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MUSIC THEORY Lectures Introduction Sound Musical Notation Rhythm and meter Accent, size Intervals Fret and Tonality Chords Chords (continued) Seventh chords Introductory seventh chords Folk frets
Additional lectures On the concept of consonance About the concept of consonance (continued)
Exercises Sound Musical notation Accent, size Intervals Fret and tonality
Fret and tonality
Leonid Gurulev, Dmitry Nizyaev
STEADY SOUNDS.
Listening to or performing a piece of music, you probably noticed somewhere in the subconscious that the sounds of the melody are in a certain ratio with each other.
If there was no such ratio, then you could just beat something obscene on the keys (strings, etc.), and you would get a melody from which others would be thrilled (from the word sleep).
This attitude is expressed primarily in the fact that in the process of developing music (melody), some sounds, standing out from the general mass, acquire the character of reference sounds.
The melody usually ends with one of these reference sounds.
Reference sounds are usually called stable sounds.
This definition of the reference sounds corresponds to their character, since the end of the melody on the reference sound gives the impression of stability, rest.
One of the most stable sounds usually stands out more than the others.
He is, as it were, the main support.
Such a steady sound is called tonic.
Listen to the first example (I deliberately skipped the tonic).
You will immediately want to finish the melody, and I am sure that even if you did not know the melody, you would be able to put the note correctly.
Looking ahead, I will say that this feeling is called the gravitation of sounds.
Test yourself by listening to the second example.
In contrast to stable sounds, other sounds involved in the formation of a melody are called unstable.
Unstable sounds are characterized by a state of gravitation (as I just mentioned above), as if they are attracted to the nearest stable ones, they seem to strive to connect with these supports.
I will give a musical example of the same song "There was a birch tree in the field".
Stable sounds are marked with a "> " sign.
The transition of an unstable sound to a stable one is called resolution.
From what has been said, we can conclude that in music, the relationship of sounds in height is subject to a certain pattern or system.
This system is called a FRET (fret).
A particular melody and a musical work as a whole are always based on a certain mode, which is the organizing principle of the high pitched ratio of sounds in music, gives together with other expressive means a certain character corresponding to its content.
For practical application (what is a theory without practice, right?) play through any exercises that we have studied with you in guitar or piano lessons, and mentally note the stable and unstable sounds.
MAJOR FRET.
THE SCALE OF NATURAL MAJOR.
THE STEPS OF THE MAJOR FRET.
NAMES, DESIGNATIONS AND PROPERTIES OF MAJOR SCALE STEPS
In folk music, there are a variety of modes.
In classical music (Russian and foreign), folk art was reflected to one degree or another, and therefore the variety of frets inherent in it, but the major and minor frets were still most widely used.
Major (major, in the literal sense of the word, means greater) is a fret, the stable sounds of which (in sequential or simultaneous sounding) form a large or major triad a consonance consisting of three sounds.
The sounds of the major triad are arranged in thirds: a large third is between the lower and middle sounds, and a small third is between the middle and upper sounds.
An interval of a pure fifth is formed between the extreme sounds of the triad.
A major triad built on a tonic is called a tonic triad.
Unstable sounds in this mode are located between stable ones.
The major scale consists of seven sounds, or, as they are commonly called, steps.
A sequential series of fret sounds (starting from the tonic and up to the tonic of the next octave) is called the fret scale or scale.
The sounds that form a scale are called steps, because the scale itself is quite clearly associated with a staircase.
The steps of the scale are indicated by Roman numerals:
They form a sequence of intervals of a second.
The order of the steps and seconds is as follows: b.
2, b.
2, m. 2, b.
2, b.
2, m. 2 (that is, two tones, a semitone, three tones, a semitone).
Do you remember the piano keyboard?
It is very clearly visible where the tone is in the major scale, and where the semitone is.
Let's look more specifically.
That's where there are black keys between the white ones, there is a tone, and where there is not , then the distance between the sounds is equal to a semitone.
Why, I ask, is it necessary to know this?
Here you try to play (by pressing alternately) first from note to note to the next octave (try to remember what happened by ear).
And then the same thing from all the other notes, without resorting to the help of derivative ("black") keys.
Something will turn out wrong.
In order to bring everything into the same decent appearance, it is necessary to maintain the scheme tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.
Let's try to make a major scale from the note of D. Let's remember that first we need to build two tones.
So, Re Mi is a tone.
Very good.
And here is Mi Fa... stop!
There is no "black" key between them.
