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Scale Degrees
In music theory, the scale degree is the position of a particular note on a scale relative to the tonic—the first and main note of the scale from which each octave is assumed to begin. Degrees are useful for indicating the size of intervals and chords and whether an interval is major or minor. In the most general sense, the scale degree is the number given to each step of the scale, usually starting with 1 for tonic. Defining it like this implies that a tonic is specified. For instance, the 7-tone diatonic scale may become the major scale once the proper degree has been chosen as tonic (e.g. the C-major scale C–D–E–F–G–A–B, in which C is the tonic). If the scale has no tonic, the starting degree must be chosen arbitrarily. In set theory, for instance, the 12 degrees of the chromatic scale are usually numbered starting from C=0, the twelve pitch classes being numbered from 0 to 11. In a more specific sense, scale degrees are given names that indicate their pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Theory
Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, rudiments", that are needed to understand Musical notation, music notation (key signatures, time signatures, and Chord chart, rhythmic notation); the second is learning scholars' views on music from Ancient history, antiquity to the present; the third is a sub-topic of musicology that "seeks to define processes and general principles in music". The musicological approach to theory differs from music analysis "in that it takes as its starting-point not the individual work or performance but the fundamental materials from which it is built." Music theory is frequently concerned with describing how musicians and composers make music, including Musical tuning, tuning systems and composition methods among other topics. Because of the ever-expan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steps And Skips
In music, a step, or conjunct motion,Bonds, Mark Evan (2006). ''A History of Music in Western Culture'', p.123. 2nd ed. . is the difference in pitch (music), pitch between two consecutive Musical note, notes of a musical scale. In other words, it is the interval (music), interval between two consecutive Degree (music), scale degrees. Any larger interval is called a skip (also called a leap), or disjunct motion. In the diatonic scale, a step is either a minor second (sometimes also called ''half step'') or a major second (sometimes also called ''whole step''), with all intervals of a minor third or larger being skips. For example, C to D (major second) is a step, whereas C to E (major third) is a skip. More generally, a step is a smaller or narrower interval in a musical line, and a skip is a wider or larger interval with the categorization of intervals into steps and skips is determined by the Musical tuning, tuning system and the pitch space used. Melodic motion in which the i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dominant (music)
In music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ..., the dominant is the fifth degree (music), scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic (music), tonic. In the Solfège#Movable do solf%C3%A8ge, movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So(l)". The Triad (music), triad built on the dominant note is called the dominant chord. This chord is said to have dominant Function (music), function, which means that it creates an instability that requires the tonic (music), tonic for resolution (music), resolution. Dominant triads, Seventh chord, seventh chords, and Ninth chord, ninth chords typically have dominant function. Leading-tone triad, Leading-tone triads and Leadin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It also happens to be the note one step below the dominant. In the movable do solfège system, the subdominant note is sung as ''fa''. The triad built on the subdominant note is called the subdominant chord. In Roman numeral analysis In music theory, Roman numeral analysis is a type of Harmony, harmonic analysis in which chord (music), chords are represented by Roman numerals, which encode the chord's Degree (music), degree and Function_(music), harmonic function within a given ..., the subdominant chord is typically symbolized by the Roman numeral "IV" in a major key, indicating that the chord is a major triad. In a minor key, it is symbolized by "iv", indicating that the chord is a minor triad. These chords may also appear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mediant
In music, the mediant (''Latin'': "being in the middle") is the third scale degree () of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant.Benward & Saker (2003), p.32. In the movable do solfège system, the mediant note is sung as ''mi''. While the fifth scale degree is almost always a perfect fifth, the mediant can be a major or minor third. Schenkerian analysts consider the ''mediant'' (third scale degree) as an expansion or extension of the tonic since they are both common tones of the tonic chord. Thus, the third degree of a tonic triad is also the mediant iii note; furthermore, the 5th degree of the submediant chord vi is also the mediant iii note. On the other hand, in German theory derived from Hugo Riemann the mediant in major is considered the dominant parallel, Dp, and in minor the tonic parallel, tP. In Roman numeral analysis, the mediant chord can take several forms. In major scales, the mediant chord is a minor triad and is symboli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supertonic
