Music Theory Correspondence Course: Trial Lesson

On this page, we introduce portions of the texts from Lesson 1 and Lesson 6 of the Music Theory Correspondence Course.

The actual course consists of a total of 10 lessons from Lesson 1 to Lesson 10, with exercises from Lesson 1 to Lesson 9. The maximum duration of the course is one year. Enrollment without corrections (only material sales) is also possible.

Lesson 1: Harmony [Major Chords and Minor Chords]

We will now begin the music theory lessons. The content of this lesson and the next one form the most crucial part of this course. While these are fundamental concepts, please ensure you understand them thoroughly.

In music, every piece has both an "appearance/face" and a "framework."

The "appearance/face" corresponds to the melody, while the "framework" comprises the chord progression and rhythm. You could also call the framework the "pillar." The essential pillars that constitute a piece are its chord progression and rhythm.

So, what is a harmony?

Harmony refers to the "combination of two or more notes sounding simultaneously." In other words, any two notes played together form a harmony.

We mentioned earlier that chord progressions act as pillars in a piece. However, the harmony referred to here must consist of at least three notes, not two.

When three or more notes sound simultaneously, the harmony acquires a unique "characteristic." This characteristic can be considered the smallest "molecule" that constitutes music.

For example, there are bright songs and lonely songs. Each piece of music has its own characteristics, which are created by the chord progression (refer to measures 1-12 in the sheet music). (Note: In the actual lesson, sheet music is provided in addition to this text.)

Let's take a closer look at harmony.

A harmony with three simultaneous notes is called a "triad." Triads can be broadly classified into two types: "major chords" and "minor chords."

Major chords are also called "major triads." The characteristics of a major chord are that it creates a pleasant, bright sound to the listener's ear.

On the other hand, minor chords are also called "minor triads." The characteristics of a minor chord are that it creates a sad sound to the listener's ear.

In simple terms, major chords have a bright sound, while minor chords have a sad sound.

Now, let's investigate the structure of major and minor chords.

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We previously mentioned that harmony acquires its characteristics when three or more notes sound simultaneously, and by now, you should understand why.

With only two notes in a harmony, it's impossible to determine whether it's a major or minor chord. For example, in the case of a harmony containing the notes "C" and "G," adding an "E" would make it a major chord, while adding an "E♭" would make it a minor chord. However, with just "C" and "G," we can't tell which it is.

Please refer to the sheet music to verify major and minor chords. There are 12 unique major chords and 12 unique minor chords that constitute music, making a total of 24 chords (refer to the sheet music).

The goal of the upcoming lessons is to master the use of these 24 chords.

How should you connect chords to create a good song? There are various rules for that. Let's gradually explore those mechanisms.

As always, let's begin by reviewing what we have learned so far.

The five types of chords we have learned in the previous lessons (IV chord, V chord, parallel key home chord, parallel key IV chord, and parallel key V chord) are closely related to the home chord and are commonly used in a piece of music. Let's call these chords "regular chords."

In Lesson 2, we mentioned that music is composed of alternating stable and unstable sounds. These "sounds" are created by chords.

If we classify the regular chords as stable or unstable, we have:

[A] Chords that create a stable sound - home chord, parallel key home chord
[B] Chords that create an unstable sound - IV chord, V chord, parallel key IV chord, parallel key V chord

In essence, music starts with the home chord, uses one of the chords from group [B] for unstable sounds and one from group [A] for stable sounds, and ends with the home chord. (However, this does not take modulation into account.)

Let's clarify the meanings of "stable" and "unstable."

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The roles of chords, such as "stable" and "unstable," are professionally called "functions." For example, in the key of C major, the function of the C major chord is the tonic.

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Now, in addition to regular chords, there are other chords that have a good relationship with the home chord.

Although they are not "regular," these chords occasionally appear as "subs" or "supporting roles." Let's call these chords "sub chords."

Sub chords are not as close to the home chord as regular chords and are used infrequently in chord progressions. They are more like acquaintances that you meet occasionally.

Supporting chords enhance the main chords. When these types of chords are used, the atmosphere of the piece subtly changes. Sub chords act as a spice in chord progressions, bringing a sense of depth and variety to the music.

However, since sub chords don't have a strong relationship with the home chord, they cannot be easily connected. In some cases, using these chords may make the sound seem dissonant.

Careful consideration of individual note movements is required to create a natural-sounding chord progression with weakly related chords.

We can categorize the mentioned "sub chords" into three main groups:

- Relative key home chords, IV chords, and V chords
- Dominant key V chord (Doppel Dominant)
- Subdominant key IV chord

In this lesson, we will focus on the first group.

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Regarding their functions, relative key home chords create a stable sound, while relative key IV chords and V chords create an unstable sound.

However, even though the relative key home chord creates a stable sound, as mentioned earlier, it has a subtly different atmosphere. It's only natural since major chords are used in minor keys, and minor chords are used in major keys.

Relative key IV and V chords create an unstable sound while changing the atmosphere of the music. Carefully placing these chords in a progression can have a significant impact.

Also, a major characteristic of using relative key home chords, IV chords, and V chords is that it is often difficult to return to the original home chord afterward.

When these chords are used, it is common to modulate to the relative key and treat the relative key home chord as the true home chord.

It is easy to return to the original key and home chord when moving to the parallel key basic chord set (home chord, IV chord, V chord). However, using the relative key basic chord set can change the atmosphere of the music and potentially take away the original key, making these chords less frequently used.

In essence, home chords tend to resist modulation. When modulated, they lose their position as the home chord. That's why home chords prefer to be with safe, closely related chords.

However, sticking to safe chords can make a piece of music seem ordinary. When composers incorporate "sub chords" such as relative key basic chord set as a stimulus, the listeners perceive a fresh sound, and the composer can create a significant event like changing the key without making the listener feel uncomfortable.

If the sub chords temporarily introduce a fluctuation in the listener's perception of the chord progression, modulation can occur naturally without the listener noticing, unless they are analyzing the music carefully.

In other words, sub chords can serve as a bridge connecting the original home chord and the modulated home chord.

Thus, the relative key basic chord set, while carrying the risk of modulation, provides an effective, fresh sound and depth to the music, making it a valuable set of chords to use.

Mastering the relative key is an essential step in refining your composition and arrangement skills.

Demo performance of music pieces transcribed and arranged by our company. (We have obtained permissions from the clients to share those pieces on this channel.)

▶Playlist [Transcription]
▶Playlist [Arrangement]