Unit Objectives

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

• Demonstrate proficiency in identifying and constructing chords using lead sheet (jazz) notation and the Nashville number system and relate this notation to Roman numeral notation.

• Describe how 7th chords are used in popular music, demonstrating proficiency in spelling and identifying them in repertoire examples using lead sheet or Roman numeral notation.

• Identify and define song sections in verse-chorus song forms, analyze chords in repertoire examples, and describe the function of each section, using tools like Briformer for diagramming.

• Construct and identify sus chords, power chords, added chords, and extended chords, describing how different chord types influence the overall effect, dissonance, movement, and musical styles.

• Construct and recognize dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, and locrian modes, analyze musical examples for modal characteristics, identify common triads and distinctive scale degrees, and describe the aural characteristics of each mode on a continuum of darkness to brightness.