Unit 6-6: Sus Chords, 7ths

Transcription of "Ring of Keys": Transcribe the chords to the first part of "Ring of Keys" by Jeanine Tesori. This excerpt has 3 sections, each one with a different schema. There are notable examples of sus chords and seventh chords!

• • Youtube Recording

  • Worksheet

Discussion Topics for "Ring of Keys"

• • Section 1 - through the second "I feel..."

    • • What kind of pop harmonic schema does this part feature? Does this schema create a sense of goal-oriented motion, or a sense of time standing still/moving in circles?

      • What kind of chord type features heavily in this section? What meaning or emotion do you think Tesori is trying to evoke with these chord types?

      • The final chord of the section feels quite a bit different than what came before—what might that chord reveal about what the character of Alison is feeling in this moment?

  • Section 2 - through "lace-up boots"

    • • This section features a new schema, and not necessarily one we've heard before

      • The bass has a very distinctive motion—how does it move?

      • Like in the last section, the final chord of this section feels distinct. What is that chord and once again, what may it reveal about Alison?

  • Section 3 - "Ring of Keys!"

    • • The harmony here feels quite surprising! It is related to a schema we've heard before, and starting at the end of the phrase (where the harmony resets to the tonic) might help you figure it out.

      • What does this surprise reveal about Alison?

  • A big guiding question:

    • • Does the song use any goal-oriented, tonal harmony (tonic-predominant-dominant-tonic)? Does Alison have a goal or realization? If these things are at odds, how can we square them from an interpretive standpoint?