How to Analyze Harmony in Music - Music Theory

How to undertake a roman numeral chord analysis of a piece of music. Using a short movement by Schumann this music theory lesson explains how to read the keys then how to discover each of the chords, including designating extension chords where appropriate. For those wanting to develop confidence in roman numeral chord analysis this is an ideal tutorial.
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🕘 Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to how to analyze harmony in music
0:28 - Starting with the opening key and basic chords
3:02 - Extended chords
4:50 - Why analyze the harmony of a piece?
5:58 - Playing the piece
6:31 - Working out the chords of the piece
16:53 - Hint of another key
19:29 - Completed analysis of the first phrase
20:04 - Spotting the modulation
28:14 - Conclusion
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[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@adelesmith8075]

Wonderful video! Nice and easy to understand. I have been trying to get to grips with understanding harmony and found this a great insight. Thanks so much.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thank you. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@Giannis_-zq5hl]

Thank you so much, your videos are so educational and helpful.❤

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@ruthwilkinson2076]

Interesting.When I have seen a chord that 'hints' at a key change, I have automatically assumed that a piece has changed key, and subsequently got into bother as I can't seem to 'match' the subsequent chords into the new key. But there is an example here of a hint of a key change that is transient, and used to add colour/interest but the piece remains in the original key. That explains a lot! It's also interesting to see how Schumann has used changes of inversions to advantage, I'll try that! Thanks, Gareth.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s a great discovery to make and will help you a great deal.

[@tamboresdomundo8156]

The BEST teacher! Thank you so much!

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@jytte47]

Very well explained . Thank you very much

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@HishamKhalaf1]

Thank you. Very Clear analysis.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@MakinMusicSchool]

Thank you for interesting explanation of the subject.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@jayducharme]

That was definitely helpful. Thank you.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent

[@wernherpramschufer1148]

Wonderful and enlighening!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@austinmchale7232]

Donald Tovey's,"When is a tonic not a tonic ? When it's a dominant. "(or its corollary, a subdominant?) also adds something dynamic(ebb and flow?)to the analysis of a tune, I think. Thanks again, Gareth.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@jasmainefowke3093]

Very informative. 😊

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@isaacshaw1596]

I would like to become a music teacher/ mentor, my composition skills are still weak and would like to improve a lot more, hoping to get into the Uni I want because I have always enjoyed your teaching and find great benefit to it. You have inspired me to want to teach music and through your free online videos I have accessed a whole lot of music theory and my understanding is pretty solid. I also am glad to have been able to join maestros and get feedback on work.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s great to have you with us. Glad it’s all so useful.

[@stephenbashforth8257]

Hi Gareth - thanks for helping us think through analysis - which is helping my composition efforts. At the start you talked about the V7 chord in third inversion. In figured bass I thought a third inversion chord is a 7,4,2 chord , did you say that ? Was the 7,5,3 just telling us the notes of a seventh chord?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks. 753 are the notes of a 7th chord. In figured bass the 3rd inversion of a 7th chord is 642, abbreviated to 42.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I wish I had a music teacher like you 60 years ago.

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re very kind

[@zaptabby]

Me too. I have learned more in two hours than I did 5 years at school!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@ruramikael]

For me, the modulation involves a process from point A to point B. Bars 5-8 in a minor is just a temporary key change or a sequential modulation at best (often used by Beethoven and Liszt).

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Zarty-Music]

Thanks for the content! Bars 3-4 seem to me like a reminiscence of the classical converging half-cadence, where bass goes up by stepwise motion through grades 4-4#-5, while upper voice goes down by stepwise motion, resolving in the 3rd or 5th factor of the V chord (bar 4 second half). Very popular during Mozart's years, I'm surprised it was still in use in Schumann's time, though I suspect it has something to do with the character of the piece. Best regards.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely. Greetings to you too.

[@cliveaitkenhead]

I'm new to this so forgive me if this makes no sense but could bar 4 be a IV - I plagal cadence in D?

