Harmony chords and cadences.

Harmony, Chords and Cadences.
Chords and cadences are explained and demonstrated. Both classic chord notation (e.g. IIb for 1st inversion of a supertonic triad), and modern notation (e.g A/C#) are explained.

Introduction

After an introduction to harmony, explaining consonances and dissonances with examples to listen to, Musical Discovery has a screen for every major and minor triad, in every key, and every inversion. Every time you click on an inversion in the list panel at top left of the screen, the chord sounds, as well as being displayed on the staff. There are screens demonstrating 7th and 9th chords, and diminished and augmented chords, with recognition practice screens for all of them. Following this , the four cadences, Perfect, plagal, imperfect and interrupted, are covered, then counterpoint, and harmonies used in popular and jazz music.

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List of triads and inversions, set to IIb = supertonic 1st inversion.

Supertonic Triads and their inversions (IIa, IIb, IIc) (Major keys)

Hyperlinks clicked on this page open a new window, which may refer to demonstration features, such as buttons to play music, which are contained on another screen. Please refer to the menu sequence at the foot of that new window, if you wish to go to that other screen.

Qualities. A supertonic triad is based on the supertonic or 2nd degree of the scale. It is a secondary triad, less used than the 3 primary triads tonic, dominant and subdominant. In major keys, the supertonic triad is a minor triad, because the interval between the supertonic and the subdominant is a minor 3rd. It is often followed by a dominant triad, because the roots of these two chords are a perfect 4th apart, and roots often move in perfect 4ths and perfect 5ths.

Construction This is a minor triad. The root of the chord is the 2nd degree of the scale, called the supertonic. In root position, the middle note is a minor 3rd above the root, and the top note is a perfect fifth above the root. In first inversion, the root is the top note, and in second inversion, the root is the middle note.

Roman notation. The triad illustrated and sounded at left of this screen has as its root, the supertonic of the selected scale which is displayed at top left, and of course, by the key signature on the staff. As it is in root position, it is called IIa. The first inversion is IIb and the second inversion is IIc.

Popular notation. The absolute name is equal to the note name of its root, followed by a slash and the note name of the lowest note, thus indicating the inversion.. So a IIa triad in the key of Bb is called Cm, a IIb is called Cm/Eb and a IIc is called Cm/G.. The popular name for the triad demonstrated on the left of this screen, is displayed below the staff.