Music Theory Classroom: Diatonic Harmony

Name: Music Theory Classroom: Diatonic Harmony
Rating: 4.8 (14 reviews)

This is the third course in the Music Theory Classroom curriculum.

Created byNate Brown

Last updated 10/2020

English

What you'll learn

Music theory for homeschool students, high-school musicians, or anyone!
Voice leading of diatonic chords
Phrases and cadences
Chord functions
Harmonic progressions
Non-harmonic tones
Sequences
Short musical forms
Modulation
Harmonic analysis

Course content

5 sections • 40 lectures • 5h 56m total length

Introductory Lesson19:54
This lesson introduces the entire Music Theory Classroom curriculum and ends with a bridge to the first lesson of both Fundamentals courses.
[Download] Staff Paper for Taking Notes0:24
[Downloads] Repertoire1:39
Lesson 0a: Chords in Keys; Roman Numerals12:10
If you did not take the Fundamentals of Melody and Harmony course, you may need to do this lesson to prepare for the present course.
In order to move into the analysis we will do throughout this course, we need to learn how chords fit into keys.
Lesson 0b: Figured Bass16:45
If you did not take the Fundamentals of Melody and Harmony course, you may need to do this lesson to prepare for the present course.
Figured bass is an older type of keyboard notation, but we still use it to learn harmony.
[Download] Lecture Notes for Lessons 1-70:12
Lesson 1: Score Setup; Voices; Texture14:47
Today we define a few terms that we will use throughout this course, and we look at how musical scores are set up so that we can read (and write) them accurately.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 82
Haydn: String Quartet, Hob. III:62
Hymn Tune HYFRYDOL
Lesson 2: 2-Voice Counterpoint; Consonance and Dissonance12:34
Functional tonal harmony arose historically from particular uses of counterpoint. The study of counterpoint is (at least) a whole course in itself, but this introduction to it will help us embark on our study of harmony.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.

Lesson 3: Keyboard and Chorale Style; 4-Part Chord Voicing15:34
We begin the rules of voice leading by learning how to voice a single chord.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 96/6
Hymn Tune HYFRYDOL
Hymn Tune AZMON
[Download] Voice Leading Rules0:06
Lesson 4: Voice Leading with Root Movement by 4th or 5th14:58
Today we begin learning how to voice lead from one chord to the next.
Lesson 5: Voice Leading of the Dominant Seventh Chord10:19
The dominant seventh chord usually resolves by ascending 4th root motion, so we can follow the rules from last lesson, but the seventh of the chord requires special treatment.
Lesson 6: Voice Leading with Root Movement by 3rd (6th)5:14
When the root moves by 3rd or 6th, the voice leading is easy.
Lesson 7: Voice Leading with Root Movement by 2nd8:55
Root movement by second presents a special voice-leading problem.

[Download] Lecture Notes for Lessons 8-120:01
[Download] Checklist for Analysis0:05
Lesson 8: Phrases and Cadences; Harmonic hythm16:28
We've learned how to go from one chord to another. Let's step back and look at the slightly bigger picture.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 17/7
Bach chorale: BWV 292
Bach chorale: BWV 386
Handel: "The Trumpet Shall Sound"
Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart: Sonata, K. 311
Sibelius: Finlandia
C. Schumann: "Sie Liebten Sich Beide"
Hymn Tune AZMON
Lesson 9: Cadential 6/4 Chord11:10
The first inverted chord we look at is a chord with a very special function.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 17/7
Bach chorale: BWV 245/40
[Download] Harmonic Progression Handout0:07
Lesson 10: Chord Functions and the Phrase Model; Harmonic Progression17:48
Let's look at the ways that chords lad to each other and fit into a phrase.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 17/7
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 82
Mozart: Sonata, K. 311
Hymn Tune AZMON
Lesson 11: Neighbor Notes and Passing Tones9:28
The most common non-harmonic tones found in tonal music are the neighbor note and the passing tone.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 17/7
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 10 No. 1
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 10 No. 5
Hymn Tune HYFRYDOL
Lesson 12: Other Types of 6/4 Chords12:31
When we see a 6/4 (second-inversion) chord, it almost always fits into a particular category. There are several types other than the cadential 6/4, and they each follow a particular formula.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 10 No. 1
Hensel: Gartenlieder, Op. 3 No. 1

