Unit 5-2: Common-Tone Chords

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Spell and identify common-tone diminished 7th chords and other common-tone chords, using examples from the reading.
Explain the function and voice leading of common-tone chords in harmonic progressions.
Analyze musical excerpts to identify the use of common-tone chords, describing their harmonic context and how they function within the overall progression.
Compare and contrast common-tone chords with other types of chromatic chords, highlighting their unique characteristics and applications.
Compose short harmonic progressions that incorporate common-tone chords, demonstrating an understanding of their function, construction, and voice leading.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Common-tone diminished seventh (CTo7) (Multimodal Musicianship)
Common-Tone Chords (CTº7 & CT+6) - Just read the section “Creating a CT+6 chord” (Open Music Theory)

Watch

Common Tone Diminished 7th Chords
(Kati Meyer, 8 mins)

Common-Tone Diminished 7ths
(Seth Monahan, 26 mins)

Explore

Chord Player. Experiment with strings of chord progressions that include common-tone chords. Models based on the reading are provided below. Try editing these or making your own.

Click on “Edit all” (bottom right) to edit the lead sheet notation. Click on “Style” (top middle) to change the musical style.

Study Aids

Examples of Common-Tone Diminished 7th Chords Voiced in KB Style
(Source: Sarah Louden. Image | MuseScore | PDF)

In-Class Activities

Discussion

Identification and Function: What are common-tone chords, and how are they constructed? Discuss the specific characteristics of common-tone diminished seventh chords (CT°7) and other common-tone chords using examples from the readings. In analysis, how do you know that you're looking at a CTº7 chord rather than a secondary leading-tone chord (e.g. viiº7/V or viiº7/ii)?

Harmonic Context: How do common-tone chords function within a harmonic progression? Compose a T-(PD)-D-T chord progression and consider places where a CTº7 chord might be used to embellish the progression.

Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast common-tone chords with other types of chromatic harmonies discussed this semester. What are the unique characteristics and applications of common-tone chords that set them apart from other chromatic chords?

Activities

Online Worksheets
- - Analysis: Excerpts by Alberto Nepomuceno, Agustin Barrios, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (Diverse Music Theory Examples)
    - - Worksheet: PDF | Solution
  - Partwriting & Analysis (Multimodal Musicianship)
    - - Analysis excerpt from Chopin, Nocturne, op. 32, no. 2. See Exercise 48-1
      - Partwriting with ctº7 chords. See Exercise 48-2.
  - Chord spelling, 4-part writing, and analysis (Open Music Theory)
    - - Worksheet: PDF | Docx | Audio (starting at 0:25)
Composition: Compose a chord progression that incorporates a CTº7, then part-write the progression in 4-part keyboard style. Swap with a partner to check voice leading. If there's time, add texture and a melody to your chord progression.
- - Find ideas for accompanimental textures in the anthology here.
Recomposition: Pick examples from the Music Theory Anthology that use diatonic progressions. Rewrite each excerpt to include an CTº7. Discuss strategies for incorporating these chords into your compositions. Sample anthology sections are here and here.

Repertoire for Practice

Full Score Analysis: Gussie L. Davis, “The Fatal Wedding: Descriptive Waltz Song” (1893)
- - Directions: Identify the Roman numerals, cadences, and overall formal structure. The harmony includes CTº7 chords, mode mixture, secondary dominants, modulation, augmented 6ths, and a few more challenging harmonies that include deceptive resolutions of secondary dominants and augmented 6ths resolving to harmonies other than V.
  - Scores: PDF, MuseScore, YouTube
  - Instructor Note: An annotated score is included on the instructor site.
Anthology: Select examples from the anthology for listening and analysis.

Anthology: Common-Tone Chords

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Chromatic Modulation

Practice

Musition: [levels]
Auralia: [levels]

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