Music Theory and Harmony Flashcards
7 cards from real Songwriters practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Music Theory and Harmony flashcards as text
What three notes make up a basic A minor triad?
Answer: A, C, E
A minor triad stacks the root A, minor third C, and perfect fifth E.
A songwriter wants a melody to feel 'unresolved' so listeners want the next line. Ending the phrase on which scale degree best achieves this?
Answer: The fifth or the leading tone, not the tonic
Ending on an unstable degree like the fifth or leading tone leaves tension that pulls the ear forward.
The interval from the root to the third determines whether a triad is:
Answer: Major or minor
A major third gives a major triad and a minor third gives a minor triad, defining the chord's quality.
In a 12-bar blues in the key of E, the IV chord is which chord?
Answer: A
The IV chord in E is built on the fourth degree, A.
A diminished triad is built from which stacked intervals?
Answer: Two minor thirds
A diminished triad stacks two minor thirds, producing a minor third plus a diminished fifth from the root.
What is the relationship between the keys C major and A minor?
Answer: They are relative keys sharing the same key signature (no sharps or flats)
C major and A minor are relative keys; both use no sharps or flats and share all seven notes.
Adding the note D to a C major triad (C-E-G) creates which colorful chord often used in folk and country?
Answer: Cadd9
Adding the ninth (D) without a seventh produces a Cadd9, a bright, open sound common in acoustic songwriting.