m2 half steps
1
M2 half steps
2
m3 half steps
3
M3 half steps
4
P4 half steps
5
Aug 4 half steps
6
Dim 5 half steps
6
P5 half steps
7
Aug 5 half steps
8
m6 half steps
8
M6 half steps
9
m7 half steps
10
M7 half steps
11
Dissonant
Active, unstable, tense
Consonant
At rest, stable, relaxed
Relative
Describes major and minor scales that share the same key signature
Parallel
Major and minor scales that share the same tonic
Natural Minor Scale
WHW-WHWW
Harmonic Minor Scale
Raise the 7th degree
Melodic Minor Scale
Raise 6th and 7th degrees on the way up, but revert back to natural minor scale on the way down (4 accidentals)
Leading Tone
7th degree of the scale
Harmony
The simultaneous sounding of more than one pitch
Voicing
Arranging the notes of a chord in various ways
Chord
Three or more pitches sounding together
Triad
Three-note chord formed by two intervals of a 3rd
Major Triad
Contains an M3 and a P5 above the root
Minor Triad
Contains an m3 and a P5 above the root
Root position
Lowest note of a triad voicing is the root
First inversion
3rd note of the triad is the lowest
Second Inversion
Lowest note of a triad is the 5th
Harmonic Background
Chord pattern that fits a tune
Harmonic Progression
The succession of chords in a musical composition
Nonchord Tones
Pitches that do not fit the specific chord of the harmonic background
Passing Tones
Occur when the meolodic line passes through a note in stepwise motion to get from one chord tone to another
Neighbor Tones
Nonchord tones that occur when the melodic line moves stepwise from a chord tone but immediately returns to it
Motive
Short, recurring musical ideas
Sequence
Motive repeated on different notes or pitches
Inversion
Taking the pitch content of a motive and flipping it around
Harmonic System
How triads relate to each other within a key
Simple Meter
Basic pulse regularly divided into two parts
Compound Meter
Basic pulse regularly divides into three parts