Resources
Harmony Analysis Tools
Use these to identify keys, chord progressions, and harmonic patterns.
Common Progressions
CI
GV
Amvi
FIV
I V vi IV — Pop/Rock "Axis" — Optimistic and resolved.
Ami
GVII
FVI
GVII
i VII VI VII — Minor Rock — Driving, urgent, dark.
GI
CIV
DV
I IV V — Three-Chord Trick — Blues, rock and roll, country.
Dmii
GV
CI
ii V I — Jazz ii–V–I — The foundation of jazz harmony.
Chord Functions
Roman numerals describe a chord's position within a key. Uppercase = major chord; lowercase = minor chord.
I / i
Tonic — home base. Stable and resolved.
IV / iv
Subdominant — leads away from home.
V
Dominant — creates tension wanting to resolve.
vi
Relative minor — adds emotional depth.
ii
Leads naturally to V (jazz ii–V–I).
VII
Common in rock and minor-key music.
Quick Reference Chord Table
Major Keys
| Key | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♯s | C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bm♭5 |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯m♭5 | |
| D | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯m♭5 | |
| A | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯m♭5 | |
| E | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯m♭5 | |
| B | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m♭5 | |
| F♯ | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m | B | C♯ | D♯m | E♯m♭5 | |
| ♭s | F | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Em♭5 |
| B♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Am♭5 | |
| E♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm♭5 | |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm♭5 | |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm♭5 | |
| G♭ | G♭ | A♭m | B♭m | C♭ | D♭ | E♭m | Fm♭5 |
Minor Keys
| Key | i | ii° | III | iv | v / V | VI | VII | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♯s | Am | Am | Bm♭5 | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
| Em | Em | F♯m♭5 | G | Am | Bm | C | D | |
| Bm | Bm | C♯m♭5 | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | |
| F♯m | F♯m | G♯m♭5 | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | |
| C♯m | C♯m | D♯m♭5 | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | |
| G♯m | G♯m | A♯m♭5 | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ | |
| D♯m | D♯m | E♯m♭5 | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m | B | C♯ | |
| ♭s | Dm | Dm | Em♭5 | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C |
| Gm | Gm | Am♭5 | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | |
| Cm | Cm | Dm♭5 | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | |
| Fm | Fm | Gm♭5 | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | |
| B♭m | B♭m | Cm♭5 | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ |
Resources
Glossary of Terms
Key musical terms and their definitions.
ADSR Envelope
Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release — the four stages shaping how a synthesised sound develops over time.
Arpeggio
The notes of a chord played one at a time in sequence rather than simultaneously.
Articulation
How notes are attacked and released — staccato (short), legato (smooth), accented (emphasised).
Backbeat
Emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time. The snare drum in rock — what makes you nod your head.
Belting
Singing powerfully in chest voice at high range. Raw and emotionally intense — central to rock and soul.
Blue Notes
Flattened 3rd, 5th, and 7th scale degrees. Central to blues and jazz; sit between major and minor intervals.
Bridge
A contrasting section (usually once per song) providing harmonic or lyrical variety before a final chorus.
Call and Response
A musical conversation — one phrase answered by another. Rooted in African, gospel, and blues traditions.
Chord Progression
A sequence of chords forming the harmonic backbone of a song. Described using Roman numerals.
Chromatic
Moving in half-steps (semitones). Adds colour and tension to melody or harmony.
Distortion / Overdrive
Effects that clip the guitar signal, adding harmonic saturation and sustain. Central to rock and punk.
Dynamics
Variation in volume — from very quiet (pp) to very loud (ff). One of music's most powerful emotional tools.
Falsetto
A light, breathy high register produced by only the edges of the vocal cords vibrating.
Fill
A short improvised passage (usually drums) that fills a gap or marks a structural transition.
Ghost Notes
Very lightly played notes (usually snare drum) that add texture without asserting themselves prominently.
Groove
The rhythmic feel of a piece — how the rhythm section locks together to create movement and pulse.
Hammer-on / Pull-off
Guitar techniques where notes are sounded by finger movements rather than picking — enabling smooth legato runs.
Hook
The most memorable, ear-catching part of a song — often the chorus melody or an instrumental riff.
Key
The tonal centre of a piece — the "home base." Major = brighter; minor = darker.
LFO
Low Frequency Oscillator — creates vibrato, tremolo, or the "wobble" bass in dubstep by slowly modulating a parameter.
Melisma
Singing multiple notes on a single syllable — the "runs" of gospel, soul, and R&B vocals.
Modulation
Changing key within a song. A sudden upward modulation in the final chorus creates lift and energy.
Motif
A short musical idea — melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic — that recurs throughout a piece, giving it identity.
Ostinato
A persistently repeated pattern that underlies other musical activity. The riff in Beat It is an example.
Palm Muting
Guitar technique where the picking hand rests on strings near the bridge, creating a muted, chunky sound.
