triads and inversions.docx
TRANSCRIPT
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Lesson Three
Triads and Inversions
To be able to harmonise to a melody we are given, we need to be able to understand
the chords given to us.
Three note chords are called triads, and are identified by the scale degree of their
lowest note, using Roman numerals.
(minor chords are in lower case numerals, major chords in upper case!)
If we add another step to a triad, we get a 7th
chord, so called because the interval
between the root and this note is a 7th
. In the exam you may be asked to identify II7
and V7 add these on the stave above where you think they should go, and relabel
the chords.
The note after which a chord named is called its root and the other notes in the
chord are named accordingly to the interval.
Label this chord with root, 3rd and 5th
, and draw and
label the 7th
note.
We can use any of these notes as the lowest note of the chord, by adding a lower-
case letter to the chords Roman numeral.
Root = a
3rd= b5
th= c
7th
= d
Label the chord above with its letter name also.
If the root is the lowest note, we say the chord is in root position really youshould put the letter a after the chord e.g. Iva, but it is always assumed that a
chord is in root position if there is no letter.
If the third is the lowest note, the chord is in first inversion and we add theletter b e.g. IVb
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Lesson Three
If the fifth is the lowest note, the chord is in second inversion and we add theletter c e.g. Vc
If the chord has a seventh and if this is the lowest note, the chord is in thirdinversion and we add the letter d e.g. VIId
The notes of a chord may appear in any order and will usually be spread over more
than one stave. Some notes may be doubled, the fifth may be left out, and
sometimes each of the notes may be sounded separately to form a broken chord.
Task:
Step 1: Identify the key this music is in
Step 2: Identify each chord (with its Roman Numeral)
Step 3: Identify the inversion and label
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Lesson Three
How to identify chords
Step 1: Work out the key of the passage and make a chord chart for the key:
7th
(d) D G
5th
(c) A B C# D E F# G
3rd
(b) F# G A B C# D E
root D E F# G A B C#
D major I II(7) III IV V(7) VI VII
Step 2: Write down the names of the notes in the chord you want to identify,
ignoring doubles and writing the lowest note of the chord at the bottom
e.g. chord 1: A chord 2: D
D# B
F E
G
Step 3: Match the notes you have listed with a chord in your chart and write its
Roman numeral.
e.g. Chord 1: I chord 2: II7
Step 4: Check the chords lowest note against the inversion letters in your chart, and
then add the correct letter after the Roman numeral
e.g. Chord 1: Ib chord 2: II7b
Task: Complete for the other two chords on this extract.
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Lesson Three
You may be also be asked to identify the diminished 7th
. The interval between ever
note is a minor 3rd
.
Chords VII7 in a minor key is a diminished 7th
, but if it is in a major key, at least one
of its notes is chromatic (not part of the key).
Exercises
Label the chords using Roman numerals and inversions below each chord.
Identify the chords that are bracketed with a letter over e.g. A and B in this exercise
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Lesson Three
Figured Bass
Figured bass is a method for indicating chords, used widely in the 17th
and 18th
centuries you will be expected to understand this at A2 level, and makes moresense to teach as part of AS during your understanding of inversions!
The figures refer to intervals above the given bass note in accordance with the key
signature.
5-3 means root position. So the B is the root note, and
you would write the 3rd
and the 5th
note above, but
where you position them in the stave is up to you.
In these examples, the root note has been doubled. You can also double the 5th
if
you wish, but dont double the 3rd
.
Sometimes you wont see a figure underneath a note that means its 5-3 its just a
common root chord.
A 6-3 chord is a first inversion chord. That means you
would need to write the notes a 3rd
above and a 6th
above this note e.g. an E and an A. (You will then notice
that its an A chord in first inversion!) You can double
any of the notes on a 6-3 chord.
As a 6-3 chord is quite common too, you might see it
only written as a 6. It still means 1st
inversion!
Hint with figured bass: work out the inversions and letter names that you need toharmonise with first then you will realise which inversion it is.
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Lesson Three
A 6-4 chord is second inversion. You would need to write the
notes a 4th
and a 6th
higher than the bass note. You should
always double the bass note with a 6/4.
If you see a sharp, you would need to sharpen that
note. For this root position figured bass, you need to
sharpen the 3rd
.
For this second inversion figured bass, you need to
sharpen the 6th
interval.
Exercise: Work out this figured bass together
1. No numbers = root position2. No numbers = root position + #3. Line hold previous chord4. First inversion5. Second inversion
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Possible Solution:
The important point of figured bass isnt just to work out the chords! You need to
have a nice melody running through the soprano line, and make sure the alto andtenor lines dont jump all over the place they should normally move by step.
Main rules of figured bass:
1. No consecutive 5ths or 8ves2. Soprano line to have a nice melody, and alto and tenor lines to fill out the
harmony. No wide leaps or difficult intervals
3. Always check you have doubled the right note normally the root of 5th.4. Dont let parts overlap
Steps to complete a figured bass:
1. Work out the key of the piece2. Write down the notes you need by name3. Write the whole soprano line4. Fill in the alto and tenor parts, chord by chord5. Check for errors and rewrite where necessary
Homework realize this figured bass.