Year 10 - Music
Developing chord progressions
Free Composition: Extending ideas
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Unit Summary
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Lesson Summary
You will learn to use harmonic devices to develop a chord progression.
Key Notes
- Changing the harmonic rhythm can add interest to a composition. It can dramatically alter the mood in a piece.
- Harmonic devices such as pedal notes and drones are useful for building harmonic tension and adding colour.
- By adding extensions to chords, composers can enhance the expressive qualities of chord sequences.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Harmonic rhythm: Harmonic rhythm is how often the chords change.
- Pedal note: A pedal note is a bass note that stays the same while chords change above it.
- Drone: A drone is a long, sustained sound. Often it is low pitched and consists of two notes together - the tonic and dominant.
- Extended chord: An extended chord is a chord that includes more than three different notes.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- A pedal note is just a long, low note.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Changing the harmonic rhythm can add interest to a composition. It can dramatically alter the mood in a piece. Harmonic devices such as pedal notes and drones are useful for building harmonic tension and adding colour.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Harmonic rhythm'
Harmonic rhythm is how often the chords change.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: A pedal note is just a long, low note. Correction: A pedal note is a consistent pitch usually in the bass whilst the chords change. Encourage pupils to listen to and experiment with the pitch they choose for a pedal to hear the effect it has on the harmony.
More Lessons In This Unit
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