← Music syllabus

EnglandMusic

Harmony and Tonality

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are chords, inversions and functional harmony, and how are they labelled?

Triads and seventh chords, their qualities and inversions, Roman-numeral and figured-bass labelling, and functional harmony (tonic, subdominant, dominant function and common progressions), as the harmonic vocabulary for analysis and the composing exercises.
A focused answer to chords and functional harmony for OCR A-Level Music. Covers triads and seventh chords, major, minor, diminished and augmented qualities, inversions and their figured-bass and Roman-numeral labelling, and functional harmony (tonic, predominant and dominant function, common progressions and the cycle of fifths), for analysis and the composing technical exercises.
16 min answer →

What harmonic devices create tension and colour, and how do dissonances resolve?

Harmonic devices and dissonance, the pedal point and drone, suspensions, passing and auxiliary notes, sequences, chromatic chords (secondary dominants, diminished and augmented sixths) and their resolution, as examined in analysis and used in the composing exercises.
A focused answer to harmonic devices and dissonance for OCR A-Level Music. Covers pedal points and drones, suspensions and their resolution, passing and auxiliary notes, harmonic sequences, and chromatic chords (secondary dominants, the Neapolitan and augmented sixths), explaining how dissonance creates and resolves tension, for analysis and the composing technical exercises.
15 min answer →

How do keys, cadences and modulation work, and how do I identify them by ear and on the page?

Keys and the major/minor system, the four cadence types and their function, and modulation to related keys (dominant, subdominant, relative and tonic minor/major), as the tonal framework for analysis and the composing exercises.
A focused answer to keys, cadences and modulation for OCR A-Level Music. Covers the major and minor key system, the circle of fifths and related keys, the four cadence types (perfect, imperfect, plagal, interrupted) and their function, and modulation to the dominant, subdominant, relative and tonic minor or major, for both listening analysis and the composing technical exercises.
16 min answer →

How do I recognise chords, cadences and harmonic features by ear under exam conditions?

Aural recognition of harmony, hearing major and minor chords, sevenths, cadences and modulations, and tracking harmonic rhythm and the bass line, as required by the listening questions and the harmonic dictation.
A focused answer to recognising harmony by ear for OCR A-Level Music. Covers hearing chord quality (major, minor, diminished, sevenths), identifying cadences and the bass line, tracking harmonic rhythm and modulation, and a method for the harmonic dictation, building the aural skill the listening questions and Section B require.
15 min answer →