor-minor seventh but add a superscript 5 in parentheses after the 7 to indicate that the chord has its fifth chord tone is lowered by a half-step (colloquially speaking, "flatted"). These types of symbols, such as a flat 5 (5), are known as alterations. We will encounter more of these types of symbols as we continue to dive deeper into the world of harmony.
The Major-Major Seventh
The major-major seventh is a major triad with a major seventh chord tone in relationship to the root. This chord is colloquially referred to simply as a "major seventh" chord and is labeled in lead sheet notation with a triangle and a superscript seven 7. It has a strong, robust sound which, despite the strong dissonance of the major seventh (minor second in an inversion) with the root, it has a remarkably stable and grounded sound. In the world of jazz harmony, this chord is often substituted for any primary or secondary major triad.
The Minor-Minor Seventh
The minor-minor seventh chord is a minor triad with a minor seventh chord tone in relationship to the root. Colloquially the chord is often referred to simply as a "minor seventh" chord and is labeled in lead sheet notation with a minus sign with a superscript 7. It has a softer and somewhat darker sound quality than that of the major-major seventh, but, similarly, has a stable and grounded sound. As with the major-major seventh chord, in jazz it is often substituted for any primary or secondary minor triad.
The Major-Minor Seventh ("Dominant Seventh")
The major-minor seventh chord is a major triad with a minor seventh chord tone in relationship to the root. It is almost always referred to colloquially as a "dominant seventh" chord as it is built naturally on the dominant scale degree (scale degree [latex](\hat1)[/latex] ). It is labeled in lead sheet notation simply with a superscript 7. The sound quality is quite a bit less stable and more uneasy than either the major-major seventh chord or minor-minor seventh chord owing primarily to the presence of an unstable tritone interval between the third and seventh chord tones. In tonal music, this chord, has a strong dominant function that feels a need to resolve. In jazz is often used wherever a dominant tonal function is desired.
The Half-Diminished Seventh Chord ("Minor Seven, Flat Five")
Built naturally on the leading-tone scale degree, scale degree [latex](\hat7)[/latex], the half-diminished seventh chord is a diminished triad with a minor seventh chord tone in relationship to the root. As outlined above, the chord is often referred to as a "minor seven flat five" chord. Both terms are interchangeable. It is labeled in lead sheet chord notation with either a half-diminished sign with a superscript 7 or like a minor seventh chord (a minus sign with a superscript 7) adding a superscript 5 in parentheses after the 7 to indicate that the chord has its fifth chord tone is lowered by a half-step. This chord is literally a minor-minor seventh chord with a lowered fifth. Like the major-minor ("dominant") seventh chord, it also contains a tritone (between the root and fifth chord tones) and has a similarly unstable sound. However, unlike the major-minor ("dominant") seventh, the lack of a stable perfect fifth between the root and fifth of the chord serves to soften the need for immediate resolution and as a result the chord feels more ambiguous and cloudy. It is often used as a predominant chord, especially in the minor mode for reasons we will explore later.
Inversions of the Seventh Chord
Figure 2. The inversions of the seventh chords with a C Major-Major (C7) seventh used for example.
The figure above shows a C Major-Major seventh chord (C7) in each possible inversion from root position to third inversion. As with triads, we label the inversions of each seventh chord with both a lead-sheet style chord symbol and a figured-bass number in relation to the Roman Numeral analysis. For the lead-sheet symbol, we label the chord as we do in root position and then use the slash "/" followed by the pitch class of the sounding bass tone. For the Roman Numeral figure, we use a superscript "7" for root position, "[latex]_5^6[/latex]" for first inversion, "[latex]_3^4[/latex]" for second inversion, and simply a "2" for third inversion. The figures (known as figured bass), as with triads, tell us where the other chord tones are in relationship to the bass--notably the root and the third of the chord in each of the inversions. A good way to remember these numbers is to think of them as part of a count down from the number seven: 7, 6-5, 4-3, 2.