[@Zarty-Music]

@@cliveaitkenhead Hello Clive: in the context of G major that very same harmonic movement is a I-V half-cadence. Up to that point there hasn't been a proper modulation to D (second half of bar 3 is just a secondary dominant), so G is still heard as the tonic (I). Best regards.

[@cliveaitkenhead]

@@Zarty-Music Hello Zarty, Thanks very much for taking the trouble to explain which is much appreciated and I need to look into secondary dominants and half cadences now. Best wishes Clive

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely

[@alpal4208]

Great video.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@startrooper2earth]

If you analyze root naming major, minor and dominant chords you can interpret 7 chords as respectively (slash chords) "minor third triad"/"root note", "major third triad"/"root note" and "diminished third triad"/"root note". Is it interesting to look how inversions look from this angle?What purpose can it give you?

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s certainly possible to do that. I wonder if it’s easier to think in Roman Numerals, Figured Bass or in Lead Sheet format?

[@lisagshockey1]

thank you!!!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks for your support. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@josephinebrown6631]

Thank you kindly🤍

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Birbeniho]

thank you

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@FrancescaBettiMusic]

Love how you explain :)😊 more video like this *_^*❤

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@sayonara6301]

When I can get more practise from your website similar to this? ( analyzing chords in a piece) Pls send link Previously I finished the one on composing a song Part 1 and 2 Thank u

[@MusicMattersGB]

The most useful courses we have in analysing harmony will be these:- www.mmcourses.co.uk/p/beethoven-piano-sonata-no8-c-minor-pathetique-music-analysis-course www.mmcourses.co.uk/p/bach-prelude-fugue-f-sharp-minor-bwv859-music-analysis-course This course will improve your ability to think and play harmony at the piano:- www.mmcourses.co.uk/p/keyboard-harmony-course This course will help you to write harmony:- www.mmcourses.co.uk/p/bach-chorale-course

[@sayonara6301]

@@MusicMattersGB thank you will enrol soon 😀

[@MusicMattersGB]

Enjoy!

[@tomas_soeterik]

I am new to music, how do we know that E is a third from Csharp? I know that E is a third from C but not Csharp. 17:36 Thanks !!🙏

[@MusicMattersGB]

Literally count letter names. CDE /123. The accidentals don’t affect the counting of the interval. Then there is detail to discover to determine what kind of 3rd it is. The detail is contained within our theory courses at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@TigerRichards]

My takeaway from this is the discipline of looking at the accidentals in a phrase to identify the key. But the first phrase throws me off because it begins and ends with D major chord. So if that first phrase begins on D7 and ends on D -- why is it not (or did I miss this?) that despite the single sharp, that the opening phrase is in D? If I had to guess, the fact that the "C" is not "C#" is the reason, but still -- seems a bit confusing.

[@MusicMattersGB]

The first chord contains a C natural and, while it’s an unusual start in some ways it confirms the G major tonality, especially as it resolves to a G major chord.

[@carlstenger5893]

