Chords and Triads Flashcards
What number of integer is used when referring to intervals?
Arabic numbers i.e. 1 to 8
What type of integer is used when referring to chords?
Roman numbers, upper case for Major Chords (I, II etc) and lower case for minor chords (i, ii etc)
What sign is used to mean a diminished chord?
A degree sign - superscript o.
What is a semitone?
Any interval between two adjacent notes in a chromatic scale.
What is a whole tone?
Any interval spanning two semi-tones.
What are the two names and the abbreviation for intervals with 0 semitones?
Perfect Unison - P1
Diminished second - d2
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 1 semitone?
Minor second - m2
Augmented unison, A1
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 2 semitones?
Major second - M2
Diminished third - d3
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 3 semitones?
Minor third - m3
Augmented second - A2
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 4 semitones?
Major third - M3
Diminished fourth - d4
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 5 semitones?
Perfect fourth - P4
Augmented third - A3
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 6 semitones?
Diminished fifth - d5
Augmented fourth - A4
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 7 semitones?
Perfect fifth - P5
Diminished sixth - d6
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 8 semitones?
Minor sixth - m6
Augmented fifth - A5
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 9 semitones?
Major sixth - M6
Diminished seventh - d7
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 10 semitones?
Minor seventh - m7
Augmented sixth - A6
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 11 semitones?
Major seventh - M7
Diminished octave - d8
What are the two names and the abbreviations for intervals with 12 semitones?
Perfect octave - P8
Augmented seventh - A7
How are intervals named in Western Music?
According to its number (diatonic number) and its quality.
What is the diatonic number of an interval?
The number of staff positions (or diatonic scale degrees - note names) it encompasses - both lines and spaces are counted, including the position (or note name) of both notes forming the interval.
What is never taken into consideration when determining the interval’s diatonic number?
Accidentals
Because intervals numbers do not represent exactly interval widths, what happens to the numbering when you join two intervals?
Joining two intervals always yields an interval number one less than their sum. For example, the intervals of C-E and E-G are thirds, but joined together they form a fifth (C-G) not a sixth.
Because intervals numbers do not represent exactly interval widths, what happens to the numbering when you join three intervals of a third?
A stack of three thirds (C-E, E-G and G-B) is a seventh, not a ninth.
What are the terms used to qualify the name of an interval (i.e. the words used to indicate the quality of the interval)?
Perfect (P) Major (M) Minor (m) Augmented (A) Diminished (d)
What are the Perfect intervals in a diatonic scale?
Unisons (P1)
Octaves (P8)
Fourths (P4) - five semitones
Fifths (P5) - seven semitones
What fourth and fifth intervals are not Perfect and why?
Augmented fourth (A4) and its inversion, Diminished fifth (d6) because they both span 6 semitones.
What is the inversion of a Major interval?
A minor interval.
What is the inversion of a minor interval?
A Major interval.
What is the inversion of an augmented interval?
A diminished interval.
What is the inversion of a diminished interval?
An augmented interval.
On a diatonic scale, how many intervals are there for each interval number and where do they start?
There are seven intervals for each interval number, each starting from a different note (seven unisons, seven seconds etc)
With the exception of unisons and octaves, how many sizes do diatonic intervals with a given interval number always occur and how do they differ?
Diatonic intervals always occur in two sizes, which differ by one semitone.
Within a diatonic scale, how are unisons and octaves always qualified as?
Perfect
Within a diatonic scale, how are fourths qualified as?
As either perfect or augmented.
Within a diatonic scale, how are fifths qualified as?
As either perfect or diminished.
Within a diatonic scale, how are seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths qualified as?
As either Major or minor.
What does augmented mean?
They exceed a perfect interval or a major or minor interval by one semitone while having the same interval number (or note name).
What does diminished mean?
They fall short of a perfect interval or a major or minor interval by one semitone while having the same interval number (or note name).
What analysis is needed to determine the quality of an interval?
You have to both count the semitones and take into account the number of staff positions (note letter names) as well.