The music theory content can be found at Music Fundamentals on the Web.
This assignment page is related to the topic of Triads and more generally Chords.
A chord is two (some say three) or more notes played at the same time. "Chord" is a general term and there are many categories of chord types. The triad is a three note chord that comes in four basic qualities, Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented.
Lilypond has a few ways to express chords in the notation. This web page is very limited and can parse only one of the methods. The angle brackets '< >' can be used to enclose the notes of a chord in lilypond. An example of the \\relative code for a whole note C major triad follows:
<c e g>1
The duration number goes outside of the brackets but don't put a space in between the closing bracket and the number. If the next note or chord is a whole note then you won't need to add the duration to it. Again you need to add the duration number only when it changes from the previous. So the first chord will need it but if the other are also whole notes you can leave off the number.
Assignment 14 is to write out the Major, Minor, Diminished, and Augmented triads for the key of C using whole note durations for all four chords. This assignment has already been completed and the solution is in the lilypond note entry field. Scroll down to examine the lilypond format for the chords used. Click play to hear the triads. Do the usual copy/paste of both the lilypond note code and the full lilypond score into your course lilypond file (and save). Use the lilypond score to create a pdf of assignment 14 using the usual method with lilypond.
Clear the lilypond note entry field (click inside the note entry textarea, select all, click delete). This assignment asks you to write out the diatonic chords of the C major scale, ascending and descending. The Diatonic triads are created by using the root third fifth pattern on every scale degree of a scale. In this case were using the major scale. The diatonic triads are the basic harmonic family of chords for any scale. The scale type, the diatonic chords and a tonic (starting) note all together form what we call a 'key'. For example the key of C major defines the tonic as C, the scale type as 'major' and the a family of chords of the diatonic triads. All total these are a minimum what a musician should understand with the phrase "key of C major'.
It is common to use roman numerals to label chords used within a key system. For instance if we refer to the major scale with numbers of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, we refer to the chords rooted on those notes as I II III IV V VI VII. Each roman numeral triad has a quality of one of three types. For the major scale the triad type as each roman numeral is as follows:
When using this pattern you are always 'diatonic to the key', which means no accidental are needed if you are using a key signature. Notice that the augmented triad isn't one of the diatonic triads of a major scale. It is often used in a major key, but it will need an accidental outside of the key signature.
The scale degrees numbers used are <1 3 5> <2 4 6> <3 5 7> <4 6 8> <5 7 9> <6 8 10> <7 9 11>. For the scale degrees that are higher than 8 you can subtract 7 from that number and get the simple scale degree number, i.e. 11 = (11-7) = 4. Use a half note duration for each chord. The beginning of the assignment should look like this:
\\relative c' { <c e g>2 <d f a> (you fill in the rest ...) }
Don't forget to write the chords in descending order also. You won't need to add any octave marks for this assignment. (click stop then) Click play to hear the triads. Once you are satisfied, do the usual copy/paste of both the lilypond note code and the full lilypond score into your course lilypond file (and save). Use the lilypond score to create a pdf of assignment 15 using the usual method with lilypond.
Clear the lilypond note entry field (click inside the note entry textarea, select all, click delete). For this assignment you are to write out the diatonic triads both ascending and descending for the key of A minor, all three forms. The key of A natural minor will use only natural notes (no sharps or flats). Natural minor has the same types of triads as major. The key of A harmonic minor will use one sharp but it isn't the first sharp used in key signature (F#), instead it uses G# (instead of G). Harmonic minor will have all four types of triads. The key of A melodic minor will use F# (instead of F) and G# (instead of G). Melodic minor will have all four types of triads. A suggested workflow for this assignment is to create the lilypond note code for the natural minor version (which uses no sharps or flats). (click stop then) Click play to hear the triads. Once you are satisfied with the natural minor form, copy and paste that note code two more times for the harmonic and melodic versions. Then make the required changes to the harmonic minor and melodic minor versions. Do the usual copy/paste of both the lilypond note code and the full lilypond score into your course lilypond file (and save). Use the lilypond score to create a pdf of assignment 16 using the usual method with lilypond.
Since there are three forms of minor the minor key has more variety of triads. It is common to mix the forms within a composition. One common example is the well known chord progression of Aminor, Gmajor, Fmajor, Emajor. This chord progression has been popular for centuries and it is part natural minor and part harmonic minor, but entirely 'the key of A minor' even though most of the chords are major.
\\relative c'' { <a c e>8 <a c e> <g b d> <g b d> <f a c> <f a c> <e gis b> <e gis b> }
click on the 'Load the code' button to transfer the code to the lilypond note entry field. Scroll down. click the loop checkbox and (click stop then) click Play.
Clear the lilypond note entry field (click inside the note entry textarea, select all, click delete). This assignment is a quiz on triads. Write out the following triads from the given roots (using the octave of middle C). Give each triad a duration of a whole note.