Unlock the Secrets of Harmony, Chords, and Melody for a Deeper Understanding of Music
Musical Theory
Chords are sets of at least 3 sounds, or 4 or 5, but fundamentally with 3 sounds, we express the basic colors of music. The main harmonies are the major sound and the minor sound. A minor chord is sadder than a major one, it’s not absolute, but we talk about light and dark. The combination of intervals makes the sound brighter or darker; a minor chord is darker than a major chord.
How many intervals do I need for a chord?
What is an interval?
It’s the distance between two notes on a scale. Simply put, an interval is the relationship between 2 sounds. An interval can be harmonic or melodic, melodic when the notes are one after the other, and harmonic when 2 notes played simultaneously produce a harmonic effect. Two sounds played together can have a relationship of dissonance or consonance due to the frequency ratio they have.
Interval is the relationship between two sounds.
This relationship can be geometric, where the two frequencies can be multiples or submultiples, or not, in the first case, there will be consonance, in the second dissonance. There will be a higher level of dissonance or a lower level of dissonance; intervals will range from more consonant to less consonant, and it’s a very nuanced range. Our tonal music has two main categories of sounds, major and minor.
The sum of intervals in a major triad will be more consonant than those in a minor triad. If I add more consonant intervals, I’ll have more consonant chords, or mix consonant intervals with dissonant intervals. To have harmony, we need 3 sounds; if they are 2, we talk about more or less consonant intervals, which, combined, will give a minor or major sound. Chords are built on a third-based criterion; I take a sound, and that becomes my bass note. Notes at a distance of a major or minor third, depending on the asymmetry of the scale from which I’m taking these sounds. The major scale is made up of 1 interval of a major second between two consecutive notes.
How a scale is made depends on the distance between the 1st and the 2nd sound. A major scale T-T-S-T-T-T-S (Tone – Semitone) is an asymmetric scale. In harmony, these aspects are very important. Symmetrical structure is found in some scales where the distance between one sound and another is always the same, or the pattern repeats identically T-T-T-T-T-T or interspersed T-S-T-S-T-S. The major scale has an asymmetric structure; when I put two sounds at a distance of a major 3rd, one note and one no, they don’t have the same length.
It’s the first interval that decides the sound of a chord, why are the intervals called major, who decided that?
THE RULE OF THE MAJOR SCALE
Between the first note of a scale and the following ones (C-D between C-E), if I don’t mix the sounds but always start from the 1st sound of the scale and the following ones, the relationship between the 1st and all the other notes, in the major scale, all the intervals formed are either major or perfect.
They are called perfect for 2 reasons: first, between the major and minor modes, they never change, they remain unchanged. The second reason is that they are among the most consonant intervals absolutely, 8th Perfect, 5th Perfect, and 4th Perfect. They are the anchor points of harmony; they don’t change between the main sounds. Combining all the sounds of the major scale, I can obtain, combining them in the third-based criterion, 3 different types of Triads.
CLEAR AND STATIC – MAJOR TRIAD = MAJOR 3rd + MINOR 3rd
DARK – MINOR TRIAD = MINOR 3rd + MAJOR 3rd
- + DARK – DIMINISHED TRIAD = MINOR 3rd + MINOR 3rd
There is another triad called augmented C+, but it is generated on a minor scale, for example: C-E-G#.
Next, we find Suspended Chords: The first ones we study do not follow the third-based criterion but start with the bass fundamental.
3 notes, 3 intervals:
SUS4: C F G
4th Perfect + Major 2nd + 5th Perfect
Consonant Dissonant Consonant
SUS2: C D G
Major 2nd + 4th Perfect + 5th Perfect
Bb5 Chord: C Eb Gb
Major 3rd + Diminished 3rd + Diminished 5th
ADDITIONAL TRIADS consisting of 4 sounds (we find them on the major scale)
C ADD2: Major Triad + Minor 2nd C-E-G (9up)
It is based on a major triad; chords can give a static sound or generate a sense of push towards another chord. This push is called harmonic resolution; dissonances involve this resolution push.
C ADD9: Major Triad + Major 2nd C-E-G-D (9up)
CmADD2 = C-Eb-G + Major 2nd D
CmADD9 = C-Eb-G + Major 2nd an octave higher D
CmADD4 = C-Eb-G + Perfect 4th F in voicing
HARMONIZATION WITH TRIADS:
MAJOR SCALE Cmaj
C Dm Em F G Amin Bdim
I II III IV V VI VII
NATURAL MINOR SCALE Cmin
Cm D° Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb
I II III IV V VI VII
NATURAL MINOR SCALE Cmin7
Cm7 Dm7b5 Ebmaj7 Fmin7 Gm7 Abmaj7 Bb
I II III IV V VI VII
HARMONIZATION WITH TRIADS HARMONIC MINOR SCALE
Cm D° Eb+ Fm G Ab B°
I II III IV V VI VII
HARMONIZATION WITH TRIADS MELODIC MINOR SCALE
Cm Dm Eb+ F G A° B°
I II III IV V VI VII
Progressions:
I – IV – V – I
I – II – V – I
I – IV – V – VI (deceptive cadence)
I – VI – II – V (TURNAROUND) = CMaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7
A turnaround is a short chord progression you play at the end of a song to take you back to the beginning for a repeat. Its entire purpose is to get you to the V7 chord at the end of the form, ready to play a I chord when you repeat.
