The Classical Era
The Classical era in music was (roughly) between the years 1750 to 1830. Some of the most famous composers of this era are: W.A. Mozart, Franz Schubert, Joseph Haydn, Muzio …
Pivot Chords
Pivot Chords A pivot is a chord which belongs to both the old and new keys. Pivot chords can make modulations smoother, but it is not essential to use a …
Prevailing Key
Prevailing Key The key at the start of a piece of music is the “home” key. Music can change key for brief moments, or for longer passages. When there’s a …
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, …
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 …
Irregular Tuplets
Irregular Tuplets We have already learned that triplets are “three notes in the time of two”, and that duplets are “two notes in the time of three”. In fact, we …
2/8 and 4/8 Time
Most time signatures that we meet in the music we play with a lower number 8, are compound time, but there are also simple time signatures with an 8 below. …