Ok, this may seem a bit weird to regular readers of my blog, but I’m going to be archiving my coursework in my Berklee/Coursera programs on this blog.
Perhaps someone else will get some value out of it, or offer hints or suggestions for improvements. Either way, it’ll make it a very easy reference to me and my growth through this course
Coursera – Developing your musicianship – Peer Assignment 1 – Lesson One: Major Scale
Write in your own words the definitions of harmony, ear training, and interval.
Harmony – the relationship between notes played at the same time, or chords. Notes played together that create a generally pleasing sound is often called harmonious, and notes that don’t sound good together are often described as disharmonious. Harmonious notes are used to build a chord or chord progression.
Ear Training – The activity that teaches you to consistently, correctly identify a particular sound and associate it to a musical tone or equivalent sound from an instrument. Ear training will enable you to identify when a singer is singing off key, or on key.
Interval – The difference in pitch or tone between two notes. Using the 12 note scale, the interval can be expressed as either a WHOLE interval or HALF interval depending on which notes are used to make up the scale.
There is a specific pattern to the interval between notes in the 12 note scale: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
In the key of C, a half interval exists between C and C#, and a whole interval exists between C and D. Wheras in the key of E, a half interval exists between E and F, and a whole interval exists between E and F#.
Find three recordings of songs in the key of C and post links to performances of them that you find on YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, or a similar public video site.
Some resources I found helpful to determine song key:
Write the C major scale on the staff by hand.
