Music Terminology - Harmony Flashcards
Primary Chords
Chords I, IV and V in a given key.
Secondary Chords
Chords II, III and VI in a given key.
Dominant 7th Chord
A chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. Also referred to as just a pitch and the number 7, for example “ a G7 chord”.
Major 7th Chord
A chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and major seventh.
Minor 7th Chord
A chord composed of a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Diminished Chords
Chords with a root, minor 3rd and a diminished 5th (or 2 minor thirds stacked on top of each other).
Neapolitan 6th Chord
A chord composed of a minor third and a minor sixth above scale degree 4. In the key of C, the Neapolitan sixth would be F, A-flat, D-flat. Sometimes it’s helpful to think of it as a bII chord in first inversion.
Augmented Sixth Chords
There are three general types of augmented sixth chords—the Italian augmented sixth chord (It+6: 1, #4 and b6 in a key), the French augmented sixth chord (Fr+6: 1, 2, #4 and b6) and the German augmented sixth chord (Ger+6: 1, b3, #4 and b6).
Ninth Chords
Are formed by adding an additional third to the top of a 7th chord (1,3,5,7,9)
Secondary Dominants
A secondary dominant is any chord that has the dominant function over another chord that is not the tonic of the music. These will usually contain notes that exist outside of the key, it will tonicize the chord it precedes.
Sus 4 Chord
A chord that has a root, perfect 4th and fifth (the 4th replaces the third). The 4th really wants to resolve downwards to the third.
Added 6th Chord
Any triad with the 6th added above it.
Power Chord
Commonly associated with Rock/Punk guitar playing. It consists of a root, fifth and octave.
Inversions
When the bass note of the chord isn’t the root.
Appoggiatura Chord
Is an extension of the appoggiatura (non-chord tone) melodic device. There is a momentary sense of change in harmony which ends up resolving by step to a functional chord. The Cadential 6 4 is an example of this.
Tierce de Picardie (Picardy Third)
Found at the final cadence in a minor key. Instead of V(7) to i, the composer will resolve to the major chord; V(7) to I.
Added Note Chord
Triads that have added notes (not the 7th).
Perfect Cadence
V - I (Major) or V - i (Minor)
Plagal Cadence
IV - I
Interrupted Cadence
V - vi
Imperfect Cadence
Any chord - V
Phrygian Cadence
A chord progression where the subdominant chord (in first inversion) is followed by the dominant chord (IV6 -V).
Modulation
The use of a chord to move to another key
Suspension
A suspension is a situation in which a single note of one chord is held over into another chord, thus creating a dissonance, which is resolved by step in the following chord.
Quartal Harmony
Chords that are stacked in 4th as opposed to 3rds.
Quartal Harmony
Chords that are stacked in 4th as opposed to 3rds.
Functional Harmony
Also referred to as “Harmonic Function”. This is a term used to denote the relationship of a chord or a scale degree to a tonal centre. It shows us how chords tend to move to other chords.
Non-functional Harmony
Chords that don’t follow the functional harmony process.
Consonance
An accord of sounds sweet and pleasing to the ear. The opposite of dissonance
Dissonance
Two or more notes sounded together which are discordant, sound very jarring and clashing.
Cluster Chord (Tonal Cluster)
A chord with at least 3 adjacent notes. Audible clashes.
Chromatic Harmony
Chromatic harmony means harmony (chords) which use notes which do not belong to the key the music is in.
Parallel Harmonies
Is the parallel movement of two or more lines in music. It often refers to the movement of chords where the intervals remain the same.
Harmonic Rhythm
The rate at which the chords change within the music.
Circle of Fifths Progression
A chord progression that moves down a fifth each time.
Drone
Any note performed throughout a composition as a sustaining bass note. Drones are common in folk music and in Medieval music.
Pedal
Term used for a low tone that remains steady in the bass of a composition while other voices move about above it. It differs from a drone because it doesn’t need to be sustained.
