Integrated Aural Skills 2019-20
Comprehensive Review of Compound Seventh Chords
Review of Solfege and Function
| Chord Name | double diminished (fully diminished) 7 | half diminished (diminished minor) 7 | minor-minor 7 | major-minor 7 | major-major 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | dd 7 | dm 7 | mm 7 | Mm 7 | MM 7 |
| Intervallic Structure of the Chord | diminished triad + major third OR three stacked minor 3rds | diminished triad + major 3rd | minor triad + minor 3rd | major triad + minor 3rd | major triad + major 3rd |
| Common Harmonic Function | vii07 in minor keys | iiØ7 in minor keys OR viiØ7 in major keys | ii7 OR vi7 in major keys | V7 in major AND minor keys | rare in classical music; commoner in jazz and pop |
| Solfege | ti re fa le | re fa le do OR ti re fa la | re fa la do OR la do mi sol | sol ti re fa | do mi sol ti |
Context Review
Study the following scores and listen to them on the Spotify playlist “UI Aural Skills III Seventh Chords” by user “mirandawilson.”
- dd7: Johann Sebastian Bach (attrib.), Toccata and Fugue
- dm7: Richard Wagner, “Vorspiel” from Tristan und Isolde
- mm7: Claude Debussy, *La fille aux cheveux de lin**
- Mm7: Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 2 No. 3, I
- MM7: Pat Ballard, “Mr. Sandman”
Inverting Seventh Chords
Review the following table of the inversions and spellings of seventh chords.
| Position | Intervallic Relation | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Root Position | 1-3-5-7 | 7 |
| First Inversion | 1-3-5-6 | 6/5 |
| Second Inversion | 1-3-4-6 | 4/3 |
| Third Inversion | 1-2-4-6 | 4/2 |
Piano Practice - Inverting Seventh Chords
Review how the inversions of the seventh chords feel under your fingers on the piano keyboard. Play them blocked, then arpeggiated. Notice how they are similar to, and different from each other. Improvise contexts for them using your knowledge of chord progressions and voice-leading.
Singing Practice - Seventh Chords in Solfege and Context
Review this singing warm-up, paying special attention to finding your intervals in a vocally independent manner (i.e. with minimal reference to pitches on the piano).
Compound Seventh Chords - Intervallic Relations
Review the following table of intervallic relations within compound seventh chords. Memorize these rules for easy recall.
| (intervallic relation) | fully diminished (dd) | half diminished (dm) | minor-minor (mm) | major-minor (Mm) | major-major (MM) |
| contains tritones? | 2 (ti-fa, re-le) | 1 (ti-fa OR re-le) | 0 | 1 (ti-fa) | 0 |
| contains P5 or P4? | no | 1 (re-la OR fa-do) | 2 (re-la and fa-do OR la-mi and do-sol) | 1 (sol-re) | 2 (do-sol, mi-ti) |
| what type of 7th? | diminished (ti-le) | minor (ti-la OR re-do) | minor (re-do OR la-sol) | minor (sol-fa) | major (do-ti) |
Compound Seventh Chords - Quick Identification
Review and memorize the flow chart to sort through information quickly and eliminate potential wrong answers.
Piano Practice - Inversions and Contexts
Practice the following contexts for compound seventh chords at the piano. Notice the voice-leading, and play the chords both blocked and arpeggiated, as well as playing the four voices separately to hear their linear shapes.
