Grammar of Music

Courses

Analysing a song

Reading a whole song, and not only its chords: analysis by degree, the melody notes that do not belong to the chord, how fast the harmony changes, and the form in which the sections are arranged.

practical · 2 modules · 4 lessons

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1. The chords by their place

  1. The chord symbol in numerals

    Describing every chord by the place it holds in the key, with the case saying the quality, so the same phrase reads in any key.

  2. The melody between the right notes

    The melody notes outside the chord, classified by how they arrive and how they leave, and the strong-beat rule that decides whether they sound right.

2. The whole song

  1. When the chords change

    The speed of the harmony as a decision separate from the tempo, and the acceleration before a cadence as a sign that a phrase is ending.

  2. The song in a few letters

    The sections and their repetitions, read from the cadences upward, and form as what lets you play by ear.

Analysing a song · Grammar of Music