How to build the harmonic structure of a piece (part 3)

How to use lowered sixth degree to build chords progressions

In building a chord progression, one of the most imortant things is variety.

It is natural that the use of only chords of the major scale is a limit – What can we do about this?

We have to introduce other elements which allow us more variety. This is precisely what we wil do in this lesson and you will learn:

What is the lowered sixth degree.
How to use two different chords on the same degree.
Which inversion chords are better used more frequently in major key?
Which are the degrees on which the inversion chords are less effective.
How to vary the harmonic patterns using inversions.

The introduction of all these elements will allow us to obtain more effective musical results.

Learning material of this lesson

6 videos	46 mins
1. How to obtain major variety in the building of harmonic structure	1m 33s
2. We learn to use the lowered sixth degree	7m 15s
3. Examples of harmonic progressions with lowered sixth degree	7m 46s
4. How to use in an effective way inversions	8m 32s
5. Other examples of chords progressions	12m 11s
6. How to vary harmonic patterns using inversions	9m 52s

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The dominant seventh chord: here is everything to know (part 1)

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The dominant seventh chord

In the previous lessons we learned to build seventh chords either for major and harmonic minor scale.
Now we have to put all of this into practice: we have to learn every type of seventh chord in depth and many other things, in order to use it in the best way.

We start from the strongest of the seventh chords:

The dominant seventh chord

Other than the lesson of today we will see many other subjects which include:

how to resolve the seventh
how to play seventh chords at the piano/keyboard
the complete and the incomplete dominant seventh chord
different resolutions of the dominant seventh chord

Learning material of this lesson

7 videos	48 mins
1. The world of seventh chords	3m 30s
2. How do we resolve the seventh in seventh chords?	4m 33s
3. How to play seventh chords at the piano/keyboard	8m 33s
4. A rapid way to find seventh chords at the piano	7m 08s
5. The first resolution of the dominant seventh chord	11m 25s
6. The second resolution of the dominant seventh chord	6m 02s
7. Two considerations on the resolution with interrupted cadence and some practical examples	8m 18s

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How to build the harmonic structure of a piece (part 2)

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How to build chords progressions in major key

In the last lesson we introduced a fundamental concept: functional harmony. To understand functional harmony means to understand which is its role and function of each chord in the key.

We have also managed to put the chords, according to their role into different groups.

Today we will put all of this into practice.

We will infact build different harmonic progressions in some of the principal major keys and try to alternate chords of different groups.

This will allow us to obtain variety and balance in building harmony in a piece.

Moreover we will see how to use harmonic patterns obtaining a very effective result, avoiding the monotonous result that repetitions often give.

We are going further along the pathway to success…

Learning material of this lesson

5 videos	30 mins
1. Introduction of the new lesson	2m 25s
2. How to build chord progressions alternating chords from different groups	7m 15s
3. Harmonic progressions with other features	8m 20s
4. How to use harmonic patterns in order to obtain a very effective musical effect	4m 27s
5. Building patterns with the use of chords of the same harmonic group	8m 39s

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How to build the harmonic structure of a piece (part 1)

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The Functional Harmony – Building chord progressions

Today we will start with the first of a series of lessons which will allow you to learn how to build the harmonic structure of a piece. For general information about this cycle of lessons, I suggest you visit the following page.

Today we will have an in-depth look at the subject.

After a brief introduction which will allow you to understand the aim of this cycle of lessons and how they are structured, we learn a fundamental thing:

Which is the role of each chord in major key.

You will see that each chord has its own multiple functions linked to the sense of movement and rest.
We will understand which funtion is necessary to make the first step and learn to build chord progressions without exerting your musical ear.

We say that instinct is essential in composition but if this does not come with knowledge, the risk is to be blinded.

Have a good lesson!

During the course of these lessons we will use the corresponding degrees of the scale. Let me remind you that the names of major scale degrees are:

I degree: tonic
II: supertonic
III: mediant
IV: subdominant
V: dominant
VI: submediant
VII: leading tone

Learning material of this lesson

5 videos	24 mins
1. What you will learn in these lessons	4m 28s
2. How do you build the harmonic structure of a piece?	2m 25s
3. Introducing functional harmony	3m 11s
4. Harmonic groups in major key and their characteristics	6m 29s
5. We look for harmonic groups at the keyboard – some observation on chords of various harmonic groups	8m 22s
+ 1 pdf files

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How to build seventh chords (part 2)

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Let’s learn how to build seventh chords

In the lesson today we wil take a close look at seventh chords.
Why are these chords so important?
Because they allow us to widen greatly our sonoric range.

They are in fact dissonant chords, each with different characteristics.
Today we will learn to build seventh chords on harmonic minor scale and analyse them one by one. We will moreover see seven different kinds of seventh chords.

Indeed we will try to understand which are the characterists and what distinguishes them from each other.
We will also find a way to name each chord in order to distinguish them rapidly.
All this will be done in-depth but also in a simple and clear way to enable you to follow each step.

