1. |
In The Beginning
01:18
|
|||
|
In the beginning was the womb
And you were surrounded by warmth
and comfort
and sustenance
and Sound.
Vibrations flowed to you from and through the giver of life.
Voices and noises
and the ever present pulse of a heartbeat.
That engine of nourishment was your constant companion
As cell by cell your body came to be
And began a heartbeat of its own.
You came to know the cadence of the two combined
Infused by music of those pulses intertwined
You learned the framework of a child and its mother
To sense a smaller pulse embraced within another
And because it was the only world you knew
It filled you and formed you as you grew
So melody and dance are your inheritance
From the woman who created and incubated you
And the central fact to which this all pertains
Is that you were born with rhythm in your veins.
|
||||
2. |
Second Inversions
02:10
|
|||
|
Second inversions are chords I adore
I write them down with a 6 and a 4.
These chords we encounter in four different ways…
You can tell from the context you hear,
From the chords that are near,
And the movement you hear in the bass.
The first we’ll call pedal (or stationary)
‘Cause the bass stays the same.
But when bass notes move stepwise
Often passing’s the name.
When the bass goes a leaping, arpeggiated’s what we’ll say.
And when we come to the end of a section, my friend
A cadential 64 can help carry the day….
(IV 64)... well that IV 64 was stationary, oh…
(I 64)... a passing I 64! Passing I 64!
(vi 64)... ain’t it great when we can arpeggiate!
And for the next one I’m just going to savor it
‘Cause a cadential 64 is my favorite second inversion….
Second inversion…
Mmm, Second inversion…
|
||||
3. |
||||
|
This is a I chord and a V in first inversion,
Then a vi, a passing I 64, then IV.
But this song might get boring and you’d prob’ly start ignoring me
If I tried naming every single chord.
But there’s one chord that’s terrific, and its function is specific,
And it hangs around in cadences for fun.
With solfege we can state it if we just arpeggiate it, and
Sol-ti-re-fa is a dominant 7, which brings us home to I.
Of course the IV chord (FA-LA-DO) can be pleasant to the ear.
Then there’s V7/V (RE-FI-LA-DO)
That’s a chord we’re going to learn about more next year!
We’re back to I now, and there’s that V in first inversion,
Just repeating what we’d played when we’d begun.
And this path that we had charted’s going to finish what we started
‘Cause SOL-TI-RE-FA is a dominant 7, which brings us home to…
OH NO! That cadence was deceptive!
It went to minor vi instead of I!
That sort of trick can be effective
At making things last longer when we thought that we were done!
So here we are again and moving toward the finish,
And I think, this time, we will not wait in vain.
Cause I’m tired of extending it, I’m ready for the ending.
And SOL-TI-RE-FA is a dominant 7, which brings us home again.
Yes, SOL-TI-RE-FA is a dominant 7, which brings us home again.
Fa-mi Sol-Sol Ti-Do. Woo!
|
||||
4. |
Stack of Minor Thirds
01:28
|
|||
|
I was hanging around in a scary minor key
Searching for V7 of V
When I heard a chord that really frightened me
... made me think I'd never survive.
So I hid by a iv, but it jumped out behind me
I turned around all ready to fight
Then I saw what it was - a viiº43
Then my fears began to subside.
So if you ever hear a stack of minor thirds
Try to be enlightened.
If you learn to recognize it and describe it with words
Then you won't be frightened.
You can tell from the bass what inversion your hearing
Even though each third is the same..
Just remember the key and the chord that you're nearing
That will help you give a name to each lovely, symmetrical
Stack of minor thirds
When the bass says "Ti" - viiº7
When the bass says "Re" - viiº65
When the bass says "Fa" - viiº43
When the bass says "Le" - viiº42
BOO!
|
||||
5. |
Non-Dominant 7ths
04:08
|
|||
|
Let's start with a simple progression
Like a I chord, a ii and a IV.
Then let some sevenths and a passing chord spice up the score.
Then back to the place where we started...
The harmony pretty but plain.
Then add back those sevenths and make our way to the refrain.
REFRAIN:
Non-dominant sevenths, how you tickle my ear
In inversion your seconds are not so hard to hear
Non-dominant sevenths, nothing else can compare
And you may come and go, but I always will know when you're there.
When triads are minor or major
There's nothing unusual to hear
So when chords get more crunchy, it could mean a seventh is near
Without them the world has less color
It's pleasant, but sometimes it's bland.
