Lesson with luderart

Ok, good. I know that you already understand the construction of Major and minor scales and the construction of chords, correct?

If so then would you be able to construct chords on the various scale degrees of either the Major or minor scales?

I don't know much about the construction of cords. I prefer to hear it from you. I know there are triads, major and minor. Tell me how they are constructed and then I'll do the exercise you suggested.

Ok,

The constructin of a triad is very simple and of course are all based of off the specific arrangement of intervals.

Lets use the C Major triad as our example. The notes from bottom to top are, C-E-G. If you notice, from C to E we have an interval of a Major 3rd, from E to G we have an interval of a minor 3rd and finally the "outside" interval from C to G forms a perfect 5th. This is the construction of a Major triad. You need to had a Major 3rd on the bottom, and a minor 3rd on the top.

The minor triad is not too different. Let us use the A minor triad as our example. Again, if you take a look at it you will notice that there are two types of 3rds that make up the minor triad. The notes are,
A-C-E. From A to C we have a minor 3rd, and from C to E we have a Major 3rd. The pattern of the minor triad is the opposite of what makes a Major triad.

Next we have the diminished triad. Let us use the B diminished triad as our example. The notes are, B-D-F. If you look and analyze the 3rds that make up this triad you will see that we have a minor 3rd on the bottom from B to D and another minor 3rd on the top from D to F creating a diminshed 5th for the "outside" interval B to F.


And now, we have the augmented triad. We will use the C Augmented triad. The notes are, C-E-G#. I'm sure by now you can take a look and figure out the construction of this triad based on everything that was mentioned before about the other triads. In this case the interval from C to E is a Major 3rd, and this time the interval from E to G# is another Major 3rd making the "outside" interval from C to G# an Augmented 5th.

Does this all make sense so far?

Yes.

Ok,

Each note of a scales is called a scale degree (you may know this already). These scale degrees are assigned names as well as roman numerals.

I will use C Major as an example...

C D E F G A B
I ii iii IV V vi vii*

Notice how the roman numerals are sometimes upper and lower case. When a chord is build on a scale degree with an upper case roman numeral the triad is understood as Major. When a triad is build on a scale degree with a lower case roman numeral the triad is understood to be minor. If you notice scale degree vii has the symbol * next to it. In printed music it would look like a degree circle which denotes a diminished chord.

Here are the names of the scale degree...

I - Tonic
ii - Supertonic
iii - Mediant
IV - Subdominant
V - Dominant
vi - Submediant
vii* - Leading Tone


let mw know if this is something you already know.

The uppercase and lowercase Major Minor was something new to me. I knew about the names Tonic Supertonic etc. but haven't memorized it. Should I?

Yes, you should memorize the names.

O.K. I'll make sure I memorize it. Meanwhile you may proceed.

Ok,

The issue with the upper and lower case Roman Numerals is slightly different with the minor scale (harmonic minor). And I would like for you to tell me why.

Using the C Harmonic Minor scale, I want you to build triads on the seven scale degrees and tell the properties of each triad. Tell whether the triad on the given scale degree is Major, minor, etc...

Because the arrangemet of the major and the minor chords differs with the different whole-tone half-tone sequence in the minor scale, one being on the vertical (chords) and the other on the horizontal (scales).

A question: Does this uppes & lower case Roman numeral scheme of denoting major & minor not also apply to intervals in scales? If so, how is it written?

I didn't know the differences between the different types of minor scales by heart, so I checked Walter Piston's book on harmony (by the way, is that one of the best reference books on harmony) to remember the characteristic of the Harmonic minor scale. (Why is it called the Harmonic?)

Here are the chords I built on the degrees of C Harmonic minor:

i: C-Eb-G (Minor triad)
ii*: D-F-Ab (Diminished triad)
III: Eb-G-B (Augmented triad) Upper case or what?
iv: F-Ab-C (Minor triad)
V: G-B-D (Major triad)
VI: Ab-C-Eb (Major triad)
vii*:B-D-F (Diminished triad)

Did you want me to send it in notes with Finale? If so, please tell me.