Study Guide
Week 2
[ Review ] [ New Material ] [ What You Should Know ] [ Homework ]
Review
Remember, you are expected to know the notes of the treble and bass clef, and the key signatures on sight by the end of this week. This is a prerequisite for the course, so memorize them now. "Knowing" them means that you can say what they are instantly.
Know the ranges and transpositions of the trumpet and four saxophones that we have studied.
New Material
Non-harmonic tones
This week we learn how to identify non-harmonic tones in melodies. This will be useful later on when we start to write harmony parts. Circle and label type of the non-harmonic tones for the following excerpt, then check your answer:
Writing melodies to fit chord progressions
When writing a melody to fit a given chord progression, consider what the notes are in the chord in effect at the time. "Chord tones" are notes that are contained in the chord. For example, if the chord symbol is "Cmaj7", then the chord tones are "C", "E", "G", and "B". Non-chord tones in a bar marked "Cmaj7" would be the other notes of the tonic key that are not chord tones. For example, if we are in the key of C major and you are in a bar marked "Cmaj7", the non-chord tones would be: "D", "F", and "A". We will come back to studying how to determine which pitches fit chords when we study scales.
You are more likely to have chord tones on strong beats (in 4/4 the strong beats are 1 and 2, in 3/4 the strong beat is on 1), long notes (i.e. whole notes, half notes), and where the chord changes. Non-chord tones are therefore more likely to occur on weak beats (in 4/4 on beats 2 and 4, or on the "and"'s in between beats), on short notes (i.e. quarter notes, eighths, sixteenths), and where the chord does not change. One of the benefits of analyzing a harmonic progression's functions is that it shows you what key(s) the progression is in.
First analyze the chord progression:
The analysis reveals a secondary and substitute dominant chord. The scales underneath the brackets indicate what notes you should use at any particular point in time:
On strong beats, long notes, and where the chord changes you are most likely to use chord tones. Use non-harmonic tones on weak beats and short notes for variety.
When using non-harmonic tones, use the scale of the I chord at the time. For this example:
- In the first measure use E-G#-B for chord tones, F#, A, C#, and D# for non-harmonic tones (that is, the rest of the E major scale besides the first, third, and fifth degrees).
- In the second measure you have a secondary dominant. This chord is not a diatonically-related chord to E major, so you won't use notes of the E major scale for your melody. Instead you overlay the notes of the F#7 chord (F#, A#, C#, and E, the circled notes on the bottom staff below) on top of the E major scale, altering any notes as necessary in the scale to fit the chord (in this case the A natural of the E major scale is changed to an A#, to fit with the F#7 chord). The E major scale with alterations (te bottom scale below) is the collection of notes from which you would pick for notes in the second measure, over the F#7 chord. Like in the other measures, you are more likely to have chord tones on strong beats and long notes, while on weak beats or short notes you can use non-harmonic tones, to be picked from this altered scale.
- In the sixth measure you have a substitute dominant chord. It is not a diatonically-related chord to E major, so you won't use notes of the E major scale for your melody. Instead, would alter the E major scale, changing any of its notes to fit with the chord tones of F7 (F, A, C, Eb, circled in red below). On strong beats and long notes you'd use chord tones, and on weak beats and short notes you could use non-harmonic tones from the altered E major scale (Eb, G#, B, and D#)
What You Should Know
At the end of this week you should be able to:
Analyze a melody, circling and labeling any non-harmonic tones.
Homework
See the homework assignment. Like every week, the homework will be due at the Friday of the following week, in other words, NEXT FRIDAY. The homework assignment is summarized on the class schedule, but the assignment page is the final authority and goes into greater detail.
©2002 Robert Willey
