Chord Progressions
Most music uses a variety of different chords. This piece is in C major. The first beat of bar 1 uses the notes from the C major tonic triad. We …
Chord Inversions in Music
You should already have a basic understanding of chord inversions (root position, first inversion and second inversion). For a reminder, see Chord Inversions. In this lesson we’ll learn a little …
Tierce de Picardie
Pieces of music composed in a minor key sometimes end on a major tonic chord, and this was particularly common in the Baroque era (c. 1600-1750). A major chord used …
Chord IV (Major Subdominant; Melodic Minor)
Although in minor keys we usually use the notes from the harmonic minor scale to build the subdominant chord, it’s also possible to build a different chord, using the notes …
Chord v (Minor Dominant)
Although in minor keys we usually use the notes from the harmonic minor scale to build the dominant chord, it’s also possible to build a different kind of dominant chord, …
Chord II7 (Supertonic 7th)
Chord ii7 is also known as the supertonic 7th chord. It’s built from the supertonic triad, plus another third added on top: the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 1st notes of …
Chords (ABRSM Grade 6)
For the ABRSM Grade 6 Music Theory exam you will need to have a good understanding of ALL diatonic chords, in ALL keys. Naming Chords You need to know how …
Chord VII – The Leading Note
Chord vii° (Diminished) The chord built up from the 7th degree of the scale, or leading note, is called the leading note triad, or chord vii° (“seven diminished”). The leading …
Chord III – The Mediant
Chord III (Major Mediant) The mediant triad built from the melodic minor scale is a major chord, because the interval between the root and 5th is a perfect 5th. This …
Chord VI – The Submediant
Chord VI – Submediant The chord built up from the 6th degree of the scale, or submediant note, is called the submediant triad; chord VI or vi. The submediant triad …