Using chord vi and using the bass harmonically
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can develop an idiomatic bass line and modulate a chord sequence into the relative minor key.
Key learning points
- Chord vi is the relative minor chord in a major key.
- It can be used to briefly suggest minor tonality, adding complexity and interest to a chord sequence.
- The bass part is crucial to harmony, because it emphasises key notes in each chord and determines chord inversions.
- It is usually notated in bass clef.
- Using the bass to emphasise root position chords helps to strengthen the harmony.
Keywords
Relative minor - the minor chord or key that has the same key signature as a major key (e.g. A minor compared to C major)
Tonic - chord I - the 'home' note and chord of a key and the note that the key is named after
Dominant - the fifth note in a scale, or the chord based on that note (chord V)
Root position - a chord in which the root note is the lowest note
Chord inversion - when the notes of a chord are reordered so that the root is not the lowest note
Common misconception
You should use root position chords sparingly because they sound uninteresting.
Not necessarily. Root position chords are important because they anchor the music in the key. Most chords in a chord sequence should be root position, with some inversions used to add interst and variety.
Teacher tip
For experienced composers, consider using the dominant of Am (an E chord) in bar 4, before the A minor chord. This creates a perfect cadence in A minor, which more strongly suggests a minor key. Use this to accentuate the importance of the tonic-dominant relationship.
Equipment
DAW, notation software, keyboard or other suitable instrument as a composition tool.
Licence
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