Ear Training – Harmonic Dictation

Barbara Murphy

Ear Training –Harmonic Dictation

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Inthispresentation,youwilllearnthestepstofollowwhentakingharmonicdictation.

Barbara Murphy

Whentakingharmonicdictation,concentrateonvariousaspectsoftheprogression:

• Qualityofthechords• Functionofthechords.• Bassline• Thechordprogression.

Harmonic dictation

Youmightconcentrateontheseaspectsinadifferentorderthanispresentedhere.Thatisokay.Usewhateverorderworksforyou.

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Let’stryanexample.

Barbara Murphy

First,listentotheprogressionafewtimes.Clickonthesoundiconanytimetoheartheprogression.

Key

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

First,decidethekey.Thisprogressionisinmajor.Sincethereisoneflatinthekeysignature,thekeyisFmajor.

Fmajor:

Barbara Murphy

Next,fillinanychordsthatyouknow.Concentrate on determining the beginningandendingchordsandthecadence(ifyoucan).

Beginning and ending

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______Fmajor:

Barbara Murphy

Next,fillinanychordsthatyouknow.Concentrateondeterminingthebeginningandendingchordsandthecadence(ifyoucan).

Beginning and ending

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

Thisprogressionstartsandendsontonic(I).The cadence at the end is an authentic cadencesothe progression ends thechordsV-I.

I _______ _______ _______ _______ V I

Ifyouhavebeenlistening/practicingshortchordprogressions,youmayalreadyknowsomeofthechordsbyrecognizingtheshorterprogressions,butwewillgothroughhowtodeterminethechordsusingtheelementswetalkedaboutearlier(quality,function,bassline,progression).

Barbara Murphy

First,concentrateonthequalitiesofthetriads– aretheymajor,minor,ordiminished?Once you think you have figured them out, clickto see the answers.

Chord quality

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

I _______ _______ _______ _______ V IFmajor:

M m M m M M M

Barbara Murphy

Chord Function

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

I _______ _______ _______ _______ V IFmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Onceyou think you know the function of each chord, click to check you answer

Next,concentrateonthechordfunction-- pre-dominant(PD),dominant(D),ortonic(T).

Tonicchords I viPre-dominantchords IV iiDominantchords V viio Cadential64

Barbara Murphy

Analysis

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

I _______ _______ _______ _______ V IFmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Ifyouknowthefunctionandthequalityofthechords,youcansometimesfigureoutwhatthechordsare.

Forexample,inamajorkey,ifyouknowthatachordistonicinfunctionbutisminorinquality,itmustbeavi chord.

Likewise,ifachordispre-dominantinfunctionandmajor,thenitisa IV,butifitisminor itismostlikelya ii.

Barbara Murphy

Analysis

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Therefore,ifweknowthequalitiesandfunctionofthechordsbelow,wecansometimesguesstheRomannumeralforthechords.

Trydeterminingthechordsbelowgiventhequalityandfunctionofthechords.Click when you have your answers.

I _______ _______ _______ _______ V II vi IV ii V V I

Barbara Murphy

Bass line

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Nowlistentothebassline.

Knowingthebasslinenoteswillhelpyoutodetermineifanyofthechordsareininversionoriftheyarenotthechordsyouhaveguessed.

Playtheprogressionagainconcentratingonthebassline.Clicktoseethecorrectbassline.

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

I vi IV ii V V I

Barbara Murphy

Bass line

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Nowlistentothebassline.

Knowingthebasslinenoteswillhelpyoutodetermineifanyofthechordsareininversionoriftheyarenotthechordsyouhaveguessed.

Playtheprogressionagainconcentratingonthebassline.Clicktoseethecorrectbassline.

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

I vi IV ii V V I

Barbara Murphy

Bass Line

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Inmostcases,thebassnotesandthechordsplayedmatch.Forexample,thesecondchordisavi(minortonicchord)andthesixthscaledegree(D)isinthebass.Therefore,theanalysisisavi(rootposition).

I vi IV ii V V I

However,therearetwochordsweneedtotakeanotherlookat-- thefourthandfifthchords(theiiandthefirstV).

Barbara Murphy

Bass line

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

We identifiedthe fourth chord as a minor chord with a Pre-dominant functionsoitshouldbeaminorii.

I vi IV ii6 V V I

However,thereisaBbinthebass- whichisthethirdofa iichord.Therefore,thechordmustbeinfirstinversionandshouldbeidentifiedasa ii6.

Barbara Murphy

Bass Line

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Finally,let’slookatchord5.ListentotheprogressionagainpayingspecificattentiontothischordandtheVafterit.

I vi IV ii6 V I

Didyouhearthatthesetwochordswerenotthesame?(Listenagainifyoudidnothearthedifference.)

Sincechord5isnotaVchordbuthasadominantfunctionandismajorinquality,itmustbeacadential64chord.

IV

Barbara Murphy

Theory Knowledge

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

Finally,listenagaintobesureitmatchestheprogressionplayedandthatthe progression makes senseaccording to your theory knowledge.

I vi IV ii6 I V I

From our theory knowledge, we know that tonic chords go to pe-dominant to dominant back to tonic.Thatiswhatwehaveinthisprogression.

Barbara Murphy

Theory Knowledge

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

I vi IV ii6 I V I

Wealsoknowthatwithinthefunctioncategories,primarychords(I,IVandV)usuallycomebefresecondarychords(vi,ii,andviio).Thatisalsowhathappensinthisprogression.

And,finally,thecadential64chordcomesbeforetheVatthecadence– whichalsohappenshere.

Barbara Murphy

Theory knowledge

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

Fmajor:

M m M m M M M

T T PD PD D D T

I vi IV ii6 I V I

Sincethisprogressionlooksrighttheoreticallyandmatchesthechordswehear,wecanbesurethatthisprogressioniscorrect.

Listenoncemoretobesure.

Barbara Murphy

Themainthingtorememberistouseyourtheoryknowledgealongwithwhatyouheartodeterminethechordsplayed.

Harmonic dictation

Ear Training – Harmonic dictation

NowtrysomeofthemelodicdictationexercisesavailableonMusicTheoryMaterials.utk.edu

Insummary:

Whentakingharmonicdictation,remembertoconcentrateonvariousaspectsoftheprogression:

• Qualityofthechords.• Functionofthechords.• Bassline.• Thechordprogression.

Youcandothesestepsinanyorderyouwantaslongas itworksforyou.

Barbara Murphy

ThispresentationwascreatedbyBarbaraMurphy,Ph.D.

TheUniversityofTennessee,Knoxville

OpeningmusiccomposedbyClaireTerrell

CreativeCommonsAttribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0

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Ear training – Harmonic dictation