Lesson 9
Harmony I

Practice Drills
rhythm
PDFdrills_L9

Assignments

Creative
Project
Project C

 

 
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3

Harmonic analysis

So far, we have learned to analyze individual chords. Now let's look at an entire composition (albeit, a simple song) and analyze its harmony. The following steps can serve as a guide for harmonic analysis of a composition.

1. Determine the key and the mode.
   
  Hint: The key signature narrows the choice of keys to one major key and its relative minor. Most compositions stress the tonic at the beginning of a piece either by beginning on tonic or quickly progressing from the dominant to tonic. Also, most compositions will end on tonic.
   
2. Analyze each chord in the respective key and indicate its position (root or inversion).
   
  This is really no different from the analyses we did in Lessons 7 and 8 other than we will be analyzing a chord progression rather than isolated chords. If necessary, rewrite each chord in close root position. Label each chord with the appropriate Roman numeral and figured bass.

Analysis of a melody with chordal accompaniment

"Bingo" is a tune most of you will know. Notice the melody is in the treble clef and a chordal accompaniment or harmonization is in the bass clef. Do a harmonic analysis of this song: determine the key and mode and then label each chord (bass clef) with a Roman numeral (and figured bass, if necessary, to indicate inversions). Notice that almost every note of the melody is part of the bass clef chord.

       
 

Analyze a melody with chordal accompaniment
     
     

After you have completed your own harmonic analysis, check it with the key.

Analysis of 4-part harmony

The analysis of a composition in 4-part harmony is similar to what you have already done. The major difference is that the harmony is located on two staves rather than just one. The treble staff includes two notes ("soprano" and "alto") while the bass clef includes two notes ("tenor" and "bass"). Of course, that means there are four notes per chord, and yet a triad has only three notes. As you study the chords below, you will notice that in each chord there is one note that is "doubled." For example, in the first chord there is a G in the bass as well as in the soprano. Thus, the chord is a triad with only three separate letter names for pitches. To analyze a composition in 4-part harmony, it may help to determine the letter names of each chord and then rewrite the chord on a single staff in close root position. Following is the first chord of the "Doxology." I have labeled the notes of the original chord, and then I rewrote the chord in close root position.

Now determine the key of this piece and analyze each of the chords within that key.

       
 

Analyze 4-part harmony
     
     

After you have completed your own harmonic analysis, check it with the key.
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