In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic chord. In Roman numeral analysis, the supertonic chord is typically symbolized by the Roman numeral "ii" in a major key, indicating that the chord is a minor chord (in C: D–F–A). In a minor key, it is indicated by "ii," indicating that the chord is a diminished chord (in C: D–F–A). Because it is a diminished chord, it usually appears in first inversion (iio6) so that no note dissonates with the bass note. These chords may also appear as seventh chords: in major, as ii7 (in C: D–F–A–C), while in minor as ii7 (in C: D–F–A–C) or rarely ii7. They are the second-most common form of nondominant seventh chords. The supertonic chord normally functions as a predominant chord, a chord that resolves to a chord wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree () of the diatonic scale (the first note of a scale) and the tonal center or final resolution tone that is commonly used in the final cadence in tonal (musical key-based) classical music, popular music, and traditional music. In the movable do solfège system, the tonic note is sung as ''do''. More generally, the tonic is the note upon which all other notes of a piece are hierarchically referenced. Scales are named after their tonics: for instance, the tonic of the C major scale is the note C. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord in these styles of music. In Roman numeral analysis, the tonic chord is typically symbolized by the Roman numeral "" if it is major and by "" if it is minor. These chords may also appear as seventh chords: in major, as M7, or in minor as 7 or rarely M7: The tonic is distinguished from the root, which is the reference note of a chord, rathe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oswald Jonas
Oswald Jonas (January 10, 1897 – March 19, 1978) was a music theorist and musicologist, and student of Heinrich Schenker. Despite Schenker's conservative nationalist views Jonas was an admirer of Karl Kraus. In 1935, Jonas founded the Schenker Institut and began publishing ''Der Dreiklang'' with Felix Salzer. The Oswald Jonas Memorial Collection, housed at the University of California, Riverside Library, holds the complete diaries of Schenker and much of the correspondence and manuscripts of Erwin Ratz, Jonas's first student. His primary students include Felix Salzer, Ernst Oster, and Sylvan Kalib. He taught at Roosevelt University in Chicago from 1941 to 1964, and then until his death he taught at the University of California Riverside The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roman Numeral Analysis
In music theory, Roman numeral analysis is a type of Harmony, harmonic analysis in which chord (music), chords are represented by Roman numerals, which encode the chord's Degree (music), degree and Function_(music), harmonic function within a given musical key. Specific notation conventions vary: some theorists use uppercase numerals (e.g. I, IV, V) to represent Major chord, major chords, and lowercase numerals (e.g. ii, iii, vi) to represent Minor chord, minor chords. Others use uppercase numerals for all chords regardless of their chord quality, quality.Roger Sessions (1951). ''Harmonic Practice''. New York: Harcourt, Brace. . p. 7. (As the II, III, and VI chords always are minor chords and the VII always diminished, a further distinguishment is thought unneeded, see table for Major Diatonic scale below) Roman numerals can be used to notate and analyze the harmonic progression of a composition independent of its specific Key (music), key. For example, the ubiquitous twelve-bar bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nashville Number System
The Nashville Number System is a method of transcribing music by denoting the scale degree on which a chord is built. It was developed by Neal Matthews Jr. in the late 1950s as a simplified system for the Jordanaires to use in the studio and further developed by Charlie McCoy. It resembles the Roman numeral and figured bass systems traditionally used to transcribe a chord progression since the 1700s. The Nashville Number System was compiled and published in a book by Chas. Williams in 1988. The Nashville Number System can be used by anyone, including someone with only a rudimentary background in music theory. Improvisation structures can be explained using numbers, and chord changes can be communicated mid-song by holding up the corresponding number of fingers. The system is flexible and can be embellished to include more information (such as chord color or to denote a bass note in an inverted chord). The system makes it easy for bandleaders, the record producer, or the l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minor Scale
In Classical_music, Western classical music theory, the minor scale refers to three Scale (music), scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending). These scales contain all three notes of a minor triad: the root (chord), root, a minor third (rather than the major third, as in a Major chord, major triad or major scale), and a perfect fifth (rather than the tritone, diminished fifth, as in a diminished scale or half diminished scale). Minor scale is also used to refer to other scales with this property, such as the Dorian mode or the Pentatonic Scale#Minor pentatonic scale, minor pentatonic scale (see #Other minor scales, other minor scales below). Natural minor scale Relationship to relative major A natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode) is a diatonic scale that is built by starting on the sixth Degree (music), degree of its relative major, relative major scale. For instance, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Major Scale
The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven notes: the eighth duplicates the first at double its frequency so that it is called a higher octave of the same note (from Latin "octavus", the eighth). The simplest major scale to write is C major, the only major scale not requiring sharps or flats: The major scale has a central importance in Western music, particularly that of the common practice period and in popular music. In Carnatic music, it is known as '' Sankarabharanam''. In Hindustani classical music, it is known as '' Bilaval''. Structure A major scale is a diatonic scale. The sequence of intervals between the notes of a major scale is: : whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half where "whole" stands for a whole tone (a red u-shaped curve in the figure), and "half" stands for a semitone (a red angled ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
