Music Theory: Chords
Master the foundation of Western harmony — from basic triads to modern extensions!
This comprehensive course covers all essential triad structures through clear theory + hands-on exercises from your original materials.
Core Triad Types
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Major, minor, diminished, augmented — interval structure & construction
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Root position triads in all 12 keys (exercises: C F G Bb; D F# D♭ A♭ majors, etc.)
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Classical vs modern notation standards (C, C/E, C/G, C6, C6/3, C6/4)
Diatonic Harmony Essentials
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Triads within the diatonic scale (I, II-, III-, IV, V, VI-, VII-(b5))
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Tonic (T), subdominant (S), dominant (D) functions with principal (I-IV-V) and secondary degrees
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Roman numeral analysis for progressions and real examples (Analysis 1 & 2)
Advanced Triad Concepts
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Chord inversions (root position, 1st, 2nd) with voice leading and common tones (exercises in C major)
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Suspended chords (sus2, sus4) — writing and identification
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Added-note chords (add9/add2, add6, add11) — writing and identification
Seventh Chords (Full Coverage)
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Major 7th (Cmaj7), dominant 7th (C7), minor 7th (Cm7), minor-major 7th (Cm(maj7))
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Half-diminished 7th (Cm7♭5 / Cø7), fully diminished 7th (Cdim7 / C°7)
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Writing exercises (Cmaj7, E♭maj7, G7, E7, Dm7, Gm7, Cm7(b5), Cdim7, etc.)
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Identification exercises
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Extended chords (9, 11, 13): C9, Cmaj9, C11, C13, C7(#9), C7(b9#11), alterations like b9, #9, b13
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Writing exercises (G9, Fmaj9, Bb7(#9), Dm11, A7(b13), etc.)
Complete Learning System
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Clear theoretical explanations (root, third, fifth intervals)
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Writing drills for construction (triads, sus/add, seventh, extended)
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Identification and analysis exercises (all chord types)
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Real musical examples: Happy Days (N. Gimbel), In Dreams (H. Shore); Exercises 1 & 2 with principal degrees I-IV-V
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Full analysis charts and degree placement
From classical functionality to contemporary sounds — the complete triad toolkit!
About This Course
Over the past few years, I’ve taught music theory at various music schools across Australia and Belgium. I created these materials so students could practice effectively both at home and during lessons.
I’ve compiled the best of these classroom-tested exercises in the education section of my website. While I’ve lost some over the years, everything recovered from cloud storage is now available here.
Perfect for:
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Intermediate students tackling harmony
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Teachers needing triad curriculum
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Musicians expanding harmonic vocabulary
Proven effective from real classrooms — download and build your harmonic foundation today!
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