When I hear a seventh, it makes things exciting and grand.
REFRAIN
BRIDGE:
Even chromatic mediants can have a seventh to share
Oh, dear sevenths, I'm grateful to know even when your world modulates,
Sevenths may always be there!
Because of the chords they're attached to,
You often may hear them around.
They don't add much function, so you just have to know how they sound.
So study chords with and without them
Hear the root and what lies just below...
Then listen and practice, so when there's a seventh, you'll know!
CHORUS (END)
|
||||
6. |
||||
|
Sometimes I like to hear some German
Sometimes I like to hear some French
Sometimes I like to hear a nice diminished seven
Or some other chords that I won't even mention
The German chord resolves Le-So and Fi-So.
The French chord is just like it, but with Re instead of Me
But though I love these nationalities so
Neapolitan makes my day
Neapolitan makes my day.
|
||||
7. |
Secondary Dominants Song
01:51
|
|||
|
I’ve got a pocket full of keys at my disposal
I’ve got a pocket full of keys I can use.
And I’ve got a pocket full of secondary dominants
I keep in stock to help unlock whatever key I choose.
I may just stay there for a moment.
Yeah, I may just stay there temporarily.
And I may decide to use a secondary dominant
To demonstrate how chords relate when I’m visiting that key.
A V7 of IV can help me linger for a while in it’s abode
V7 of ii gives me another way to roam.
V7 of vi can start a journey down a long and winding road
Till a ii becomes a V65 of V to take me home!
I keep them with me when I travel
I like their function and the way they sound.
That’s why I like to use a secondary dominant
To make it clear to chords I’m near that I’d like to hang around.
Like V7 of V7 of V7…. Ooooo Yeah.
|
||||
8. |
Chord Spelling Song
00:58
|
|||
|
Do Mi So
Fa La Do
So Ti Re Ti So Do Do Do
Do Mi So
Fa La Do
So Ti Re Ti So Do
La ... La Do Mi
Re ... Re Fa La
La ... La Do Mi
Mi Si Ti
So Ti Re
Do Mi So
Fa La Do
So Ti Re Ti So Do Do Do
Do Mi So
Fa La Do
So Ti Re Ti So Do
Do ... Do Mi So
Mi ... Mi So Ti
La ... La Do Mi
Re ... Re Fi La
So Do
So So Re Ti
So So Do
So So Fa Re Ti
So So Do
So So Fa Re Ti Si Mi
La Do Mi
Do Mi So Te
Fa La Do
So Ti Re Ti So
Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do!
|
||||
9. |
Third Away
01:15
|
|||
|
When you're trying hard to sightread and see a leap
to a Fa, La, Ti, Mi, or a Re...
Well as long as you can always find So and Do,
You're never more than a third away.
You can try and sing big intervals that you see,
And if you're good at it, well that's okay.
But as long as you can always find So and Do,
You're never more than a third away.
So if you're leaping to "Mi," you can think "So Mi"
And if you're leaping to "La," you can think "So La"
And if you're leaping to "Ti," you can think "Do Ti" yeah...
as long as you've got So and Do, you'll go far!
So keep working on your intervals big and small
And try to practice them every day
But as long as you can always find So and Do,
You're never more than a third away.
Yeah, as long as you can always find So and Do, yeah...
You're never more than a third away.
|
||||
10. |
Silly Solfege Song
01:14
|
|||
|
Dough, I had a lot of dough until I gave my dough to Ray.
Ray took all my dough, so then I asked Ray to give me dough.
Give me dough, Ray! Ray, give me dough!
So far, Ray won't give me dough.
So far, Ray just says "la la la la la la la"
So far, Ray won't give me tea, either.
And tea's what Ray and me like best.
Turns out that Ray, he lost my dough.
Turns out that Ray, he lost my tea, too.
So me and Ray are gonna have a chat.
Me and Ray are gonna work it out
So there is dough and tea for me, Ray, and lots of our friends.
So here's our plan:
Just give me and Ray dough.
(And tea.)
|
||||
11. |
Sophie Lay on My Sofa
01:27
|
|||
|
Sophie lay on my sofa
Eating raw dough, and drinking tea
Sophie don't lay on my sofa so...
Don't tease me so!
Let yourself fall for me.
Eating raw dough is folly.
Tea's not so bad.