The distance between the sounds is half a tone, and we need a tone.
What to do?
The answer is simple - we will raise the note of Fa by half a tone up (we will get an F sharp).
Let's repeat: Re Mi F sharp.
That is, if we needed an intermediate key between the steps, and there was no black key between them, then let the white key perform this intermediate role - and the step itself "moves" to the black one.
Then it takes half a ton, and we got it by ourselves (there is just a half ton distance between F sharp and salt bekar), it turned out to be Re Mi F sharp Salt.
Continuing to strictly adhere to the scheme of the major scale (let me remind you again: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone), we get a D major scale that sounds exactly the same as the scale from TO:
The scale with the above order of the steps is called the natural major scale, and the fret expressed by this order is called the natural major.
The major can be not only natural, so such a clarification is useful.
In addition to the digital designation, each stage of the lada has an independent name:
I stage tonic (T),
Stage II - descending introductory sound,
Stage III median (medium),
Stage IV subdominant (S),
V stage dominant (D),
Stage VI submediant (lower median),
The seventh stage is an ascending introductory sound.
The tonic, subdominant and dominant are called the main steps, the rest are called the side steps.
Please remember these three numbers: I, IV and V - the main steps.
Do not be confused by the fact that they are located in the scale so whimsically, without visible symmetry.
There are fundamental reasons for this, the nature of which you will learn from the lessons on harmony on our website.
The dominant (in translation dominant) is located a pure fifth above the tonic.
There is a third stage between them, which is why it is called medianta (middle).
The subdominant (lower dominant) is located a fifth below the tonic, hence its name, and the submediant is located between the subdominant and the tonic.
The layout of these steps is shown below:
The introductory sounds got their name in connection with their attraction to the tonic.
The lower introductory sound tends in the ascending direction, and the upper one in the descending direction.
It was said above that in a major, three stable sounds are I, III and V steps.
Their degree of stability varies.
The first stage the tonic is the main reference sound and therefore the most stable.
Stages III and V are less stable.
The II, IV, VI and VII stages of the major fret are unstable.
The degree of their instability is different.
It depends: 1) from the distance between unstable and stable sounds;
2) on the degree of stability of the sound to which gravity is directed.
The lower severity of gravity is manifested at the stages: VI to V, II to III and IV to V.
For an example of gravity, let's listen to two options for the resolution of sounds.
The first one is for major keys, and the second one is for minor keys.
We will still study Minor in the next classes, but in the meantime, try to take it by ear.
Now, while doing practical lessons, try to find stable and unstable steps and their solutions.
TONALITY.
MAJOR KEYS ARE SHARP AND FLAT.
THE FIFTH CIRCLE.
ENHARMONISM OF MAJOR KEYS
A natural major fret can be constructed from any stage (both the main and the derivative) of the musical scale (provided that the system of the arrangement of steps that we discussed above is preserved in it).
This possibility - to get the desired scale from any key is the main property, and the main purpose of the "tempered system", in which all the semitones in the octave are completely equal.
The fact is that this system is artificial, obtained as a result of purposeful calculations specifically for this purpose.
Before this discovery, the so called "natural" scale was used in music, which did not have the advantages of symmetry and reversibility at all.
In this musical science was just incredibly complex and fragmented and reduced to a set of personal opinions and feelings, akin to philosophy or psychology...
In addition, in terms of the natural order, the musicians did not have the physical capabilities so freely to play music in any key, at any height, because with increasing number of signs of alteration sound became disastrously false.
The tempered (that is, "uniform") system gave the musicians the opportunity not to depend on the absolute pitch of sound, and to bring music theory almost to the level of an exact science.
The absolute (that is, regardless of the relative) height at which the tonic of the fret is spread out is called the tonality.
The name of the tonality comes from the name of the sound that serves as a tonic in it.
The name of the key is made up of the designation of the tonic and fret, that is, for example, the word major.
For example: C major, G major, etc.
The key of a major fret, built from the sound to, is called C major.
Its peculiarity among other keys is that its scale consists just of the main stages of the musical scale, that is, simply, only of the white keys of the piano.
Let's recall the structure of the major fret (two tones, a semitone, three tones, a semitone).
If you build a pure fifth up from the note to, and try to build a new major scale from the resulting fifth (note Sol), it turns out that the VII stage (note Fa) should be raised by half a tone.
We conclude that in the key of G dur, i.e. G major, one key sign is F sharp.
