the construction and aural identification of triads and seventh chords, chord qualities and inversions, and common diatonic harmonic progressions and cadences

What this dot point is asking

Harmony is central to the music language strand. You need to build chords from a given root, identify their quality and inversion, and trace how chords move through a progression to a cadence. This underpins transcription, analysis of works and your own composition.

Building triads

A triad is three notes stacked in thirds. The lowest is the root, then the third and the fifth. The quality depends on the size of those thirds.

In a major key the diatonic triads are: I major, ii minor, iii minor, IV major, V major, vi minor and vii diminished. Capital Roman numerals show major chords, lower case show minor, and a small circle marks the diminished chord. Knowing this pattern lets you label any chord in a key instantly.

Seventh chords

Adding a fourth note a third above the fifth creates a seventh chord. The most important is the dominant seventh (V7), a major triad with a minor seventh, which carries a strong pull to the tonic. Other common types are the major seventh (bright, jazzy), the minor seventh (smooth) and the half-diminished seventh built on the leading note.

Inversions

A chord is in root position when its root is the lowest sounding note. If the third is in the bass it is first inversion, and if the fifth is in the bass it is second inversion. Inversions change the bass line and the colour without changing the chord's identity. Figured bass or slash chords (for example C/E) tell you which note is in the bass.

Cadences

A cadence is a two-chord progression that punctuates a phrase, like musical punctuation.

• Perfect (authentic) cadence: V to I, a full stop, sounds finished.
• Imperfect (half) cadence: any chord to V, a comma, sounds unfinished.
• Plagal cadence: IV to I, the amen cadence, gentle close.
• Interrupted (deceptive) cadence: V to vi, a surprise that avoids the expected tonic.

Common progressions

Certain progressions appear constantly across styles. The I, IV, V and I, V, vi, IV progressions drive most pop and rock. The ii, V, I is the backbone of jazz. The 12-bar blues uses I, IV and V in a fixed 12-bar pattern. Recognising these by ear lets you predict and notate harmony quickly.

Hearing harmony

Train your ear to hear the bass line first, because the bass often carries the root and reveals the progression. Then listen for whether each chord sounds bright (major) or dark (minor), and whether a seventh adds tension. For cadences, focus on the final two chords and whether the phrase sounds finished or suspended.

Drill chord construction in several keys, label progressions with Roman numerals, and identify cadences in recorded extracts. Secure harmony makes both your aural exam and your written analysis far more reliable.