But Sophie, don't lay on my sofa
Eating dough.
|
||||
12. |
The Phrygian Song
00:53
|
|||
|
I sang you a song 'bout a girl on my sofa; [Yes, that was on "so fa"]
She was sprawling around in the heat and eating raw dough. ["ra do"]
I knew if she did that she never would go far,
'Cause when it's warm and your cookie dough's raw,
bad germs start to grow.
But I found a modal way to help her survive.
There's one mode that's cold enough to keep her alive!
And that's Phrygian...
Frigid Phrygian... Phrygian... Phrygian...
|
||||
13. |
The Locrian Song
00:24
|
|||
|
This is Locrian.
There's a reason why we don't use Locrian.
If you really tried to stick with Locrian,
You would never feel home.
|
||||
14. |
||||
|
Ms. Mixolydian likes her latte
And in the evening she likes wine and beer,
But if she wants to go out with Dorian, they stick to latte...
'Cause bars cannot serve minors here.
He's got a minor third scale degree...
Can't drink no alcohol.
So Dorian and Mixolydian just stick to latte
So they can mix it up all night.
|
||||
15. |
Intervals In Inversion
01:03
|
|||
|
A minor third is a major sixth in inversion
A major third is a minor sixth in inversion
A perfect fourth is a perfect fifth in inversion. Oh.
A minor second's a major seventh
A major second's a minor seventh, and oh...
A perfect unison's an octave in this game
But what we call a tritone stays the same.
|
||||
16. |
||||
|
Here's a major third and a minor third
But a major chord still has a minor third
Here's a minor third and a major third
But a minor chord still has a major third
If you want to know a chord's quality
It's the third from the root that counts, you see.
That's all this little song's about
So take time to practice and figure it out.
|
||||
17. |
Ascending Fourths Song
01:18
|
|||
|
Some say ascending fourths sound like "Here Comes the Bride"
But change the context and...
That perfect fourth won't sound the same
And our song won't help as planned.
But learning La-Re, and Ti-Mi, and Do-Fa, and Re-So...
can help you hear that fourth in different ways.
And you'll remember them for all the rest of your days.
|
||||
18. |
The Modulation Song
03:13
|
|||
|
THE MODULATION SONG
She:
I was sad
So I chose a minor key
And I felt bad
Until I made a move to modulate to III
Then things felt better
If only relatively,
And I stayed there for a while until I sunk back to my starting minor key.
He:
I felt low
So I started out like you
and tried to go
to a relatively major point of view.
Then I’d be happy… or that was the plan
but another modulation sent me spiraling to where it all began.
So I lifted up to iv - still minor (“minor key - check for ti”)
But it opened up the door to something higher, ("or other altered scale degrees")
Like another modulation - a celebration
And for a moment I was not so broken-hearted
In the major VI compared to where I started
And I almost felt
I had been set free
but the pain was sharp
And returned me to my starting minor key.
Both:
But I found lucky VII
When I finally met you
Now I’m in heaven
since i became ii
And when minor thoughts take over
and sometimes make me blue
I have memories of the major
that help to pull me through.
And it’s alright.
I have finally seen the light.
I can choose a modulation easily
Even think back to that starting minor key.
I’ll face anything as long as you’re with me.
Two together:
We can sing in harmony
Even in a distant key
Modulate sequentially
Epicly!
|
||||
David Newman Harrisonburg, Virginia
Educational Songwriter, Classical Singer, Digital Creator and Innovator, Science Geek and Music Nerd.
Music Theory and Voice Faculty at James Madison University.
If you like David Newman, you may also like:
Minimalist modern classical that captures the slowly unfolding beauty of post-rock groups like Rachel’s.
go to album
Though Dreyblatt’s compositional method is largely complex, his songs have the hard-hitting simplicity of rock 'n’ roll.
go to album
A cycle of 9 duets, “Isolario” is by turns intricate, sparse, mysterious, and moving.
go to album
Conversations in Ritual
by Balladeste
This new album from the contemporary classical duo was completely improvised.
go to album
Julius Eastman Vol. 3: If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
by Wild Up
The Los Angeles ensemble celebrate the late composer's impact in this new collection.
go to album
The composer regularly blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and electronic music on his latest album.
go to album
Imprints 1 & 2
by Simeon Walker
These almost heartbreakingly gentle felted piano compositions have the delicacy and loveliness of slow-falling snow.
go to album