If now we want to play a C major piece in this new key (well, for example, due to the fact that your voice is too low and it is inconvenient to sing in C major), then, having copied all the notes of the song to the required number of lines higher, we will have to raise every note of FA that comes across in the notes by half a tone, otherwise nonsense will sound.
Just for this purpose, there is a concept of key signs.
We just need to draw one sharp with the key - on the ruler where the note F is written - and after that the whole song seems to automatically turn out to be in the correct scale for the tonic SOL.
Now we go further along the well trodden path.
From the note of Sol, we build up a fifth (we get the note of Re), and from it again we build a major scale, although it is already possible not to build, since we already know that we need to raise the seventh step.
The seventh step is the note To.
The collection of sharps with the key is gradually growing in addition to the F sharp, it is also added to the sharp.
These are the key signs of the key of D major.
And this will continue until we use all 7 characters with the key.
For training, those who wish (although I advise everyone) can make an experiment of the same order.
I.e. (repeat) from a note to build a fifth up, using the scheme: tone tone, semitone, tone tone tone, semitone we calculate the structure of the major scale.
From the received note, we build the fifth up again... and so we continue until we run out of money... oh, sharp.
You should not be confused when, during the next construction of the tonality, you find that the sound of the tonic itself was on the black key.
This will only mean that this sharp will be mentioned in the name of the key - "F sharp major" - everything else will work exactly the same.
In principle, no one can forbid you to continue this construction EVEN AFTER the seventh sharp is written with the key.
The theory of music does not prohibit the existence of any keys - even with a hundred characters.
Just the eighth sign in the key will inevitably turn out to be "fa" again - and you will only have to replace the very first " fa sharp "with the" double sharp " sign.
With these experiments, you can get, for example, a major with 12 sharp points - "C sharp major", and find that this is nothing but "C major" - the whole scale will be again on the white keys.
Of course, all these "experiments" have only a theoretical meaning, since in practice no one would think of cluttering up their notes with signs just for the sake of being in C major again...
I offer you a drawing to familiarize yourself with all these sharps, stable and unstable sounds in each key.
Please remember that the order of" appearance " of sharps is strictly regulated.
Learn by heart: Fa Do Sol Re La Mi Si.
Let's go the other way.
If we build a fifth from the note To, but already down, we get the note Fa.
From this note, we will begin to build a major scale according to our scheme.
And we will see that the fourth step (that is, the note of C) already needs to be lowered (try to build it yourself), i.e. b flat b.
Having built the scale of F major from the tonic (note Fa) , we again build the fifth down (B flat)...
I recommend building all the keys completely for practice.
And I will give you all the flat tones in the figure.
The order of appearance (location) of the key flats is also strict.
Please remember by heart: Si Mi La Re Sol To Fa, that is, the order is the reverse of sharp.
And now let's pay attention to stable sounds (any key to choose from).
They form a major triad of the tonic (a question for repetition: what is tonic?).
Well, we have already touched on the vast topic of "Chords"a little bit.
We will not get ahead of ourselves, but please learn how to build tonic triads (in this case, major ones) from any note.
By doing this, you will also learn how to build, so to speak, a tonic chord - the main chord - of any key.
HARMONIC AND MELODIC MAJOR
In music, it is often possible to find the use of a major with a reduced VI stage.
This type of major fret is called harmonic major.
By lowering the VI stage by a semitone, its gravitation in the V stage becomes sharper and gives a peculiar sound to the major fret.
Try to play a scale, for example, in C major with a lowered VI step.
I'll help you first.
Let's calculate that the VI stage in this key of C dur is the note of A, which should be lowered by half a tone (A flat).
That's all the wisdom.
Do the same in other keys.
When playing the scale, that is, a continuous sequence of steps, you will immediately feel that at the end of the scale begins to smell of some exotic.
The reason for this is a new interval formed when the VI stage was lowered: an increased second.
The presence of such an unexpected interval gives the fret such an unusual color.
Harmonic modes are inherent in many national cultures: Tatar, Japanese, and in general almost all Asian countries.
The melodic variety of the major fret is formed by lowering two steps of the natural scale at once: VI and VII.
Due to this, both of these notes (they are both unstable) acquire an increased attraction to the lower stable to the V stage.
If you lose an MLM and sing such a scale from top to bottom, you will feel how a special melody, softness, length, indissoluble connection of notes into one melodious melody appeared in its upper half.
It is because of this effect that such a fret was called "melodic".
MINOR FRET.
THE CONCEPT OF PARALLEL TONALITIES.
