Serial (12-Tone) Composition
12-Tone Serial Compositions Serialism is an Avant Garde composition technique that was invented in the 1920s by a composer called Schoenberg. In a serial or “12-tone” composition, the composer begins …
Trinity Grade 8 Music Theory
Welcome to the Trinity Grade 8 Music Theory start page! Trinity Grade 8 Syllabus Form Composers and General Knowledge Romantic period as defined in the workbook Serial technique as defined …
Harmonic Analysis
Harmonic Analysis with Decoration When we analyse chromatic music, we need to begin by separating the layers of music (bass, melody and any middle parts), to work out a functional …
False (Cross) Relations
False (Cross) Relations A false (or cross) relation occurs when a note is placed in close time proximity to a chromatically altered version of itself, in another part. For example, …
Identifying Prevailing Key
Identifying the Prevailing Key To work out the prevailing key at any point in a piece of music, remember that chords generally belong to one of three types: These 2 …
Distant Modulation
Distant Modulation During the Baroque and early Classical periods most modulations would be to the dominant, subdominant or relative key. Modulation to these “close” keys is relatively straightforward, because two …
Other Chromatic Chords
Other Chromatic Chords For each degree of the scale, it is possible to build a major, minor, diminished and augmented triad. So, for example in C major, it is possible …
Secondary Dominants
Any major or minor chord can be approached by its own temporary dominant or dominant 7th chord, which is called a “secondary dominant”. The most frequently seen secondary dominant is …
Augmented 6th Chords
Augmented 6th Chords There are three chromatic chords which contain the interval of an augmented 6th; the Italian 6th, French 6th and German 6th, collectively known as the “augmented 6th …
Borrowed Chords and Parallel Keys
Parallel Keys Parallel keys are the major and minor using the same tonic, for example C major and C minor are parallel keys. Sometimes parallel keys use enharmonic equivalents, to …