Music-Theory

Class Notes for 57-152 Harmony @ Carnegie Mellon University.

Excellent worksheets, with answer keys, can be found on Gene Biringer’s music theory website.

View Github

Music Theory Fundamentals

Topic 1: Pitch and Pitch Notation

• ASA pitch designations
• Clefs

Topic 2: Major Scales and Keys

• Major Scales
• Scale Degrees in Major
• Key signature scheme
• Circle of fifths
• Key signatures, key signatures in clefs

Topic 3: Intervals

• Intervals
• Inversions

Topic 4: Minor Scales and Keys

• Minor Scales
• Circle of Fifths with both Major and Minor Keys

Topic 5: Triads

• Triads
• Roman Numerals
• Triad Inversions

Topic 6: Seventh Chords

• Seventh Chords
• Roman Numerals for Seventh Chords
• Inversions of Seventh Chords

Harmony

• Basics of Partwriting and Harmonic Analysis
  • Partwriting Basics
  • Cadences
  • Non-Harmonic Tones
  • Realizing a Figured Bass with I, IV and V in Root Position
  • Harmonizing a Melody with I, IV and V in Root Position
• V7
• I6 and V6
• vii6 and V6/4
• Inversions of V7
• ii and ii6
• The Phrase Model
• IV6
• 6/4 chords
• vi
• iii
• v6
• VII
• ii7
• IV7
• Sequences
• vii7 and its inversions
• Secondary Chords
• Modulation
• Modal Mixture
• The Phrygian II6 (Neapolitan sixth)
• Augmented-Sixth Chords

Form

• Basic Units: Motive, Grouping Unit, Phrase, Subphrase
• Multiple Phrases I: The Period
• Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical Periods and Hypermeter
• Types of Period
• Distinguishing between Modulation and Tonicization in Cadences
• Multiple Phrases II: Three-Phrase Period, Double Period, Phrase Group
• Graphing Phrase Structure I: The Basics
• Graphing Phrase Structure II: Pitfalls to Avoid
• Examples to Lecture Notes

Species Counterpoint

• Lecture Notes
  • General (all species)
  • First species
  • Second species
  • Third species
  • Fourth species
  • Fifth species
  • Comparison chart
• Tonal analysis using species counterpoint
  • General Principles
  • First Species
  • Second Species
  • More Complex Cases of Second Species
  • Third Species
  • Fourth Species
  • Implied Fourth Species

Transposition

• Lecture Notes on Transposition and Reading an Orchestral Score

19th Century

• 9th’s, “11th’s”, “13th’s”
• Altered dominants and III in major
• Progressions based on enharmonic diminished-seventh chords
• Advanced uses of +6 chords
• Chromatic modulations
• Common-tone (CT) chords
• Equal division of the octave

20th Centry

• Pitch-Class Set Theory 1 - Set Classes
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 1 - Set Classes - Examples
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 2 - Trichords
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 3 - Pitch, Interval, and Transposition
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 4 - Inversion
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 4 - Inversion - Examples
• Pitch-Class Set Theory 5 - Invariants
• Kinds of Analysis

Created by Haohan (Carrie) Zhang, Jul 2019

---