Unlike the triad, we do not need to consider any additional voice-leading guidelines when using inversions of seventh chords and this includes the second inversion where we have the fifth of the chord in the bass. In a triad, this tone still needs to be handled carefully, but the seventh, owing to the dissonance that is already inherent in the chord, we need not be so careful. In short: we can use any of the inverted seventh chords anywhere we can use a root position seventh chord so long as we are fulfilling all the other voice leading requirements know to us, i.e. handling the dissonance(s), making sure we have good melodic motion with the voices, making sure our voices are properly spaced and in the proper ranges, and we aren't engaging in perfect parallel motion between the voices, etc.
The Preparation and Resolution of the Dissonance
The dissonance, the harmonic seventh as a chord tone that sounds against the root, is handled in the same way as the diminished fifth chord tone in the diminished triad. We must first choose a chord that contains the pitch class that will become the dissonant seventh chord tone in the chord preceding. Then, after sounding the seventh chord in question, we resolve the dissonance by moving the voice containing the seventh chord tone downward by step into a chord that contains the resolving pitch as a consonant chord tone. In the case of the half-diminished seventh chord, where we have two dissonances (the seventh and the diminished fifth chord tones in relation to the root), we need to doubly prepare and doubly resolve each dissonance. Later these strict guidelines will be relaxed as our ability to enrich our harmonic phrases will increase.
Unlike the diminished triad which occurs on only the leading tone, we have the opportunity to build and use seventh chords on all seven scale degrees of the major mode. Thus, to accomplish the successful handling of the dissonant seventh, we need to locate appropriate preparation chords and resolution chords which will work with any of the available seventh chords. The chart below summarizes each of the different possible preparation and resolution schemes for each of the seventh chords we have available to us in the major mode. Later we shall adapt and modify this chart for the minor mode.
Seventh Chord Preparation and Resolution Schema
PREPARATION |
SEVENTH CHORD |
RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
Dominant (V) Mediant (iii) |
Tonic (I7) |
SubDominant (IV) |
SubMediant (vi) SubDominant (IV) |
SuperTonic (ii7) |
Dominant (V) |
Leading-Tone (vii) Dominant (V) |
Mediant (iii7) |
SubMediant (vi) |
Tonic (I) SubMediant (vi) |
SubDominant (IV7) |
Leading-Tone (vii) |
SuperTonic (ii) Leading-Tone (vii) |
Dominant (V7) |
Tonic (I) |
Mediant (iii) Tonic (I) |
SubMediant (vi7) |
SuperTonic (ii) |
SubDominant (IV) SuperTonic (ii) |
Leading-Tone (vii7) |
Mediant (iii) |
Summary
We may summarize what we learned above in three step process as follows:
- Prepare the dissonant seventh chord tone by sounding it first in a preceding chord as a consonant tone and then tying it over as a common tone. For the leading tone half diminished seventh, we need to prepare both the seventh and the diminished fifth dissonances. Use the chart above to refer to chords that could be used to prepare a seventh on any given scale degree in the major mode.
- Sound the seventh chord by holding over the dissonance(s) and any other common tones, then moving the other voices to the next nearest chord tones to complete the chord. As we are sounding a seventh chord, no doubling is necessary. However, we do need to make sure we have a complete chord. For now, do not omit any chord tones (later we will be able to relax this condition).
- Resolve the dissonance(s) by moving to the resolution chord and moving the voice containing the dissonant seventh chord tone (or both the seventh and the diminished fifth) downward by step, holding over any tones in common, and moving the other voices to the nearest available chord tones. Again, mindful of trying to double the root when possible when moving to a triad.
- When resolving to a triad, move to the resolution chord found in the chart which is, for now, always found a root motion of a fourth upward from the scale degree on which we sounded the seventh chord. The concept of relative root motions of chords in harmonic progressions is a very important one and will become more and more important as we move further in our study.
- It is possible, and sometimes desirable, to connect sevenths to one another. There are no special additional guidelines for this so long as you are able to properly prepare and resolve the dissonance(s) and also satisfy quality voice leading with all of the guidelines we've covered and discussed thus far.
