Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys Course Syllabus

This comprehensive musicianship course spans 8 weeks and develops your ability to understand and construct harmonic progressions across major and minor tonalities. You'll master chord identification, Roman numeral analysis, voice leading principles, and practical application to real-world lead sheets and arrangements. By course completion, you'll analyze complex harmonic progressions, transpose chord charts, and apply secondary dominants with confidence. Designed for intermediate musicians and music theory students seeking professional-level harmonic fluency.

Module 1: Chord Construction and Inversion

Foundation module covering triad and seventh chord construction, quality identification, and inversions. You'll learn how chord symbols correspond to keyboard voicings and develop ear training drills for recognizing chord qualities in context. Hands-on keyboard exercises reinforce real-time chord recognition and performance.

• Triad construction: major, minor, diminished, augmented
• Seventh chord types and their harmonic function
• Root position, first inversion, second inversion voicings
• Keyboard realization and chord symbol transcription

Estimated time: 10 hours

Module 2: Roman Numeral Analysis in Major Keys

Systematic approach to analyzing chord progressions using Roman numerals, scale degrees, and harmonic function. You'll identify I, IV, V, ii, iii, vi, vii° chords and understand cadential patterns (authentic, plagal, deceptive, half). Analysis assignments cover classical, jazz, and contemporary progressions in major keys.

• Roman numeral system and harmonic function labels
• Diatonic seventh chords in major keys
• Cadential patterns and phrase structures
• Harmonic analysis of Bach chorale excerpts

Estimated time: 12 hours

Module 3: Voice Leading Fundamentals

Principles of smooth voice leading including common-tone retention, stepwise motion, and voice independence. You'll learn to avoid parallel fifths and octaves, manage voice crossing, and create four-part harmony. Practical writing exercises build fluency in implementing these principles across progressions.

• Part-writing rules and voice independence
• Smooth voice leading techniques and optimization
• Doubling conventions and voice distribution
• Four-part harmony writing exercises

Estimated time: 10 hours

Module 4: Minor Key Harmony and Modal Variations

Explores natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales with corresponding diatonic chords and harmonic functions. You'll analyze how altered chords in minor keys create distinctive harmonic colors and develop strategy for recognizing minor key modulations. Case studies examine classical and contemporary minor key applications.

• Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor diatonic chords
• The raised leading tone in harmonic minor
• Distinguishing parallel and relative major/minor relationships
• Minor key cadences and progression types

Estimated time: 11 hours

Module 5: Secondary Dominants and Borrowed Chords

Advanced chromatic harmony techniques that extend harmonic vocabulary beyond diatonic functionality. Secondary dominants temporarily tonicize non-tonic chords, while borrowed chords import sonorities from parallel keys. You'll apply these techniques to create sophisticated progressions heard in jazz standards and contemporary arrangements.

• Secondary dominant (V/x) construction and resolution
• Secondary leading-tone diminished chords
• Borrowed chords from parallel minor and major keys
• Chromatic voice leading in context

Estimated time: 11 hours

Module 6: Lead Sheet Reading and Transposition

Practical skills for working with chord symbols, fakebooks, and lead sheets used by session musicians and bandleaders. Develop facility transposing progressions to any key, reading figured bass, and adapting arrangements. Guided exercises use real jazz standards and contemporary songs to build fluency in rapid transposition.

• Chord symbol conventions and variations
• Transposition strategies for all twelve keys
• Fakebook and lead sheet interpretation
• Real-time score reading application

Estimated time: 9 hours

Module 7: Harmonic Analysis and Arranging Applications

Capstone module applying all learned principles to analyze and arrange real repertoire. You'll deconstruct pieces by Bach, Mozart, jazz composers, and contemporary artists, identifying structural and functional harmony. Arranging exercises challenge you to voice progressions idiomatically across different instrumental combinations and styles.

• Harmonic analysis of Bach chorales and classical sonatas
• Jazz standard progression dissection
• Identifying and adapting idiomatic voicings by style
• Arrangement realization: orchestra, jazz combo, piano

Estimated time: 10 hours

Module 8: Final Capstone Project

Comprehensive project demonstrating mastery of all course concepts. Select a lead sheet or harmonic progression and deliver: (1) detailed Roman numeral analysis identifying all functional harmony and non-diatonic chords, (2) a voice-led four-part arrangement, (3) transposition to two additional keys with proper harmonic voice leading, and (4) a one-page reflection on your analytical process and arranging decisions.

• Harmonic analysis paper with detailed commentary
• Four-part voice-led arrangement
• Transposed arrangement in two keys with justification
• Recording or performance (optional)

Estimated time: 12 hours

Prerequisites

• Basic music literacy: staff reading, note names, intervals
• Knowledge of major and minor scales and their degree names
• Understanding of basic triads and chord symbols
• Access to notation software (MuseScore, Finale, or Dorico) or manuscript paper

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Identify any chord by quality and function using Roman numerals in major and minor keys
• Write smooth voice-led four-part harmonies applying professional part-writing conventions
• Analyze complex harmonic progressions including secondary dominants and borrowed chords
• Read and transpose lead sheets fluently across all twelve keys without errors
• Arrange chord progressions idiomatically for various instruments and ensemble types
• Apply harmonic principles to create original progressions and compositional decisions