[Download] Lecture Notes for Lessons 13-220:01
Lesson 13: Dominant Chord in First Inversion13:21
We begin our study of inverted chords with the first inversion of the dominant, because its bass note is a neighbor to the tonic.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 292
Mozart: Sonata, K. 311
Lesson 14: Dominant Seventh Chord in Second and Third Inversion11:35
The other inversions of the dominant seventh chord have voice leading that is equally straightforward.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Sibelius: Finlandia
C. Schumann: "Sie Liebten Sich Beide"
Lesson 15: Leading-tone Triad in First Inversion8:17
We finally get to start using the leading-tone triad, which is nearly always found in first inversion.
The assignment for this lesson will be reviewed at the beginning of next lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus
Sibelius: Finlandia
Hymn Tune DIADEMATA
Lesson 16: Tonic Chord in First Inversion7:45
The tonic triad is also often found in first inversion.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
C. Schumann: "Sie Liebten Sich Beide"
Hymn Tune DIADEMATA
Lesson 17: Other First-inversion Triads13:51
The IV and ii chords are often found in first inversion. iii and vi, not so much.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Haydn: Symphony, Hob. I:92
Schubert: Minuet from String Quartet, D.112
Lesson 18: Other Diatonic Seventh Chords9:34
The seventh chords besides ii and V are sometimes found in tonal music, usually in the same places we would expect to find their triad counterparts.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 109
Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus
Lesson 19: Non-harmonic Tones: Appoggiatura/Cambiata/Escape Tone7:43
There are several varieties of non-harmonic tones besides the neighbor and passing tones.
There is no assignment for this lesson. The assignment for the next lesson will include material from this lesson.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Haydn: Symphony, Hob. I:92
Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 109
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
C. Schumann: "Sie Liebten Sich Beide"
Lesson 20: Suspension/Retardation/Anticipation/Pedal Point8:50
We finish our classification of the non-harmonic tones.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 386
Hensel: Gartenlieder, Op. 3 No. 1
Mozart: Concerto, K. 488
Mozart: Sonata, K. 311
Schubert: "An Emma"
Hymn Tune HYFRYDOL
Hymn Tune DIADEMATA
Lesson 21: Writing Non-harmonic Tones7:28
Today we learn to add non-harmonic tones into our chorale writing.
Lesson 22: Leading Tone Diminished Seventh Chord7:25
The leading-tone diminished seventh chord is technically not a diatonic chord, but it is naturally found within the harmonic minor scale.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
C. Schumann: "Sie Liebten Sich Beide"

[Download] Lecture Notes for Lessons 23-280:01
Lesson 23: Sequences15:01
Sequences are an important compositional tool, but they often don't allow the composer to follow strict voice leading.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Hymn Tune HYFRYDOL
Lesson 24: Periods and Sentences12:08
Today we start looking at the various ways phrases can be put together to create larger musical structures.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 10 No. 1
Beethoven: Minuet, WoO 10 No. 5
Haydn: String Quartet, Hob. III:62
Mozart: Sonata, K. 311
Schubert: Minuet No. 3 from String Quartet, D.89
Hymn Tune AZMON
Lesson 25: Common-Chord Modulation and Closely Related Keys8:39
Modulation is how composers change from one key or tonal center to another. They accomplish this in many ways. Most of them will be covered in Chromatic Harmony, but we learn about one of them today.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 109
Lesson 26: Chorale Writing and Analysis with Common-Chord Modulation8:23
Now that we've learned about common-chord modulation, let's put it into context.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 17/7
Bach chorale: BWV 96/6
Bach chorale: BWV 386
Lesson 27: Introduction to the Secondary Dominant7:41
Today we learn a new chord function, which will become an important focal point in the next course. Think of this as a preview.
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Lesson 28: Harmonic Analysis of Chorales7:50
We put together everything we've learned in this course to create a complete analysis of an entire short piece.
Think of the assignment afterward as your final exam. Take your time, especially on the first section!
Repertoire needed for this lesson:
Bach chorale: BWV 245/40
Schubert: Minuet from String Quartet, D.112

Requirements

This course is for students who has already learned the fundamentals of music, including intervals, triads and seventh chords.
If you have not mastered these topics, you should start by taking the Fundamentals of Melody and Harmony course.
It is also assumed that the student can read and write rhythmic notation in the most common time signatures.
If you aren't sure about your ability to do that, you should begin with at least the first two parts of the Fundamentals of Rhythm course.

Description

Music Theory Classroom is a four-course, one- to two-year music theory curriculum designed for high-school and homeschool students. It covers the material studied by music majors in the first one to two years of college, but it is structured so that a diligent student can complete it in three 14-week terms.

The four courses in the curriculum include: two Fundamentals courses which are intended to be taken concurrently, followed by Diatonic Harmony and then Chromatic Harmony. Each course has 28 lessons, so the recommended pace is approximately two lessons per week.

For a more complete description of the curriculum, check the MusicTheoryClassroom dot com website.

Who this course is for:

High school students (including homeschoolers) who are interested in studying music at the college level
Anyone who is interested in learning music theory

Music Theory Classroom: Diatonic Harmony

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction to the Study of Tonal Harmony8 lectures • 1hr 18min

Basic Rules of Voice Leading6 lectures • 55min

Functional Harmony and Embellishment8 lectures • 1hr 8min

Working with Inverted Chords and Non-Harmonic Tones11 lectures • 1hr 36min

Looking at the Bigger Picture7 lectures • 1hr

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: