Embedded Files
Objectives
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Aurally identify common pop harmony schemas including:
Two-chord shuttles in different modes
Blues-based schemas (flat side harmonies)
Major key schemas like "Singer/Songwriter" and "Doowop"
Sight read rhythms in compound time that incorporate ties with 16th note subdivisions.
Preparation for Class
Preparation for Class
Read:
Read:
Optional Review: Lavengood & Hughes: Introduction to Harmonic Schemas in Pop Music [OMT]
Hook Theory, Popular Chord Progressions. Listen to each block chord progression. Sing the bassline. Then, listen to a few examples that use that progression and try to follow the bassline and chord changes.
Watch
Watch
7 Super Common Chord Progressions
David Bennett (20 mins)
Four Chord Song
Axis of Awesome (6 mins)
Optional: Check this out if you missed it in Theory I. An Australian comedy trio mashes up many songs that feature the Singer/Songwriter chord schema.
Explore
Explore
Poke around the Hook Theory site, looking for songs that you already know and love. Do those songs feature any of the schemas you've read about?
In-Class Activities
In-Class Activities
Discussion
Discussion
Harmonic tension & release in pop music
In previous classes, we've talked about harmony being goal oriented, or teleological. Pre-dominant chords like ii and IV lead to dominant chords, then lead back home to tonic chords. That harmonic "journey" creates a sense of tension and release.
Many of these pop music schemas don't follow this harmonic journey. V goes to IV, IV goes to I and so on.
With this in mind, we will discuss whether pop harmonic schemas can drive tension and closure, or whether tension and closure is more due to other musical parameters.
Activities
Activities
Transcription: Transcribe the melody and harmony for an excerpt from the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly" from the 2007 film Once. There are three sections to this excerpt, each one featuring a different harmonic schema. The last one isn't quite a textbook version; discuss which schema it most resembles. There is a handout here with the lyrics below the staff to guide you.
Listening for Blues-Based Schemas: Listen for blues-based schemas, their use, and any variations in three pop songs. (Worksheet here from Open Music Theory).
Modifying Pop Progressions: Navigate to Chord Player and click on the "Explore" tab. You'll find a number of pop songs and their chord progressions. Find one that uses a common Pop schema. Click the 3 dots to the far right of the song and select open project. Listen to the chord progression as it is, then make some modifications to it and try singing the original lyrics over the top of your new chord progression.
Repertoire for Practice
Repertoire for Practice
Sight Reading:
Rhythm: Ties in compound time with subdivision values.
Melody: Continued work with other diatonic leaps and skips.
Additional Optional Practice
Additional Optional Practice
Musition:
Rhythm Tapping: Level 6a–e
Auralia:
Rhythm Elements: Level 5d–6c
Rhythm Element Dictation: Lvl 4h, 4i
Rhythm Dictation Lvl 7a–g
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