Chord Connection Guidelines: V4
Now that we have added seventh chords to the mix, we can add and adjust our tonal harmony progression flowchart:
Common Tone Chord Chart (Major Mode)
| Chord | Has common tones with... | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | iii | IV | V | vi |
| ii | IV | V | vi | vii |
| iii | I | V | vi | vii |
| IV | I | ii | vi | vii |
| V | I | ii | iii | vii |
| vi | I | ii | iii | IV |
| vii | ii | iii | IV | V |
Seventh Chord Preparation and Resolution Schema
PREPARATION |
SEVENTH CHORD |
RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
Dominant (V) Mediant (iii) |
Tonic (I7) |
SubDominant (IV) |
SubMediant (vi) SubDominant (IV) |
SuperTonic (ii7) |
Dominant (V) |
Leading-Tone (vii) Dominant (V) |
Mediant (iii7) |
SubMediant (vi) |
Tonic (I) SubMediant (vi) |
SubDominant (IV7) |
Leading-Tone (vii) |
SuperTonic (ii) Leading-Tone (vii) |
Dominant (V7) |
Tonic (I) |
Mediant (iii) Tonic (I) |
SubMediant (vi7) |
SuperTonic (ii) |
SubDominant (IV) SuperTonic (ii) |
Leading-Tone (vii7) |
Mediant (iii) |
EXAMPLES: Seventh Chords in the Major Mode
If the score above is not displaying properly you may CLICK HERE to open it in a new window.
RWU EXERCISES
Mixed Triads and Seventh Chords in Short Phrases
Using the templates below, do the following:
A) ROOT POSITION SEVENTH CHORDS
- Realize the given harmonic progression (the Roman numeral analysis is provided). You may choose inversions of the triads as you wish within the guidelines.
- Compose three harmonic progressions of your choice, at least 8 to 12 chords in length, one may be in C Major, and the other two any major key of your choosing.
- Follow the guidelines set above.
- You must have at least two seventh chords per phrase, but not more than three. Try, across your three attempts, to use one of each possible seventh chord found on each of the seven scale degrees.
- You must have at least one instance of a leading tone diminished triad OR half-diminished seventh chord in each of your phrases, properly prepared and resolved according to the guidelines above.
- Use triad inversions wherever you wish according to the already established guidelines for voice leading. Strive for a decent mixture of root, first, and second inversion triads to complement the seventh chords.
B) INVERSIONS OF SEVENTH CHORDS
- Compose three harmonic progressions of your choice, at least 8 to 12 chords in length, one may be in C Major, and the other two any major key of your choosing. Follow the guidelines above except this time, when using the seventh chords, you may use inversions. Strive for a good mixture of different inversions and root position for both practice and variety. You may also try to connect seventh chords to one another--you should have at least two instances across your three phrases.
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Schoenberg Theory of Harmony Examples
Further Reading
- Schoenberg, Arnold: Theory of Harmony
- Schoenberg, Arnold: Structural Functions of Harmony
Key Points
In this chapter we learn about the minor mode, how it evolved in tonal music and how we might best use it.
We will cover the following:
- Seventh Chords in the Major Mode
- Preparation and Resolution of the Dissonance and the Chord Progression Schema for Seventh Chords
- Inversions of the Seventh Chord
- Connecting Seventh Chords to One Another
Until now, our study of tonal music has focused on materials and techniques using only one of the seven diatonic modes: the major mode. However, in tonal music, we also have another mode available to us: the minor mode. The modern, tonal minor mode slowly evolved through compositional and performance practices, using the Aeolian mode as a foundation, borrowing elements from the other two minor-like diatonic modes of Dorian and Phrygian. One might reasonably ask why it was necessary to wait until now to begin our study of the minor mode but, as you will see, because it shares characteristics of all the diatonic minor-like modes, it contains peculiar features and characteristics which need more care and attention in practice to use and understand the mode effectively, and to obtain the unique sound and flavor of minor to which it offers.
The Three "Flavors" of Tonal Minor
As mentioned above, the modern, tonal minor mode evolved through compositional and performance practice over several centuries in Western music to incorporate aspects of each of the diatonic minor-like modes. As you may recall from your fundamentals study, there are three possible configurations of the tonal minor mode: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic. These three terms refer to the ways in which each variation is deployed within a musical setting. First, let us first quickly review each one.
Natural Minor (Aeolian)
So-called "natural" minor is simply the unaltered version of the diatonic Aeolian mode.
