Lecture 7. Harmony: Chords and How to Build Them

YaleCourses

7 Dec 201250:14

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe professor gives an engaging lecture on elements of music, focusing on harmony and how chords are constructed. He uses examples from classical, pop, and bluegrass to demonstrate musical concepts, even bringing in Yale's provost to play bluegrass bass. There is emphasis on differentiating major and minor triads. The lecture explores modulation, rates of harmonic change, and ostinato patterns as well. Students actively participate by answering the professor's musical questions.

Takeaways

😀 The lecture covers elements of music like harmony, rhythm and melody
👂 Harmony that features simultaneous pitches is unique to Western music
🎹 Triads, built from the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale, are the building blocks of Western harmony
🎸 The bass line determines the harmony; the upper parts provide ornamentation
📝 Major and minor chords differ only in one note - the middle note of the triad
✏️ Chords change so accompanying harmonies consonantly support the melody
📐 Ostinato harmonic patterns repeat regularly, like the 16-bar pattern in the U2 song
⏱ Irregular harmonic rhythm means some chords last longer than others
🔀 Modulation shifts the music to a new key, usually involving a pivot chord
🎶 Complex harmonic schemes in Beach Boys songs were very advanced for their time

Q & A

What are the two key things that distinguish Western classical music?
-The two key things are the heavy usage of written musical notation and the concept of harmony - superimposing multiple pitches and playing with them in interesting ways.
Why do composers change chords in a song?
-Composers change chords to keep the harmony consonant as the melody changes. If the same chord is held against a changing melody, it will create dissonance.
What is the foundation of harmony in music?
-The bass line lays the foundation of harmony in music. The bass notes (the tonic, dominant and sub-dominant) are like pillars that you can build other harmonies around.
What is a triad in music theory?
-A triad is a chord made up of three notes - it spans five letter names on a musical scale. The most basic triads are major and minor.
How do you distinguish between a major and minor triad?
-The only difference between a major and minor triad is whether the middle note of the three is lowered by a semi-tone. This changes the quality and feeling of the chord.
What is an ostinato in music?
-An ostinato is a repeating musical pattern or phrase. It is often used as an accompaniment or harmonic pattern in the bass line.
What is modulation in music composition?
-Modulation refers to changing keys within a piece of music. Composers modulate to add interest, variety and drama to the musical narrative.
How did the Beach Boys use harmony and modulation in innovative ways?
-The Beach Boys used unusual chord progressions with frequent modulations in their songs. This was very advanced compared to contemporaneous pop music and showed their musical sophistication.
What advice does the professor give for studying for the upcoming test?
-The professor advises students to check their email where he has posted a prep sheet summarizing what they need to know to study for the upcoming test.
What makes the cello a beautiful instrument according to the professor?
-The professor notes that the cello has a very rich, beautiful sound across its range, with the ability to smoothly connect notes and phrases. This makes it his favorite instrument.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Review the Elements of Music, Focusing on Harmony

The professor reviews elements of music covered so far - rhythm and melody. Today they will focus on harmony. Harmony using multiple pitches is a distinctive aspect of Western music. A chord is a simultaneous sounding of 2+ pitches, which can be consonant or dissonant. The most basic consonant chord is a triad.

05:01

🎹 Constructing Triads on the Musical Scale

A triad contains 3 pitches spanning 5 letter names on a musical scale. Triads built on the tonic, dominant, and subdominant notes of the scale are the most important for harmony. The professor demonstrates triads on piano and their movement in common harmonic progressions.

10:05

🎼 Harmonic Change: Regular or Irregular Rate

The professor emphasizes evaluating 2 aspects of harmony: 1) Is harmony changing or static? 2) If changing, is it at a regular/irregular rate? Regular = holding for equal time. Irregular demonstrated on piano. Bass notes set harmony foundation. Bass player examples shown.

15:07

🎻 Identifying Major and Minor Triads

Whether a triad is major or minor depends on the size of intervals between notes. Minor triads have a small 3rd interval on bottom. Examples of switching between major and minor triads demonstrated vocally and on piano. Excerpts from pieces analyzed regarding triad quality.

