At the end of every chapter of Allen Forte’s Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice there are is a list of term which were introduced. I’m going to define these terms in weekly blog posts, and this particular post will include the terms from the first two chapters. I’ll soon put up another two posts which will address the list of terms from last week’s reading as well as this week’s. I’d also like to point out that there are quite a few other exercises included at the end of each chapter that I won’t be putting up on the blog. I’m also utilizing the exercises found on musictheory.net, and occasionally working through the lessons they provide as a supplement.
Chapter One: Structural Characteristics of the Fundamental Materials
Scale Degree: A tone in the context of belonging to a scale. Degrees are usually numbered starting with the tonic.
Chord: A group of notes which sound simultaneously.
Chromatic Scale: A scale which divides the octave into twelve semitones.
Triad: A chord made up of three notes based on intervals of thirds. The four types of triads are major, minor, diminished, and augmented.
Relative Minor: A minor scale shares the same key signature as its related major. The difference between the two scales is the placement of the tonic. This is different from a parallel keys which share the same tonic but different key signatures. An example of relative keys would be E minor and G major. An example of Parallel keys is E major and E minor.
Passing Note: A note that passes between or connects two more important harmonic notes.
Auxillary Note: A note that stands at the interval of a 2nd above or below two occurrences of a more important harmonic note.
Half Step: A semitone. B –> C or C –> C#
Leading Note: The major seventh of a scale so called because it has the tendency to want to “lead” toward the tonic.
Melodic Minor Scale: The melodic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale when descending. When it is ascending, the sixth and seventh scale degrees are both raised a semitone in order to match the scales parallel major key. This is done to create a sense of direction up to the tonic, or down to the fifth (or dominant).
Inversion: A chord positioned so that its fundamental (the note on which the chord is based) is not the lowest note.
Octave Equivalence: The addition of an octave to an interval does not change the function of the notes involved.
Consonant Interval: According to Allen Forte, there are two types of consonant intervals. The perfect (octave, fifth, and fourth), and imperfect (diatonic thirds and sixths). He describes these intervals as stable.
Dissonant Interval: A dissonant interval is one that is active, or unstable. It is common to resolve such intervals to consonant intervals.
Tritone: A scale degree which lies precisely in the middle of an octave. It is attained by diminishing the fifth or augmenting the fourth.
Compound Interval: A compound interval is attained by adding an octave to an interval. Example: 2nd –> 9th or 4th –> 12th.
Augmented 2nd: An interval which is attained by raising the major 2nd by a semitone. It’s equivalent to a minor 3rd.
Diminished 5th: Equivalent to the tritone.
Compound Meter: A triplet subdivision superimposed upon a simple meter.
Submetrical: Notes of lesser duration than the metrical unit.
Rhythm: The division of time which structures the movement of a musical piece.
Chapter Two: The Triad: the Harmonic Basis of Tonal Music
Dissonant Chord: Any chord which contains a dissonant interval.
Doubling: Having two different instruments playing the same part.
Outer Voices: The bass (lowest) and soprano (highest) voices in four part harmony.
Position of the Octave: The position in which the soprano doubles the bass.
Position of the Fifth: The position in which the soprano voices the fifth of the chord.
Four-voice keyboard spacing: The position with the smallest intervals, thought of as taking up the smallest space if the notes were to be played on the keyboard.
Alto Voice: The second highest voice in four part harmony.
Figured Bass: Sometimes called thorough bass, it is a form of music notation which gained prominence during the Baroque period. In it, the bass note is provided along with numbers or symbols which indicate what chord should be harmonized with it.
Voice Leading: The recognition that each voice has its own individual, horizontal melody. That each voice is interdependent in a harmonic capacity, but that they may move freely through time (rhythmically independent) is the relationship of counterpoint.
Similar Motion: When two voices move in the same direction (up, or down), but do not maintain the same interval. When voices move in the same direction and maintain the same interval it is called parallel motion. When they move in opposite directions it’s called contrary motion, and when one moves while the other remains stationary it’s called oblique motion.
Cadence: A movement of chords which marks the division of a piece of music into different periods, or brings the piece to a full conclusion. There are a few cadences such as the authentic cadence (V to I) and the plagal cadence (IV to I).
Skip: Moving in an interval (equal to?… or) larger than a whole tone.