How Good is Your Harmony? - Music Theory

Music Matters
10 Aug 201708:49
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis transcript describes a harmony quiz, containing 10 questions that test musical theory knowledge. After playing the harmony piece, questions cover identifying musical properties like key signature, chord types, various note types, and complex chords. Answers walk through identifiable elements like passing notes, cadences, seventh chords, and colorful chords like Neapolitan and augmented sixths. It offers a fun self-assessment, directing further learning for less knowledgeable viewers.

Takeaways
  • 😀 This is a harmony quiz with 10 questions to test your knowledge
  • 👂 The piece is played first so you can listen and follow along
  • 😮 The final chord is different than expected - it uses a Tierce de Picardie
  • 🔍 Identify examples of passing notes, auxiliary notes, and anticipatory notes
  • ♨️ Find a 7th chord and a diminished 7th chord within the key
  • 😵 Identify the Neapolitan chord built on the flatted 2nd degree
  • 👍 An augmented 6th chord is used - specifically a German 6th
  • 🎵 The quiz tests your knowledge of some more advanced harmonic concepts
  • 📝 Check out the advanced theory films for more info and quiz answers
  • 🎹 You could play/listen to hear how some of these colorful chords sound
Q & A

  • What is the key that the piece of music is in?

    -The piece is in the key of E minor. There is one sharp in the key signature which indicates either G major or E minor, and other clues in the music confirm it is in E minor.

  • What do you notice about the final chord?

    -The final chord is an E major chord instead of E minor, which is the key the piece is in. This is an example of a technique called a 'tierce de picardie'.

  • What type of cadence does the music end with?

    -The music ends with a perfect cadence, going from chord V7 to chord I, with the E major chord at the end instead of E minor.

  • Can you provide an example of a passing note in the music?

    -There are a few passing notes. One example is the F-sharp in the soprano moving stepwise between the G and E which belong to the E minor chord.

  • Where is there an example of an auxiliary note?

    -One example is the C-sharp after the D-sharp in the alto line. The D-sharp belongs to the chord and the C-sharp temporarily moves down a step before returning to the D-sharp.

  • Can you show an anticipatory note?

    -The C in the soprano anticipating the next C is an example of an anticipatory note. The first C does not belong to the chord, but it comes before the second C which does.

  • Where is a seventh chord found within the key?

    -The V7d chord (a V7 chord in its last inversion with the seventh in the bass) is an example of a seventh chord in the key of E minor. The other V7 chord is also a seventh chord in the key.

  • What diminished seventh chord is used?

    -The diminished seventh chord contains G-sharp, F-natural, B and D. This unique chord adds color and interest.

  • What is the Neapolitan chord and where is it found?

    -The Neapolitan chord is built on the lowered second degree of the scale, so in E minor the F-sharp is lowered to F-natural. The Neapolitan chord of F, A, C occurs in first inversion.

  • What type of augmented sixth chord is used?

    -The augmented sixth chord that occurs is specifically a German sixth chord, containing the notes C, E, G and A-sharp.

Outlines
00:00
😍 The harmony quiz - Questions and musical concepts introduced

The first paragraph introduces a harmony quiz with 10 questions to test the viewer's knowledge. It previews several advanced musical concepts that will be covered, including passing notes, auxiliary notes, anticipatory notes, seventh chords, diminished seventh chords, Neapolitan chords, and augmented sixth chords. The quiz is meant to assess the viewer's understanding of these concepts in the context of a piece of music in the key of E minor.

05:02
😊 Answering the harmony quiz questions with musical examples

The second paragraph provides detailed answers to each of the 10 harmony quiz questions. For each question, specific musical examples are identified from the sheet music to illustrate concepts like passing notes, auxiliary notes, seventh chords, and augmented sixth chords. The goal is to check the viewer's ability to identify and understand these advanced harmonic devices within the provided musical example in the key of E minor.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Harmony
Harmony refers to how musical notes and chords are combined together in a pleasing way. This video focuses on teaching harmony, assessing the viewer's knowledge of it, and introducing some more complex harmonic concepts. Examples of harmony terminology and devices are discussed throughout like cadences, seventh chords, and Neapolitan chords.
💡Cadence
A cadence is a harmonic pattern/sequence that creates a sense of closure, pause, or finality in music. The video asks the viewer to identify the final cadence, which is the chord progression going into the last chord. This final cadence is a "perfect cadence," meaning it moves from the dominant chord (V) to the tonic chord (I).
💡Passing note
A passing note is a non-harmonic note that passes stepwise between two notes of a chord. The video provides examples of passing notes, like the F# passing between the G and E over a chord I in E minor.
💡Auxiliary note
An auxiliary note is a non-harmonic note that elaborates on a note belonging to a chord by stepwise motion. The video shows auxiliary notes like the C# elaborating on the D# over a chord by stepping down and back up.
💡Anticipatory note
An anticipatory note precedes a note that belongs to the next chord, giving anticipation of the harmony to come. The video example is the C anticipating the C that comes in the next chord.
💡Seventh chord
A seventh chord includes an added seventh interval above its root note. The video asks the viewer to identify seventh chords in the key like the V7 and V7d chords shown.
💡Diminished seventh chord
A diminished seventh chord contains a diminished fifth interval between its root and fifth notes, creating a dissonant sound. An example in the video is the chord with notes G#-F-B-D.
💡Neapolitan chord
A Neapolitan chord is a major chord built on the lowered second scale degree, used to add color/interest. In the key of E minor, the F natural major chord is the Neapolitan.
💡Augmented sixth chord
An augmented sixth chord contains an augmented sixth interval between its root and sixth notes. It creates tension that resolves nicely in certain ways. The video example shows a German sixth chord specifically.
💡Tierce de Picardie
Tierce de Picardie refers to ending a piece in a minor key on the parallel major chord instead. This unexpected major ending chord adds interest/surprise. The video example ends on an E major chord despite being in the key of E minor.
Highlights

This harmony quiz has 10 questions to test your knowledge

The piece is in the key of E minor, indicated by 1 sharp and chords centered on E

The final chord is an E major instead of E minor, called a tierce de picardie

The final cadence is a perfect cadence, going from chord V7 to chord I

Examples of passing notes are the F# in the soprano and A in the alto

An example of a lower auxiliary note is the C# in the tenor

The D in the alto is an example of an upper auxiliary note

The C in the soprano anticipates the next C in the chord

A V7d chord (with 7th in bass) and V7 chord are examples of 7th chords

A diminished 7th chord appears with G#, F, B, D

The Neapolitan chord is an F major built on the flatted 2nd degree

The final augmented 6th chord is a German sixth

Advanced theory films cover these chord concepts in more detail

Playing and listening helps internalize these colorful chords

This quiz tests your knowledge of chromatic harmony

Transcripts

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