Keyboard HarmonyP R I M A R Y C H O R D S I N M A J O R K E Y S
W E E K 1 A C T I V I T I E S
T H E C U R I O U S P I A N O T E A C H E R S9 T H - 1 3 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
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Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Chord Exercise
C Major Primary Chords Block and Broken, in 3 Positions
Week 1
Monday – Chord Exercise C Major Primary Chords – Block and Broken, in 3 Positions
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Monday – Chord Exercise C Major Primary Chords – Block and Broken, in 3 Positions
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Monday – Chord Exercise C Major Primary Chords – Block and Broken, in 3 Positions
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
monday
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Transposition
Week 1
Tuesday – Transposition Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the circle of 5ths. Break this down into steps. 1. Transpose the left hand notes: scale degrees 1 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 1
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Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Tuesday – Transposition Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the circle of 5ths. Break this down into steps. 1. Transpose the left hand notes: scale degrees 1 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 1
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Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
tuesday
Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the Circle of 5ths.
1. Transpose the left hand notes - scale degrees 1 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 1
Tuesday – Transposition Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the circle of 5ths. 2. Play the first half of the progression.
a. Find the tonic chord (I) in your right hand. b. Slowly change I to IV and back to I. c. Notice that scale degree 1 stays the same while the other two notes move in
parallel – up by step and back down again.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
2. Play the first half of the progression.
- Find the tonic chord (I) in your right hand. - Slowly change I to IV and back to I. - Notice that scale degree 1 stays the same while the other two notes move in parallel - up by step and back down again.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Transposition
Week 1 tuesday
Tuesday – Transposition Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the circle of 5ths. 3. Play the second half of the progression.
a. Start from the tonic chord (I) in the second bar. b. Slowly change I to V7 to I. c. Notice that scale degree 5 stays the same while the other two notes move in
contrary motion – out by step and back in again.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
3. Play the second half of the progression.
- Start from the tonic chord (I) in the second bar. - Slowly change I to V7 to I - Notice that scale degree 5 stays the same while the other two notes move in contrary motion - out by step and back in again.
Tuesday – Transposition Transpose Monday’s chord exercise to two other keys on the circle of 5ths. 4. Play the entire progression in the new key slowly.
• Anchor your fingers and your mind to the common notes between chords, and feel the stepwise motion of the moving parts.
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4. Play the entire progression in the new key slowly. Anchor your fingers and your mind to the common notes between chords, and feel the stepwise motion of the moving parts.
This week, there are two creativity prompts.
1. Consonance | Dissonance | Consonance
- Play slowly alternating notes of a perfect 5th in your left hand. Something like this:
- Over the 5th, play single long notes (a semibreve or longer). Choose notes only from the major scale.
- Treat this as a meditation. Focus only on listening and discovering: Which notes are consonant? Which are dissonant? How dissonant are they? Try different ranges, and notice if the dissonant or consonant quality changes. If so, how?
- When you have a collection of pitches you like, make a piece in which you start with complete consonance - moving through varying degrees of dissonance - and back to consonance again.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
wednesdayCreative Discovery
Week 1
Wednesday – Creative Discovery This week, there are two creativity prompts. 1. Consonance à Dissonance à Consonance • Play slowly alternating notes of a perfect 5th in your left hand. Something
like this:
• Over the 5th, play single long notes (a semibreve or longer). Choose notes only from the major scale.
• Treat this as a meditation. Focus only on listening and discovering: Which notes are consonant? Which are dissonant? How dissonant are they? Try different ranges, and notice if the dissonant or consonant quality changes. If so, how?
• When you have a collection of pitches you like, make a piece in which you start with complete consonance – moving through varying degrees of dissonance – and back to consonance again.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Consonance Dissonance Consonance
2. Accompaniments
- Add the chords to ‘Happy Birthday’ (using just primary chords).
- When you feel confident and secure playing ‘Happy Birthday’ with block chords, try different left hand accompaniment figures.
Ideas you can try:
- Different forms of broken chords
- Different rhythmic patterns using block chords
- Separating bass notes from the rest of the chord
- Try playing in a different meter
- Play something lush and romantic
- Play something simple and sparse
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
wednesdayCreative Discovery
Week 1
Wednesday – Creative Discovery
2. Accompaniments • Add the chords to ‘Happy Birthday’ (using just primary chords).
• When you feel confident and secure playing ‘Happy Birthday’ with block chords, try different let hand accompaniment figures. Ideas you can try: – Different forms of broken chords – Different rhythmic patterns using block chords – Separating bass notes from the rest of the chord – Try playing in a different meter – Play something lush and romantic – Play something simple and sparse
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
Today’s quick study piece is Mozart’s German Dance, “The Sleighride”.
1. Play just the left hand part, keeping steady time.
2. Label each chord, using Roman numerals I, IV or V(7).
3. Play the entire piece, keeping steady time. Notice how the right hand melody fits with the left hand chords.
Copyright © 2020 by School of Music Theory. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute without permission.
thursdayQuick Study
Week 1