Tags: #harmony
All theory articlesRelative Keys: The Same Notes, Different Tonal Centers
What relative keys are, how C major and A minor are connected, and why the same notes can sound like two different keys.
Reader level: ArrangerParallel Keys: Major and Minor with the Same Tonic
What parallel keys are, how C major differs from C minor, and which scale degrees change when moving between major and minor.
Reader level: ArrangerCommon Chord Progressions
Explore common chord progressions, their scale degrees, harmonic functions, character, and ways to adapt them for songwriting and arranging.
Reader level: ArrangerHow to Build Chord Progressions
A step-by-step method for building chord progressions by choosing a key, harmonic functions, harmonic rhythm, cadences, and smooth voice leading.
Reader level: ArrangerMain Types of Cadences
Learn the main types of cadences: complete, half, interrupted, authentic, plagal, perfect, and imperfect cadences.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Cadence in Music?
A simple explanation of cadence: how a chord pattern closes or pauses a musical phrase, with the main types and examples.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is Chord Function?
Learn what chord function means in a key, how function differs from chord name, and how to hear stability, motion, and tension.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Are Diatonic Chords?
Learn what a diatonic scale is, how its notes form the chords of a key, and how Roman numerals help transpose chord progressions.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is Musical Tension?
A clear explanation of musical tension: where it comes from, how it relates to keys, scale degrees, and chord functions, and why it often seeks resolution.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is the Tonic?
A clear explanation of the tonic: how it creates a sense of home, why it is not always the first note, and how to hear it in melody and harmony.
Reader level: ArrangerAdded-Tone Chords
A simple explanation of added-tone chords: what add2, add4, add6, and add9 mean, how they differ from sus and seventh chords, and how to use them in music.
Reader level: ComposerWhat Are sus2 and sus4 Chords?
A simple explanation of sus2 and sus4 chords: why they do not contain a third, how they sound, and how they differ from major and minor chords.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Slash Chord?
A simple explanation of slash chords: how to read C/E, how slash chords relate to inversions, and how to use chords with a separate bass note.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Chord Inversion?
A simple explanation of chord inversions: what changes when the bass note is not the root, and how this affects harmony and voice leading.
Reader level: ArrangerMain Types of Seventh Chords
A reference guide to the main seventh chords: maj7, 7, m7, m7♭5, and dim7, with formulas, sound, and harmonic function.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Seventh Chord?
A simple explanation of seventh chords: how they are built from a triad plus a seventh, why they matter in harmony, and how to hear their tension.
Reader level: ArrangerDiminished and Augmented Triads
A simple explanation of diminished and augmented triads: formulas, sound, differences from major and minor, and practical harmonic use.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is Musical Ear?
A simple explanation of musical ear: what this skill is, what parts it includes, how to develop it, and why ear training matters not only for singers.
Reader level: MusicianMajor vs Minor: What Is the Difference
A simple comparison of major and minor: how the third and other scale degrees change, how to hear the difference in chords and keys, and how to see it on the guitar fretboard.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is Minor in Music
A simple explanation of minor in music: what minor chords, minor scales, and minor keys are, how to hear the minor third, and why minor does not always mean sad.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is Major in Music
A simple explanation of major in music: what major chords, major scales, and major keys are, how to hear the major third, and why major does not always mean happy.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is a Chord in Music
A simple explanation of chords: what a chord is, how it differs from a single note and a fingering, how chords are built from intervals, and why guitar players need them.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is a Key in Music
A simple explanation of musical keys: what a tonal center is, how a key differs from a scale, why the tonic matters, and how keys connect melodies, chords, and the guitar fretboard.
Reader level: Performer