Wonderful video. As you may (or may not) know, I was taught the "other" system of chord analysis at university. (I'd call it the "American" system, but I have no idea where that particular version of "hocus pocus" was actually invented). I've been pondering (for that last six years) which system is best (for me). I've come to the the conclusion that the answer to that question is "neither". The British version's chief advantage is simplicity. All chords are written with capital Roman numerals. Inversions are "a,b,c,d". Very clean, very neat. The chief disadvantage is that the "flavor" of any particular chord (major, minor , diminished, augmented) remains ambiguous. (Obviously, with time and practice, you eventually learn the flavors of the various chords; but to the uninitiated or amateur sleuth, the quality of any particular chord is unknown.) The "Other" version's chief advantage is that chord quality is (more or less) immediately evident. By using capital Roman numerals for major chords and lower-case Roman numerals for minor chords, the student, sleuth, or "musical autopsy-ist" is able to declare the chord's flavor or quality. The chief disadvantage of the "other" version is that signalling inversions is not quite so simple. Instead of "a,b,c,d", you're forced to indicate which inversion you've uncovered by indicating the positions of all the notes above the lowest note in a chord: 5 3, 6 3, 6 4, 7 5 3, 6 5 3, 6 4 3, or 6 4 2. Like the British system, the "other" system allows for the omission of some numerals (when notes are in their "expected" locations ( 5 3 is generally omitted just a "a" is omitted in the British system. The only real advantage that I can see to the "other" system over the British system is when a student is moving on to explore figured bass. As for me, I've taken to combining the two systems...I use upper/lower case Roman numerals and letters (a,b,c,d) for inversions. Thanks so much for the quick dive into analysis. Even when I think I know something pretty well, you always manage to include things that I either never knew or had long forgotten.

[@MusicMattersGB]

There are certainly merits in both systems. Knowing both covers all the bases. Thanks for your kind words.

[@babylon4206]

Hi, just want to thank you, for helping me improve my music...for free =)

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s a pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@Debangshuification]

Could u explain how you could understand when it changed to A?

[@MusicMattersGB]

When the key changes, look for pivot chords or pivot notes that are common to the key you’re leaving and to the key you’re joining. Then introduce the new accidentals for the new key.

[@Debangshuification]

@@MusicMattersGBgot it. thank you !

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@isaacshaw1596]

That opening chord sequence is very Bach sounding. Schumann is his own composer don't get me wrong but it did sound like something that Bach would write in his chorales.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s interesting to hear and see what composers use from the traditions behind them.

[@asamiyashin444]

Can't the C# chord just be the IV degree borrowed from the G lydian?

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s certainly one way of thinking about it. The composer in question certainly wouldn’t have been thinking in the Lydian and it’s interesting to consider the chord in terms of how it functions because that’s what really determines it.

[@asamiyashin444]

@@MusicMattersGB I have been these days experimenting with secondary dominants and borrowed chords from modes and sometimes I wonder if those changes could be interpreted as temporary key changes. For example, sometimes I ask myself, why if rather than doing a secondary dominant before a chord I do another before of the dominant of the same key, and usually those chords belong to some mode of the first main key. I have found that if one sticks to the notes of the main key in the melody the changes in chords are less abrupt. But I'm still learning about those. I have been years composing only in the aeloian mode, which I like a lot, but I want to make some variations without sounding jazzy (I don't like jazz, it is too abstract for my tastes). I'm looking for that balance.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. The secondary dominant chords offer you some interesting harmonic colour without having to enter a full modulation. Keep going. You’re on a great voyage of discovery.

[@SUNNYD3322]

what evidence in the piece tell you that it is im the key major scale?

[@MusicMattersGB]

One might look at the first and final chords for a clue. After that it’s worth looking out for the chords and working out if they belong to a major or a minor key. Also look out for accidentals that might indicate a minor key eg raised 7th degree of the minor scale.

[@christopherlord3441]

Gareth is the force of civilization in action.

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re far too kind

[@EricPham-gr8pg]

The law of harmony is key of procreation and sustainable oppose to destructive power of corosion or radiation

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@ChernobieffPiano]

In my opinion the problem with that british system of marking inversions is that a b looks like a flat symbol.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@EricPham-gr8pg]

If musics , lighting , and electrical equipment in housing design or cars are base on the harmonious theory then better quality of life and sustainability

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@LibertyorDie1976]

More recent = healthier looking. Lol

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@CalebePriester]

I don't like this composer very much. His music sounds too chromatic to my taste. I have noticed that I tend to prefer composers from the barroque era and the classical era.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Fair enough. Personal taste takes us all in different directions.

[@classicgameplay10]

Some of kinderzenen pieces are good. Some romantic ideas without the harmonic madness.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@emuemulatoff]

Thanks

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk