Triads. Major and Minor Chords.

Learning basic music theory is absolutely necessary to communicate with other musicians. Whether we are writing a song together, playing a show on stage, we have to know how to talk about what it is we're playing. In music theory chords are clusters of notes played together as one sound. They give songs their color and feeling. If the melody of a song is the story, then the chords are the descriptive details that make the story come alive.

Chords are made up of certain tones from the scale that fit well with the melody. Chords are the vertical arrangement of notes from a scale. For basic triads (groups of three notes), these tones are usually the same degrees of the scale, and we use different scales to get different chords. However, we can change which tones we use to get different types of chords. Seventh chords, suspended chords, diminished chords, etc. The study of chords is called Harmony. Harmony is concerned with how one or more notes interact, and how they follow each other.

Every triad can be represented in three positions. The chord written in root position is the most basic way to write a triad. In the root position, the root, which is the note that names the chord, is the lowest note. The third of the chord is written a third higher than the root, and the fifth of the chord is written d fifth higher than the root. So the simplest way to write a triad is as a stack of thirds, in root position. The other position is the first and the second inversion of root position chord. They include the same-named notes, are disposed in a different order. If the third of the chord (third in the root position) is the lowest note, the chord is in first inversion. If the fifth of the chord (fifth in the root position) is the lowest note, the chord is in second inversion. A chord in second inversion may also be called a six-four chord, because the intervals in it are a sixth a fourth. It does not matter how far the higher notes are from the lowest note, or how many of each note there are (at different octaves or on different instruments); all that matters is which note is lowest.

The most commonly used triads form major chords and minor chords. All major chords and minor chords have an interval of a perfect fifth between root and the fifth of the chord. Perfect fifth, in this case includes two third - major third and minor third. If the interval between the root and the third of the cord is the major third, the triad is the major chord. If the interval between the root and the third of the chord is the minor third, then the triad is a minor chord.

Vocabulary

a cluster – група

descriptive- образотворчий

certain – визначений

suspended – підвішений

diminished – ослаблений

a stack – набор, пакет

Task 2. Choose the correct answer:

1. Chords are made up of:

a. another chords

b. intervallic horisontal definition

c. certain tones from the scale that fit well with the melody

d. two tones

2. Chords are:

a. tool used to walk through the process of creating the keys

b. a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme

c. the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration

d. the vertical arrangement of notes from a scale

3. The study of chords is called:

a. polyphony

b. harmony

c. history of music

d. improvisation

4. Every triad can be represented in:

a. three positions

b. five positions

c. six positions

d. one positions

5. The third of the chord is written:

a. a quint higher than the root

b. an octave higher than the root

c. a third higher than the root

d. a sixth higher than the root

Task 3. Put the questions to the underlined words:

a. All major chords and minor chords have an interval of a perfect fifth between root and the fifth of the chord.

b. The most commonly used triads form major chords and minor chords.

Task 4. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is learning basic music theory absolutely necessary?

2. What are chords in music theory?

3. What are chords made up of?

4. What is the simplest way to write a triad?

5. Why may a chord in second inversion also be called a six-four chord?

6. What does perfect fifth include?

Task 5. Retell the text.