20:09

🎹 Arpeggios and Alberti Bass Accompaniment Patterns

Arpeggios are chords with notes played successively. They suit pieces in 3. Alberti bass is a LH accompaniment pattern involving arpeggio-like broken chords. Octave rolls also used. Such patterns energize harmony.

25:14

😞 Melody Over Harmony in Sad Minor Keys

A clarinet begins a sad piece switching between major and minor triads. Composers sometimes modulate to different keys for effect. A Beach Boys example is harmonically complex, with sections of interest after boring parts.

30:16

🎵 Recognizing Major vs. Minor Triads

Students identify a series of triads from Moonlight Sonata as major or minor to practice distinguishing by ear. Most are minor, fitting the sad piece.

35:18

🎼 Harmonic Analysis of a U2 Song in Minor Key

A U2 song is analyzed. It's in minor key - unusual for pop. Chords outlined and identified as major/minor triads. Irregular harmonic change due to one chord holding longer.

40:20

😌 Concept and Challenges of Modulation

Modulation is changing keys within a piece. An Aaron Copland example modulates subtly. Modulations are hard to hear. Finally, modulation in the harmonically sophisticated Beach Boys is examined.

45:26

🎵 Review of Harmony Principles Covered

The professor concludes by reviewing the harmonic principles covered including triad construction, major/minor quality, harmonic analysis, and modulation. Practice will prepare for the upcoming test.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡harmony

Harmony refers to the simultaneuous sounding of multiple musical pitches or notes. The professor emphasizes how harmony, specifically triads and chords, is a defining feature of Western classical and popular music. He illustrates harmony through examples like the cowboy song "Streets of Laredo" which just uses two chords.

💡triad

A triad is a chord consisting of three notes - the root, third, and fifth notes of a scale. Triads are the basic building blocks of harmony in Western music. The professor demonstrates triads on the piano and analyzes their usage in pieces like the "Moonlight Sonata".

💡chord

A chord is any simultaneuous sounding of two or more musical pitches or notes. So a triad is a type of chord. The professor points out how chords tend to change along with a melody to maintain consonance and harmony.

💡cadence

A cadence refers to the ending of a musical phrase, section or piece, usually characterized by a chord progression that concludes on the tonic or home chord. At the end of the Beach Boys song, the professor identifies the use of a "deceptive cadence" which tricks the listener through an unexpected chord progression.

💡modulation

Modulation refers to the change or switch from one musical key to another within a composition. The professor plays examples of modulation from Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and the Beach Boys song to demonstrate this key technique for transitioning keys.

💡bass

The musical bass part provides the harmonic foundation and bass notes for chords. As illustrated in the bluegrass performance, the bass plays the root notes of chords like the tonic and dominant, while the other instruments decorate around them.

💡arpeggio

An arpeggio is when the individual notes of a chord are played one after another instead of all at once. This is shown in some of the bassplaying examples, where the bass notes outline different chords through arpeggios.

💡harmony

Harmony refers to the simultaneuous sounding of multiple musical pitches or notes. The professor emphasizes how harmony, specifically triads and chords, is a defining feature of Western classical and popular music. He illustrates harmony through examples like the cowboy song "Streets of Laredo" which just uses two chords.

💡major and minor triads

Triads can be either major or minor based on their interval construction, specifically the third interval which is a major vs minor third. Major triads use a 4 half step major third, while minor triads have a 3 half step minor third interval. The professor tests students on identifying these differences in chords from the "Moonlight Sonata".

💡key

The key of a musical composition refers to the scale it is based around, including what tonality (major vs minor) it is in. Pieces generally stay in one key, but may modulate to another key which changes the scale pattern and tonality center. The concept of keys based around scales is another defining aspect of Western harmony that the professor emphasizes.

Highlights

Harmony is one of the things that distinguishes Western classical music, along with heavy usage of written musical notation.

Chords change underneath melodies to avoid dissonances and make the harmony more consonant or harmonious.

The bass note provides the harmonic foundation, while other instruments add layers above it to flesh out chords.

Modulations involve changing from one key to another, often using a pivotal chord like the dominant to transition.

The Beach Boys piece features sophisticated modulations with half step changes, contrasting static sections.

Transcripts

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