Tonal Relationships: Major Keys

Keys

Music is in a key when its tones relate to one central tone.  That central tone, called the "tonic" is a note to which others will gravitate and to which others are subordinate. 

Tonic

The central tone to which all others gravitate and from which all others depart is called the tonic. 

Scales

If a key is comprised of tones that relate to one central tone, than a scale is the consecutive ordering of each note within that key to those closest to it in pitch.   Each pitch within the scale may be referred to as a "scale degree" and numbered (with a "hat" designation) according to its relative position in the scale beginning with the tonic. 

Thus: in the Key of C

1 2  3  4  5  6  7  (8=1)
C D E F G A B  C

In addition to this number system, the scale degrees are named as follows:

1 Tonic
2. Supertonic
3. Mediant
4.  Subdominant
5. Dominant
6. Submediant
7. Leading Tone
8. Octave

Octave

The 8th Scale degree carrys the same letter name but is considerably higher than the first scale degree. However, it still carrys much of the weight of the tonic and can be thought of as somewhat equivalent. We use the latin root "Octava" = 8 to designate this phenomenon.

Major Keys

On a keyboard the white notes in order from C to C are separated by "steps"  In most cases there are bigger steps as a black intervenes between two adjacent white keys.  However, E and F and B and C have no intervening black key and are thus adjacent by a small step.  When two notes are adjacent they represent the smallest pitch differential and are called "half steps". Two half steps equal a "whole step"

This relationship between pitches can, and should be considered without the keyboard One should recognize that a half step contains a smaller pitch differential than the whole step.

In the example of C Major there is a half step between scale degrees 3&4 and 7&8 and a whole step between all other adjacent scale degrees.  This is true in all major keys and thus becomes our formula for the construction of a Major Key.

Step Relationship in Major = W-W-h-W-W-W-h

Rules to Construct and identify Major key signatures

1.     Major Keys #

a.     Construct: Begin with F# and continue up in 5ths: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#

b.     Identify: The last sharp in the key signature is 1/2 step lower than the Major key. (ie 3#'s (F#, C#, G#) = A Major)

1.     Major Keys b

a.     Construct: Begin with Bb and continue down in 5ths: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb

b.     Identify: The penultimate b in the keysignature is the Major Key (ie 4bs (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) =Ab Major (1b=F)

Intervals

Intervals describe the pitch relationship between two tones. Intervals formed by the simultaneous sounding of tones are called vertical or harmonic and intervals formed by the tones that sound one after the next are called horizontal or melodic. To quantitatively describe an interval we simply count letter names up or down from one tone to the next.  Thus C to G up is a 5th (C-D-E-F-G).  Later we will discuss the qualitative aspects of intervals. 

Chords, Triads

A chord is a combinantion of 3 or more notes that when sounded make sense together.  Played simultaneously, these notes form a "block" chord.  Played in close proximity these notes are called an arpeggio.  When the chord contains the 5th, and 3rd above its bass tone (called the "root") the chord is called a "Triad"  When the triad contains the tonic as its root, the triad is called a "tonic triad"

Active and Stable Tones

We have already defined 1, the tonic, as the goal to which muical movement is directed and from which it departs. 3, the mediant and 5, the dominant can also serve as goals or points of departure as they have a very close relationship to 1, the tonic. These tones, however, are still subordinate to 1 and although still stable, will not have weaker finality or point of departure.

Passing and Neighboring Tones

The notes that pass between and act as neighbors to the 1st, 3rd, and 5th scale degrees are considerably more active. That is , one can consider scale degrees 2, 4, 6, & 7 as being active tones. When melodic motion passes from one stable tone through an active tone to the next stable tone it is passing through a "passing tone". When melodic motion ascends or descends to an adjacent active tone then returns to the original stable tone the tone to which it has ascended or decended is called a neighbor tone.

Half Steps as Melodic Intensifiers

When an active tone is a half step from a stable one, its motion to the stable tone is particularly intense as the stable tone pulls the active tone towards it.  In Major, 4 moves strongly towards 3 (a half step lower than 4) and 7 moves very strongly towards 8.  Infact 7 leads so strongly to 8 and is so intense that we call 7 a "leading tone"

Incomplete Neighbors and Double Neighbors

When a neighbor tone connects with only one stable tone it is called an "incomplete neighbor"  When a stable tone is follwed by its upper and lower neighbor in succession (or lower and upper neighbor in succession) it is called a "double neighbor"

Transposition: Key Signatures

When a tone other than the original becomes the tonic we may alter the notes of the scale to preserve the same intervalic relationships.  This alteration is called transposing.  For example, in the key of C Major, we had a half step between 3 and 4.  If we were to change our tonic to F and the corresponding key to FMajor we would need to lower the 4th scale degree B  ( think F-G-A-B) one half step to a Bb.  All other scale degrees maintain there intervalic relationships and need not be altered.  Thus:  The new Key of F Major will contain a Bb. `

Chromaticism:  Half Steps

The use of an accidental (sharp or flat) does not always indicate a key change.  Most often they just add emphasis to a target scale degree by means of that intense half step progression.  This use of tones that do not belong in the key is called Chromaticism and can be passing and neighboring tones.  With chromaticism, we get a new kind of half step.  This half step contains the same letter name only altered by an accidental. 

Enharmonics

When two chromatic notes are represented by the samee note on a keyboard instrument, we refer to the two notes as enharmonic equivalents. For example, Db is the enharmonic equivalent to C#.

Minor Keys

Like the Major Keys, the Minor Key is defined as being that set of tones that relate to one central tone. However, minor has a markedly different sound than major and contains three variations: Natural, Melodic, Harmonic

In the example of C Natural Minor there is a half step between scale degrees 2&3 and 5&6 and a whole step between all other adjacent scale degrees.  This is true in all natural minor keys and thus becomes our formula for the construction of a Natural Minor Key.

Step Relationship in Natural Minor = W-h-W-W-h-W-W

Rules to Construct and identify Natural Minor key signatures: A natural minor = no #'s or B's

1.     Natural Minor Keys #

a.     Construct: Begin with F# and continue up in 5ths: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#

b.     Identify: The last sharp in the key signature is a whole step higher than the natural minor key. (ie 3#'s (F#, C#, G#) = F# Natural Minor)

2.     Natural Minor Keys b

a.     Construct: Begin with Bb and continue down in 5ths: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb

b.     Identify: The penultimate b in the keysignature is the minor 3rd of the natural minor Key (ie 4bs (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) where Ab is the minor 3rd of F minor

Note: The Natural Minor is the only form of minor that is represtented by a keysignature and will always be a minor 3rd below its corresponding or "Relative" Major Key

3.     Harmonic Minor

a.     We already saw that the 1/2 steps in Major have a strong gravitational pull. Of particular importance was the pull from the leading tone to the tonic (octave). In order to preserve that critical gravitational pull we often raise the 7th scale degree of the Natural minor one half step thereby transforming it to Harmonic minor.

4.     Melodic Minor

a.    By raising the 7th scale degree in Harmonic Minor, we get an awkward interval between 6 and 7 which sounded foreign to 18th century ears. Hence, to avoid such an interval, a melody that rises to the leading tone of Harmonic minor can avoid that awkward interval by also raising the 6th scale degree. When both the 6th and 7th scale degrees of the natural minor key are raised a half step, it is considered melodic minor.

Relative Keys

When major and minor share the same key signature but possess different tonics, they are called "relative" major and minor

Parallel Keys

When major and minor share the same tonic but possess different key signatures, they are called "parallel" major and minor