Minor (minor, in the literal sense of the word, means smaller) is a fret, the stable sounds of which (in sequential or simultaneous sounding) form a minor or minor triad.
I suggest you listen to the major and minor chords.
Compare by ear their sound and difference.
The major chord sounds more "cheerful", and the minor chord sounds more lyrically (remember the expression: "minor mood"?).
Interval composition of the minor triad: m3+b3 (small third + large third).
We will not bother with the structure of the minor fret, because we can do with the concept of parallel keys.
Let's take for example the familiar key of C major (the favorite key of novice musicians, because there is not a single sign with the key).
Let's build a small third from the tonic (sound - To) down.
We will get the note La.
As I just said, there are no sharps or flats in the key.
We will famously run along the keyboard (strings) from the note of La to the next note of La up.
So we got the scale of natural minor.
Now let's remember: parallel keys are called keys that have the SAME signs in the key.
For each major there is one and only one parallel minor and vice versa.
All the keys in the world, therefore, exist in pairs of "major minor", as if two scales moving in parallel along the same keys, but with a lag of a third.
Hence the name "parallel".
In particular, the parallel key for C major is A minor (also a favorite key of beginners, since there is not a single key sign here) Tonic triad in A minor.
From the note La up, we add a small third, we get a note To, and then an even larger third already from the note To, as a result, Mi will sound.
So, the minor triad in a minor: La Do Mi.
Try to find yourself parallel keys for all major frets, which we passed above.
The main thing to remember is that 1.
it is necessary to build a small third from the tonic (the main stable sound) down to find a new tonic;
2.
the key signs in the parallel key remain the same.
Briefly, for training, let's look at another example.
The key is in F major.
With the key - one character (b flat).
From the note of Fa, we build down a small third the note of Re.
This means that D minor is a parallel key to F major and has a key sign B flat.
Tonic triad in D minor: D Fa La.
So, in the parallel keys of the natural scale, the key signs are the same.
We have already learned this.
But what about the harmonic fret?
Somewhat differently.
The harmonic minor differs from the natural one by an increased VII step, which was caused by the need to sharpen the gravity of the ascending introductory sound.
If you look closely or listen, you will easily find that the harmonic major and the harmonic minor, built from the same key, completely coincide in the upper half of the scale - the same enlarged second at the VI stage of the scale.
Just in order to get this interval in a major, you have to lower the VI stage.
But in a minor, this stage is already low, but the VII stage can be increased.
Let's agree that the number of key characters for all keys must be remembered by heart.
Based on this, let's say that in D minor (the key sign is B flat), the raised VII step is Up to sharp.
You can see it visually in the picture above.
And now let's hear (although you can also play it yourself) how it will sound.
a moll and d moll.
If you pay a little more attention to watching and listening, you can see that the triad of the dominant in the harmonic minor is a major.
I'm going to play you three chords now: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant and Tonic in Harmonic A minor.
Do you hear me?
So work out the structure of these three chords in all minor keys.
This will allow you to automatically determine the main triads in any key.
We already know how to build major and minor triads, if we forgot, let's repeat and clarify.
We build a tonic triad: we determine the fret (major, minor), and we proceed from this.
We build a major (minor) triad.
Major: b.
3 + m. 3, minor m. 3 + b.
3. Now we need to find a subdominant.
From the tonic, we build a quart up - we get the main sound, from which we will build a triad.
In F dur, it is b flat.
And from B flat we are already building a major triad.
We are now looking for a dominant.
From the tonic a fifth up.
In the same key, the Dominant is Before.
Well, and it's not difficult for us to build a triad in C major.
The parallel key of F major is D minor.
We build a tonic (T), a subdominant (S) and a dominant (D) in the minor key.
I remind you that in the harmonic and melodic minor, the dominant is a major triad.
The melodic minor differs from the natural minor by increased both VI and VII steps (play on the piano or guitar, at least in a MIDI editor).
And in the melodic major, on the contrary, the same steps are lowered.
Major and minor, which have the same tonic, are called eponymous (the eponymous key of C major is C minor, A major is A minor, etc.).
As already mentioned, the expressive possibilities of music consist of the interaction of various means that it has at its disposal.
Among them, fret is of great importance in the transmission of certain content and character by music.
Remember, I gave an example of the sound of a major triad and a minor.
Let me remind you, on occasion, that the major, so to speak, is more cheerful, and the minor is more sad, dramatic, lyrical.
Therefore, you can experiment yourself - a major melody played from the same key, but using a minor scale (or vice versa), acquires a completely different color, although it remains the same melody.