Figure 1. Natural Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
Harmonic Minor
The first variation of natural minor is known as "Harmonic" minor. It is the natural minor mode with a raised seventh scale degree.
Figure 2. Harmonic Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
As you likely learned in your study of music fundamentals, the natural minor mode does not contain a leading tone but rather a subtonic with [latex](\hat7)[/latex] a whole step below the tonic. This is one of a few important differences between the major mode and the minor mode. In Harmonic minor, the [latex](\hat7)[/latex] is raised by a half-step, creating an artificial leading tone which then gives us the ability to have a strong tonal harmonic progression in cadences, similarly to how the major mode behaves intrinsically (as we will learn more about shortly). It this use of the artificially created leading tone in harmonic progressions that give this variation its name ("harmonic").
Melodic Minor
The second variation of natural minor is known as "Melodic" minor. It is the natural minor mode with a raised seventh scale degree, just as we have in Harmonic minor, but also contains a raised sixth scale degree.
Figure 3. Melodic Minor, in scale order, built on pitch class A.
Like Harmonic minor shown above, Melodic minor also contains an artificial leading tone by way of a raised [latex](\hat7)[/latex] for the purpose of strong tonal cadential progressions. However, unlike Harmonic minor, the Melodic minor variation adds a raised [latex](\hat6)[/latex] which now smooths out the awkward interval of an augmented second (A2) between [latex]\uparrow\hat6[/latex] and [latex]\uparrow\hat7[/latex] that we find in Harmonic minor[2]. Now, instead of the augmented second between 6 and 7, we have a smoother melodic interval of a whole step. Hence, the name "melodic" simply refers to this smoothing out of the augmented second we find in Harmonic minor.
The Major-Major Seventh
The Preparation and Resolution of the Dissonance
The dissonance, the harmonic seventh as a chord tone that sounds against the root, is handled in the same way as the diminished fifth chord tone in the diminished triad. We must first choose a chord that contains the pitch class that will become the dissonant seventh chord tone in the chord preceding. Then, after sounding the seventh chord in question, we resolve the dissonance by moving the voice containing the seventh chord tone downward by step into a chord that contains the resolving pitch as a consonant chord tone. In the case of the half-diminished seventh chord, where we have two dissonances (the seventh and the diminished fifth chord tones in relation to the root), we need to doubly prepare and doubly resolve each dissonance. Later these strict guidelines will be relaxed as our ability to enrich our harmonic phrases will increase.
Unlike the diminished triad which occurs on only the leading tone, we have the opportunity to build and use seventh chords on all seven scale degrees of the major mode. Thus, to accomplish the successful handling of the dissonant seventh, we need to locate appropriate preparation chords and resolution chords which will work with any of the available seventh chords. The chart below summarizes each of the different possible preparation and resolution schemes for each of the seventh chords we have available to us in the major mode. Later we shall adapt and modify this chart for the minor mode.
Seventh Chord Preparation and Resolution Schema
PREPARATION |
SEVENTH CHORD |
RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
Dominant (V) Mediant (iii) |
Tonic (I7) |
SubDominant (IV) |
SubMediant (vi) SubDominant (IV) |
SuperTonic (ii7) |
Dominant (V) |
Leading-Tone (vii) Dominant (V) |
Mediant (iii7) |
SubMediant (vi) |
Tonic (I) SubMediant (vi) |
SubDominant (IV7) |
Leading-Tone (vii) |
SuperTonic (ii) Leading-Tone (vii) |
Dominant (V7) |
Tonic (I) |
Mediant (iii) Tonic (I) |
SubMediant (vi7) |
SuperTonic (ii) |
SubDominant (IV) SuperTonic (ii) |
Leading-Tone (vii7) |
Mediant (iii) |
Summary
We may summarize what we learned above in three step process as follows:
- Prepare the dissonant seventh chord tone by sounding it first in a preceding chord as a consonant tone and then tying it over as a common tone. For the leading tone half diminished seventh, we need to prepare both the seventh and the diminished fifth dissonances. Use the chart above to refer to chords that could be used to prepare a seventh on any given scale degree in the major mode.
- Sound the seventh chord by holding over the dissonance(s) and any other common tones, then moving the other voices to the next nearest chord tones to complete the chord. As we are sounding a seventh chord, no doubling is necessary. However, we do need to make sure we have a complete chord. For now, do not omit any chord tones (later we will be able to relax this condition).
- Resolve the dissonance(s) by moving to the resolution chord and moving the voice containing the dissonant seventh chord tone (or both the seventh and the diminished fifth) downward by step, holding over any tones in common, and moving the other voices to the nearest available chord tones. Again, mindful of trying to double the root when possible when moving to a triad.
- When resolving to a triad, move to the resolution chord found in the chart which is, for now, always found a root motion of a fourth upward from the scale degree on which we sounded the seventh chord. The concept of relative root motions of chords in harmonic progressions is a very important one and will become more and more important as we move further in our study.
- It is possible, and sometimes desirable, to connect sevenths to one another. There are no special additional guidelines for this so long as you are able to properly prepare and resolve the dissonance(s) and also satisfy quality voice leading with all of the guidelines we've covered and discussed thus far.
Chord Connection Guidelines: V4
Now that we have added seventh chords to the mix, we can add and adjust our tonal harmony progression flowchart:
Common Tone Chord Chart (Major Mode)
| Chord | Has common tones with... | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | iii | IV | V | vi |
| ii | IV | V | vi | vii |
| iii | I | V | vi | vii |
| IV | I | ii | vi | vii |
| V | I | ii | iii | vii |
| vi | I | ii | iii | IV |
| vii | ii | iii | IV | V |
Seventh Chord Preparation and Resolution Schema
PREPARATION |
SEVENTH CHORD |
RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
Dominant (V) Mediant (iii) |
Tonic (I7) |
SubDominant (IV) |
SubMediant (vi) SubDominant (IV) |
SuperTonic (ii7) |
Dominant (V) |
Leading-Tone (vii) Dominant (V) |
Mediant (iii7) |
SubMediant (vi) |
Tonic (I) SubMediant (vi) |
SubDominant (IV7) |
Leading-Tone (vii) |
SuperTonic (ii) Leading-Tone (vii) |
Dominant (V7) |
Tonic (I) |
Mediant (iii) Tonic (I) |
SubMediant (vi7) |
SuperTonic (ii) |
SubDominant (IV) SuperTonic (ii) |
Leading-Tone (vii7) |
Mediant (iii) |
EXAMPLES: Seventh Chords in the Major Mode
If the score above is not displaying properly you may CLICK HERE to open it in a new window.
RWU EXERCISES
Mixed Triads and Seventh Chords in Short Phrases
Using the templates below, do the following:
A) ROOT POSITION SEVENTH CHORDS
- Realize the given harmonic progression (the Roman numeral analysis is provided). You may choose inversions of the triads as you wish within the guidelines.
- Compose three harmonic progressions of your choice, at least 8 to 12 chords in length, one may be in C Major, and the other two any major key of your choosing.
- Follow the guidelines set above.
- You must have at least two seventh chords per phrase, but not more than three. Try, across your three attempts, to use one of each possible seventh chord found on each of the seven scale degrees.
- You must have at least one instance of a leading tone diminished triad OR half-diminished seventh chord in each of your phrases, properly prepared and resolved according to the guidelines above.
- Use triad inversions wherever you wish according to the already established guidelines for voice leading. Strive for a decent mixture of root, first, and second inversion triads to complement the seventh chords.
B) INVERSIONS OF SEVENTH CHORDS
- Compose three harmonic progressions of your choice, at least 8 to 12 chords in length, one may be in C Major, and the other two any major key of your choosing. Follow the guidelines above except this time, when using the seventh chords, you may use inversions. Strive for a good mixture of different inversions and root position for both practice and variety. You may also try to connect seventh chords to one another--you should have at least two instances across your three phrases.
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Schoenberg Theory of Harmony Examples
Further Reading
- Schoenberg, Arnold: Theory of Harmony
- Schoenberg, Arnold: Structural Functions of Harmony
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In church modes, the final loosely corresponds to the modern notion of "tonic," in that it is a melodic goal. However, the final may not always be emphasized in the way a tonic is. Finals are named by the fact that the last note of a Gregorian chant will always be the final of the mode.
