Auxiliary Notes
Ordinary Auxiliary Notes Auxiliary notes are non-chord notes which are approached and quit in the opposite direction by step. They are usually unaccented. Auxiliary notes occur between two chord notes …
Accented Passing Notes
Accented passing notes fall on the beat, instead of between the beats. Here are some undecorated chords. There are thirds in the soprano part which could be decorated with unaccented …
Unaccented Passing Notes
Passing notes are non-chord notes which are approached and quit by step in the same direction. They can be either accented or more usually, unaccented. Unaccented passing notes are the …
Decoration
Introduction to Decoration Most music that you listen to will sound a little more complicated than just a succession of chords. One way to add extra sparkle is to add …
Interrupted Cadence
Normally at the end of a phrase we find some type of cadence. If chord V (or V7) is used as the penultimate chord, the final chord of the phrase …
Progressions and Inversions
Bass Line When we harmonise a melody and select chords with specific inversions, the end result is a bass line. For example, choosing the following chords/inversions to harmonise this C …
Other 6/4 Progressions
Auxiliary 6/4 An auxiliary chord is one which is inserted between two identical chords. Like the passing chord, it does not disrupt the “true” progression, but instead works as a …
Passing Chords
A passing chord is a decorative chord which does not affect the overall harmonic structure of the music – it is like a passing note[1], but written as a whole …
The Cadential 6/4
Another way of saying “2nd inversion chord” is “6/4 chord”, because the chord is built of a bass note plus the notes a 4th and a 6th higher. For example, …
Common Chord Progressions
Primary Chord Progressions In earlier lessons we learned about cadences and pre-cadence chords. The cadence chord progressions are all very common, whether they are used at a cadence or elsewhere …