In this way, you will understand all seventh chords and learn to use them as you please.

Learning material of this lesson

4 videos	18 mins
1. The characteristics of seventh chords	1m 37s
2. The first 4 types of seventh chords	4m 53s
3. The other three types of seventh chords	4m 50s
4. How to name seventh chords	6m 24s

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What is the enharmonic relation and which are the advantages that it offers?

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The enharmonic equivalents

In the previous lessons we took an in-depth look at the tempered system. We are now able to understand why its introduction is necessary in music practice.

Today, other than this subject, we will look at the most important consequences linked to the use of the tempered system and learn about what is known as ‘enharmonic relation’.

As you will see, we will learn the huge potential of using enharmonic sounds in the development of harmony. Since 1700, all great composers have used in their composition the resource of enharmonic relation.

From today, you can learn how it is possible to use this.

Enjoy the lesson!

Learning material of this lesson

5 videos	18 mins
1. Equal tempered scale and harmonic relation	2m 15s
2. What are enharmonic equivalents	3m 20s
3. The first consequence of using of enharmonic relation	4m 15s
4. The second consequence of using of enharmonic relation	3m 17s
5. The third consequence of using enharmonic relation	5m 15s

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Why D sharp and E flat are two different notes with the same pitch

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The equal tempered system

In starting to study music theory, many people try to apply it to the keyboard or a piano but find themselves faced with difficulties.
It is important to understand that the same black keys have different names, for example G sharp and A flat.

You may have even wondered the reason of this, especially in studying the theory of intervals. Perhaps you have also asked yourself if the C – D shrp interval is the same as C – E flat interval.

In the lesson today, we will try to give an explanation to this and find where this ambiguity comes from.
In this way we will explore the world of music systems that have been used throughout the history of music.

Most importantly, we will introduce a new and very important concept:

The Equal Tempered scale

Learning material of this lesson

4 videos	17 mins
1. The problem of black keys and how to determine the pitch of notes	4m 23s
2. The first two musical systems	4m 03s
3. How can G sharp and E flat have a different pitch?	5m 20s
4. The equal tempered system and the main consequence of its introduction	4m 03s

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How to build seventh chords (first part)

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Four notes chords

Up to now we have seen chords made up of only three notes.

Today we will open a new and very important chapter. We will discover how to build chords of 4 notes.
This will allow us to introduce new subjects including:

Why chords of more than three sounds are always dissonant
Seventh chords
How to find the root of the chord, even in very complicated chords
How to build seventh chords on major scale
How to call the notes which make up the seventh chord correctly

Learning material of this lesson

4 videos	25 mins
1. How to build 4 notes chords	4m 09s
2. The seventh chord on the major scale	4m 33s
3. Learn to call all notes of the chord in a correct way	9m 09s
4. The seventh chords on other degrees of a major scale- Various examples	7m 11s

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Tension or rest? Here are the chords that allow you to have this effect

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Consonant and dissonant chords

Have you ever heard a piece of music and noticed that a chord has a sense of stability and relax, to be immediately followed by another chord with characteritics of tension and movement?

Music is made up of alternation between rest and tension and for this reason we must find chords to express these two characteristics.

In today’s lesson, we will see consonant and dissonant chords. In this way, when we must choose which chords use, we will know which are their characteristic, either tension or stability.

Most of all, this lesson will be a fundamentali introduction to a new and more important chapter: seventh chords.

Learning material of this lesson

5 videos	20 mins
1. Consonant and dissonant chords	5m 21s
2. Consonant triads in major scales	2m 59s
3. Dissonant triads in major scales	3m 19s
4. Consonant and dissonant chords in minor scales	5m 58s
5. Here is how to obtain other dissonant chords	2m 31

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Do you want to know how to make your melodies more interesting and agile? (Part 3)

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How to compose melodies using escape tones and reaching tones

Today we will put into practice what we have learned so far from the previous lessons.
We will see how to compose melodies using the non harmonic notes we have just learned.
This will allow you, in one way to understand how to use these new resources in the best way and on the other hand, it will make you aware of the effectiveness that these notes can give to your melody.

Remember that sometimes it just takes a small touch to transform a discreet melody into a beautiful one.

It is this touch which we obtain through the use of the notes we are about to learn.

Firstly I wil show you how to widen the disjunct motions using some non harmonic notes which give some really impressing results

At the end of the video, you will find a printable sheet music in pdf containing the melodies we will study and which can help you study the lesson

Learning material of this lesson

4 videos	39 mins
1. How to widen disjunct motions to make a melodic frame more pleasant	5m 51s
2. We learn to compose a melody using escape tones in all their combinations	10m 41s
3. Compose a melody with the reaching tones	11m 29s
4. We compose a melody using all the non harmonic tones we know	11m 06s
+ 1 pdf files

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