Pentatonic Scale
A five-note scale widely used in blues, rock, and pop — the foundation of most popular guitar solos.
Riff
A short, repeated melodic or rhythmic figure — usually on guitar or bass — forming the backbone of a song.
Sampling
Taking a portion of an existing recording and using it in a new piece. Central to hip hop production.
Syncopation
Emphasis on weak beats or between beats. Creates rhythmic interest, energy, and forward momentum.
Tapping (Two-Hand)
Guitar technique where the picking hand taps the fretboard, enabling fast wide-interval passages. Associated with Eddie Van Halen.
Texture
The density and character of the overall sound — how many instruments are playing and how they relate.
Through-Composed
Music that doesn't repeat any major section. Bohemian Rhapsody is a famous example.
Timbre
The tonal quality or "colour" of a sound — what makes a guitar sound different from a piano on the same note.
Vibrato
A rapid, slight pitch oscillation adding warmth and expression — used by vocalists and guitarists.
Walking Bass
A bass part moving stepwise through chord changes, connecting harmonies melodically. Central to jazz.
Resources
Describing Tone, Texture & Timbre
A vocabulary list for describing the quality of sounds you are hearing.
| Tone / Timbre | General Descriptive / Expressive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright | Smooth | Woody | Punchy |
| Dark | Rough | Breathy | Floating |
| Warm | Crisp | Pure | Driving |
| Thin | Fuzzy | Distorted | Sustained |
| Rich | Rounded | Thick | Percussive |
| Harsh | Sharp | Sparse | Lush |
| Smooth | Soft | Dense | Raw |
| Mellow | Powerful | Layered | Intimate |
| Edgy | Muted | Thin-textured | Atmospheric |
| Nasal | Open | Full | Heavy |
| Resonant | Dry | Light | Transparent |
| Hollow | Wet | Complex | Simple |
| Metallic | Gritty | ||
Resources
Sentence Starters
Use these to get your ideas onto the page. Replace the brackets with your own specific observations.
The Three-Part Move
Every analytical sentence should: (1) name the element or technique, (2) describe what it does, and (3) explain the effect it creates.
Structure
The song follows a [standard / unusual] structure, opening with [section] before moving into [section]...
The verse is characterised by [describe texture/mood], which contrasts effectively with the chorus, which [describe change]...
Rather than following a conventional verse-chorus structure, the song is through-composed — each section introduces new material, creating [effect]...
The song's outro is particularly effective — rather than [fading / repeating passively], it [builds / strips back], leaving the listener with [effect]...
Harmony
The song is written in [key], a [major/minor] key, which immediately establishes a [mood] atmosphere...
The main chord progression — [Roman numeral progression] — creates a sense of [tension / resolution / urgency] throughout the song...
The shift from [chord/key] to [chord/key] at [point in song] creates a harmonic change that [surprises the listener / provides lift / increases tension]...
The harmony in the verse differs from the chorus in that [describe difference], contributing to the [contrast / climax] at the chorus entry...
Melody
The verse melody sits in a [low/mid/high] register, moving primarily in [stepwise motion / leaps], creating a [conversational / dramatic] quality...
As the song moves into the chorus, the melody [rises / leaps upward], creating a sense of [emotional release / increased intensity]...
[Artist]'s vocal delivery uses [technique], adding [warmth / urgency / vulnerability] to the melodic line...
Rhythm
The song is in [time signature] at approximately [tempo] BPM, creating a [driving / relaxed / urgent] rhythmic feel...
The syncopated [guitar riff / bass line / vocal rhythm] adds rhythmic interest by placing emphasis on the off-beat, which [creates tension / gives the song its groove]...
The shift in feel between [verse] and [chorus] — from [describe] to [describe] — amplifies the emotional contrast between sections...
Instrumental Techniques
The most distinctive instrumental element is [instrument/technique], which [describe] and creates a [tone/effect] that [suits the mood / drives the energy]...
[Artist] uses [technique] throughout the [section], producing a [tone description] that [reinforces the mood / adds textural interest]...
The choice to use [technique] at this point is effective because it [creates contrast / heightens intensity / gives the phrase a vocal quality]...
The instrumentation changes at [section] — [describe change] — creating a [textural shift / dynamic swell] that [marks a structural division / amplifies emotional impact]...
Lyrics
The central theme of the song is [theme], explored through [imagery / narrative / direct address], creating a [personal / political / universal] resonance...
The lyrical imagery of [specific image or metaphor] is particularly effective because it [creates a vivid picture / adds layers of meaning]...
The way [artist] delivers [specific line] — with [tone / dynamic / rhythmic quality] — gives the lyric added [weight / vulnerability / defiance]...
The lyrics in the verse [describe approach], contrasting with the chorus where [describe chorus lyrics], reinforcing the [emotional journey / thematic development]...